Forget about all the rest — this is a derby like no other
THIRTY years ago tomorrow, Graeme Souness experienced an occasion that carved a unique niche within a career adorned by achievements.
There was no European Cup at stake, nor even a league title. Those medals had already been secured, in multiples, during six seasons that opened entry to the pantheon of Liverpool greats.
A lucrative detour to Italy with Sampdoria then accompanied representing Scotland at another World Cup. At the age of 33, Souness could be forgiven for feeling he had done it all.
A hybrid of cosmopolitan class and utter ruthlessness, he arrived as player-manager at Rangers to do things his way. Not to have eyes opened by his surroundings.
January 1, 1987 changed that outlook. An Old Firm debut. And a different sensation to anything he had ever encountered on a football pitch.
He can still recall the bleak weather at Ibrox. The passing years — or unexpected modesty — have curbed thoughts about his own performance. Safe to say that he responded to the intensity.
YouTube footage of the game reveals commentator Archie Macpherson lauding Souness as the prime orchestrator of a 2-0 victory. He resembled a dad entering a kick-about in the school playground.
Sitting deep in midfield, Souness sprayed passes and eluded tackles with athletic elegance. A yellowcard challenge for sliding through the heels of Roy Aitken exhibited the steel that always lay behind the style.
His work on the field, and in the technical area, would eventually encompass derbies in Liverpool, Istanbul and Lisbon, as well as the Tyne-Wear tussle in England’s north-east.
To Souness, however, those locations are all mere pretenders to the crown of the game’s premier rivalry.
Commitments covering English football in his role as a Sky Sports pundit mean he will not be at Ibrox in person today. But will he make time to watch on television?
‘F***ing right! With my scarf on,’ he grins. ‘I can remember the first one I played in at Ibrox. It was pouring with rain and we won.
‘I’d obviously played in some big games where the tempo was fraught and that was up there with any of them.
‘People don’t give you a second on the ball — it’s a hard game to play in. That’s how Old Firm games were in my time there.
‘It’s two teams that had an unhealthy regard for one another, shall we say, and the players take that on board. The players under me certainly did.
‘In the build-up to these games, what makes them special is that people always ask you what is the biggest derby? The biggest derby is this one.
‘It’s then what makes it the biggest derby. It boils down to the passion both sets of supporters have for their football club.
‘That’s what makes it the biggest and most special derby I’ve ever been involved in.
‘The build-up to it and the day of the game is special. The games themselves weren’t always classics but it was always competitive. Then it’s about what it means to the supporters if you win or lose.’
Relations were a little more cordial during his time on Merseyside.
‘I’ve played at Anfield and you can look at the Kop and there’s blue pockets all over,’ reflected Souness.
‘It’s another level in Glasgow. I think you find Liverpool fans are extremely passionate, as are Evertonians but I think it goes to another level in Glasgow. Maybe that’s because we have less to concern ourselves with.’
What of Istanbul? Souness gained additional notoriety in 1996 when he planted a Galatasaray flag in the centre circle of the Fenerbahce pitch after a cup win on enemy territory.
‘They didn’t like each other much either,’ he smiled. ‘I don’t think I improved relations very much. You can go there four hours before kick-off and the stadiums would be nearly full and they are singing their hearts out. Home and away. It’s similar in many respects.’
The Old Firm, however, still remains supreme for Souness. He believes the bile often spouted on these occasions doesn’t necessarily reflect the true nature of Glasgow’s footballing divide.
‘I think it’s there on a matchday but the rest of the time not so much,’ argued Souness. ‘Of course it exists everywhere to a degree, but I think the real bitterness and nastiness that is so unattractive only exists on a matchday. In my experience.
‘They are very, very special games. If you are a football fan, it has to be on your bucket list for the emotions displayed from both sets of fans. It’s a unique game of football.’
Souness never encountered a gap like that currently facing Rangers. Brendan Rodgers brings Celtic to Ibrox boasting a 16-point lead and without tasting defeat in 23 domestic outings.
These are awkward times to be a Rangers fan, but Souness insists the support must rally behind Mark Warburton and his plan for prudent building.
‘You are never surprised at anything in football but, on paper, Celtic are far superior ,’ he admitted.
‘They are used to playing at Parkhead in front of 60,000 people screaming at them when things aren’t going well. It’s not like there will be an added pressure because they are playing at Ibrox.
‘I don’t think if Rangers were to play a less than adventurous style but still won that the support would be against that. They’d just take a win.
‘They don’t have to go gung-ho and chase the game from the first whistle. I think the Rangers supporters realise the situation they find themselves in and that they need to support the manager and support the club.
‘They’ve done that in the last four or five years. Nobody can be critical of that and now they are in the big league they have to have a reality check about where they are right now and believe that, sooner or later, they will be back winning that league.’