Most football rivalries are due to a competition of a sporting rivalry and geographical factors. What makes the Celtic – Rangers rivalry as explosive as it is, is the presence of a religious rivalry as well as a political one.

Rangers is a Protestant club while Celtic is a Catholic one. Rangers are Loyalists while Celtic are Republican. All of these elements contribute to the Rangers –Celtic Rivalry being what it is.

Then there are the players.

When Mo Johnston signed for Rangers in 1989 it caused a massive storm. Manager Graeme Souness had just violated the unwritten rule of not signing any player who was Catholic. Supporters from both sides were furious and finally had something they could agree on. Johnston played for Rangers, but the stress of the situation meant he didn’t play his best football.

In recent years, both sides have acknowledged that the Celtic – Rangers rivalry has at times gotten out of hand and to their credit taken steps to rein it in. Many incendiary songs and chants have been banned as has the ability to show banners or flags which are provocative.

On field is where the Rangers –Celtic Rivalry is hottest. Between them the two have won the League 94 of the 113 titles. Celtic has won 34 Scottish Cups, Rangers has won 33 and the next most is Queen’s Park with 10.

The two play often and whenever it is, it always seems to be a classic. This was the case in the 1957 Scottish Cup final. Celtic won the final 7-1 to take the Celtic – Rangers rivalry up a few notches. When Celtic made its run to the 2003 UEFA Cup final, they took every opportunity they could to rub it in the nose of Rangers fan. Celtic has a rich European history and whatever happens domestically in Scotland, it is difficult for Rangers to have a comeback for their lack of European success. Of course this didn’t stop them taunting Celtic after they had lost the 2003 UEFA Cup final.

Rangers made the final of the 1961 Cup Winners Cup where they lost to Fiorentina and they also lost in the final six years later to Bayern Munich. They came close to winning the Cup Winners Cup again in 1972 but lost in the final to Dynamo Moscow. Rangers also lost the 2008 UEFA Cup final – their defeat coming from the hands of Zenit St Petersburg. As far as the European Cup goes, Rangers came closest in the early years. In 1960, they made it as far as the semi finals until Eintracht Frankfurt knocked them out.

All of these achievements combined will never equate what Celtic did in 1967 when it won the European Cup. It defeated Nantes in the second round and followed this up with a defeat of Yugoslavia’s Vojvodina in the quarter-finals. In the semi-finals they defeated Dukla Prague and famously defeated Inter in the final. Rangers simply doesn’t have a comeback for this.

Kenny Miller didn’t have to go through what Mo Johnston did and was allowed to sign for Celtic after having played for Rangers. He was just the third player since 1945 to have play for both sides of the Celtic – Rangers rivalry. After a lackluster year he left Celtic Park for Derby and following a year at Pride Park moved back to Rangers.

Alfie Conn won the Scottish Cup with both sides. He won it for Rangers in 1973 where they played Celtic in the final and in 1977 his Rangers side defeated Celtic.

Pitch invasions is part of the lore of the Rangers –Celtic Rivalry. At the end of the replay of the 1909 Scottish Cup, fans rushed the field due to their upset about there being no winner and also to express their upset of having to watch a third game. There was also a pitch invasion following the 1980 Scottish Cup Final. Celtic won with a goal in extra time. Drunk fans ran onto the field immediately following the full time whistle and a brawl ensued. People were hurt and many were injured. This disgraceful incident led to alcohol being banned from all Scottish football grounds as well as the introduction of early kickoffs. Thankfully incidents like this haven’t been repeated since.

The Celtic – Rangers rivalry used to be very bitter and personal. In recent years, with the realization that co-operation is the way to go; respect has become more of a part of it. In some ways the Rangers –Celtic Rivalry is bad for the game in Scotland. There is such a gulf between these two sides and the rest that there is the danger of it becoming boring and uneventful. There is also the risk that some of the other clubs in Scotland may fold. Thus at the very least, Celtic and Rangers need each other to provide some meaning to their lives. To try and solve this problem, some people have suggested the Celtic – Rangers rivalry being transplanted to England or in some European Super League. Who knows if that if the right way to go?

Celtic and Rangers have such a massive advantage of every other club in Scotland that it’s difficult to see another club besides them winning the League. Maybe this has been a reason for the slight defusing of the Celtic – Rangers rivalry.

Who knows where the Celtic – Rangers rivalry is heading and how it will affect Scottish football. Until then, expect some fantastic Old Firm matches.