Michael Gannon has defended the Old Firm derby, insisting Rangers vs Celtic remains one of the greatest sporting clashes in the business despite the negativity that surrounds it. Writing in the Daily Record, he calls for the fixture to be celebrated more, even suggesting streaming giants Netflix and Amazon should get involved.
A fixture that always delivers
Gannon acknowledges the Scottish tendency to focus on the fear of defeat rather than the thrill of victory. He points to the police warning players not to celebrate as an example of the 'fun police' dampening the occasion. Yet he argues that, for all the moaning, this is a match that constantly hits dramatic heights.
The stats back up his claim. Last season there were 16 goals in six games, including two rare goalless draws. The previous year saw 19 goals in five clashes, with 14 in five and 21 in six in the years before. In Martin O'Neill's first season at Celtic there were 22 goals in five encounters.
Two clashes in a week
With two meetings within a week, Gannon says both promise dramatic storylines even though the season is barely into September. If Derek McInnes and his Rangers side can dump Celtic out the League Cup and then get a result at Parkhead, early problems will be forgotten. The flip side is Celtic maintaining dominance, which could plunge Ibrox into a world of pain again while the Hoops skip on, with content punters willing to forget the Champions League failure.
Gannon concludes that Scottish football might be 'piston broke', but it still can be a total blast.
