Why are Rangers and Celtic called the old firm?

Question

Why are Rangers and Celtic called the old firm?

Answer 1

I think it came to prominence around 1909, when playing the (abandonned) cup final of that year, a newspaper journalist called them the Old Firm for the first time.

This was in relation, to the fact you could always rely on them, to take huge crowds to all their games home and away and generate significant revenue (for those days) through the turnstyles by the fact they seemed to play each other quite a bit.  

Answer 2

Only Rankers fans and laptop loyalists call it the old firm it's their way of hanging on to our coat tails!  as usual we set the standards the Orcs follow follow years later. .

Celtic are a club alone and the sooner this 'old firm' c**p is forgotten the better we don't want to be associated with Rankers in any way. .. bloody hooligans.  

Answer 3

This name did indeed come about as Davie says...Rangers players might be old..but they're bloody firm..

Sunday proved that ..lol

Answer 4

Apparently in Celtics first game against Rangers in 1888, it was said that each set of players got on so well with each other that they must be old firm friends.

Answer 5

Rangers are so called because the average age of a player at greyskull is 58.i think celtic just got tarred with the same brush as they stay in glasgow too.

Answer 6

Thomas and Tatty got it right

Answer 7

i mind of reading once about both clubs in their early years coming under suspicion of drawing too many cup games against each other to get a replay but i don't know for certain if that is where the name came from

Answer 8

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Firm

nobody is clear as to why we have this name., I like to think it means old firm rivalry...

Answer 9

The Moniker of the "OLD FIRM " was given to both Rangers and Celtic in the early days as they both began to dominate football and grew more prosperous as Ltd Companies, hence the name the Old Firm.