Mark McGhee Claims Celtic and Rangers Rivalry Has Shifted from Pitch to Stands
Former Celtic striker Mark McGhee believes the Old Firm derby has lost its on pitch identity, arguing that the modern rivalry exists primarily between supporters rather than the teams themselves.
Speaking on talkSPORT, McGhee delivered a blunt assessment of the current state of Scottish football’s most volatile fixture. “The rivalry now is between the fans. The two teams aren’t big enough, strong enough or good enough to represent the way it used to be,” he stated. “I played in games where there were five players sent off. It’s always happened. I think now it’s the fans, and not on the pitch. That’s a shame, because it has to get back to the quality on the pitch.”
McGhee’s perspective draws from direct experience of the fixture’s golden era, when both clubs fielded genuine European heavyweights capable of competing with any side in Britain. The former striker contrasted this with the present day, where financial constraints have diminished the calibre of player on display.
The reduction in away allocations has further diluted the atmosphere that once defined these encounters. McGhee described the recent Scottish Cup clash at Ibrox, which featured over 7,000 Celtic supporters, as a reminder of what has been lost. “It’s tragic,” he said. “I have played in enough of them to understand what it feels like to play in, and it’s fantastic. You relish playing in games like that. Punters relish being in games like that. They relish that rivalry. They want to be there.”
The chaotic post match scenes at Ibrox have likely ended hopes of restoring full away allocations, a development McGhee described as “diabolical” and predicted would result in both sets of supporters being excluded from away fixtures.
Regarding the ultra groups that dominate each club’s support, McGhee advocated dialogue over eviction. “I think it’s certainly time to talk to them. There has to be some sort of communication. You have to understand what it is they are feeling. There has to be some sort of discussion. In this day and age, I don’t think there is any place for that sort of extremism if you like in both grounds. It’s something that has to be stopped. It’s not going to be stopped by evicting them. It’s going to be stopped by some sort of compromise.”
Despite his criticisms, McGhee acknowledged the fixture remains Britain’s most significant domestic rivalry, even if the animosity now manifests primarily in the stands rather than through the quality of football on display.