Masaryk University Brno Faculty of Education

Department of English Language and Literature

Religion in Scotland and its influence over the Celtic vs. Rangers Rivalry

Bachelor Thesis

Jan Jačisko

Supervisor: Mgr. Zdeněk Janík, M.A., Ph.D. Brno 2015

Prohlášení Prohlašuji, že jsem bakalářskou práci vypracoval samostatně a použil jen prameny uvedené v seznamu literatury.

V Brně dne 15. listopadu 2015 Jan Jačisko

Declaration I hereby declare that I worked on this thesis on my own and that I used only sources mentioned in the List of References.

Brno, November 2015 ...... Jan Jačisko

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Acknowledgement I would like to express my gratitude to the supervisor of my bachelor thesis, Mgr. Zdeněk Janík, M.A., Ph.D., for his guidance and professional advice during the development of this bachelor thesis.

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Abstract The aim of this bachelor thesis is to show the influence of religion in Scotland over the rivalry between football teams situated in Glasgow – Celtic FC and Rangers FC. In the first chapter, the religious background of Scotland is described in order to explain some major events in Scottish history that help to understand the antagonism between Catholics and Protestants today. The second chapter deals with the origins of the rivalry. It summarizes foundations of both teams, and it describes the roots that led to a foundation of the “Old Firm” rivalry. The third chapter analyses the policies of the two clubs. There is a huge difference between Rangers’ “Sign No Catholic” policy and Celtic’s policy that allows them to sign any player no matter what religion he practices. The last chapter describes the religious symbolism during the Old Firm games. Supporters sing songs and chants, and players sometimes respond to what happens in the stands. Both these elements extremely intensify the rivalry. Key Words: religion, Catholicism, Protestantism, Scotland, Celtic, Rangers, rivalry

Anotace: Tato bakalářská práce se zabývá náboženstvím ve Skotsku a jeho vlivem na rivalitu mezi dvěma fotbalovými týmy v Glasgow – Celtic FC a Rangers FC. První kapitola pojednává o historii náboženství ve Skotsku a o okolnostech, které pomáhají vysvětlit vztah mezi Katolíky a Protestanty v dnešní době. Druhá kapitola se zabývá původem rivality mezi dvěma týmy. Kapitola shrnuje založení obou týmů a popisuje důvody, které vedly ke vzniku tzv. „Old Firm“ rivality. Třetí kapitola vysvětluje politiku chodu obou klubů. Kapitola srovnává Rangers jakožto klub nekupující hráče katolického vyznání a Celtic, který podepisuje hráče bez ohledu na jejich víru. Poslední kapitola popisuje náboženské prvky, které jsou přítomné během zápasů dvou rivalů. Oslavné písně a chorály fanoušků, a činy některých hráčů, to vše zesiluje tuto rivalitu. Klíčová slova: náboženství, Katolicismus, Protestantství, Skotsko, Celtic, Rangers, rivalita

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Table of Contents Introduction ...... 6

1 Religious Background of Scotland ...... 7

1.1 The Early Years ...... 7

1.2 The Reformation ...... 8

1.2.1 The Reformation in England ...... 9

1.2.2 The Reformation in Scotland ...... 12

1.2.3 The Reformation in Ireland ...... 14

1.3 The Glorious Revolution ...... 15

1.4 Ireland and Irish Immigration ...... 16

2 The History of the ‘Old Firm’ Rivalry ...... 18

2.1 The Roots of the Rivalry ...... 19

2.2 The Old Firm between the Wars ...... 21

3 The Two Rivals’ Policies ...... 24

3.1 Celtic and Religion ...... 24

3.1.1 Celtic against their own ...... 25

3.1.2 The Great Flag Flutter ...... 26

3.2 Rangers’ “Sign No Catholic” Policy ...... 27

3.2.1 The Formation of the Policy ...... 28

3.2.2 The Souness Revolution ...... 31

4 Religious Symbolism during the Old Firm Games ...... 34

4.1 Catholic and Protestant songs ...... 34

4.2 Players and Religious Elements ...... 37

5 Conclusion ...... 40

List of References ...... 41

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Introduction As the topic of the thesis suggests, I am going to explain the influence of religion in Scotland over the rivalry between two football teams situated in Glasgow – Celtic FC and Rangers FC. As a football fan, I have always admired rivalries between these two teams. However, I had never studied the reasons why these teams are so competitive and why they would do everything in order to defeat their opponent in the derby. I have always thought that this is the common rivalry of two teams from one city, but in this case I was mistaken. Celtic’s supporters are mainly Catholics, whereas Rangers’ supporters Protestants. It is well known fact that these two groups are both denominations of the Christian faith, and they have problems to accept each other. The aim of the thesis is to explain where the hatred between Protestants and Catholics started, how it is connected to the Old Firm rivalry, and what religious elements are visible during the clashes of the two teams. The thesis is divided into four chapters. In the first chapter, the religious background of Scotland and some major events in the Scottish history are explained in order to understand the relationship between Catholics and Protestants today – specifically the Reformation, which divided the whole Europe, the Glorious Revolution, and the Irish immigration to Scotland. The second chapter describes the origins of the rivalry of the two teams. It tracks foundations of both teams – Celtic as a team founded by Catholic immigrant, and Rangers as a team of Protestant hope. Some clashes and achievements of the two teams that shaped the rivalry are described in this part of the thesis. The third chapter deals with the policies of the two clubs. It explains the Celtic’s policy that allows them to sign any player of any religious faith, on the other hand, it describes in details the Rangers’ ‘Sign No Catholic’ policy. In the beginnings, Celtic used to have troubles with the teams of the same religious faith, while Rangers practised their policy until the 1980s. The last chapter provides examples of the religious symbolism at the Old Firm games. There could be many flags, songs, or chants seen or heard during the games, and all of them have their own meanings. Moreover, behaviour of some players of the two teams also intensify the rivalry.

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1 Religious Background of Scotland This chapter deals with the religious background of Scotland in order to explain some major events that help to understand the struggle between Catholics and Protestants today. In 2011, there was a national census in Scotland that collected information about the population1. The census in Scotland takes place every 10 years. The 2011 census proved the domination of Christianity – ‘over half (54 per cent) of the population of Scotland stated their religion as Christian’. This means that the number decreased of 11 percentage points since 2001. It also claimed that the Church of Scotland is the most widespread denomination of Christianity in Scotland – 32 per cent of the population (1.7 million), and the number decreased of 10 percentage points since 2001. The second largest religious group are Roman Catholics with 16 per cent (0.8 million) which stayed unchanged since 2001. On the other hand, the number of people that stated ‘they had no religion’ increased nine percentage points since 2001 (Scotland’s Census, 2013).

1.1 The Early Years We do not know when exactly the Christianity came to Scotland, but according to Houston (2008) it was probably in the 2nd century AD with the arrival of the Romans into Britain (p. 38). There were four people inhabiting the land what we now call Scotland – The Picts occupying the north and north-east, the Scots in the north of Ireland who later moved to part of Great Britain that now bears their name, the Britons inhabiting the Lowlands, and the Votadini who were allies of Rome (Mackie, Lenman & Parker, 1978). About 400 AD, there was the first significant wave of Christianity with the advent of Ninian. ‘Ninian was a Briton, a Bishop regularly instructed at Rome, who built a church at Candida Casa and from there conducted a mission to the Southern Picts’ (Mackie, Lenman & Parker, 1978, p. 25). Davies (c1999) describes Ninian as the ‘apostle of the Picts’ and the one ‘who evangelized the district beyond Hadrian’s Wall’ (p. 141). Meanwhile in Ireland in 432, Saint Patrick begins his mission there and brings the Christianity to the Irish people. The Christianity in Ireland spread rapidly and many monasteries were built. Eventually, around 700, ‘the Irish Church became rich and powerful’ (Grant, 2014, p. 39).

1 Such as how many men and women there are in Scotland, what is their age, ethnic group, educational level and other broad range of characteristics 7

‘The second fusion of the new faith to Scotland came from Ireland’ (Mackie, Lenman & Parker, 1978, p. 25). It was Columba2 in 563 who founded two religious houses, one of them on the island of Iona. He was able to enliven the Christianity within the Scots and able to penetrate into Pictland. Before his death, he established Iona as a centre of the Celtic Christianity. As Mackie, Lenman & Parker describes:

Iona was ruled by a succession of abbots, and its units were monastic villages each governed by an abbot, who looked to the Abbot of Iona as his head. (p. 25)

The Celtic Christianity eventually ‘came into contact with the Roman form of religion which had been brought from the south by Edwin of the Deiran House’ (Mackie, Lenman & Parker, 1978, p. 25). Houston (2008) says that ‘the 7th century was marked by bitter disputes over the date of Easter’ (p. 39). He adds that Scotland was linked to Columba, whereas the Roman Church to St Peter. Mackie, Lenman & Parker (1978) continues that the local king, at the Synod of Whitby in 664, had to make a decision which form to choose and follow. He chose the Roman Church which resulted in the withdrawal of the Columbans, and thereafter the King of Picts accepted this way as well and Iona itself ‘received the new teaching’ (p. 26).

1.2 The Reformation English (2007) explains that the Reformation was a religious revolution that ‘divided European Christianity into Protestant and Catholic’ (p. 48). As Mackie, Lenman & Parker (1978) explain, it ‘took varying forms in varying lands and in none of them was it confined to the simple issue of religion; everywhere its operation was conditioned by questions of politics and economics’ (p. 136). In 1517, in the German state of Saxony, Martin Luther started ‘to preach against the power of the Pope and priests, monks and nuns’. He considered the Bible to be ‘the key to true religion’ and people should have an opportunity to read it in their own language. His followers were called Protestants and their ideas spread across northern Europe (Corbishley & Morgan, 1996, p. 184). In Geneva, in Switzerland, John Calvin taught that ‘true Christians, who believed that God had saved them from Hell, should lead strict lives without worldly luxuries’. This might have seemed harsh, but it inspired a lot of people. These churches had no bishops and were run by ministers or chosen ‘presbyters’, or elders (Corbishley & Morgan, 1996, p. 185).

