When Rangers and Celtic face each other in next month’s Scottish Cup semi-final, it will be just the second Old Firm game played since 2012.
The Rangers’ financial problems that were building over a very long period – indeed throughout their long stretch of domination of the Scottish game – finally resulted in the relegation, or rediscovery (depending on one’s perspective or bias) in the bottom tier of League football.
Conversely, a Hoops side managed by the under-fire Ronny Deila and struggling to fend-off the first serious challenge from outside the Old Firm in years will face the leadership of Mark Warburton – lauded for his achievements at Brentford. In light of this, comes the 30th anniversary of an Old Firm clash that took place in one of the numerous transformatory phases of the history of the Scottish game.
On March 22nd, 1986, took place at Ibrox an Old Firm game that is remembered not only for being a high scoring encounter, finishing in a 4-4 draw, but also for the events that followed – namely Celtic’s charge towards a League Championship that had appeared unlikely for so long, and the managerial appointment that would have a far-reaching effect on Scottish football in the years that followed.
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By the 1985-86 season Rangers had last won a League title in 1978, their third in four seasons after ending Celtic’s run at nine in-a-row, but this was followed by the resignation of Jock Wallace. In the same year, Jock Stein stood down as Celtic manager after finishing a very poor fifth. The Old Firm clubs turned to all-time greats for their next appointments though – as Billy McNeill was appointed at Celtic Park, while Rangers welcomed John Greig. While Greig had just retired from playing, McNeill had made a name of himself managing Aberdeen for a season, coming close to winning the League in 1978 and leaving Alex Ferguson a strong side to build upon.
McNeill took the Hoops to three titles in four years, while under John Greig the ‘Gers narrowly missed out on the League in his first season, though were unable to finish above third thereafter. In 1983, Greig was replaced by the returning Jock Wallace – in the same year, Billy McNeill left Celtic and was replaced by David Hay.
The 1979 to 1986 period is considered to have been the most barren in Rangers’ long history (at least until bankruptcy),seemingly losing their way both on and off the park and seen to be out of touch with a changing game. On the flip side, the club had redeveloped Ibrox Park into an all-seater stadium. Celtic, on the other hand, continued with success through the 1980s – their five titles in eight-years added up to 15 in 23 seasons since 1965 – but by now they were papering over cracks. As fans point out, the successes in those years were despite the board and not because of it.
Since World War II, the challenge to the dominance of the Glasgow giants had come from Edinburgh clubs Hibs and Hearts, and from various provincial sides (before the War, the League Championship had been won from outside the Old Firm on just six occasions). As Rangers dominated the first two decades after the war with Hibs and then Hearts as their main challengers, Celtic floundered and won just once title in the 1950s, despite boasting abundant talent. A new generation of managers who cut their teeth in the lower leagues pointed the way forward, including Jock Stein who became Celtic manager in 1965, following a season where neither of the Old Firm finished in the top four. By the late 70s, while the Edinburgh clubs were struggling, Dundee United under Jim McLean and Aberdeen under Alex Ferguson were rising, building on the groundwork laid in the years prior. At the same time, clubs like St Mirren scaled the heights.
While the Old Firm clubs more responded to the challenges of the 60s – delivering Celtic nine league titles in-a-row and a European Cup while the Rangers saw their fare share of success – the rise of the so-called ‘New Firm’ may have brought home the fact that both were seen as out of touch clubs, especially at the boardroom level. Their historic domination of the Scottish game was being eroded.
Hearts under Alex Macdonald steadily re-established themselves after promotion in 1983. In 1985-86, it would be the near-success of a Hearts team that had such players as Walter Kidd, Sandy Jardine, Craig Levein, Kenny Black, Sandy Clark, John Colquhoun, Gary Mackay and John Robertson, ascending to the top of the League with a remarkable unbeaten run. They had numerous things in their favour, and none of their players had been called up to the Scotland squad for the World Cup qualifiers whereas Celtic, Rangers, Dundee United and Aberdeen all had players that were called up. While they held on to the league and extended their unbeaten run, the competition below them – Celtic, Aberdeen and Dundee United – had games in hand.
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