There has been very little of the famous old firm derby
There has been very little of the famous old firm derby in the last few years.
However, this may be a good thing according to Rangers manager Mark Warburton since he feels that too many matches of such nature spoils the fun. Since Rangers went on to the bottom leagues of Scottish football, Celtic have been enjoying almost a comfortable life in the Scottish Premier league. The two clubs may be set to go head-to-head against each other from next season onwards. Rangers are on course to achieving their target of promotion to the top division. They have a three-point advantage in the Championship.
Even though many are looking forward to having the old firm derby on a regular basis, Warburton feels that this is the highlight of Scottish football and too many matches will take away the shine. The Englishman is accustomed to seeing a number of intense rivalry matches in English football. Scottish football, though, is short on such numbers. In fact, Warburton will get his first taste of the old firm derby only next season. The 53-year-old claims that he is looking forward to the encounter. Warburton also feels that the attention in Scottish football should also be channelled to the likes of Aberdeen, Hibernian, and Hearts.
“I’m not sure how you maintain the uniqueness or the attraction of a fixture if you have that many games. I think the sacrifice may be that, if you’re going to try to improve the elite end, you’ve got to look at improving the product and that, to me, would be the benefit.If you want things to change, if you want things to improve, then there has to be some short-term pain for longer-term gain. I think sometimes you’ve got to embrace some different ideas,” said the Rangers manager.