I attended first Old Firm Scottish Cup Final in 22 years with glitzy VIP guests, the atmosphere didn't disappoint

Mention Celtic or Rangers to football fans across the globe and the first thing that springs to mind is both clubs’ rich history and well-documented rivalry between the pair.

The Old Firm fixture remains one of the world’s fiercest footballing derbies and has become deeply embedded in Scottish culture. It is a game that continues to attract millions of television viewers from far and wide roughly four times on average per season.

So when you get offered a rare chance to soak in the derby day atmosphere as a VIP guest, it’s one that you simply cannot refuse to turn down. On this occasion, popular sportswear brand and current Rangers kit manufacturer, Castore extended an invite to join them for the Hampden showpiece, which traditionally marks the final match of the Scottish football calendar each season.

Little did I know that I would be absorbing a landmark occasion in the company of such esteemed guests from the Scottish music scene, including Rangers diehard and TikTok sensation Nathan Evans plus brothers Alan and Stevie Jukes, who comprise Glaswegian indie pop band SAINT PHNX.

Edmiston House visit & museum tour

The pre-cup final party began on Friday evening when I went along to pay my first visit to Edmiston House - a newly built state-of-the-art and multi purpose venue designed with large scale and wow-factor events in mind. Located just a stone's throw away from Ibrox Stadium, crowds flocked in their numbers for a night jam-packed full of entertainment.

Upon arrival I was greeted by Castore’s Senior Marketing Manager who gave me an exclusive behind the scenes tour of the facility. I was fortunate to be given access to The Rangers Museum, located on the second floor - and to say this was an exciting and immersive experience would be an understatement.

For any football fan keen to sample a taste of history stretching all the way to the 1800s, this museum is a must-visit. It showcases exhibits and some iconic items ranging from when the club was founded over 152 years ago to their most recent triumphs. A particular highlight was being able to test my knowledge through various interactive activities.

My evening was rounded off by sitting in on a Q&A with Rangers legend and former striker Nacho Novo, who discussed a variety of topics ranging from his close relationship with the late great Walter Smith, recalling fond memories of the club’s run to the 2008 UEFA Cup final and that memorable night in Florence...

Matchday

Saturday morning. Game day. The end of another gruelling season for both teams.

For Rangers, a chance to make up for the disappointment of conceding the Premiership title to the Hoops for a third year in a row by clinching a cup double and perhaps more importantly stopping the rot against their bitter rivals. For Celtic, an opportunity to build on their league triumph by regaining silverware they won 12 months ago, maintaining their unbeaten record against the Light Blues this term and providing a platform to send retiring goalkeeper Joe Hart out on a high following a remarkable professional career. The stage was set.

I rocked up outside the double wooden doors of the Bill Struth Main Stand at 10.30am that morning. Crowds of supporters had already began to congregate on Edmiston Drive in anticipation of catching a glimpse of their heroes before they boarded the team bus bound for Mount Florida.

Once again, a member of Castore’s friendly team was on hand to greet me at reception before we proceeded to climb the famous marble staircase and make our way along to the clothing brand’s VIP box. On route, I managed to get a sneak peak inside the illustrious Ibrox Trophy Room - what a sight!

For an avid football-obsessed writer/broadcaster who had dreams of making it as a professional as a young lad before quickly realising that I was better suited to scribbling down or describing the action unfold, I was quite simply living the dream.

Having exchanged pleasantries with other guests over breakfast and received a complimentary souvenir matchday programme, I took the opportunity to, firstly, interview popular songwriter Nathan Evans about his love affair for Rangers, his rapid rise to fame in recent years and upcoming tours before chatting to SAINT PHNX about their earliest memories of supporting the Govan giants and how the opportunity to record the club’s 2022 Europa League final soundtrack ‘Make Us Dream’ came about.

Statue unveiling

As the clocked ticked towards midday, we made our way outside the stadium and down towards Edmiston House to take up a suitable viewing spot to witness the Walter Smith statue unveiling - a fitting tribute to a wonderful manager and legend of Scottish football. Many fans could be seen shedding tears as they stood to reminisce about their favourite memories of Walter, with his widow Ethel and the rest of the Smith family, including his grandchildren, in attendance alongside chairman John Bennett to make the inspired sculpture public.

From there, it was onto Hampden and a first chance to grasp the sheer enormity of this game as thousands of fans draped in either royal blue or green and white hoops marched towards the national stadium in jovial spirits.

