Old Firm New World

I don’t know if it’s an element of getting older or what but I find myself frustrated with people much more easily now than I did say 10 years ago. I know that I am largely to blame for that, I read the comments on news stories, I have ties to and a love for both the city and the county, and I love soccer.

Anyone from the St Louis area is familiar with the hatred and passion stirred by the city/county rivalry; a rivalry I personally don’t understand. But there is a stranger divisiveness that I find myself a part of. It is the beautiful game, soccer, a game that has literally helped to stop wars, more than once. And although at least one war was attributed to it, that has been a gross exaggeration.

As a fan of one half of the SPL’s Old Firm I’m no stranger to the conflicts present in soccer. The first SPL match I ever watched was an Old Firm match in which the stadium had to be emptied due to fans throwing things onto the field before they could finish the match. That kind of violence had quelled some until this past season when new threats and even attacks occurred. Recent sectarian violence in Northern Ireland doesn’t bode well for next season either.

But that is Scotland, they’ve dealt with sectarian issues for 500 years, and it’s not REALLY about the teams anyway, they’re just symbols of Protestantism and Catholicism. This isn’t an issue here right?  If anyone wasn’t sure it’s been put to the test this year. You see my brother and I are both Rangers fans, the only openly Gers fans in the St Louligans. Several were already Celtic fans and then when the St Louis Lions announced they would be partnered with Celtic (and there were even early rumors of the Lions becoming St Louis Celtic) most of the rest of the Louligans converted. So my brother and I were the lone Huns in “enemy territory”.

So what were we to do with our local club’s new affiliation? For my brother and I there was never any real question; we are St Louisans, that is where our loyalty lies, so we bought our season tickets and gladly cheer on OUR boys in green. While cheering for a team in the hoops has taken some adjustment we believe in loyalty to your local club.

We are still devoted Rangers fans which has lead to some good-natured teasing back and forth, but that doesn’t quell our support for our local Celtic affiliated club. Sure if Celtic ever came to the area to play a friendly we’d don our blue and cheer for the other side, but then happily switch to back to green for the next Lions home match.

For us the beauty of soccer is its ability to unite a diverse group who root for Rangers or Celtic, Man U, Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham, West Ham, Newcastle, Blackpool, Man City, or whoever in the love of the beautiful game. Yet sadly it also has a great power to divide. Just spend a few minutes on Bigsoccer.com or on the soccer forum on Stltoday and you’ll arguments and name calling on every issue remotely related to St Louis soccer.

But this is the culture our sensationalized society has created.  If we yell loudly enough people will have to pay attention to us, but if we’re screaming at no one people will know we’re crazy.  So we make enemies of those who should be our friends and we scream at each other without listening.


If there's is one thing soccer has taught it is hope. Whether it is a stoppage time goal by Landon Donavon or the US defeating England in 1950; so I hold out hope that if Rangers and Celtic fans can get together to support their home town than maybe we can all stop fighting with each other and move our debates beyond YSA.