finally bury the jinx that has hung over the club's
head like the Sword of Damocles.
The win finally ends Celtic's run of seven successive
League victories - and narrows the gap in the title
race to just one point.
However the game will be long remembered as a day of
shame for both Celtic and their manager - the Parkhead
club had two players ordered off and were fortunate
not to have that tally doubled, whilst Martin O'Neill
deliberately made provocative gestures as he left the
field at the end of the game.
Rangers were the clear winners as far as the football
was concerned, outclassing their opponents who too
often resorted to sheer brute force.
Manager Alex McLeish made two changes from Easter Road
with Gregory Vignal and Alex Rae replacing Michael
Ball and Bob Malcolm. Celtic meanwhile had three
changes from the defeated League Cup side - Magnus
Hedman, Chris Sutton and Henri Camara replacing David
Marshall, Didier Agathe and Juninho.
Rangers took the lead in fourteen minutes from the
penalty spot, Joos Valgaeren fouling Nacho Novo
following a Bobo Balde error. Novo duly converted the
spot-kick, and the home side were on the way.
The Ibrox defence was rock-solid, although it took an
excellent Marvin Andrews tackle to deny John Hartson
on the half-hour.
Two minutes later the first yellow card of the
afternoon was shown - to Camara for a blatant shove on
Rae, and the Celtic forward could perhaps consider
himself fortunate that the card was not of a different
hue, given that he had raised his hands to the Ranger.
Alex Rae was clearly the target for some brutal Celtic
tackles - and in 34 minutes Sutton too went in the
referee's book following a foul on Rae.
The resultant Fernando Ricksen free-kick found the
head of Dado Prso - and with Hedman left helpless
Rangers were 2-0 up.
Celtic were being comprehensively outplayed - and
reacted as only they can by resorting to sheer brute
force, being reduced to ten men in 38 minutes when
Alan Thompson received a straight red card for a
head-butt on Peter Lovenkrands after the Dane had
fouled Jackie McNamara. It was a shameful attack -
even worse than the incident against Raith Rovers for
which Duncan Ferguson received three months
imprisonment some ten years ago.
Neil Lennon typically got involved in the stramash
that followed - and was yellow carded along with Alex
Rae for his troubles. Lovenkrands was also booked for
the original foul.
Stefan Klos had to be alert to deny Bobo Balde sixty
seconds later - but Celtic were fortunate indeed to
remain as ten-strong at the interval when Camara
blatantly kicked out at the grounded Vignal right in
front of both Referee Kenny Clark and his linesman.
It was a shocking incident for which the only correct
decision should have been a straight red card, but
incredibly Camara, already on a yellow card, escaped
scot-free as the referee, a boyhood member of the
Barrhead Celtic Supporters' Club, took no action.
To no-one's surprise, Stephen Pearson replaced Camara
at the interval, as was the injured Lovenkrands by
Shota Arveladze.
Rangers almost extended their lead two minutes after
the restart - Prso seeing his shot from a Namouchi
pass clawed away by Hedman.
Yet again Celtic were demonstrating gross indiscipline
- Lennon twice in quick succession fouling both Rae
and Ricksen, and once again Kenny Clark viewed the
tackles with extreme leniency.
Even Clark has his limits where patience is concerned
however - and Celtic were reduced to nine men in 54
minutes when Sutton received his second yellow and
subsequent red for deliberate handball.
There was only one team playing football - and Prso
almost made it 3-0 on the hour when his header from a
Zurab Khizanishvili cross flashed just over.
Two minutes later Novo saw his volley from a Prso
cross held by Hedman.
Celtic were not yet completely finished however -
Stilian Petrov playing a one-two with Hartson in 63
minutes only to see Klos prove equal to the task.
Rangers were well on top however - Prso, through on a
Namouchi pass nine minutes later, saw his effort
turned wide by Hedman.
Incredibly once again Neil Lennon walked on thin ice
as he twice inside the space of sixty seconds fouled
Alex Rae in 76 minutes - then compounded the felony by
shouting abuse at the Rangers dugout. Somehow Kenny
Clark allowed him to stay on the park.
Namouchi came close to adding a third six minutes
later - shooting wide from Novo's pass, but before the
end there was yet more shocking indiscipline from
Celtic when Jackie McNamara, booked for a foul on Novo
in 84 minutes, deliberately kicked the ball against
the grounded Ricksen three minutes later.
Celtic by now could have been down to six men, but
once again the referee did nothing.
The final whistle signalled a victory for football -
but there must surely be repercussions from the SFA
over the Parkhead club's shameful indiscipline.
There were incredible scenes as the teams left the
field - Martin O'Neill marching up to the Broomloan
Road Stand arm-in-arm with Neil Lennon, both making
provocative gestures towards the Celtic support in
what was a clear and intentional incitement to riot -
Lennon compounding his felony by gesturing to the
celebrating Rangers support as he left the field.
Surprisingly the police took no action - but if ever
there was an instance of a manager who has completely
lost the plot then this was it. The men in the white
coats should pay Martin a visit.
Alex McLeish afterwards was cautious and conservative
in his analysis:
"I'm delighted to get the three points. Football's a
passionate game. We were 2-0 up when both sides were
at full strength. We've come through a difficult start
to the campaign."
Martin O'Neill meanwhile went on a shameful rant as he
attempted to defend his team's day of infamy:
"Rangers scored from their first attack. Alan
Thompson's red card was a major turning point, and
Peter Lovenkrands needs to take a good long look at
himself. Henri Camara was certainly lucky to survive.
As regards Chris Sutton, I've seen plenty of incidents
when handball doesn't mean a booking. I'll be studying
every incident in this game with a view to appealing.
Neil Lennon had a magnificent game - he takes dogs
abuse at every away game, especially here. Mind you, I
didn't hear it today because I was getting some
myself."
RANGERS Klos; Khizanishvili (Malcolm 70), Boumsong,
Andrews, Vignal (Ball 58); Namouchi, Ricksen, A. Rae,
Lovenkrands (Arveladze 45); Prso, Novo
UNUSED SUBS G. Smith, Thompson, Hutton, Mackenzie
CELTIC Hedman; Valgaeren, Balde, Varga, McNamara;
Petrov (McGeady 78), Lennon, Sutton, Thompson;
Hartson, Camara (Pearson 45)
UNUSED SUBS Juninho, Marshall, Lambert, Wallace,
Lawson
REFEREE Kenny Clark
Attendance 50,043