Did the postponement of first Old Firm match have any bearing on stopping their ten? I guess we’ll never know…
19 November 1997, a last gasp Alan Stubbs goal rescued a point against Rangers in a frantic Glasgow Derby. It turned out to a very crucial goal indeed as that point proved vital when the points tally was rounded up at the end of the season.
That game however was originally scheduled a couple of months earlier on Monday 1st September 1997.
The death of the Princess of Diana a few days before however meant the game was shelved, leading to a rescheduling, as the country mourned the loss of a woman they never met. Albeit one of the better royals, those of us not bothered in the slightest had to ditch our plans for a Monday night Old Firm Derby. One of the most important in recent years.
The first derby of the season is always crucial but this one more than usual. A Celtic victory would have given our team and supporters belief in a tense season, and a loss would have been devastating. It was all to play for.
For Celtic this would have been the fourth league game of the season having got back to winning ways the week before with a 2-0 victory at St Johnstone after suffering defeat in our opening two games. So to be sitting on only three points out of a possible nine wasn’t ideal.
Rangers had played a game less on two but had won their two games comfortably and sitting on a maximum six points. So the old Ibrox club were seen as favourites.
Just an Ordinary Bhoy