Atlantica - 01.01.2004, Síða 31

A T L A N T I C A 29
a defining moment in a player’s career”.
He rates the Scottish Cup final of 2002
as the most memorable recent fixture.
“Rangers came back from being 2-1
down to win 3-2 with a last-minute Peter
Lovenkrands goal. Not only was there a
shift of power within the 90 minutes, but
there was also the sense that the bal-
ance between the clubs was changing
too.” Rangers went on to win all three
domestic trophies the following season
and Alexander says: “If Rangers hadn’t
won that cup, then I don’t think they
would have gone on to win the treble
the following season.”
The atmosphere of this historic fixture
spills far beyond the walls of the two
impressive stadia whose stands could
be filled ten times over for these games.
Those fans without a ticket are seldom
happy to just watch the game at home.
More of an event than just a 90-minute
game, all over Scotland fans and neu-
trals alike congregate in their local bars
and create an atmosphere all their own.
If you’re lucky enough to have a tick-
et for the game, it ranks as an unforget-
table experience. It is an opportunity to
see an attractive country of some
sophistication being swept into a frenzy
for the day by a dark, simmering, primi-
tive passion. Rob MacLean suggests:
“You can’t really do it justice in print.
You have to experience it yourself to get
what it’s all about.”
SCOTLAND’S BIGGEST FOOTBALL FIXTURE IS STEEPED IN HISTORY, A RICH SPORTING TRADITION THAT
ALSO EMBRACES GLASGOW’S SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, RELIGIOUS AND POLITICAL DIVIDES.
THE OLD FIRM
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