History of the Old Firm Derby
The first Old Firm game was played back in 1888 and the rivalry between Celtic and Rangers hasn’t ceased since.
The Old Firm is perhaps the most evenly-balanced rivalry in world football.
Celtic and Rangers have competed against each other most seasons since their first clash in 1888. Over that time, the sides have earned the bragging rights on Glasgow exactly 169 times each. They have drawn on just over 100 occasions, meaning one set of supporters is permitted to laud it over the city 75% of the time.
Old Firm fixtures are the first thing Celtic and Rangers fans look for when the Scottish Premiership publishes its match schedule each summer. Bettors will always look ahead to the next Old Firm game with eager anticipation. That’s because the history of the Old Firm guarantees that we’ll witness more drama then next time Rangers and Celtic clash.
This guide will take you through the Old Firm history, from the first ever match to the modern-day era. We’ll look at which manager has the best Old Firm record, who is the top scorer in the Old Firm, and the biggest against-the-odds upsets.
Old Firm History
Celtic and Rangers are not the only clubs from Glasgow but they have grown to dominate the city, and Scottish football in general. Every great rivalry needs two opposing sides. For Manchester United and Liverpool it's a city vs city thing. For Real Madrid and Barcelona it's about the establishment versus the rebels. With Celtic and Rangers, the rivalry falls down sectarian lines.
But this wasn't always the case.
The First Old Firm Game and Sectarian Beginnings
Rangers were already 16 years old when Celtic, playing in their first ever match, beat them 5-2 in a friendly back in 1888. Two thousand fans watched the game. Celtic had formed as a movement to help Irish-Scots stricken by poverty in Glasgow. Rangers were simply a football team from the other side of town. There was no direct sectarianism at play for the first few decades of the rivalry.
However, that all changed in the 1910s when Rangers pivoted to a more Protestant, Unionist identity. Catholics were barred from playing for the side. The battle lines were drawn and supporting one side or the other became a huge part of a Glaswegian's identity.
By that stage the two teams had been competing regularly in the Scottish top flight and had hoovered up the majority of Scottish championships.
An eye-watering 118,567 supporters broke the Old Firm attendance record on 2 January 1939 when Rangers beat Celtic 2-1 at Ibrox. It was the last Old Firm before the Second World War broke out. They wouldn't meet again until the 1946/47 season.
Post-War Rise of Celtic
Rangers were quickest to resurrect their dominance in Scottish football after the war, winning six titles in a decade as Celtic laboured to get going again. The sectarianism was still there but there was very much a dominant half of Glasgow, while Hearts became Rangers' most common rival for the title.
That all changed in 1965 when Jock Stein took over at Parkhead. He oversaw nine straight title triumphs, as Celtic were also crowned European champions. Celtic also had the upper hand in Old Firm games over that period, winning nine of 18 Old Firm matches between 1965 and 1974.
Rangers Rise and Fall
All reigns come to an end and Celtic's was abrupt. They still won titles into the late '70 and 1980s but this was a time of upheaval in Scottish football as Rangers came back to the fore, while Aberdeen, Hearts and Dundee United threatened the established big two.
Rangers were calling out for an era-defining manager. In 1987 Graeme Souness delivered their first league title in a decade, then won it twice more. Walter Smith took over in 1991 and oversaw seven straight championships as Rangers dominated the 1990s.
Smith was hugely successful in Old Firm games. He left the club in May 1998 after failing to secure a 10th straight title, as Wim Jansen's Celtic won the league by two points.
Celtic's 1998 triumph was the start of a more even tussle between the Old Firm sides. They each won seven titles between 1999 and 2012, and the loser finished runners-up in all but one season (2005/06).
Henrik Larsson, Kris Boyd, Scott Brown, David Weir, John Hartson, Alan Thompson and Steven Naismith came to dominate the era. The two Old Firm clubs were giants compared to the rest of Scottish football. It looked like these two goliaths would continue to wrestle power off each other forever.
Modern Era
Something had to give eventually. Rangers and Celtic outspent each other trying to secure top spot and a lucrative Champions League position. What happened next was a spectacular fall from grace at Ibrox.
Rangers collapsed into financial ruin after the 2011/12 season where they finished 20 points off champions Celtic. They couldn't pay back their creditors and were sent tumbling down the league. A new business, RFC 2012 plc, emerged from the ashes in the fourth tier of Scottish football.
The Old Firm went into hibernation. Celtic played Rangers just twice until 2016 when the latter finally returned to the top flight. Those two games were a 2-0 Scottish League Cup win for Celtic in February 2015, and a 2-2 Scottish FA Cup draw in April 2016 that Rangers won on penalties.
Rangers' return to the Scottish Premiership didn't automatically lead to a rekindling of the championship battle with their rivals. Celtic would go on to win the next four titles – including the famous Treble Treble – before Steven Gerrard delivered the championship in 2021.