2 Who is believed to defeat a monster in Loch Ness (Mackie, Lenman & Parker, 1978, p. 25) 8

The Reformation is an era in our history where the long-standing fight between Catholics and Protestants began. Actions that happened during the Reformation are not forgotten today. Although the thesis deals with the religious background of Scotland, one has to realize that the events that happened in England and Ireland are also important in order to fully comprehend the Reformation in Scotland. As Mackie, Lenman & Parker (1978) suggest, ‘we have to understand the political and the economic factors with which the great religious issue was interwoven’ (p. 136).

1.2.1 The Reformation in England In England, the Reformation ideas appeared by the 1520s thanks to trading links with the German states and the Netherlands. The turning point that led to the English Reformation was ‘a quarrel about a marriage’ (Corbishley & Morgan, 1996, p. 185). The King Henry VIII was married to Catherine of Aragon, but she did not give him a desired son. Henry’s second love interest was Anne Boleyn, and he felt that she would give him an heir to the English throne that he had wished for. He wanted to divorce Catherine and marry Anne, but only the Pope could grant Henry the divorce. Unfortunately for Henry, the Pope was a prisoner of the Emperor Charles V. who was Catherine’s nephew, therefore the Pope declined Henry’s request (Corbishley & Morgan, 1996, p. 187). Henry and his new minister Thomas Cromwell found the solution to Henry’s problem – with the help of Parliament, that passed the Act of Supremacy in 1534, Henry became recognized as ‘Supreme Head of the Church of England’. Moreover, the Act against the Pope’s Authority was passed, and ‘the break with Rome was completed’ (Guy in Morgan, 2009, p. 240). One cannot forget that Henry had written a book where he had condemned the teachings of Martin Luther, and as Corbishley & Morgan (1996) emphasizes, ‘he was delighted when the Pope rewarded him with a new title, Defender of the Faith’ (p. 186). Despite the fact that Henry was Supreme Head of the Church of England, he had no control over a large part of it. Henry and Thomas Cromwell ‘decided on the destruction of the monasteries’ (Corbishley & Morgan, 1996, p. 188). Smaller monasteries were dissolved in 1536 by an Act of Parliament, the larger monasteries followed three years later in 1539. This ‘dissolution of the monasteries had a huge effect on English society’ (Corbishley & Morgan, 1996, p. 189). Henry sold the land that monks and nuns used to own to landowners who realized how valuable the land is. Corbishley & Morgan (1996) explains that:

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These nobles and gentry certainly did not want to see the monks and nuns return. This meant that it would now be very difficult to undo the changes Henry had made. (p. 189).

During his reign, Henry also allowed printing of the Bible in English and ordered that every church has to buy one. It might have seemed that Henry was ‘changing his mind’ about Protestants because of their belief that ‘everyone should be able to read the Bible in their own language’. In fact, the reading of the Bible spread quickly, Henry realized that and was so alarmed that ‘he ordered Parliament to pass a law forbidding women, apprentices and labourers to read the Bible’ (Corbishley & Morgan, 1996, p. 190). Henry died in 1547. Guy in Morgan (2009) summarizes Henry’s actions during his reign:

He had defied the pope, enlarged the power of the monarchy and established the Church of England… With Wolsey’s and Cromwell’s aid, he had taught the dynasty how to punch above its weight. Religious wars had been prevented and revolts suppressed. The clergy had been subordinated to the secular state, Parliament’s power was increased, and a centralized state was on the march… He had rejected the pope and the Catholic doctrine of purgatory, but not adopted a Protestant alternative, claiming to seek a ‘middle way’ and depicting himself as the supreme ‘arbitrator’ in Church and State… (p. 248).

The Henry’s successor was his son Edward VI. Henry’s third wife, Jane Seymour, gave him the only son. Edward became a king when he was just nine years old. Since Edward was still a child, the country was ruled by a council. These people were mainly Protestants. During Edward’s reign, Archbishop Thomas Cranmer ‘set out to make a “middle way” between Catholic and Protestant’. He published a Prayer Book, written in English, which an Act of Parliament in 1549 ordered to be used in every church (Corbishley & Morgan, 1996, p. 193). Edward was seriously ill and when he died, the Protestant nobility supported Jane Grey to be a queen. Edward’s half-sister Mary also claimed to be a queen. Jane eventually became a queen, but she ruled for only nine days. People supported Catholic Mary since they hated the Protestant greed. Jane was executed and Mary was ‘determined to bring back the Catholic faith’ (Corbishley & Morgan, 1996, p. 193-194). Mary made couple of mistakes that cost her the reign. Firstly, she married King Philip of Spain when Spain was the most powerful Catholic country in Europe and considered to be an enemy to England. People did not like this decision and were afraid of England falling into Spanish hands. Secondly, as she wanted to make England a Catholic country once again, she allowed hunting down the Protestants (Corbishley & Morgan, 1996, p. 194). Corbishley & Morgan (1996) explains:

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Although people were used to public executions, Mary’s burning were unpopular. This was probably because, apart from four bishops, most of the victims were as ordinary as the crowds who watched them die – weavers, cobblers, farm labourers, and at least fifty women. (p. 194)

Mary ruled only five years before she died in 1558. As a result, she did not have enough time to re-establish the Catholic Church. She also did not bore any son, any heir, therefore her Protestant half-sister Elizabeth took the English throne (Corbishley & Morgan, 1996, p. 194). Elizabeth had to face the same problem as her predecessors – the struggle between Catholics and Protestants. She believed that people ‘would accept the Church of England as a “middle way” between Protestants and Catholics’. She became a ‘Supreme Governor of the Church of England’ when the Act of Parliament was passed in 1559. She distributed a new Prayer Book whose rules people had to obey. For instance, people had to attend Prayer Book services on Sunday by law. If they refused, they were fined twelve pence. Moreover, many Protestant nobility that had escaped into exile during Mary’s reign returned and welcomed the changes of Elizabeth’s rule. They wanted to ‘purify’ the Church of England of anything which seemed Catholic, therefore they were called ‘Puritans’. For Puritans, ‘the middle way’ was not an answer. Eventually, people gradually accepted the changes which Elizabeth made, either completely or in the ‘middle way’ (Corbishley & Morgan, 1996, p. 196). Elizabeth had to face “a danger from Scotland” – her Catholic cousin Mary Queen of Scots. Mary was raised in France where she lately married to King Francis II of France. Mary represented the threat to Elizabeth because ‘she was queen of Scotland and France, and she had a claim to the English throne (Corbishley & Morgan, 1996, p. 198). Mary had to deal with personal problems in Scotland (see chapter 1.2.2 for details), she escaped to England, and she eventually became Elizabeth’s prisoner. As Corbishley & Morgan (1996) describes, Elizabeth had to make a tough decision:

She disapproved of subjects who rebelled against their ruler, especially one who was her cousin. If she sent Mary back to Scotland, it might be to her death. Yet if she allowed her to go to France, French help might make her a danger again. So she imprisoned the Scots queen in England. This was also dangerous, since some English Catholics began plotting to put her on the throne. (p. 199)

This resulted in rebellion in the north of England, mainly led by Catholics, but the rebels were cruelly suppressed. As previously stated, Elizabeth passed the laws that make everyone to attend Church of England services, and who did not obey would get fined. Suddenly, the

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English Catholic had a difficult choice to make – ‘they had to choose between their religion and their queen’ (Corbishley & Morgan, 1996, p. 199). Elizabeth’s prisoner, Mary, was eventually tried for treason, found guilty, and in 1587 she was beheaded. The Elizabeth’s spies had found a letter where Mary had approved the plans of some Catholics to murder Elizabeth. Therefore, Elizabeth had no other choice than to execute Mary (Corbishley & Morgan, 1996, p. 200). Guy in Morgan (2009) confirms that during the Elizabeth’s reign England became officially Protestant. Catholicism still dominated outside London and the towns (p. 263), but it eventually gained the minority status (p. 264).

