The New Year’s Day football fixture is steeped in history, and for Celtic fans, the annual match once symbolised a chance to assert dominance over their greatest rivals.
Traditionally, Celtic faced Rangers in the New Year’s Day clash, a fixture that captured the spirit and anticipation of the festive season in Glasgow.
But the death of Rangers in 2012 brought an abrupt halt to that annual showdown, reshaping the tradition and leading to a new setup before the eventual return of a January derby against the reincarnated club.
The Origins of the New Year’s Clash
The first New Year’s Day meeting between Celtic and Rangers took place on 1 January 1894, a friendly challenge match that ended in a 3-2 victory for Rangers. Over the decades, the fixture evolved into a key moment in the football calendar, with bragging rights at stake in the heat of Glasgow’s most intense rivalry.
The Post-2012 Era: A Break in Tradition
When Rangers went into liquidation in 2012, the New Year’s Day derby disappeared. Celtic shifted their New Year’s Day schedule to face Partick Thistle, ensuring the tradition of starting the year with a local rival remained alive, albeit with a different opponent.
The absence of Rangers from the top flight during their lower-league years forced a change in the fixture list, but it also offered Celtic fans a fresh perspective on the holiday season. The tension of the Old Firm was replaced by a more relaxed, albeit still competitive, match against Thistle.
The Return of the Fixture
When the Rangers returned to the Scottish Premiership in 2016, the New Year’s derby made its way back into the calendar. However, logistical challenges and modern scheduling demands meant that the match rarely landed on 1 January itself.
In recent years, Celtic’s New Year fixtures have been played around the period, with dates varying between 30 December and 2 January. Last season’s clash took place on 30 December, while this season’s derby is set for 2 January 2025 at Ibrox.
Looking Ahead to 2 January 2025
This year’s Glasgow derby at Ibrox comes at a crucial moment in the season. Celtic hold a commanding 14-point lead at the top of the table, and the pressure is on Rangers to salvage some pride in front of their home crowd.
For Celtic fans, a victory would not only strengthen their position at the summit but also deliver another hammer blow to their rivals’ dwindling hopes of catching them.
