In a thrilling Old Firm derby at Celtic Park, Rangers secured a 3-2 victory over Celtic, marking their first win at this venue since 2020. Interim manager Barry Ferguson became the first Rangers manager to win his debut match at Celtic Park since Walter Smith in 1991.
The match was intense, with Rangers taking a 2-0 lead in the first half through goals from Nicolas Raskin and Mohamed Diomande. Celtic responded in the second half, equalizing with goals from Daizen Maida and Reo Hatate. However, a late goal in the 88th minute by substitute Hamza Igamane secured the win for Rangers.
-
-
Celtic sacked a member of staff after leaking an apparent transfer list that included a current Chelsea star and a former Manchester United player. A document revealing Celtic’s transfer plans was leaked ahead of the 2019/20 season. The club took action in a bid to track down the mole who leaked the transfer document. Cleaner Maureen Quinn was subsequently dismissed with immediate effect following a meeting – along with her son, Edward Quinn, who was suspended from his security job at the club’s Lennoxtown training centre. Maureen told The Daily Record: “It’s a disgrace. “I’ve done nothing wrong and I’m getting blamed for whatever this is. I know my son would do nothing wrong either. We’re just scapegoats. I want to clear my name.” She added: “They pulled me in three times for meetings about this. “In my job at Lennoxtown, I empty bins and take them to the bin room on a trolley. I think they believe I’ve went through the bins and found this paper, gave it to my son and he’s photographed it. “I support Celtic because my son and husband do but I couldn’t name half their players. I couldn’t care less what’s on a bit of paper. “I was in tears. I’m gutted and sick for Edward, too.” The leaked transfer list included Chelsea’s Reece James, who had just enjoyed a season on loan at Wigan Athletic, and then-Man United’s Scott McTominay, who joined Napoli last summer. James Justin, who left Luton Town for Leicester City, and Fikayo Tomori, who starred for Derby County in the previous season, were also included on the transfer document. At the time, a Celtic spokesperson said: “This is an internal matter. We are satisfied that the club has acted appropriately.” Edward had been employed by Celtic since 2008, stewarding games before moving onto security work. He said: “About 30 people work at the training centre. Celtic had a club lawyer and head of security question everyone in the building on their own. They got me and my mum back in for second interviews. “They showed me a photo of a hand holding a piece of paper. My boss said, ‘I think they look like your nails’. I showed them my nails, which aren’t as short as those in the photo. “They also referred to me going into the football admin office on the morning of the Scottish Cup Final on May 25. I was on shift and have texts to show I was asking people if they had a phone charger. I went in that office looking for one.”
January 2, 2025
-
-
Tensions escalated during the celebrations of the winning goal. Rangers winger Vaclav Cerny, who had been substituted earlier, ran along the touchline and sprayed water towards the home fans, provoking a furious reaction. Some Celtic supporters attempted to confront the Rangers dugout, leading to police intervention to maintain order.
Additionally, nearly 100 fans, identified as ultras, were denied entry to the match after refusing to comply with searches for weapons and pyrotechnics. Police Scotland exercised special powers to prevent suspected troublemakers from entering, resulting in 90 individuals being reported to prosecutors. Authorities could not confirm whether the barred fans were supporters of Rangers or Celtic.
Despite the defeat, Celtic remains in a strong position to secure their 55th league title, being 13 points clear with eight games remaining.
