Celtic vs Rangers: H2H, Watch Live, Old Firm Rivalry & More

The Old Firm rivalry between Celtic and Rangers is one of the most heated in football, with politics and religion central to the argument.

Celtic sits on the Catholic side of religion and is more closely aligned with the Republic of Ireland from a political standpoint.

By contrast, Rangers are associated with the Protestant religion and are staunch supporters of Great Britain.

With such profoundly differing views, it is little wonder that the two clubs are regularly at loggerheads both on and off the pitch.

We take a closer look at Celtic vs Rangers including the H2H (stats correct – January 2, 2023), how to watch the Scottish Premiership live, the history of the Old Firm derby and more.

Celtic vs Rangers H2H

There have been 432 previous meetings between the two sides, with Rangers winning 168, Celtic 162 and 102 drawn matches.

Rangers also lead the way in terms of silverware, winning 117 major trophies against 113 for their big rivals.

Celtic’s 7-1 victory over Rangers in the Scottish League Cup in 1957 is the biggest winning margin in an Old Firm game.

Notable Celtic vs Rangers Results

• Rangers 3-2 Celtic – Scottish Cup Final – May 2002
• Celtic 6-2 Rangers – Scottish Premier League – August 2000
• Celtic 0-3 Rangers – Scottish Premier Division – May 1999
• Rangers 5-1 Celtic – Scottish Premier Division- August 1988
• Rangers 3-2 Celtic – Scottish Cup Final – May 1973
• Celtic 4-0 Rangers – Scottish Cup Final – April 1969
• Celtic 5-1 Rangers – Scottish League Division 1 – January 1966
• Celtic 7-1 Rangers – Scottish League Cup Final – October 1957

Celtic vs Rangers Live Streams

Sky Sports is the best place to watch Scottish Premiership matches, with live streams available to subscribers via the Sky Go app on either desktop or mobile.

If you don’t have a subscription, fans can take advantage of the flexible option of daily or monthly passes through NOW TV.

CBS Sports Network and Paramount+ are other streaming platforms covering Scotland’s top flight, although you may need to use Virtual Private Network (VPN) technology to gain access.

One of the best services is Express VPN, which can be downloaded to various devices including Android, iOS, Fire TV, PC, Mac and smart TVs.

Old Firm History

Celtic and Rangers initially had a healthy relationship, but things deteriorated with the opening of a shipyard in Govan by Belfast shipbuilders Harland & Wolff in 1912.

This is widely viewed as the point where politics infiltrated the Old Firm rivalry, and sectarianism remains prevalent today.

The two clubs subsequently went on to dominate Scottish football, and their off-field bitterness regularly spills onto the pitch due to the tension.

Fan disorder was a regular feature of Old Firm games from the 1980s through to the new millennium, but things have calmed down on that front in recent years.

Trouble between players and managers has been a regular feature of Celtic vs Rangers games, and that shows no signs of abating.

Many Celtic fans argue that 2012 marked the end of the Old Firm rivalry when Rangers’ holding company were forced into liquidation.

A new Rangers club was set up and forced to apply for entry to the third tier of the Scottish League, which effectively makes them a different organisation in their eyes.

UEFA’s confirmation that their statutes allow teams to have sporting continuity under different ownership fell on deaf ears with most Celtic supporters.

Despite this, the Old Firm derby still exists in the eyes of Rangers fans and the rest of the football world.

Rangers’ fall from grace did allow Celtic to gain the upper hand in Scotland, with the club reeling off nine league titles in a row.

However, Rangers stopped them in their tracks in 2020/21 to confirm that Celtic would no longer have their own way in the Scottish Premiership again.

Celtic vs Rangers Controversies

In addition to spawning numerous on-field controversies, the Old Firm rivalry has created plenty of headaches for the police in Glasgow.

One of the worst examples was at the 1980 Scottish Cup Final at Hampden Park when hundreds of rival fans fought on the pitch after Celtic’s 1-0 victory.

The disorder resulted in alcohol sales being banned from all football grounds in Scotland – a restriction that remains in place today.

There were also disturbing incidents during an Old Firm fixture played in May 1999, when Celtic ‘fans’ caused the game to be stopped after throwing coins at referee Hugh Dallas.

The official was also confronted on the pitch during the game, while missiles were thrown at Rangers players after the final whistle.

There have been plenty of incidents involving players in Old Firm games, with a meeting in October 1987 arguably the most notorious.

Four players were charged by the police with breach of the peace for their conduct during the match at Ibrox and appeared in court.

Chris Woods and Terry Butcher were convicted and fined, Frank McAvennie was found not guilty and a charge against Graham Roberts was not proven.

Woods and Butcher successfully appealed their convictions, but the case was undoubtedly a shot across the Scottish football’s bows by those responsible for law enforcement.

Paul Gascoigne wrote his name into Old Firm folklore on more than one occasion, most notably when he played an imaginary flute in front of Celtic fans.

Linked to the songs played on an Orange walk, the gesture is considered offensive by Celtic fans from an Irish Catholic background.

More SPL Resources:

Celtic News | Celtic Fixtures
Rangers News | Rangers Fixtures
SPL News | SPL Table | SPL Fixtures | SPL Top Scorers
Celtic History | Rangers History