Old Firm

The Old Firm is the name given to the rivalry between Celtic and Rangers, the two clubs that have dominated Scottish football for well over a century. It is one of the oldest and most intense rivalries in the world game, and in Glasgow it shapes far more than sport.

Celtic were founded in the east end of Glasgow with roots in the city's Irish immigrant community, and that heritage remains central to the club's identity. Celtic have a vast, devoted support and a long history of success at home, along with a celebrated place in European football history.

Rangers are one of the most successful clubs in the world by domestic honours, with a support that is just as large and just as committed. The club has its own deep traditions in Glasgow, and for generations Rangers and Celtic have between them claimed the overwhelming majority of Scotland's titles.

The rivalry carries a social and religious dimension that has long set it apart, tied to the histories of the two communities the clubs grew from. That has given the Old Firm a reputation as one of football's most charged fixtures, admired for its passion and scrutinised for its tensions.

On the pitch the Old Firm usually decides the Scottish title, and the meetings are watched far beyond Scotland. It is two enormous clubs, closely matched and deeply opposed, competing for the same prizes in the same city, season after season.