1.2.2 The Reformation in Scotland English rulers had always had interests in Scotland, and Henry VIII was not an exception. There was a Scottish alliance with France in his way to rule Scotland. This ‘Auld Alliance’, as it is called, originated during the war between Scotland and Edward I, the king of England, in the end of 13th century. Since then, ‘the long-standing friendship’ between Catholic France and Scotland continued (Corbishley & Morgan, 1996, p. 131). After his breaking with Rome in 1534, Henry wanted to make Scotland Protestant and turn her against France. He negotiated ‘a treaty of marriage with Arran, the Regent and heir to the throne, who was inclined to favour an English rather than a French connection’. Henry wished that his son Edward would marry little Mary Queen of Scots. The ‘treaty of marriage’ was declined by Mary’s mother, Marie de Guise, and Henry had no other choice than to invade Scotland. (Maclean, 1993, p. 79). The Scottish cities at the borders with England were burnt and ‘appalling atrocities were perpetrated by Henry’s soldiers’. Maclean (1993) assumes that ‘this Rough Wooing, as it came to be known, left in southern Scotland a legacy of hatred for the English which was to endure for centuries’ (p. 80). One of the main protagonists of Protestantism in Scotland was John Knox. It was Knox and anti-French nobles who forged the Reformation. They were influenced by John Calvin and his theology called Calvinism. Calvinism stresses ‘God’s power over salvation and the duties of his people in life’. Since the monarchy was weakened, they were able, together with pastors, to establish ‘a radical Kirk3 that itself gradually became a potent political force and an active agent of social change’ (Houston, 2008, p. 44). Davies (c1999) agrees that John Knox had a significant influence over the situation in Scotland:

3 ‘The Church of Scotland’ (Cambridge Dictionaries Online) 12

Knox persuaded Church leaders to break with Rome as Henry VIII had done, to rule the Church through a General Assembly, in the Queen’s absence, and to introduce an Anglo-Genevan liturgy. (p. 463)

Knox supported Henry’s ‘Rough Wooing’, and publicly approved a murder of Cardinal Beaton, an adviser of Marie de Guise. Cardinal Beaton was eventually murdered by a band of Protestants who seized his castle at St Andrews. The Protestants were taken prisoners as the French army captured the Castle again on Marie de Guise’s order (Maclean, 1993). Knox was released from prison in 1549. Despite Marie de Guise, the Protestant movement in Scotland became more and more powerful (Maclean, 1993). When Mary, Queen of Scotland, returned back home from France after her husband’s death, she saw Scotland that ‘she did not know at all’ (Corbishley & Morgan, 1996, p. 198). She was a fervent Catholic, but her personal life ‘enabled’ the Protestant nobility to overthrow her (Davies, c1999). Mary’s second marriage was disastrous. She married Henry Darnley who appeared to be a weak hard drinker. Marry did not enjoy her life with him and she even agreed to murder him. Thereafter, she married the murderer, the Earl of Bothwell, and the Scottish society was shocked. There was a rebellion that forced Mary to give up her throne. Mary escaped to England where she became Elizabeth’s prisoner. After nineteen years in prison, she was executed for treason. Despite everything what Mary had done, her only son James became a king (Corbishley & Morgan, 1996, p. 199). James was a Protestant and in 1610 he reintroduced bishops who ‘had been suspended in favour of Presbyterian organization in 1592’. Since the bishops were not abolished, the Kirk remained as one of the estates of parliament. ‘Thereafter Kirk Sessions and Presbyteries were established nationwide’ (Davies, c1999, p. 45). To understand how the Kirk works, Davies (c1999) compares the Kirk with the Church of England:

Presbyterian church government is participative (perhaps even democratic) in its organization. Parish Kirk Sessions comprising minister and co-opted lay elders send delegates to Presbyteries who are in turn represented at Synods, with a General Assembly at the top. The head of the Church of England has been the monarch since Henry VIII (1509-47). In contrast, the temporary chair of the Church of Scotland was and is an elected official called the Moderator of the General Assembly. While represented by an observer, the Lord High Commissioner, the monarch has the status of an ordinary member and, if in attendance, comes as an invited guest… (p. 45)

To imagine the difference between the Reformation in England and Scotland, Houston (2008) compares the process of Reformation in both countries: 13

Changing religious policies in England made its Reformation ebb and flow between c. 1530 and c. 1660, whereas in Scotland the adoption in August 1560 of a Protestant Confession of Faith and the ending of Mass and the authority of the pope was decisive, with radical elements pushing strongly from the outset for Calvinist theology and Presbyterian church-government. Even taking a slightly broader view, the ‘political’ Reformation was accomplished between 1557 and 1567. However, the search to secure and broaden it had explosive political implications in the longer term. (p. 44)

1.2.3 The Reformation in Ireland When Henry VIII’s Act of Supremacy was passed in England, it also made him the Supreme Head of Church of Ireland. Therefore, the Protestantism reached Ireland too, but it ‘fell on stony ground’. Many Irish reformers appeared, and ‘the newly Protestant state Church took over in Ireland, as it did in England, the ecclesiastical economic and physical infrastructure’. On the other hand, the majority of Irish people remained loyal to the Pope, to Catholic Church, and refused the new religion (English, 2007, p. 49). The Protestantism in Ireland struggled even during the reign of Edward VI., and the reign of Elizabeth (English, 2007, p. 49). Moreover, Elizabeth introduced so-called ‘plantations’ which were the Irish land granted to English settlers. She wanted settlers to build stone houses, they should also provide men for defence, and she wanted more English people to come to Ireland. The rebellion appeared against the Elizabeth’s reign, but it was eventually suppressed. The Counter-Reformation appeared and it made Ireland different from what English (2007) calls ‘the usual post-Reformation European experience’ (p. 50). He explains:

The religion of the state’s rulers (the princes) became the religion of the people; in Ireland, by contrast, the state was now Protestant but most people emphatically were not. (English, 2007, p. 50)

The Reformation in the Isles ‘caused huge internal divisions, and a large measure of international isolation’. Ireland remained Catholic whereas England and Scotland accepted Protestantism. On the other hand, England became Anglican, Scotland did not. Furthermore, the Reformation separated the Isles ‘from much of the Continent and from that main body of Christendom which had been its spiritual home for the previous millennium’ (Davies, c1999, p. 467).

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1.3 The Glorious Revolution The Glorious Revolution sealed the win of Protestant actions against the Catholics. A Bill of Rights (see the details below) became one of the most important laws passed during the struggle between the two denominations. During the reign of Charles II (1660-1685), there was fear who would be his successor. Although Charles was a Catholic in his heart, he had always supported the Church of England. He could have never admitted it, because he would have lost his throne (Corbishley & Morgan, 1996, p. 231). Charles and his wife Catherine had no children, therefore Charles’s brother James was the heir to the throne. People panicked, because James was ‘a devout Catholic’, and they believed that he would want them all to join the ’true Church’. His second marriage to Catholic princess from Modena did not make him popular (Corbishley & Morgan, 1996, p. 233). James’s opponents who did not want him to take over the throne were called ‘the Whigs’. They were even persuading Parliament to pass an ‘Exclusion Bill’ that would exclude James to inherit the throne. Instead of that, two ‘Test Act’ were passed by the Parliament that ‘prevented Catholics from being MPs, holding positions on town councils, or in the army and navy’ (Corbishley & Morgan, 1996, p. 234). The James’s supporters were called ‘Tories’, but as followers of the Church of England, ‘they did not welcome a Catholic king any more than the Whigs’. Charles calmed down the situation when he said that James’s daughters from the first marriage were raised in the Church of England and one of them, Mary, was married to Protestant William of Orange. The future of the throne should be safe. The Whigs’ plan to exclude James from inheriting the throne failed, they lost (Corbishley & Morgan, 1996, p. 234). Morrill in Morgan (2009) describes James as ‘a bigot’. James wanted to secure ‘a religious and civil equality for his co-religionists’. Therefore, he planned to remove all penalties and disabilities under the Penal Law4 and Test Acts, and he wanted the Catholic Church to be set up alongside the Church of England5 (p. 337). Tories were shocked as ‘their loyalty to the Church proved greater than their loyalty to their anointed king’ (Morrill in Morgan, 2009, p. 338). Since the Tories were pacifists, they believed that the situation would solve itself. Unfortunately for them, James’s second wife gave a birth to a son that became an heir of the throne. As a result, both the Tories and the Whigs sent an invitation to William of Orange to come to England ‘with armed men to remonstrate with James’ (Morrill in Morgan, 2009, p.

4 ‘Fines for non-attendance at Anglican worship’ (Morrill in Morgan, 2009, p. 337) 5 Also known as ‘the Anglican Church’ 15

338). William, who was expecting an attack from Louis XIV, eventually left his country undefended, and his fleet sailed to England. He reached the shores of England far from any opposition. James panicked, his army had dissolved, and he followed his wife and son to France. This meant that there was no fight and William reached London safely (Corbishley & Morgan, 1996, p. 235). Parliament made William and Mary equal monarch and their ruled together. The Bill of Rights of 1689 was also passed by the Parliament and Corbishley & Morgan (1996) explain what this Bill represents:

No monarch could set aside laws made by Parliament. The monarch must not be a Catholic, nor marry a Catholic. (p. 236)

Since then, ‘Parliament has met every year and the changes of 1688-1689 came to be called “The Glorious Revolution”’. There are two reasons why it was called ‘glorious’: ‘There were no battles or executions, at least in England’, and from that time the power of Parliament increased whereas the power of the royal declined (Corbishley & Morgan, 1996, p. 236). James II tried to get his throne back by landing in Ireland with a French army in 1689. He was welcomed by the Irish Catholics, but not by English settlers. The Protestant opponents of James II crowded themselves into the city of Derry where they were able to survive a siege of 105 days. Meanwhile, William gathered a large army and on 12 July 1690, at the Battle of the Boyne, he defeated James and his French and Irish army. James eventually fled to France and William took control of Ireland (Corbishley & Morgan, 1996, p. 237). The Irish Catholic were given freedom of worship and protection of their land when the Treaty of Limerick of 1691 was passed, but as Corbishley & Morgan (1996) explains, it was just ‘a worthless scrap of paper’, because by 1714, the Irish Catholics owned only about seven per cent of the land in Ireland (p. 237). Scotland, in 1707, accepted a union with England that resulted in loss of its Parliament. On the other hand, ‘they had forty-five MPs and sixteen peers in the British Parliament’, and they could keep their ‘own law courts, their schools and their beloved Kirk’ (Corbishley & Morgan, 1996, p. 238).