Atmosphere

With kick-off scheduled for 3.00pm, we were dropped off around one hour early. By that stage, you could already feel the tension in the air, with the surrounding streets packed full of supporters chanting songs and taking photos with each other.

Then came another pinch yourself moment. Walking out to my allocated seat, I was met by a deafening wall of noise as both sets of players completed their warm-up routines and disappeared up the tunnel to receive their final instructions.

That surreal feeling was trumped minutes later when the afternoon sun emerged from behind the clouds to welcome both teams, led out by their respective managers, onto the pristine checkered pattern pitch. Cue the pyrotechnics.

A colourful scene greeted the players from the packed stands, with one end of Hampden displaying a sea of blue tifo which read ‘RFC’ before blue smoke bombs enveloped the goalmouth area. At the opposite end, green and white flags were waved ferociously back and forth as green and white smoke began to fill the air. Add in some flares and a 60 second long fireworks show and you were steadily beginning to realise what these type of occasions mean to both fanbases. It was like a scene from a warzone.

If that didn’t make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck then not much else will. It was breathtaking to watch unfold before my eyes. Just a shame then really the entertainment on the pitch during the opening 45 minutes didn’t quite live up to the raucous noise that was penetrating down from the stands.

There had been little in the way of high-octane drama, with few clear-cut chances on a warm afternoon. Perhaps the energy-sapping conditions were having an impact. 0-0 at half-time. Despite the lack of goalmouth action, it was surely only a matter of time before the match exploded into life.

The second half proved a much brighter spectacle, with both teams leaving every last ounce of energy in their locker out on the park. Chances at either end came and went. The longer the half wore on, you could sense there was a growing acceptance that extra-time and penalties might be required to settle this one.

That didn’t stop both sets of supporters continuing to provide their intense vocal backing of their team. As a neutral, you were left pondering which player out there was going to pop up with that piece of magic. That decisive moment that can often settle nervy cup finals and be remembered for a very long time to come.

VAR controversy

The first goal was also going to be crucial. And Rangers thought they had the breakthrough when Abdallah Sima poked home at the back post from a James Tavernier corner. The roof had been blown off Hampden. The goal had initially been given by referee Nick Walsh and there seemed to be few complaints made by the Celtic players as they trudged back the centre circle.

Apart from one man, Hoops keeper Joe Hart, who claimed he had been pushed in the back inside a crowded penalty box. A pause in proceedings and a nervous wait ensued as Walsh received feedback from the VAR room at Clydesdale House in his ear. PEEP, a loud shriek of the whistle and off he jogged towards the pitchside monitor to carry out a review of the incident.

More often than not, that can only mean one thing. No goal. And so it proved as television replays showed Gers midfielder Nicolas Raskin had shoved Hart. Walsh’s decision to overturn his on-field call left the Rangers dugout and fans furious - and they had a case with Raskin appearing to be pushed by Celtic’s Greg Taylor as the corner was swung across just seconds earlier.

It remained a stalemate, but that major talking point only cranked up the atmosphere another notch. By this stage, you could hardly hear yourself think such was the extreme noise. The tension was palpable.

Then came that decisive moment. 89 minutes on the clock. The ball was lost by a Rangers player in the middle of the park. Paulo Bernardo stepped away from Raskin before driving forward into space and unleashing a swerving strike, which almost caught out Jack Butland. The keeper did well to get a strong left-hand to the shot but was slower than Adam Idah to react to the rebound. Utter bedlam.

When the fourth official indicated there would be a minimum of EIGHT additional minutes to be played, Rangers were thrown a lifeline even if some fans had already headed for the exits. But Philippe Clement’s side were unable to muster up some late magic to send the game into a further 30 minutes.

One set of players sunk to the turf in despair to ponder what might have been, the other breathed a huge sigh of relief upon successfully retaining the famous old trophy. Adam Idah’s name will now forever be etched into the Celtic history books as the man who won the 150th edition of Scottish Cup with THAT last-gasp goal.

Somewhat fitting also that it came on the most iconic date of the Hoops’ greatest ever achievement - the day the Lisbon Lions were born as Jock Stein’s side achieved instant immortality by winning the 1967 European Cup against Inter Milan in the Portuguese capital. It marked another extraordinary tale in the Celtic story as a sharp rendition of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ rang out from the green and white half of the stadium, while the blue half quickly filtered out of the ground.

Verdict

It was a day that promised much and certainly delivered. I count myself extremely fortunate to have been one of the 48,556 spectators in attendance. Scottish football and all that comes with it never fails to disappoint.