The Old Firm is quite frankly one of the fiercest and passionate football derbies in the world and one that garners attention all over the planet.
Rangers versus Celtic is a serious matter for the people of Glasgow and beyond. Of course, the actual football takes precedence, but it’s never just been about what happens on the pitch.
The deep hatred between the two fanbases stems from historical issues concerning national identity, religious affairs and politics among others.
The derby means absolutely everything to both Rangers and Celtic supporters as it decides who owns the city bragging rights – until the next match rolls around, of course.
Given all of the above, Rangers vs Celtic attendances are unsurprisingly massive. And while we don’t quite see the ginormous numbers from the early 1900s, both Ibrox and Celtic Park are always packed to the rafters.
Fans domestically and across the globe understand Rangers vs Celtic is the Old Firm derby, simple as that. But do they know why it’s called that? There aren’t really too many clues in the name, so what does it actually mean?
Well, Rangers News have provided a history lesson below to explain the theories behind why Rangers vs Celtic was called the Old Firm derby.
Why is Rangers vs Celtic derby called the Old Firm?
Rangers were formed in 1872 and Celtic came to being in 1888. But it wasn’t until the early 1900s when the term ‘Old Firm’ was first referenced to describe the two teams in a newspaper called The Scottish Referee.
The newspaper was in circulation between 1888 and 1914, so production stopped soon after the outbreak of the First World War.
In 1904 on the eve of the Scottish Cup final between Rangers and Celtic, they published a cartoon that showed a man wearing a sandwich board which read: “The Scottish Final. Patronise The Old Firm. Rangers, Celtic Ltd.”
It essentially implied the rivals enjoyed a ‘great business relationship’ due to the huge fan interest in the fixture, and an acknowledgement of how lucrative the derby was.
Businesses with long histories
Another explanation for the term comes from how businesses with long and established relationships were called “old firms” in the past.
As a result, ‘Old Firm’ was simply a way to describe the well-known fixture between the two biggest clubs in Scotland.
‘Like two old, firm friends’
This is the third theory and it derives from an early game between the two teams. It is said that the match commentators described Rangers and Celtic as “two old, firm friends.”
Founders of the Scottish League system
This one is probably the unlikeliest of all the theories, but the term ‘Old Firm’ could come from the fact that Rangers and Celtic were founder members of the Scottish League in 1890.
However, the likes of St Mirren and Hearts remain well-established clubs in Scotland and of course, they have zero correlation with the term.
When was the first ever Old Firm derby?
Rangers and Celtic first met officially on May 28, 1888 at Celtic Park in Glasgow. The game was a friendly and unfortunately, Celtic ran out 5-2 winners on the day.
This was actually Celtic’s first ever match as a football club, with Rangers being formed 16 years earlier in 1872.
The first competitive fixture between Rangers and Celtic came on October 27, 1888 – so only five months after the friendly. It was in the third round of the Glasgow Cup and Rangers lost 6-1 at Ibrox.
Incredibly, Rangers had to wait until February 1893 before their first victory over Celtic – nearly five years since they first came to blows in 1888.
That was in the Glasgow Cup final as Rangers triumphed 3-1 at a neutral venue. Neil Kerr, John McPherson and John Barker were the scorers that afternoon.
