Old Firm derby: Celtic vs Rangers, history and trophies

The first game Celtic ever played, a friendly against Rangers in 1888, reportedly concluded with a dinner where the teams wished each other well.

The participants and referees involved in the day's events likely didn't foresee the fierce competition that would emerge in the subsequent years, as the Hoops' decisive 5-2 victory also signified a much more definitive Less than has frequently existed between the two major clubs in Glasgow.

Prior to the 2023/24 campaign, Celtic and Rangers held a nearly identical standing regarding silverware and their historical performance in the contest referred to as the Old Firm derby. Celtic's last game of the 2023/24 campaign occurred on May 25, 2024, where they defeated their opponents 1-0 in the Scottish Cup final, thereby clinching yet another domestic double.

The 2024 Scottish League Cup final saw a highly dramatic and unforgettable showdown, ranking among the most memorable in recent times. — and this has given Celtic an advantage regarding their total number of trophies.

The Sporting News looks at the statistics and silverware accumulated by the leading clubs in Scottish football.

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Celtic and Rangers have faced each other numerous times throughout history, with a complete record of their past encounters.

The most recent encounter between Rangers and Celtic at Ibrox concluded in a forgettable 0-0 stalemate, reflecting their shared difficulties at the outset of the 2025/26 campaign. Both Russell Martin and Brendan Rodgers have since been dismissed from their positions.

The head-to-head tally is remarkably tight, considering it covers thirty years and eras where each club held sway.

Overall, these two teams have met 447  times in major competitions.

Do Celtic or Rangers have more trophies?

Celtic secured their 119th trophy in the Scottish League Cup final held in December 2024, surpassing their Glasgow rivals by one. The 2024/25 Scottish Premiership title was their 120th.

Arguments are inevitably made by fans of both clubs about the prestige and timing of trophies won. The clubs have also tended to take it in turns to dominate for several years at a time, making it worthy of celebration for their nemesis when such victorious runs come to an end.

Rangers, for example, won four successive titles between 1899 and 1902. Celtic held the championship title from 1905 to 1910, followed by Rangers from 1911 to 1913. Celtic then won again from 1914 to 1917, and Rangers dominated from 1927 to 1947, with Celtic managing to win in 1936 and 1938.

Between 1966 and 1974, Celtic secured the league title annually, a period of immense success that also saw them claim the 1967 European Cup under the guidance of the renowned manager Jock Stein. However, Rangers would have achieved ten consecutive titles if Celtic They hadn't secured the championship before them during a captivating 1997/98 season conclusion.

Celtic secured nine championships from 2012 onwards, a period influenced by The Rangers' financial difficulties, the transfer of their assets to a new entity, and four seasons spent outside the top tier following the club's 2012 restart in the lowest division. And 2020.

Rangers secured the championship the subsequent season, but then came in second place for the next three seasons. They are currently tied on 55 league titles each.

Celtic's Scottish Cup victories exceed Rangers' by eight., there's a six-trophy disparity in the Scottish League Cup. However, in that same competition, Celtic holds the record for the biggest victory in a UK domestic cup final, defeating Rangers 7-1 back in 1957.

Celtic's official site refers to that game as a "astonishing roasting", recognizing: "At the time, Rangers were the dominant force in Scottish football while Celtic enjoyed occasional successes amid regular disappointment."

Trophies won by Celtic and Rangers

Why is Celtic v Rangers the Old Firm?

The Celtic-Rangers rivalry has been known as the "Old Firm" since the early 1900s, following their encounter in the 1904 Scottish Cup Final.

A satirical cartoon depicting the two rivals was created by the magazine The Scottish Referee before the game, highlighting the commercial aspect of their significant encounters, which drew substantial audiences and passionate backing. A comic panel depicted a man wearing a sandwich board with the inscription: "Patronise The Old Firm: Rangers, Celtic Ltd".

An alternative explanation suggests the phrase emerged from sports announcers characterizing an initial encounter between the rival clubs as "like two old, firm friends".

Celtic supporters contend that the Old Firm derby doesn't exist.

A significant portion of Celtic supporters hold the opinion that the Old Firm derby has ceased to exist since Rangers' financial downfall in 2012, which resulted in the club being managed by a different entity.

However, certain Celtic fans, and the club itself, opt for the designation 'Glasgow derby'. Notably, Rangers still officially refer to matches as 'Old Firm' games.

In a similar vein, Celtic's supporters frequently label Rangers and their followers 'zombies' because of the club's history of 'death' and 'rebirth'.

Celtic vs Rangers: Rivalry's roots

While Celtic and Rangers stand as the most dominant clubs in Scottish football, this success represents merely one aspect of their intense, long-standing, and intricate rivalry.

Their disagreement stems from differing perspectives on religion, identity, and politics, as well as their connection to Ireland, specifically Northern Ireland.

Rangers fans typically identify as native Scots or Ulster Scots, alongside being Protestant and Loyalist. Conversely, Celtic supporters generally lean towards being Irish-Scots and Catholic and Republican.

Rangers supporters frequently identify as pro-British, displaying Union Jack flags during games, whereas Celtic fans are more often observed with The Irish tricolour.

For many years, Rangers' history has been closely tied to the Protestant community, and prior to Graeme Souness taking over as manager in 1986, they hadn't signed a Catholic player for several decades. The practice concluded when Souness signed former Celtic forward Mo Johnston in 1989.

Old Firm clashes are usually fiercely contested, comparable to other major matchups like De Klassieker (Ajax vs. Feyenoord), El Clasico (Barcelona vs. Real Madrid), and the Superclasico of Argentina (Boca Juniors vs. River Plate.

Henrik Larsson, a veteran of both El Clasico and Old Firm fixtures, admitted that the most intense clashes between Barcelona and Madrid didn't quite measure up to Celtic versus. Rangers. "I never experienced anything, either before or after, that compared to my Old Firm games in Scotland. That was the best atmosphere and those were the most fierce encounters I ever played in," he said.

It's also a brutal environment for players to find themselves in the midst of, with Rangers legend Brian Laudrup calling the clash "terrifying".

"As soon as you join one of these clubs, from the very first minutes you are told about this game," Laudrup told the Daily Record.

"To play in one was terrifying. It was a bit scary but on the other hand it's tremendous to be involved in one of the world's biggest derbies.

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"For these players it's tremendous. They have read about the derby and heard about it from those who have played in the game but to actually be part of it is completely different. It's something they will never forget."

Several incidents in the late 90s during the derby including pitch invasions, instances of vandalism and general hooliganism caused by the heightened tension of the clash, prompted the Scottish FA to hold the derby in early afternoon.

When Rangers had the opportunity to win the league against Celtic on the last day of the season in May 1999, several Celtic fans in the stadium took to throwing objects at the opposition players. One such object hit referee Hugh Dallas, who was forced to stop play and receive medical treatment.

Since then, measures have been taken to avoid the possibility of the Premiership being decided on the last day between Celtic and Rangers.

There have also been crowd measures put into place, with away fans regularly prohibited from attending matches since early 2024.