1.4 Ireland and Irish Immigration Ireland and the Irish have played an important role in the Scottish history. Burdsey & Chappell (2001) confirms the importance of the Irish people in Scotland:

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After the Treaty of Union with England in 1707, substantial agricultural changes in Scotland led to the need for an increased workforce. Combined with massive underemployment in Ireland during the summer season, this meant that in late eighteenth/early nineteenth centuries a large number of migrants made the short journey from Ireland to Scotland in search of work. (p. 96)

The migration wave intensified when the Great Famine (1845-49) occurred (Burdsey & Chappell, 2001). The failure of the potato crop was unexpected since it was one of the most important vegetable food. Ranelagh (1994) explains that ‘it needed little labour to plant and harvest, and together with buttermilk, it provided sufficient nutrition to sustain life and a reasonable state of health (p. 111). Many people suffered from starvation and people were dying all around the country. There were 1,383,350 total deaths estimated by the census between 1841 and 1851 (Ranelagh, 1994, p. 110). Between 1810 and 1850, almost 25,000 Irish people came to Scotland, and majority of them were Catholics. They were mainly poor people who looked for industrial work (Brown, 1997, p. 33). Matthew in Morgan (2009) adds that between 1841 and 1925 nearly ‘four and three-quarter million Irish immigrated to the USA, 70,000 to Canada, and more than 370,000 to Australia’ (p. 500).

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2 The History of the ‘Old Firm’ Rivalry Glasgow in Scotland is a home of two bitter football rivals – Rangers and Celtic. This is not a common football rivalry that one would think. According to Murray (c1984), ‘Their games are no mere local derby, but a clash of cultures, two world views with Rangers championing the cause of protestantism, Celtic that of catholicism’ (p. 1). Obviously, the tension at the games is related to religious hatred, but it is also related to Ulster6 politics. This can result into violence and riots, and some of these riots and tragedies were the worst in sporting history (Murray, c1984). Murray (c1984) describes the origins of the rivalry:

The origins of the Old Firm rivalry are located deep in Scottish history, in the reaction to the Irish immigration of the nineteenth century, the tensions and expectations that came with the industrial growth of that period and the search for success, if not acceptance, by the Irish community, particularly from the 1890s. (p. 2)

There is a large Catholic community in Scotland, and outside Ireland it was Scotland where Catholic football teams were established. Celtic was founded in 1887 and its success destroyed previous catholic teams – Edinburgh and Dundee. Celtic attracted support of the Catholic community, on the other hand, its success provoked the anti-Catholic Scottish society to turn their support on Rangers. Rangers eventually practiced ‘sign no catholics’ policy (Murray, c1984). Murray (c1984) emphasizes that the sectarianism in Scotland is not just a problem of The Old Firm, but it has played a role in whole Scottish society. ‘The Old Firm and Scottish society are indissolubly linked, and always have been’ (p. 3). Wilson (2012) continues that ‘Glasgow’s political, cultural and religious background has shaped a rivalry so fierce, so entrenched, so distinct, that the populace can be split into two along this single line of divisions’ (p. 11). He adds:

There are Rangers areas of the City and Celtic areas; Rangers pubs and Celtic pubs; non-denominational schools and Catholic schools. Even though the two religious communities have never been more assimilated, Scotland is the only country in the world to have anti-sectarian law, which has arisen in response to the crimes of violence and abuse that gather around Old Firm games, and so pits Catholic against Protestants in the context of a heated football contest. (p. 11-12)

6 Northern Ireland 18

2.1 The Roots of the Rivalry ‘Britain’s most durable export’ – the association football – has spread all around the world and it did not miss out Scotland7. It became a game for everyone, especially the industrial workers enjoyed it very much and it brought them ‘personal satisfaction’ (Murray, c1984). Murray (c1984) adds that the football8 could be played everywhere (on a hard surface, in a confined space) and it was not expensive because it could be played without any equipment – ball could be made of ‘a bundle of rags’ (p. 5). Rangers were founded in 1872 which makes them the older team than Celtic. The fathers of The Rangers Football Club are four men – Peter McNeil, Moses McNeil, Peter Campbell and William McBeath. These men shared a dream that eventually came true. In the beginnings, ‘they had no money, no kit – not even a ball’. In spite of these tough beginnings, they were able to create a club to be followed by millions of people today. In 1873, there was the first annual meeting and first officers were appointed. The players had regular training sessions and fixtures of oncoming season were drawn up. Rangers became business-like (Rangers, n.d.). Rangers moved to current stadium – Ibrox Stadium – in 1899 after a long way finding the suitable place. For instance, when they were playing at the Fleshers Haugh of the Glasgow Green they ‘had to pay some youngsters to stand on the pitch all morning to book it for the game that afternoon’ (Murray, c1984, p. 13). The Celtic Football Club and Athletic Club was founded in 1887. A founder of the club was Brother Walfrid, a Marist9 brother. His aim was to raise money in order to support soup kitchens that ‘would look after members of the Catholic population’ and that would provide ‘an alternative to those run by Protestants’ (Wilson, 2012, p. 4). Brother Walfrid was afraid that young Catholics could meet Protestants in their work or places for the leisure time. Therefore, the aim of this new club was to fill the stomachs of poor and to keep Catholics spending time together (Murray, c1984). As mentioned above, the older of two Glasgow teams are Rangers that were founded in 1872. Celtic was founded 15 years later in 1887. First game between the teams took place in May 1888 at Celtic Park and the crowd of 2,000 fans saw the home side win 5-2 (Rangers, n.d.). Murray (c1984) adds:

7 The interesting thing is that the former English-speaking colonies such as the USA, Canada, Australia or New Zealand did not take up the association football (Murray, c1984) 8 In the USA the term ‘soccer’ instead of ‘football’ is used 9 ‘a member of the Roman Catholic Society of Mary founded by Jean Claude Colin in France in 1816 and devoted to education’ (Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary) 19

None of the 2,000 spectators at that game could have guessed that they were present at a historic occasion, for that evening marked the first of what was to become the most famous, long-lasting-and bitter-sporting rivalry in the history of football. (p. 10)

When the first game between Celtic and Rangers was played, in that time the most successful team in Scotland were Queen’s Park10. They were founders of the Scottish game back in 1867 and they were dominant many years to come. They eventually suffered from the changes that happened – Rangers became a team with the largest support in Scotland and Celtic changed the face of football in Scotland by the introduction of professionalism11. Since then, Celtic and Rangers were teams winning major honours: Sottish League, Scottish Cup, the local Charity Cup and Glasgow Cup, the short-lived Glasgow League, and following unsuccessful Inter-city League. These various fixtures meant that Celtic and Rangers could play against each other up to ten times a year. Therefore, many commercial aspects were introduced to promote this derby and hence the game between Celtic and Rangers became labelled ‘The Old Firm’ (Murray, c1984). The brand ‘The Old Firm’ was firstly used in a Scottish Referee cartoon of 1904 (Murray, 1998). In late 1890s, Celtic’s success in their first years after foundation made them known as ‘the Irishmen’ and the Scottish society called for a team that would be able to defeat them. The first protestant hope were Queen’s Park, but as mentioned earlier, their rejection to adapt to changing conditions in Scottish football cost them fall from grace. Therefore, hopes passed to Rangers to become a club representing the Protestant part of the Scottish society (Murray, c1984). Murray (1998) adds that:

There was nothing religious in the origins of Rangers, and they were Protestants only in the sense that the vast majority of clubs in Scotland at this time were made up of Protestants. (p. 34)

Wilson (2012) confirms and highlights that ‘Rangers had not been formed with any religious affiliation’, yet ‘an unwritten policy was eventually established, and mostly maintained until the 1990s, of preferring to sign non-Catholics’ (p. 5). Murray (c1984) emphasizes that the rivalry between these two teams was not so intense in the beginnings. He explains that ‘the managements of the two clubs saw the commercial boon in playing each other’ and were able to come to decisions that would be profitable for both clubs (p. 12). He gives an example that in 1893 the teams agreed on the venue of

10 Another team situated in Glasgow 11 Queen’s Park adopts motto “Ludere causa Ludendi” – to play for sake of playing. Queen’s Park holds the status of amateur team and no player ever has received a wage from the club (The Queen’s Park Football Club, c2015) 20 the Glasgow Cup Final, Celtic Park, and they divided the stands equally (p. 29). Another example provided says that the teams cancelled the annual Christmas trips to England and substituted them by The Old Firm games on New Year’s Day. The first ‘Ne’erday game’, as it is called, was played on 1 January 1894 (p. 12). The teams saw financial support in each other and The Old Firm was formed (Murray, c1984). The 1911-12 season proved that the Old Firm was the game of the season and attracted people to the stands. Before this season, Celtic had been able to win six league championships in a row. Despite this success, their attendances dropped (Murray, c1984, p. 54). The average attendance of Celtic’s home games in 1911-12 season was 14,000 people (Celtic @FitbaStats, c2010-2015). Murray (c1984) confirms that the attendance of the Old Firm of that season was 74,000 people in spite of the fact that ‘the game was not a league decider and Rangers were nine points ahead with three games in hand’ (p. 55). The Old Firm became business and the brand profitable for both teams. Moreover, ‘the sectarian base sets The Old Firm apart from other local derbies’ (Murray, c1984, p. 55).