Celtic have won the last three titles since.
Updated Old Firm Record
Here’s the current Old Firm record updated as of December 2024:
Rangers Wins: 169 Celtic Wins: 170 Draws: 103 Total Games: 442
Why is it Called the Old Firm?
There is no original source for why Celtic vs Rangers is called the Old Firm. However, we know the term dates back to at least 1904 when a magazine called 'The Scottish Referee' published a satirical cartoon ahead of the Scottish Cup Final between Celtic and Rangers.
The cartoon mocked the commercialisation of the game. Imagine what the editors would have thought of modern-day football! The cartoon shows a man holding a sandwich board that proclaims: "Patronise The Old Firm: Rangers, Celtic Ltd".
Best Old Firm Managers
Managing an Old Firm game is probably one of the most stressful jobs in football. It’s win at all costs, and some managers found a knack of delivering time and again. Here are the best Old Firm managers in terms of win ratio:
Brendan Rodgers (Celtic) - 78% (14 wins from 18 games) Steven Gerrard (Rangers) - 62% win rate (8 wins from 13 games) Martin O’Neill (Celtic) - 59% win rate (16 wins from 27 games) Bill Struth (Rangers) - 57% win rate (66 wins from 116 games) Ange Postecoglou (Celtic) - 55% win rate (6 wins from 11 games) Graeme Souness (Rangers) - 52% win rate (14 wins from 37 games) Jock Stein (Celtic) - 50% win rate (29 wins from 58 games) Walter Smith (Rangers) - 50% win rate (56 wins from 28 games) Scot Symon (Rangers) - 48% win rate (29 wins from 61 games) Billy McNeill (Celtic) - 48% win rate (22 wins from 46 games) Neil Lennon (Celtic) - 47% win rate (9 wins from 19 games) Gordon Strachan (Celtic) - 44% win rate (8 wins from 18 games)
Old Firm Top Scorers
Here are the top goalscorers in Old Firm history, accurate as of December 2024.
Ally McCoist (Rangers) – 27 goals in 55 games Roberrt C Hamilton (Rangers) – 46 goals from 24 games James McGrory (Celtic) – 35 goals in 22 games Sandy McMahon (Celtic) – 22 goals in 43 games John McPherson (Rangers) – 17 goals in 60 games Alex Venters (Rangers) – 16 goals in 26 games Jimmy Duncanson (Rangers) – 16 goals in 30 games Henrik Larsson (Celtic) – 15 goals in 30 games
Biggest Old Firm Upsets
Rangers 2-2 Celtic (5-4 pens.)
Rangers had waited a long time to finally get back at Celtic after years in obscurity down the Scottish pyramid. They were already on course for promotion to the top flight when they faced Celtic in the Scottish Cup semi-finals at Hampden Park.
Both sides scored in extra time to force a 2-2 draw and penalties. Tom Rogic missed the vital spot kick for Celtic as their rivals defied odds of 5/1 to make the Scottish Cup final.
Rangers Win 2020/21 Title
Celtic were as short as 1/2 to win a 10th Scottish title heading into the 2020/21 season. Rangers were way out at 2/1. The Hoops were sure to dominate the league once again but Steve Gerrard had other plans.
His Rangers side went unbeaten across the season and shattered the 100-point barrier on their way to a glorious league title. The streak defied the bookies, who had Celtic as favourites to beat their rivals during the first Old Firm at Parkhead in October that season. Rangers won it 2-0 and never looked back.
Celtic 6-2 Rangers – August 2000
Celtic started the 2000/01 season in a sorry state after losing the title to Rangers the previous year by 21 points. New boss Martin O'Neill wasn't prepared to hang around and gift Rangers another title, though. The Northern Irishman kicked off the season with four straight league wins to match Rangers' 100% start.
No-one expected what was to come on 27 August at Celtic Park, though. Celtic led in the first minute through Chris Sutton and were 3-0 up in 11 minutes. Rangers hit back with goals from Claudio Reyna and Billy Dodds, but Larsson and Sutton wrapped up a 6-2 victory.
Last 10 Old Firm Results
Here are the last 10 Old Firm results covering the past two seasons:
Celtic 3-0 Rangers - 1 September 2024 Celtic 1-0 Rangers – 25 May 2024 (Scottish FA Cup final) Celtic 2-1 Rangers – 11 May 2024 Rangers 3-3 Celtic – 7 April 2024 Celtic 2-1 Rangers – 30 December 2023 Rangers 0-1 Celtic – 3 September 2023 Rangers 3-0 Celtic – 13 May 2023 Rangers 0-1 Celtic – 30 April 2023 (Scottish FA Cup final) Celtic 3-2 Rangers – 8 April 2023 Rangers 1-2 Celtic – 26 February 2023 (Scottish League Cup final) Rangers 2-2 Celtic – 2 January 2023