The economics of ‘The Old Firm’: Old Entente or Old Rivalry?

L’économie du « The Old Firm »: Vieille Entente ou Vieille rivalité ?

Luc Arrondel and Richard Duhautois

PSE-Ecole d'économie de Paris (Postprint) from HAL

Abstract: One of the world's most legendary derbies, based on a politico-religious rivalry, is the match between Celtic and Rangers in Glasgow. However, the first matches at the end of the 19 th century were above all popular and commercial successes, hence the name "The Old Firm", symbolising the shared financial interests of the two clubs in the Scottish capital. It wasn't until some twenty years later, in the 1910s, that the antagonism really came to the fore : Green vs. Blue, Catholic vs. Protestant, Republican vs. Unionist. Even though "The Old Firm" has lost some of its European lustre, both in sporting and economic terms, it remains a popular success that generates substantial income on match days. The rivalry, still essential to this success, has also changed in nature : as society has become less religious, "The Old Firm" has become its own generator of "sectarianism".

Keywords: Rivalry; Sectarianism; Club revenues; Attendance; Matchday revenue; Rivalité; Sectarisme; Revenu des clubs; Affluence; Billetterie (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024-12
Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-04840845v1
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Published in Football(s). Histoire, culture, économie, société, 2024, 5, pp.49-62. ⟨10.58335/football-s.757⟩

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Working Paper: The economics of ‘The Old Firm’: Old Entente or Old Rivalry? (2024)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:pseptp:hal-04840845

DOI: 10.58335/football-s.757

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