Old Firm

[Atticus_Finch]

After getting my breath back after watching the Old Firm today, I got to wondering how popular they are in the rest of the UK. So, I though I would have a scientific poll to find out.

Non Scottish forumers only please....

 

[shanker]

Haven't voted as I'm Scottish. I would love to see them all. As a child my Dad didn't allow us to go because of the atmosphere. I saw my only Old Firm game at Parkhead on New Year's Day 1968 as a 13 year-old. 2-2 draw and Bobby Murdoch saved Celtic. A unique experience.

 

[teetime72]

Not very popular.

Who are they?

 

[GB72]

When I was very young I liked the Celtic kit so parents bought me one. As such, I sort of follow their results

 

[shanker]

Not very popular.

Who are they?

Very good Teetime72. I'm sure we'd all prefer to watch Preston North End or even Barrow, Carlisle or Workington. You're spoilt for classy teams where you live. Spare a thought for the poor wee Glaswegians who only have the Old Firm.

 

[teetime72]

If they tire of the old firm,it`s only half hours drive to Carlisle.

 

[medwayjon]

Yup, cheer for Celtic as I am from a Roman Catholic family.

 

[theeaglehunter]

Yea I too would route for Celtic due to the Catholic connection.

 

[grumpyjock]

not from the west coast so no likee muchee.
rather have united

 

[Nico]

In the middle 90's my boss was a rabid Gooner and he took me to several N.London derby matches.

Being a Taff and having been to many Wales/England Rugby internationals I thought I knew what to expect.

Boy, was I wrong!!

I had never been exposed to such depth of feeling and the way it was expressed was unsettling.

At the time we had an associate company in Scotland whose MD was a Rangers season ticket holder.

Roddy was the nicest gentlest,soft spoken Scot who could charm the birds from the trees.

Even Arsenal/Tottenham did not prepare me for the naked hatred and the vilest nastiness I witnessed,even from a gentle soul like Roddy.

Those of you who have read my other posts will know I dont mind strong language or opinions but this was different,very different.

That said,I would actually love to see Rangers and Celtic in the Premiership if only for them to be able to fund genuinely competitive European teams.

I hope that things are better these days but it did put me off going to Football matches for 10 years.

 

[EchtLoon]

It's strange to exclude Scots from voting Atticus. Many of us make a point of not watching the games either, we've had a lifetime of being forcefed their games week in week out, admittedly just like you get in England with the Big 4, but it gets pretty wearing.

For the record I hate Rangers more than Celtic, Celtic at least usually (and especially at the moment) play the better football, the Huns are usually dirty clogging bassas.

Coming from Carnoustie yourself, why are you not supporting your local teams btw?

 

[shanker]

That said,I would actually love to see Rangers and Celtic in the Premiership if only for them to be able to fund genuinely competitive European teams.

So would I, but the Celtic Chief Executive has said that it will never happen and the future is a European Super League.
If I understand you correctly you're saying that top players won't go to Parkhead or Ibrox because the SPL is crap. You're right! Glasgow has a great football tradition and the Old Firm are among the richest clubs in the world. Roll on the day when Celtic play against Manchester United, Milan, Arsenal, Real Madrid etc. on a regular basis. No disrespect intended towards Hearts, Hibs, Aberdeen and Dundee etc. but this must be the way forward.

 

[Atticus_Finch]

Echtloon,
In retrospect I made a mistake in the poll set up by not allowing people to see it unless they had votes. I tried to change it back but it was too late.
I only wanted non scots to vote as I wanted to see what the opinion of these cretins was outside the media catchment area as we are forcefed the rantings and bile of these clubs from every angle.
I live in Carnoustie, but I'm not from this area. I'm an Airdrieonian and felt I had to leave the central belt 7 years ago when my 1st son was born as I though that there were better places in the country to raise my children. The Old Firm were a huge part of that decision.
Where I live now, society is less divisive and 99% of the people have never seen an Orange/Hibs walk in their lives. Hopefully my kids will grow up the same. I'm just a bit annoyed that I didn't make the move earlier in my life as the golf course are far superior and far cheaper.
For the record, I detest the Old Firm Equally.

