What chance 'Pipes of Peace' for Old Firm?
Paul Cassidy on Thursday • Published 22 Dec 2011 09:30
0 Comments
Share this
Kesh lad Kyle Lafferty celebrates after bagging the winner for Rangers against Inverness on Saturday.
<p>few friends of mine are heading to the Glasgow derby over the Christmas break, for what could be a defining result in this year's title race. </p>
<p>This may be the season of "peace and goodwill to all men" but this sentiment rarely shows its head in this fixture. The most famous fixture which took place over the Christmas period was back in 1914 and has been immortalised in Paul McCartney's 1983 song, the Pipes of Peace. </p>
<p>Through the week leading up to Christmas, German soldiers began to sing carols from their trenches and the British forces responded with their own carols. Amazingly parties of German and British soldiers began to exchange seasonal greetings and eventually the tension was reduced to the point that individuals would walk across to talk to their opposite numbers bearing gifts. </p>
<p>At this point the British death count was in the region of 40,000 but amazingly the two sides were able to put their hatred aside for a few days and eventually in sub-zero temperatures, a football match was played between the warring factions, the Germans won 3-2 although it didn't go to penalties but the British felt they were on the receiving end of some poor refereeing decisions. </p>
<p>This truce came about through mutual agreement and similarly hostilities recommenced when both sides were ready. </p>
<p>The event was never replicated during the ensuing Christmases as the scale of the losses of both sides meant that the bitterness of both sides could never allow it. </p>
<p>Next Wednesday, December 28, sees the "Old Firm" derby in Glasgow with Celtic playing host to their bitter rivals, Rangers. </p>
<p>Celtic are currently in bother with UEFA for a banner having a go at UEFA who recently fined the club for sectarian chants at an earlier Europa League match. Rangers have also been fined for sectarian incidents and in March this year, Rangers fans were accused by UEFA of sectarian singing during the away leg of their Europa League match with PSV Eindhoven. </p>
<p>In April, further charges of sectarian singing were made against them concerning the home tie. Rangers were fined €40,000 and had their fans banned for one away European match as a result of the UEFA hearing. Both clubs are strenuously trying to eradicate these small elements from their fan base. The intense rivalry will and always should remain but it is the intense hatred which exists between the clubs that needs addressing. </p>
<p>The Old Firm rivalry has fuelled many assaults and many deaths on Old Firm derby days; an activist group that monitors sectarian activity in Glasgow has reported that on Old Firm weekends, admissions to hospital emergency rooms increase nine-fold over normal levels and in the period from 1996 to 2003, eight deaths in Glasgow were directly linked to Old Firm matches, as well as hundreds of assaults. </p>
<p>Thousands of Celtic and Rangers fans from this part of the world make their way to these derbies and police here in Northern Ireland have had their share of violence as a result of Old Firm derbies. The two clubs are steeped in history and their fans traditionally come from two very opposing cultures. </p>
<p>The fixtures will always stir emotions which make for compulsive viewing but hopefully both clubs will be successful in their efforts to ensure that all chanting is non-sectarian and that this year, fans call a Christmas truce. </p>
Return to the main index, get more from this section or browse our Opinion archives.