2.2 The Old Firm between the Wars The inter-war period is significant for the shaping of the sectarian divide of the two clubs. The ‘no Catholics’ policy of Rangers developed (see chapter 3.2 for details), many gangs were created and a lot of riots of the fans occurred. Murray (c1984) explains that ‘the general behaviour of the fans is placed in the perspective of the society of this time: the gangs, Orange walks and the more sectarian, political and religious opinions.’ He adds that these features are the reasons ‘why Scotland was never threatened by the extremes of Fascism and Communism that were the fate of many other countries at this time’ (p. 3). One of the main problems of inter-wars period was unemployment. The only distraction that kept people from the misery of everyday life was football, even watched or played in the streets or parks. People followed their teams not just at their home grounds, but also travelled to away games. People were so excited that even if they were unemployed they walked great distances such as from Glasgow to Kilmarnock, or from Glasgow to Dundee, to see their teams play (Murray, c1984). It is supporters’ routine to discuss questions that will be answered during the game: ‘who will play, who should play, who to cherish, who to despise, what the outcome will mean, why this or that team has to win, etc.’ (Wilson, 2012, p. 4). As mentioned above, many riots occurred during this period. It is well known fact that there were troubles even before the first war. The most common ‘means of assault’ were throwing bottles (usually at referees and players), mud and stones (Murray, c1984, p. 164). 21

Murray (c1984) explains that at this time, 1890s, the violence was not associated only with Celtic and Rangers, but also with other teams all around Scotland. For instance, the fans of Hearts and Aberdeen were the ones who evoke fear in public (p. 164). The first troubles between Celtic and Rangers were reported in 1896. Two years later, during the New Year’s Day game, the crowd was frequently interrupting the game that was eventually halted. Murray (c1984) says that the main problem was lack of police support in the ground. There were only ‘forty ordinary constables being charged with the control of 50,000 fans’ (p. 165). Wilson (2012) provides another example of the riot before ‘the between the Wars’ period: Celtic drew with Rangers in the final of the Scottish Cup and the game had to be replayed. In the replay, the teams shared the spoils again, and ‘the prospect of paying to attend another fixture’ made supporters very angry and led to a riot (p. 5). ‘More than a hundred people were injured, and as a consequence of the rioting, the Scottish Cup was withheld that season’ (Wilson, 2012, p. 6). In 1920, the Celtic fans at Celtic Park invaded the pitch during the game against Dundee and attacked referee of the game and some Dundee players. As a result of this riot, Celtic had its ground closed for four weeks (Murray, c1984). Many gangs were created in this era. The most famous one was the Bridgeton Billy Boys founded by ‘King Billy’ Fullerton. Every Rangers home game, they were behind the goal at east terracing singing songs and chants, and ‘finding Catholics among them would have been as rare as inside Ibrox stadium’ (Murray, c1984, p. 151). McKay (2007) adds that the main rival gang of the Bridgeton Billy Boys were Roman Catholic Norman Conks. In 1930, the Cup Final between Rangers and Partick Thistle had to be replayed. After the replay, on the way home from Hampden to Bridgeton, the Billy Boys met the South Side Stickers and the Liberty boys. These two are examples of another Glasgow’s gangs. Murray (c1984) describes the scene:

The street was thick with heaving bodies holding up traffic, while innocent bystanders crowded into shops for safety and others enjoyed the spectacle from the safety of their tenement windows. Eventually the street was cleared, but thanks to only to the efforts of the police, mounted and on foot. There were only four arrests. (p. 149)

Three years later, Chief Inspector Sillitoe arrived to Glasgow in order to ‘bring the gangs to heel’. He had experienced the gang fights in Sheffield that strengthen his role of Chief Constable of Glasgow (Murray, c1984, p. 152). He was able to remove some problematic features from the Old Firm games, but of course, he did not solve the problem (Murray, c1984,

22 p. 152). McKay (2007) mentions that Sir Sillitoe used to employ ‘hardy man’ who were given basic training and uniform, and who were ‘told to mix it with the gangs every chance they got’. He also says that Sir Sillitoe deserves the honour for the work he had done. The arrival of Second World War resulted in suspension of football in Scotland for the duration of the War. Of course, some competitions were played, but they were not official, attendances were reduced, and the protagonists of the games were players who were available (Murray, c1984, p. 179).

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3 The Two Rivals’ Policies Wilson (2012) investigates what makes the Old Firm so unique. His main suggestion is that ‘no other rivalry in world football is primarily predicated along religious lines’ (p. 7). In England, it is not unusual to see the members of the same family to support Liverpool or Everton when so called ‘Merseyside derby’ is played between these two teams. He argues that even Manchester derby between United and City ‘does not match the intensity of Celtic v. Rangers, since the two Manchester clubs have not been regularly vying with each other for honours’ (p. 8). Fixtures such as Chelsea vs. Arsenal, Arsenal vs. Manchester United, and Liverpool vs. Manchester United are considered in England to be ‘high-profile, pressurised fixtures on top of the entrenched rivalries’ (Wilson, 2012, p. 8). Wilson (2012) continues that El Clásico in Spain is ‘the closest to the Old Firm game’, but only ‘in terms of political and social significance’ (p. 8). It is the derby between Real Madrid and Barcelona, between two regions – Castile and Catalonia. It represent ‘the political dominance of Madrid, and Catalan independence’ (Wilson, 2012, p. 8). On the other hand, in comparison with the Old Firm, El Clásico lacks ‘the same depth of history and the immediacy of the two communities living together in the same city’ (Wilson, 2012, p. 9). Wilson (2012) mentions another examples of derbies such as Roma vs. Lazio in Italy, Boca Juniors vs. River Plate in Buenos Aries, or Galatasaray vs. Fenerbahce in Istanbul, but he concludes that:

Yet while all these games evoke passion and anger, loyalty and fanaticism, identity and a sense of belonging, it is the Old Firm derby that is unique in representing a clash of religions, making the political and cultural aspects of the rivalry more fraught and far-reaching. (p. 9)

3.1 Celtic and Religion Murray (c1984) provides the description of foundation of Celtic Glasgow:

The Celtic Football Club was founded for and by Catholics, and although it has never been exclusively Catholic, it remains a Catholic club. It recognises Ireland as the country of its spiritual origins, and although today it has lost all formal contacts with Irish politics, in its early days it was closely associated with the fight for Irish Home Rule. Today the club remains proud of its Irish origins. (p. 60)

As mentioned earlier, the aim of the organization was to raise money and feed poor of the East End of Glasgow, and to keep Catholic community spending leisure time together. The

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Celtic Football and Athletic Club, as was the full name of the organization, represented themselves actively and attracted young people to recreation ground where they could enjoy variety of sports in order to stay in physical shape (Murray, c1984). Celtic gained support of Catholic priesthoods, and priests attended some significant games of the club. For instance, the exhibition game at the opening of Celtic Park between Hibs and Cowlairs, or first game between Celtic and Rangers. Moreover, Celtic Park was a venue for different Catholic causes – for instance, centenary celebrations of the Catholic Young Men’s Society of Great Britain (Murray, c1984). Murray (c1984) continues and explains that ‘the Celtic supporters are overwhelmingly Catholic, although not necessarily practising Catholics. Celtic players have been mainly catholic, but their best team have always included Protestants’ (p. 63). This is completely different situation in comparison with Rangers who practised ‘sign no Catholic’ policy. Celtic practise no discrimination and they welcome players or any other members of staff of ‘any race, creed or colour’ (Murray, c1984, p. 217). Murray (c1984) justifies:

It is also a fact that they are a catholic club of Irish origins, but one which has evolved with the descendants of the early immigrants to become as Scottish, despite their religion and origins, as any protestant born of long Scottish lineage. Today they are accepted as such by most Scots, particularly since 1967 when they won the European Cup in Lisbon. (p. 217)

As mentioned above, Celtic were the club of Catholic community, but they have never refused to sign any player because of his religion. Wilson (2012) describes that they were proud of ‘their all-inclusive policy’ (p. 38). The legendary Celtic manager Jock Stein used to sign Protestant player as a first option, mainly young ones, because he knew that there were great football players among them. He knew that Rangers would never go for a great Catholic footballer (Wilson, 2012).

3.1.1 Celtic against their own The chapter ‘The History of the Old Firm Rivalry’ mentions that Celtic’s success destroyed previous Catholic teams – Edinburgh and Dundee. It is an interesting fact that the first Celtic’s enemies were ‘their compatriots from the other side of Scotland who had honoured the club by playing the opening game on the new ground: Hibs’. Celtic was able to lure stars of the Hibernian Football Club and one has to realize that it was not so difficult ‘in these “amateur days”, when players were not bound by contracts to a club’ (Murray, c1984, p. 21). Fraser (2013) concludes that Celtic’s popularity left Hibs in ‘terribly weak position’. It was a team 25 than once used to be ‘the pride of the Irish in Scotland’, a team that used to be ‘their premier team and was able to win the Scottish Cup and put the Irish in Scotland on a public platform’. Hibs went out of the business in May 1891 (Murray, c1984). This did not last long. The team ‘dropped the sectarian clause that every player must be practising catholic’ and they became business-like again in 1893 (Murray, c1984, p. 19). Murray (c1984) continues and explains that the Celtic formation ‘badly affected’ another football club – the Renton Football Club. It is the same case as the one of Hibs, when Celtic captured two Renton’s key players – Kelly and McCallum. Due to this, Celtic ‘aroused enough antagonism among their fellow countrymen and catholics to be threatened by the formation of the Glasgow Hibernians’ (p. 22). The new club was able to attract some financial backing, they had a new ground, but ‘the success of Celtic was too deeply entrenched to be seriously threatened by the rival body’ (Murray, c1984, p. 22)

3.1.2 The Great Flag Flutter It is obvious that Celtic’s origins are associated with Ireland. The kits of the club are in ‘the colours of the Emerald Isle’12 – green and white, ‘their crest is the shamrock, and for most of their history the flag of Ireland, later the Irish Free State, has flown over the ground’ (Murray, 1984, p. 66). Bradley in Cronin & Mayall (1998) describes that the flag almost cost Celtic being suspended from football in Scotland. Celtic was in jeopardy especially after the Old Firm game in 1952 when it caused troubles among the spectators (p. 136). Murray (c1984) agrees and adds that this Old Firm game was on New Year’s Day. Angry Celtic fans were throwing bottles when ‘Rangers were winning comfortably’ (p. 183). The Glasgow magistrates immediately made an inquiry into the Old Firm troubles and recommended several solutions to the Scottish Football Association and the Scottish League, for instance ‘ending of Old Firm games on New Year’s Day, limits on the crowd at these games, and the discouragement of the display of flags “which might incite feeling among the spectators”’. The last suggestion resulted in ‘The Great Flag Flutter’. The clubs were told by the SFA to remove from their grounds ‘any flag or emblem that has no association with the country or sport’. Obviously, this was aimed at Celtic that had ‘shamrocks on their corner flags or the Irish flag over the Jungle13, albeit alongside the Union Jack and other flags’ (Murray, c1984, p. 183).

