The Thrill Of A Derby: Sunday Football Features Tasty Rivalries

The Turkish Süper Lig is brand-new to me, so I won’t pretend to be an authority on today’s derby, which saw Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray draw 0-0 at Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium in Istanbul. What I can say is that, despite the unimpressive scoreline, Turkish football has found itself another fan.

While Fener’s last three matches resulted in thirteen goals scored by the Yellow Canaries, in this game the home side just couldn’t find the net against an organized Gala defense. What a change from the Lions’ last match, a 4-2 loss to Ankaragücü that saw first-choice goalkeeper Ufuk Ceylan handed a straight red card. Galatasaray’s new coach, Gheorghe Hagi, is no doubt pleased with the draw, although the status quo remains: for the last ten years the team has come away from Şükrü Saracoğlu without a win.

Rangers have scored again off a penalty kick, and there won’t be any controversy about this one. That’s because the referee got it wrong, plain and simple, and you’ll be hard pressed to find anyone who will argue otherwise. The referee ruled that substitute Kirk Broadfoot was taken down in the box, but a replay indicates that Broadfoot had started his dive when the defender was nowhere near him.

Kenny Miller was the man who stepped up to take the penalty, and while he shouldn’t have had one in the first place, there will be no complaints about his finish. Frasier Forster guessed the right way but had no chance as Miller hit the inside of the post and scored to put Rangers up 3-1 in the 66th minute.

There are other giant derbies in the world, but few can rival the deep seeded animosity felt between the fans of Celtic and Rangers. It’s one of the few sports rivalries in the world where the fans are split about something as divisive as religion. And, while this is hardly a good thing, the repeated violence surrounding the match certainly shows just how much it can mean to people. Someone posted on Wikipedia without a citation that hospital room admissions increase ninefold on derby day in Glasgow. It might be a completely made up number, but the fact that most of you weren’t even shocked by that “statistic” puts the Old Firm derby firmly in the Tyson Zone.

This year’s first Old Firm derby is extra special, as both teams are perfect heading into it, having both won their first eight games of the season. Celtic are doing it with an organized team effort, receiving goal contributions from many players. Rangers are a different story, as Kenny Miller has piled on the misery for opponents with 11 goals in his first eight games.