While it's true that all local derbies have that extra special something that makes a fixture more of a 'must-see' event than the others that creep up on the football calendar, there is arguably no more ferocious encounter in European football than when Glasgow rivals Celtic, and Rangers go head to head.
Every match that takes place between these two, and they are frequent occasions, is one that you would not want to miss.
These are blood and thunder clashes that are not for the faint of heart, and while it's a game that is of the utmost importance to fans of both teams, it is also a match that neutrals can't get enough of.
Trying to get tickets for the match, be it in the Scottish Premiership or in a cup clash, is something of a difficult endeavour; at SeatPick, you can access the widest range of the best prices for matches at both Celtic Park and Ibrox Stadium, and below you'll find in-depth details on this, but first some more in-depth information about the Old Firm Derby.
First Old Firm Derby
The first clash between the two teams took place in May 1888, with Celtic winning 5-2 in what was then a friendly match.
Up to the end of the 2022/23 season, the two teams had met a massive 436 times, with Rangers emerging victorious vs Celtic on 169 occasions and Celtic winning 165 times.
Scottish Premier League Dominance
The dominance that these two teams have in terms of the overall Scottish footballing scene is stark and merely adds to the flavour of the Old Firm derby.
Clearly, even if the two teams were mid-table in the top tier of Scottish football, their meetings would be no less important to fans of both teams, but the standing that both sides have means that the results that occur in the matches between the pair usually have a big bearing on where either team may finish in the title race.
As a measure of that dominance, it's worth noting that no team other than Celtic or Rangers has been crowned Scottish champions since 1984-85.
Rangers Have the Edge
Celtic's title-winning campaign of 2022/23 meant they had won the title 53 times to Rangers' tally of 55, and the next largest total comes in the form of Aberdeen, the last of their four titles coming in 1985 (when a certain Sir Alex Ferguson was in charge of the Dons).
Blood and Thunder
Celtic v Rangers is regularly cited as the biggest club football match in European football, or perhaps even the world over, and that's because the antagonism that exists between the two city rivals is immense and shows no signs of reducing.
Celtic and Rangers supporters don't get on, and there's a lot riding on the games that these two take part in, from bragging rights to domestic silverware.
Celtic vs. Rangers - Top Five Recent Old Firm Clashes at Celtic Park
March 2011 - Scottish Cup: Celtic 1-0 Rangers
This Scottish Cup Fifth Round Replay became very infamous indeed. The game was won by Celtic when Mark Wilson fired in early in the second half, but is more well remembered for the off-the-ball antics that occurred.
Steven Whittaker was sent off after 36 minutes, with Madjid Bougherra ordered off in the second half before El-Hadji Diouf was shown a red card after the final whistle had blown.
The match ended with Celtic boss Neil Lennon and Rangers assistant Ally McCoist squaring up to each other. Memorable.
September 2016 - Scottish Premier League: Celtic 5-1 Rangers
Brendan Rodgers secured a memorable win in his first Old Firm clash with Celtic winning this one in style thanks to Moussa Dembele scoring the first hat-trick in this fixture in fifty years. The game was nicely balanced at 2-1 at half-time, but then Philippe Senderos got himself sent off with 15 minutes to play, and the floodgates then opened.
By the season's end, Celtic had gone 47 domestic games unbeaten and, therefore, clinched an astounding treble.
April 2018 - Scottish Premier League: Celtic 5-0 Rangers
Winning the Scottish Premier League crown is clearly a massive achievement, and to do it while beating your arch-rivals gives the occasion even more meaning.
Now, imagine, then, the idea of Celtic needing to beat Rangers in order to complete their title push and then doing so with a thumping 5-0 win. You can't get a much better feeling.
Brendan Rodgers's side were already well-placed to complete their title push, but to do it quite so emphatically is an added bonus.
Odsonne Edouard scored twice, while Craig Forrest, Tom Rogic, and Callum McGregor also netted.
October 2020 - Scottish Premier League: Celtic 0-2 Rangers
On route to securing their first Scottish title in a decade, Steven Gerrard's Rangers returned from their first Old Firm trip to Celtic Park with a crucial 2-0 win.
Connor Goldson scored both goals that day, and incredibly, the Gers saw out the domestic season without losing a game.
They racked up an astonishing 32 wins and six draws from their 38 domestic league games, a feat that is hard to top.
April 2023 - Scottish Premier League: Celtic 3-2 Rangers
In the 2022/23 season, the two teams met an incredible five times, and Australian boss Ange Postecoglou didn't taste defeat once.
Indeed, it was his last season in charge of the Celtic Park side before leaving for Tottenham, and he saw his side edge past their massive rivals in a key Scottish Premiership game.
Kyogo Furuhashi put Celtic ahead after 26 minutes before James Tavernier equalized just before the break, only for Furuhashi to put the Bhoys 2-1 up, and Portuguese attacker Jota made it 3-1 with 17 minutes left, and Tavernier once again netted to make it a nervy final ten minutes before the final whistle blew on yet another Celtic success.
Celtic Park - Stadium Guide
Celtic Park, or Parkhead as it's sometimes known, has been Celtic's home since 1888, and the current site of their stadium has been in use since 1892.
Capacity: 60,411
Record Attendance: 83,500 - Celtic v Rangers January 1938
Address: The Celtic Way, Parkhead, Glasgow
Celtic Park previously regularly hosted Scottish national team matches and was used in the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
The return fixture takes place at Ibrox Stadium, an equally imposing setting and a venue that is among the biggest in Europe.