12 Literary name for Ireland that appeared in William Drennan’s poem “When Erin First Rose” (Egan, 2014) 13 The northern terrace at Celtic Park 26

Celtic’s chairman Robert Kelly criticised the Scottish Football Association saying that his team has no need to be ashamed of its fathers, founders, from ‘that country that has provided protagonist for liberty wherever they have settled’ (Bradley in Cronin & Mayall, 1998, p. 136). Kelly fought to protect club’s identity and even considered that Gaelic games would take place at Celtic Park. The SFA eventually left their previous decision and other clubs welcomed it, because they realized that Celtic’s national background attracted people into stands. The flag stayed there (Bradley in Cronin & Mayall, 1998). Murray (c1984) continues saying that most of the visitors at Celtic Park had been unaware of the Irish flag above them, and agrees that the suggestion that the flag was responsible for the troubles at terracing was ridiculous. Moreover, he says that there were crowd troubles at Hampden or Ibrox without any flag. He sees no point in this magistrates’ suggestion and criticizes that ‘this is not to play down the importance of symbols, but in this case it was a symbol not of what fired the fans, but rather of what fired the prejudices of particular officials in high office’ (p. 183). Murray (c1984) concludes that the years after the Second World War were difficult years for Catholics and one of the worst years in Celtic history (p. 185). Catholics had not earned the appreciation the deserved, although many of them fell during the war. The Celtic fans were an embarrassment and it did not improve the Catholics reputation. Both teams were told to prevent any provocative sectarian elements (flags), and ‘while the Celtic had to undergo the inquisition over the flag’, on the other hand, ‘no one questioned the Rangers Board about their attitude to Catholics’. It took over a decade ‘before the Rangers club found itself on the defensive about sectarianism at the highest levels’ (Murray, c1984, p. 186).

3.2 Rangers’ “Sign No Catholic” Policy Rangers’ supporters are proud to be a part of Protestant club, even though the Board has never publicly shared this view. Nevertheless, the club was accused of ‘maintaining a practice of discrimination against Catholics’ (Murray, c1984, p. 75). It is well known fact that the policy has been applied to players, but it also includes members of the Board, managers, and even the administrative and cleaning staff. After the riot in Birmingham in 1976, the press put Rangers under the pressure. Willie Waddell, manager of Rangers, declared ‘the end to a policy that Rangers said had never existed’. Seven years later, the Rangers Chairman Rae Simpson insisted that ‘Rangers had never been a sectarian club’ (Murray, c1984, p. 76). Being Protestant in the early 20th century did not necessarily mean being anti-Catholic. It was more related to opposition to Irish Home Rule. ‘Rangers were no more anti-Catholic than 27 most clubs in Scotland in their early days, although some of their more prominent directors were freemasons and Unionists’ (Murray, 1998, p. 34).

3.2.1 The Formation of the Policy Murray (c1984) questions the origins of sectarianism in Scottish football. He suggests that the arrival of Harland and Wolff Shipbuilding Company14 could play its part in the development of the anti-catholicism of Rangers (p. 59). They arrived to Glasgow in 1912 where they opened a yard on the River Clyde. They brought with them ‘workers from Northern Ireland and some hardened prejudices (they were widely believed to have favoured Protestant employees over Catholics) that further influenced the Old Firm rivalry’ (Wilson, 2012, p. 6). Bryan (2000) includes the company in his list of protestant symbols:

The Union flag, the Northern Ireland flag, King William of Orange, the Protestant Martyrs, the six counties of Northern Ireland, the open Bible and crown, the harp with a crown on top, the red hand, the colour orange, the colours red white and blue, the blue football shirts worn by Glasgow Rangers and Linfield football clubs, the British national anthem, the hymn ‘Oh God, Our Help in Ages Past’, the Harland and Wolff shipyard, the Battle of Boyne, the Battle of the Somme, the wearing of a poppy, etc. (p. 12)

Murray (c1984) explains that the Rangers’ presidents were aware of the ‘religious lines’ in the games and considered that the better for rivalry (p. 85). Eventually, he concludes that it was the formation of new club – Celtic, and its success that led to the sectarianism in Scottish football (p. 87). ‘Nevertheless the unwillingness of Rangers to play catholics is long- established’ (Murray, c1984, p. 81). Murray (c1984) analyses that there was a small number of Catholic players in the Rangers history. Before the First World War, it was about ten players, but only four were able to make it to first team, namely Archie Kyle, Kivlichan, Colin Mainds, and Tom Murray. Kyle was able to stay in Rangers more than two seasons, and also represented Scotland in the national level. Kivlichan played for Rangers when he was a student at Glasgow University, then he transferred to Celtic. Both Mainds and Murray played for Rangers just one season before they moved to Third Larnak, respectively Newcastle. During the First World War, Joe Donnachie signed for Rangers and thereafter he had been for a long time last Rangers’ Catholic signing. Another Catholic players were signed in 1950s – South African Don Kichenbrand15, and Laurie Blyth.

14 The company that built Titanic (National Museums Northern Ireland, n.d.) 15 He was not a practising Catholic (Murray, c1984) 28

Blyth was made redundant and the irony is that after being released from the club he became Protestant (p. 81-82). Murray continue and explains the Blyth’s story:

His father, who was known to the Rangers scout, had been a protestant, but what the scout did not know was that he had married a catholic and his son had gone to a catholic school, a factor which somehow escaped the usually vigilant scout who signed him. (p. 82)

It seems that there had not been any policy before the First World War. When young Catholic player, called Brown, was given a trial in the team, he asked ‘why Rangers never signed catholics’, he was told that the club had had experience that every Catholic player wish to play for Celtic, therefore they created the rule ‘if they knew the player was a Catholic they would not approach him’ (Murray, c1984, p. 83). After the First World War, Rangers realized that they can defeat Celtic without Catholics and the ‘no Catholics at Ibrox’ policy intensified. It became an unwritten rule that ‘applied not just to players, but to any employee of the club’ (Murray, 1998). The games between Rangers and Celtic became battles and as Murray (1998) explains – ‘not just rhetorical, and not just of days of yore (1690) – reflecting the tensions in Northern Ireland’ (p. 35). The turning point came in 1969. The Rangers supporters had had a poor reputation and it all escalated in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup game at the ground of Newcastle United, St James Park, when the fans angry that their team is not reaching the finals invaded the pitch (Murray, c1984, p. 218). Thereafter, the Scottish dailies started campaign against sectarianism in Scottish sport. ‘They called on Rangers to change their policies and sign a catholic’ (Murray, c1984, p. 223). Moreover, the Rev.16 Robert Bone of Ibrox Church said in Murray (c1984) that he ‘dissociates himself from Rangers because of the filthy language and filthy conditions at the ground’ (p. 223). The Rev. Bone thought that religious hatred would continue and therefore Rangers need to sign a catholic. He got an ironic answer from the Rangers chairman John Lawrence that ‘the minister makes himself a football expert’, and added that the not signing Catholic policy had been with the club since its formation which means he admitted that the policy existed. He also refused that ‘the sectarianism had anything to do with the hooliganism’. The former Rangers trainer Jimmy Smith praised the policy admitting that Rangers ‘were a strong protestant team with a strong protestant following, and that the only way to avoid cliques was to have players of the same religious faith’ (Murray, c1984, p. 223).

16 ‘Written abbreviation for Reverend’ (Cambridge Dictionaries Online) 29

On 2 January 1971, one of the greatest tragedies in the history of Scottish football happened at Ibrox. Celtic were one up after Jimmy Johnstone had scored with just a minute to go. This resulted in that many Rangers fans started leaving the stadium because they had not seen any hope that Rangers could score and share points with Celtic. The tragedy happened on stairway 13 of the stadium when Colin Stein of Rangers scored an equalizer and the leaving fans attempted ‘to get back up the stairs after hearing the roar’ (BBC On This Day, c2015). People collided with those coming down and ‘66 people were crushed to death and a further 145 were injured’ (Murray, c1984, p. 223). As Murray (c1984) suggest, one may ask himself ‘How could anyone’s religious upbringing be of any consequence in such circumstances?’ (p. 224). At the funerals, ‘Rangers and Celtic players stood together inside the same church walls’ (Murray, c1984, p. 224), and some of the ministers saw this as an opportunity to get rid of bigotry that was associated with these clubs. Unfortunately, ‘the moment was not seized’ (Murray, c1984, p. 225). In 1976, one of the most famous football writers Ian Archer (in Murray, c1984) denounced Rangers:

… As a Scottish football club, [Rangers] are a permanent embarrassment and an occasional disgrace. This country would be a better place if Rangers did not exist. They are a permanent embarrassment because they are the only club in the world which insists that every member of the team is of the one religion. They are an occasional disgrace because some of their fans, fuelled by bigotry, behave like animals. I am Scottish and love football. Everyone else who is Scottish and loves football should insist in every possible way that the root cause of the Rangers sickness is broken–that club should say now, that they will have no part in bigotry and discrimination. (p. 234)

Willie Waddell, a former Rangers manager, was defending his team saying that ‘these louts are crucifying a great club!’ Later on, he must have been surprised reading a statement of Rangers management declaring that they would sign a Catholic in the near future. The reaction to the statement came immediately. The Rangers fans complained saying that they refuse the club’s intention signing a Catholic as they did not ‘want the honour of the club being besmirched’ (Murray, c1984, p. 234). As a result, the attendances at Ibrox have dropped drastically since 1976. At the end 1983 Rangers had not signed any Catholic, although there had been some solid player available (Murray, c1984).