Edit. I thought the religious thing was exclusive to the west of Scotland but on reading some of the posts of our English friends, it seems it has spread. I didn't mention religion once in my original post but yet agian it's the subject that can't stay quiet when the Old Firm are discussed.
Incidentally, If I was English and a fan of a Premiership team, I wouldn't want the Old Firm anywhere near my league.

 

[EchtLoon]

Echtloon,
In retrospect I made a mistake in the poll set up by not allowing people to see it unless they had votes. I tried to change it back but it was too late.
I only wanted non scots to vote as I wanted to see what the opinion of these cretins was outside the media catchment area as we are forcefed the rantings and bile of these clubs from every angle.
I live in Carnoustie, but I'm not from this area. I'm an Airdrieonian and felt I had to leave the central belt 7 years ago when my 1st son was born as I though that there were better places in the country to raise my children. The Old Firm were a huge part of that decision.
Where I live now, society is less divisive and 99% of the people have never seen an Orange/Hibs walk in their lives. Hopefully my kids will grow up the same. I'm just a bit annoyed that I didn't make the move earlier in my life as the golf course are far superior and far cheaper.
For the record, I detest the Old Firm Equally.

Ah sorry Atticus, I read your poll as being pro-one of the OF.

Got to agree on the golf though, you're in prime golfing country there, and one of the cheapest parts of the country.

 

[shanker]

Atticus
In your OP you seem to suggest that you enjoyed last weekend's Old Firm game. Now you hate the pair of them?
It's nonsense to say that religion ''can't stay quiet when the Old Firm are discussed''. Obviously it comes up but you can't knock one or two of the GM posters for linking their preferences to their religious upbringing. Even here in Spain I'm asked by Spanish golfers which of the two I support. I say ''Celtic'', they say (in Spanish) ''you're a Catholic, then''.

 

[Atticus_Finch]

I'll say it again.
I did enjoy the game on Sunday. I do hate both of them.
The difference with me ,is that I can watch this football match objectively and from a purely sporting point of view and it was very enjoyable with a very high tempo and with old school challenges that take you back to before the game was sanitized by UEFA and SKY. Very enjoyable, I must say.
If you want to talk about the OF as institutions, then that's a different matter altogether. I can't stand either of them, or anything they stand for.

I can knock one or two of the posters for choosing their team based on religion. I have to laugh when the Old Firm come out occasionally with some anti-bigotry rhetoric and how there doing their best to eradicate it. UTTER NONSENSE! The OF would cease to exist without it. The big problem is that they know it.

 

[Dave3498]

I agree with you AF. Fanatic supporters don't realize what they are missing when they only support one team at the expense of enjoying the game itself. One look at the losing supporters will show you that they are absolutely devastated by the result, even though the game they have just watched could have been a classic spectacle of skill and sportsmanship.

 

[John_Findlay]

As an ex-Rangers supporter, now Celtic fan, I have to say I enjoy the old firm games but not all the religious nonsense that goes with it.

Born in Glasgow in an area where my dad used to walk alongside the Orange Walks recording the flute bands soon puts you off the whole idea. Switched allegiances as soon as I moved to Nairn when I was 13. Non-denominational school for the first time and even went to Xmas Mass with my pals.

Still get the old "so, you'll be a Tim, then?" response in Edinburgh when I say I'm a Celtic supporter. Both teams have a lot to answer for inspite of their enforced PR campaigns against bigotry.

Can you separate religion from the Old Firm? Easy. I did. I just support the more entertaining team, now. (Although Kenny Dalgliesh did have a lot to do with it!)

 

[Nico]

Not a massive football fan so I truly cant comment on the relative worth of the SPL.

What I meant about them funding better teams was purely economical. They might be some of the best supported teams in the World but the tv money from the Prem makes an enormous difference and the gap is getting bigger with each go round.

 

[Boabski]

you will never take the bigotry out of central Scotland, they have been trying for years but you will always have the devout that will never let it go on both ends and it has nothing to do with celtic and rangers either just religion.if you go way back to when celtic were formed, ie formed by a priest to feed the starving irish catholic immigrants on the east side of glasgow and you mix the opposite in the west who were prodomanatly scottish prespeterions etc its made for a severe car crash. its Similar in Edinburgh with hibs and hearts, hibs were formed for the same reasons as celtic,
in my opinion it will only stop when they ban all orange and hibs walks and have non denominational schools oh and people start to grow up