Kolo Toure details ‘Incredible’ experience during Rangers vs Celtic Old Firm derby clash
Kolo Toure has admitted that the Old Firm derby between Rangers and Celtic is the best derby he ever played in, while speaking to talkSPORT.
The former Ivory Coast international played in north London derbies, Merseyside derbies, Manchester derbies and Old Firm derbies during his 18-year career.
But he has admitted that his experience while playing for Celtic against Rangers is at the top of his memories in his career when it comes to derby days, labelling it as “really incredible”.
“The Glasgow derby is incredible because for me it’s more than football,” he said. “You can feel the tension. You can feel like two teams don’t like each other, but it’s more than football and it’s more religion than anything else.
“And you know when it goes to religion, everybody is really passionate. The passion is high in religion. It’s incredible. It was really, really incredible when they started the derby.
“But, of course, the Merseyside derby is also good. It’s big intensity, big rivalry, but it’s not religious really. It’s just two teams that like each other because they’re in the same city. And it’s the same for Tottenham and Arsenal as well. Big rivalry again, but still there’s no religion.
“And again the Manchester derby. You can feel the tension. But the slight difference for me is because of the sectarianism. It’s massive. That gives it [the Old Firm derby] the edge.”
No shock
Everyone knows that Rangers and Celtic is the biggest derby in world football because it’s simply more than football.
There is a big tension in the city for religious reasons and that spills over into the football pitch too, with plenty of the players being involved indirectly too.
Every player that takes part comes to the same conclusion and while Arsenal, Tottenham, Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool and Everton may be richer and more popular to the mainstream media but they can’t bring the passion we have for our clubs.
Money isn’t everything in football and it shows here because Scotland is poverty when it comes to top flight football, and yet we’re universally recognised as one of the biggest clubs around.
Toure knows it and is right about it, but it’s a shame he was on the wrong side of Glasgow for it and was playing when we were building ourselves back up rather than at our pomp.
In other Rangers news, Beale slapped in the face by Gers squad according to pundit.