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3.2.2 The Souness Revolution On 7 April 1986, Rangers appointed as their new player-manager Graeme Souness17. His arrival awoke a wave of interest from a media as he was just the second manager after David White who had no ‘traditional background, committed to the club’s Protestant past’ (Murray, 1998, p. 13). Murray (1998) describes him ‘as a world-class player who had represented Scotland on many occasions, who is known to be tough and ambitious, and who likes to get his own way’ (p. 14). After his arrival, Souness was given a huge amount of money that ‘surpassed the spending power of all previous Rangers managers combined’ (Murray, 1998, p. 32). The new manager immediately made himself a name when he stated that he wants Rangers to be a side competitive not only in Britain, but in the rest of world, and that he will sign the best players ‘regardless of their religion’ (Murray, 1998, p. 32). He signed players wherever he could find talent, including Englishmen and a black. Until Maurice Johnstone arrival, no Catholics (Murray, 1998). Murray (1998) say that there was ‘no doubt’ that Souness would eventually sign a Catholic (p. 32). He was married to a Catholic who raised her children as practising Catholics as well. Therefore, Souness must have been serious about the words he had said (Murray, 1998). Souness’s career of a professional footballer includes teams such as Middlesbrough, Liverpool or Sampdoria in Italy. He had experienced playing alongside Catholic players, therefore he believed that mixing the religion or politics with football was trivial. Winning is what people should be concerned about (Murray, 1998). On 14 July 1989 Rangers astonished media by announcing that they have signed Maurice ‘Mo’ Johnston who was the former Celtic player and claimed to be a Catholic. ‘He was Rangers’ first Catholic player since the First World War’ (Murray, 1998, p. 31). This was a very controversial signing, because two months ago, Johnstone had been posing with Celtics’ jersey at Parkhead and had been standing next to Billy McNeill, the Celtic manager. ‘I didn’t want to leave Celtic (in 1987, when he joined Nantes), and I don’t intend to now’ (Wilson, 2012, p. 27). Wilson (2012) says that ‘the move was typical of Graeme Souness: brash, confrontational, audacious and shrewd’ (p. 28). Wilson (2012) adds:

Souness swept aside years of tradition at Ibrox…, while at the same time wounding Celtic, who lost out on a striker who was at the peak of his game, and who was revere by the fans. It was a transfer that epitomised the way that Rangers were moving purposefully and ambitiously into football’s commercial age while their rivals dithered. (p. 30)

17 Now he works as a pundit for Sky Sports alongside former Premier League players such as Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher or Thierry Henry 31

There were different reactions of Rangers’ fans to Johnston’s arrival. Murray (1998) describes that ‘the more rational Rangers supporters could rejoice in the way Souness had once more embarrassed their rivals, having snatched their prize catch from under their noses’. On the other hand, he adds that other reactions were ‘less philosophical’ (Murray, 1998, p. 45). Many shocked Rangers fans arrived at Ibrox to show their disagreement. They burned their club scarfs, tore up their season tickets, had Union Jacks flags with ‘No Mo Here’ on them, and even hung a sign saying ‘Traitor’s Gate’ over the main entrance to Ibrox (Murray, 1998). Some fans refused to go to any game in which Johnston was in starting XI, some even refused to go to Ibrox at all as long as the Catholic plays for them. One section of the stadium was singing: ‘Mo, Mo, Super Mo, Super Maurice Johnston’, whereas another part was singing: ‘Mo, Mo, Fuck your Mo, Fuck your Maurice Johnston’ (Murray, 1998, p. 46). The Johnston’s transfer aroused passions among the Celtic fans as well. Celtic supporters started calling Johnston as ‘Judas’, and even one of the supporters’ club asked for permission to rename themselves to ‘the We Hate Maurice Johnston Celtic Supporters’ Club’ (Wilson, 2012, p. 34). Wilson (2012) explains that Celtic supporters felt ‘anger and fear’, because suddenly Rangers seemed more ambitious than their team, Rangers could outspend them, and ‘the moral authority that Celtic had claimed for so long – signing players of any faith – was also slipping’ (p. 34). Murray (1998) describes Johnston as ‘a phlegmatic with no serious interest in religion or issues beyond the most basic’ (p. 47). In comparison with Jackie Robinson18, who broke the racial barrier when he was signed by Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947 and thus became the first black American baseball player in Major League Baseball, Johnston’s problems were not that serious. His departure in 1991 was without any regrets. He lost his first team place and moved to Everton (Murray, 1998). After five years in charge of Rangers, Souness decided to take Liverpool’s job. He is remembered as brave man who signed players from England and brought Catholic to the club. Some fans celebrated his ending in the club saying that Rangers are now ‘a Souness free zone’. Souness used to leave Ally McCoist, beloved Rangers player, sit on the bench, therefore fans were looking forward to see their favourite striker on the pitch again (Murray, 1998, p. 72). Murray (1998) adds:

The whole saga was perhaps best summed up seven years later by the Rangers fan in the Rosevale pub in Partick who told the reporter of the London-based magazine Shoot: ‘My great-grandfather

18 He had to withstand the abuse not only of fans, but also of his team-mates and opponents (Murray, 1998, p. 47) 32

wouldn’t have been able to imagine such a thing. My grandad would have been furious. My dad was uneasy about it. Myself? I don’t mind who we sign as long as they can play football. And for my son it won’t even be an issue’. (p. 46)

Wilson (2012) sums up that Rangers have no problems signing Catholic players these days. Players like Jorg Albertz, Lorenzo Amoruso, Rino Gattuso or Shota Arveladze became ‘cult heroes’ (p. 37).

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4 Religious Symbolism during the Old Firm Games In the history of the Old Firm, there have been many situations related to the religion that bring back memories. Murray (c1984) depicts the common picture of the Old Firm rivalry:

On the one side of the ground is a sea of green and white, sprinkled with the tricolour of the Irish republic; on the other a mass of red, white and blue scarves set against a vigorous waving of Union Jacks; from one end come rebel songs in praise of the Republic backed up by chants denouncing the UDA; from the other come songs in praise of being up to one’s knees in Fenian blood, recalling the glories of the Sash and the victory at the Boyne, and backed up by chants of an uncomplimentary nature about the pope and the IRA. (p. 59)

4.1 Catholic and Protestant songs The clashes between Rangers and Celtic promise an amazing atmosphere thanks to their fans. The most common means of support is singing and chanting. Fans sing songs either to cheer their favourite team up or to offend players or supporters of the other team. The songs are an integral part of the Old Firm rivalry. As Bradley in Brown (1998) describes:

The songs of football supporters are an important part of their diet of communication. In Scotland football is often characterised by songs which convey a set of identities which are indicative of many of the identities and underlying features of society. As well as regular football songs, songs abusing Catholics and the Irish, about the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, songs of the British Empire, Irish rebel tunes, Scottish rebel tunes, chants about loyalist paramilitaries in Northern Ireland, ditties about secret societies and the Pope, all distinguish football in Scotland. (p. 203)

Football is a sport number one in Scotland. However, there are other sports that attract large audiences such as rugby union or golf. Bradley in Brown (1998) emphasizes that ‘no sport has captured the imagination of the country’s population as soccer has’ (p. 203). It is well-known fact that the Protestant teams dominate the Scottish Professional Football League, therefore majority of the songs are anti-Catholic and anti-Irish songs. Bradley in Brown (1998) says that ‘one of the most popular songs in Scotland is the “Billy Boys”’:

Hello, hello, we are the Billy Boys. Hello, hello, you can tell us by our noise. We’re up to our knees in Fenian blood, Surrender or you’ll die. For we are the ‘Billy Billy’ Boys.

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The term “Fenian” represents ‘the name of the mid-nineteenth century Irishmen who engaged in military struggle against Britain. Today, it is often derogatorily used to describe Roman Catholics’ (Bradley in Brown, 1998, p. 216). As mentioned in chapter 2.2, the ‘Billy Boys’ were one of the fiercest gangs in Scottish history. Another popular tune among the Protestant and Rangers supporters is ‘No Pope of Rome’. This one is an allusion to events that happened in 1690 when the Protestant King William of Orange defeated James II in the Battle of the Boyne (Bradley in Brown, 1998, p. 216):

No, no Pope of Rome, No chapels to sadden my eyes. No nuns and no priests, no rosary beads, every day is the twelfth of July.

William of Orange and his ‘accession to the throne of Scotland’ is celebrated in a song called ‘The Cry Is No Surrender’ (Daily Record, 2011). Wilson (2012) provides the lyrics of the song:

For the cry was No Surrender, Surrender or you’ll die (die! die!) With heart and hand and sword and shield, We’ll guard old Derry’s walls.

King James and all his rebel scum, Came up to Bishop’s Gate, With heart and hand and sword and shield, We forced them to retreat.

