DERBY DAYS SCOTTISH PREMIER LEAGUE/RANGERS v CELTIC: Few events in world sport can match the intensity of the famous Old Firm rivalry
GORDON STRACHAN has been at the helm at Celtic Park for less than three years, during which time he's won both Premier League titles and has his team still in the race for the third crown - as well as already claiming Scottish Cup and League Cup honours and twice reaching the latter stages of the Champions League.
So why is the Celtic manager subject to growing demands from supporters for his dismissal? Simple. In Glasgow, it's not that you're only as good as your last match. It's that you're only as good as your last Old Firm match.
In January of last year, Walter Smith returned to Ibrox to manage the team he had led to almost total domination in Scotland during the 1990s. Last month, Smith and Strachan met for the fourth time in an Old Firm derby. For the fourth time Smith's side won. For the fourth time Strachan's side failed to score. QED.
For both sets of supporters, the rivalry means far more than just three points. There are many great soccer derbies in Europe - El Clasico in Spain - Barcelona v Real Madrid, Derby d'Italia in Italy - Juventus v Inter Milan, the Milan derby between AC and Inter or Ajax v Feyenoord - but not all involve the supporters of the losing team having to face the fans of their fierce rivals at work the following morning.
Victory in the Glasgow derby guarantees bragging rights - whatever the league table suggests. And that has always been the way for the Old Firm (a term with no clear beginnings, but which is probably derived from how financially lucrative meetings between the clubs have been, even from as early as the late 19th century).
The rivalry was born the day Celtic - founded by an Irish Marist Brother - played their first game, on May 28th, 1888, which ended in a 5-2 win over Rangers, the club of the Scotland's established Protestant majority, who were already established almost two decades.
Since then, the rivalry has grown, and not just in a sporting context, but socially, politically and culturally - perhaps inevitably providing a focal point for the divisions between Catholics and Protestants, both in Scotland and Ireland. But Celtic's most celebrated boss, Jock Stein, was a Protestant, while an unofficial policy of not signing Catholics was shattered by Rangers boss Graeme Souness in 1989 when he signed Mo Johnston.
The clubs have carved up 92 top-flight league titles between them - and their meetings have always grabbed the public's attention, perhaps reaching its zenith in 1939, when a British record 118,567 were in Ibrox for the derby, beating the previous year's 92,000 that turned up at Celtic Park.
And there have been many famous matches between the two. Another huge attendance witnessed the 1928 Scottish Cup final, when Rangers won the title for the first time in 25 years with a 4-0 defeat of their bitter rivals. And 106,000 witnessed 16-year-old Derek Johnstone score the game's only goal in the League Cup final in 1970 to claim Rangers' first trophy in five years.
Celtic beat Rangers 7-1 in the 1957 League Cup final and, as recently as August 2000, in Martin O'Neill's first derby, Celtic - powered by Henrik Larsson and Chris Sutton - overcame Rangers 6-2.
But a rivalry this passionate has also brought tragedies. Most shocking was the New Year's Day game in 1971 when Rangers fans moved toward the exits after Celtic scored a late goal at Ibrox. A minute later Rangers equalised and in the rush back into the ground to celebrate, some barriers collapsed under the strain and 66 Rangers supporters died while hundreds were injured.
Tonight will be the 379th meeting of the clubs with the record so far reading 151 wins for Rangers and 135 for Celtic.
Rangers also lead the Scottish Premier League - currently four points clear of Celtic, with two games in hand. However, while their league ambitions hang by a thread, Celtic have two things in their favour. Two of their six remaining league matches involve hosting Rangers - the first tonight at 7.45pm, the second a lunch-time encounter on Sunday week.
Just as significant is how Rangers have been penalised for being so successful this season. They still have eight league matches to play, as well as possibly two Scottish Cup games (should they win their semi-final against St Johnstone) and three Uefa Cup matches (they play Fiorentina in a two-legged semi-final).
It makes for incredibly stamina-sapping busy final weeks for Rangers, and Smith has already indicated something will have to give. For Strachan's chances of survival, he will be hoping it's Smith's recent grip on Old Firm derbies that's the first to loosen.
