Fergie is still action man in the Old Firm showdowns
EX-IBROX STAR LAPS UP THE DRAMA... 10,000 MILES AWAY
FOR Ian Ferguson, there was only ever one way to approach an Old Firm match when at the heart of the action throughout a dozen decorated Ibrox seasons.
In 21 years of watching his beloved Rangers in derby action from a distance of 10,000 miles away in Perth, Western Australia, the full-throttle commitment has not been dialled down.
‘I still get the butterflies every time,’ says Ferguson, winner of 10 Scottish top-flight titles under Graeme Souness, Walter Smith then Dick Advocaat.
‘I’m bawling and shouting at the TV and my wife is looking at me as if I’m some sort of idiot, as if I’m possessed.
‘It gets me going a bit. For me, wakening up on Old Firm day is very special, a great day.’
Ferguson does not have a detached view, either, of the big issues involving his club, particularly when it comes to matters of Celtic rivalry.
All of which meant he was incandescent at Rangers’ agreement to bring the Old Firm fixture Down Under and play an exhibition friendly.
There is relief that the saga was brought to an end by the Ibrox club’s withdrawal from the Sydney Super Cup but much damage was done.
Ferguson has played and coached with teams in Australia for more than two decades and is currently managing Stirling Macedonia in the National
Premier League.
But nothing comes before a proper Old Firm evening for Ferguson and wife Suzanne. He stressed the only way for a Rangers supporter based in Australia to watch a clash with Celtic is his way.
Ferguson adds: ‘I watch every one — regardless. Even when we were in the lower divisions and we played them and really struggled, I still had to watch.
‘They were still our biggest enemy. No matter where we were or what we had done I would watch it. I wouldn’t be a Rangers man if I didn’t.
‘But I always hoped the game in Australia wouldn’t get played. I didn’t agree with it and I’m sure there were a lot of fans on the other side who thought the same.
‘Rangers can come down to Australia, find other teams to play against and I’m sure they will get fans like myself turning up left, right and centre to watch.
‘We don’t do friendlies against Celtic. We’ve never done it in our history, so why now? We didn’t need the money that badly, surely?
‘If we need the money, sell a player. There’s a lot of supporters who wanted to go and a lot who were dead against it.
‘I’m not saying I’m right. It’s just my belief that Rangers shouldn’t play friendlies with bitter rivals.’
The Fergusons catch every minute of Old Firm action on television and often watch at local Rangers supporters’ clubs.
Now they’ll have lunch, enjoy a drink or two, then it’s back home for what masquerades as ‘settling down’ for the seven o’clock kick-off and a fraught 90 minutes.
Three huge contests between the bitter foes in the next six weeks in Premiership and Scottish Cup will heighten the stress levels. Ferguson was teetotal throughout his Ibrox career but a few beers help to calm the nerves these days.
‘We’ll have a wee chat about the game and reminisce about some old times,’ he explains.
‘But now it’s all about a future with Rangers hopefully going to be as dominant again.
‘This game right now means everything. Celtic are the in-form team. We’ve dropped points in the league with draws.
‘If we’d kept the pressure on and won these games we’d be miles clear, but
Celtic are now in the driving seat.
‘But the great thing is, through all those disappointments, we’re only one win behind them.
‘The European run has been outstanding. This is now where you stand up and be counted — the title run-in and two games to go against Celtic. We bring it back to level pegging or they go six points ahead. It’s massive.’
Rangers are without Alfredo Morelos, as they were at Celtic Park in February when folding to three first-half goals from Ange Postecoglou’s entertainers. Ferguson was unimpressed by the tactical approach of Giovanni van Bronckhorst (below) and is sure he’s learned his lesson after that defeat.
‘After the last game, I’m sure
Gio will know you can’t give half the park up to Celtic,’ says Ferguson.
‘I remember Steven Gerrard doing the same when we returned from qualifying for the Europa League in Russia and got smashed.
‘Steven came back in the second Old Firm game and got a fantastic result at Ibrox playing a high press, in Celtic’s faces and not letting them dominate.
‘In the last game, it looked as if Kemar Roofe was doing more running in his own half, especially in the first half.
‘I’ve watched other Celtic games on highlights and they don’t like teams in their faces. ‘They’re vulnerable at the back, I think, but very dangerous going forward. We need high intensity and to not let Celtic dictate.’
That’s the number of goals Ian Ferguson scored in 336 appearances for Rangers