25 Mar 2012

Sunshine on Ibrox for Old Firm showdown

Well something’s amiss already. It’s the sky – blue. Nowt wrong with RFC colours but there’s a great big orange bright thing up there too – can it really be sunny?

Last time Celtic won the championship at Ibrox the Govan rain was so relentless around 20,000 didn’t turn up. Even so, that 1967 crowd would dwarf the relatively miniature affair that is a Glasgow Derby.

Or “Old Firm” game as it’s known everywhere else, Celtic fans.

Glaagow’s cabbies are busily talking up impemding apocalypse to anyone who’ll listen, but this is 21st century British football policed to the nth degree: Galatasary or Boca Juniors it ain’t.

Even the chanting. As of now, winding up the other fans with stirring songs about the IRA or being up to your knees in Fenian blood is an offence. Be fascinating to see how it’s policed, mind.

And “polis” there are. Strathclyde’s mounted cavalry lined up along the Broomloan Stand as if preparing for some kind of extreme gymkhana.

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