Altogether now! The cry was No Surrender Surrender or you’ll die (die! die!) (p. 7)

Celtic’s fans prefer singing the songs reflecting their own and club’s origins in Ireland. Bradley in Brown (1998) explains that:

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Such roots also mean that the supporters continue the legacy of the first decades of the club’s existence, a time when Irish immigrants in many countries were often characterised by links with a variety of Irish associations and activity for facets of the Irish nationalist cause then being pursued in the home country. Present day Celtic supporters continue this tradition by demonstrating their desire, through song, for an independent and united Ireland. (p. 206)

The most famous Irish song, a ballad, is ‘The Fields of Athenry’ composed by Pete St. John. This ballad refers to ‘rebellion against the “Famine and the Crown”, and the ballad is lamenting the Irish famine of the 1840s’ (Daily Record, 2011). Bradley in Brown (1998) provides the lyrics of the ballad:

By a lonely prison wall I heard a young man calling Nothing matters Mary when you’re free Against the Famine and the Crown I rebelled, they cut me down Now you must raise our child with dignity

(chorus) Low lie the fields of Athenry Where once we watched the small free birds fly Our love was on the wing We had dreams and songs to sing It’s so lonely round the fields of Athenry. (p. 209)

In 1994, Celtic and Celtic’s fans were criticized for playing respectively singing ‘The Fields of Athenry’ at home matches. The criticism came from the Sunday Mail’s chief sport columnist. Bradley in Cronin & Mayall (1998) explains:

Whether in a racial, ethnic or religious context, or whether displays of Irishness are confined by their antagonists to a discourse or sphere of ‘sectarianism’ (a condition which can all three of these), manifestations of Irish identity in Scotland are largely viewed as offensive and unwelcome. (p. 137)

Despite the criticism, the ballad is allowed to be played all over the Celtic Park (Daily Record, 2011). It is not unusual to hear the Rangers fans singing the British national anthem,

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‘God Save the Queen’. Bradley in Brown (1998) argues that the supporters emphasize their ‘loyalty to “Crown, Country and Religion” by singing the anthem’ (p. 206). Moreover, the hatred between Celtic and Rangers fans is not just a question of the Old Firm, but it also spreads to Scotland’s national team games. For instance, ‘the booing of some Catholic footballers (especially Celtic Catholic players)’ is a common picture of the overall support at Scotland’s games (Bradley in Brown, 1998, p. 205). Bradley in Brown (1998) concludes that both Rangers and Celtic play an important part in many people lives as the clubs ‘have become important national, religious, cultural, social and political experiences and expressions’ (p. 215).

4.2 Players and Religious Elements The main protagonists of the game – football players – play also an important role in the Old Firm rivalry since they are responsible for their actions on and off the pitch. They are usually aware of the religious hatred between the two teams, they know that they need to stay in control of their emotions, but there are exceptions that this chapter describes. Paul Gascoigne was one of the most talented football players of his era. When he moved to Rangers from Lazio in July 1995, it was represented as ‘a coup’ for Walter Smith, Rangers manager (Wilson, 2012, p. 41). ‘Gaza’, as Gascoigne was called, became very popular among the Rangers fans soon after his arrival, and the popularity of this peroxide blond midfielder significantly increased after his first games for Rangers against Steaua Bucharest in a pre- season game. Gascoigne was told by his teammate Ian Ferguson before the game that he should celebrate his first goal by mimicking playing a flute. Gascoigne scored and he ‘pretended to play the flute, which represents the marchers who take part in Orange Walks in the west of Scotland and Northern Ireland’ (Wilson, 2012, p. 42). After the game, the Rangers Board fined Gascoigne with two weeks’ wages. He became beloved by Rangers fans, on the other hand, he received death threats from Celtic supporters. Wilson (2012) describes the situation when Gascoigne was threatened for the first time:

Gascoigne was sitting in a traffic jam when a car pulled up alongside him. The driver motioned to the player to lower his window, then told him: ‘I wouldn’t do that again, mate.’ ‘Why not?’ Gascoigne replied. ‘Because I’ll slit your throat next time.’ (p. 42)

After this incident, Ferguson was regretting of getting Gascoigne into trouble. In Wilson (2012), Ferguson said: ‘I could have ended up getting him killed – it was that bad. He was raging and rightly so’ (p. 42). Despite this unpleasant experience, Gascoigne did not stop 37 provoking. During a warming up at Celtic Park on 2 January 1998, he ‘was verbally abused by the home fans’, and he responded them to pretend playing the flute again (Wilson, 2012, p. 42). The crowd went furious, and although Gascoigne later apologised, he got fined again and had to donate the money to charity. As a result, Gascoigne received 126 threats. One of them was ‘a handwritten letter from Ireland, in Gaelic, warning him to “watch his back” and detailing much of his daily routine’ (Wilson, 2012, p. 43). ‘The author of the letter claimed to be writing on behalf of the IRA’, therefore, the police investigated who the sender of the letter was. All the traces ended in Dublin, but they could not arrest the man ‘unless he set foot in the UK’ (Wilson, 2012, p. 43). Gascoigne was worrying about his safety, so he rented ‘four different chalets’ in order to vary where to sleep, he was shown ‘how to open his mail safely and to check under his car for bombs’ by the police (Wilson, 2012, p. 43). Eventually, Gascoigne was told that the man from Dublin rescinded the threat. By that time, Gascoigne became lost more and more to the alcohol. His addiction and his ‘erratic behaviour’ led to his departure from Ibrox in 1998 (Wilson, 2012, p. 43). Wilson (2012) sums up Gascoigne’s ‘case’:

At first, he did not fully understand the nature of the Old Firm divide, seeing it only as a football rivalry rather than something that reflects but also influences tensions in society. Any footballer or manager with a streak of arrogance can set out to irritate opposition fans – while manager of Galatasaray, Graeme Souness placed a large club flag in the centre of their city rival’s Fenerbahce’s pitch after winning the Turkish cup final, which almost caused a riot – but in Glasgow such gestures would carry a greater impact. (p. 44)

In 2005, Celtic signed Polish goalkeeper Artur Boruc from Legia Warsaw. Wilson (2012) describes his story:

In August 2006, he crossed himself in front of Rangers fans at Ibrox during an Old Firm game, then laughed at them and motioned with both hands for them to ‘come ahead’. Police officers later claimed that it took ten minutes to calm down the situation in the stands. (p. 44)

Wilson (2012) explains that there are many football players who cross themselves because it is their habit or ‘a matter of faith’, but Boruc’s ‘direct goading of the Rangers fans that accompanied the gesture was deliberate, and it exposed the angst that gathers around so much of Scotland’s attitude towards the religious rivalry of the Old Firm’ (p. 44). The Rangers supporters complained and the police had to investigate the incident. Eventually, Boruc was ‘cautioned for breach of the peace, with the formal warning coming from behaviour that

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“provoked alarm and crowd trouble”’ (Wilson, 2012, p. 45). Wilson (2012) describes the reaction of the Catholic Church to Boruc’s incident:

The Catholic Church reacted with indignation, describing the caution as an ‘alarming development, especially since the sign of the cross is globally accepted as a gesture of religious reverence. It is extremely regrettable that Scotland seems to have made itself one of the few countries in the world where this simply religious gesture is considered an offence’. (p. 45)

After the incident, Boruc was given a nickname ‘The Holy Goalie’ by the Celtic fans. Boruc, like Gascoigne, was not able to ignore the hounding of Rangers fans and their booing at him during the Old Firm games. Therefore, in April 2008, Boruc took off his goalkeeper’s kit ‘after the final whistle’ of the Old Firm game at Celtic Park and revealed a T-shirt with the picture of the late Pope John Paul II and the words, ‘God Bless the Pope’ (Wilson, 2012, p. 46). Celtic won that game 3-2, and as usually, it was the result that mattered, especially for the fans. On the other hand, the Democratic Unionist MP for East Londonderry, Gregory Campbell, regretted the actions of Celtic goalkeeper, and he expressed support ‘to combat sectarianism by Rangers and Celtic’ (Wilson, 2012, p. 46). Nowadays, the Scottish government fights against the sectarianism with help of many organizations such as Nil by Mouth or Citizenship through Football, but this is another issue that deserves its own work.

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5 Conclusion It is evident that the denominations of the Christian faith influenced the rivalry between Celtic and Rangers. There had been Catholic clubs before Celtic, but it was Celtic’s arrival into the Scottish football that caused changing of the society. Many Protestants people were unsatisfied with this arrival of Catholic club and suddenly, once non-denominational club, Rangers became hope for Protestant supporters. The hatred resulted in that Rangers established the unwritten rule of ‘sign no Catholic’. The team was accused of sectarianism, but Rangers strongly refused such accusations. It was arrival of Graeme Souness in 1986 that changed the course of the Old Firm rivalry. His decision to sing a Catholic player was very brave, and he proved that it does not have to be only Celtic who signs players of ‘the other’ denomination. The Rangers’ policy and Celtic’s troubles with the Irish flag over the northern terrace at Celtic park were the main talking points throughout the years of the rivalry. The antagonism between the teams is visible during the games of these two rivals. The fans wave with different flags of particular meanings, sing songs that ridicule the other team or boost their own team, or react to players behaviour. Home-grown players are aware of what it means to be a part of the Old Firm rivalry in contrast with the foreign players. The cases of Gascoigne and Boruc are the evidence that a lack of this ‘awareness’ can trigger serious problems. At the time of finishing the thesis, there are no regular Old Firm games between Celtic and Rangers. Debts and ‘reckless spending’ of Sir David Murray caused that on February 2012 Rangers went into administration (Wilson, 2012, p. 238). They eventually ended up in The Scottish Third Division19, but now they fight back to restore their glory in the Scottish Championship20. Since the Rangers’ financial problems, the Scottish football suffers, because there is no other team that could compete and challenge the strengths of Celtic Glasgow.

19 The fourth tier of the Scottish Football League system 20 The second tier of the new Scottish Professional Football League system 40

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