Glasgow

Glasgow was once the workhorse city of Scotland, with countless heavy industries making up the successful local economy. However, as with such cities all over the world the decline of these industries in the second half of the previous century led to serious social and economic problems not just for the city but the country as a whole.

Now the city is almost unrecognisable. It has undergone a transformation that justifies the tourist board slogan 'Scotland with style'. Previously almost inexistent, the tourist trade is booming and Glasgow is now considered a 'cool' place to visit. The centre is packed with chic bars, cafes and exclusive boutiques and The Arts has taken root in the numerous theatres, concert halls, galleries and performance venues. Much of this could be down to the city having recently been European City of Culture, but also to the ingenuity and resourcefulness of the Glaswegians.

One thing that hasn't changed is what I really want to tell you about today. The Old Firm. What's that? It's the city's two football clubs - Rangers and Celtic. And the Old Firm derby is still one of the most passionate sporting events in the world, due to the incredibly intense rivalry between the two clubs. They are by far and away the two most successful clubs in Scottish football, until 2006 having won 91 League titles between them, oh, and 63 Cups. The previous 10 championships have seen them finish first and second. This gives you some idea of Glasgow's importance on the Scottish football field. Other cities have their own rivalries. Milan with Inter and AC, Turin has Juventus and Torino, Real and Atletico in Madrid, London has several, but nowhere does one city so completely dominate their national championship.

Supporting either of these two clubs has usually been down to which religion you follow. Traditionally Celtic are supported by Catholics and Rangers by Protestants. This has led to some serious tension between the two sets of supporters and certainly on match days, of which there are four per season excluding possible Cup encounters, the fans look to antagonise each other in any way possible. Sadly this can sometimes lead to violent clashes but what you are guaranteed is an atmosphere like no other.

It has been suggested that because of the Old Firm's overwhelming dominance of the Scottish League they should join the English Premiership. There are some good arguments in favour of this idea, such as the league becoming more competitive, more TV money for the smaller clubs etc. However, it seems the smaller English clubs are against the idea, mainly for financial reasons.

Celtic play at Celtic Park in their green and white hooped shirts and Rangers at Ibrox Stadium in their blue shirts. There is another significant stadium in the city called Hampden Park, which is where the Scottish national side play and often hosts major sporting events such as the Uefa Cup Final, Champions League Final as well as the domestic cup competitions.

The first ever international football match was played in the city, not at Hampden Park but at the West of Scotland Cricket ground. 4000 people went to see Scotland play England on November 30th 1877 in what surely must have been a very competitive match considering the sporting rivalry between these two neighbouring countries. The result was 0-0. Five years later all the international matches had moved to their current home.