‘After my Rangers Old Firm targets, there have been elements of Glasgow I used to be instructed keep away from’
The Old Firm derby is without doubt one of the fiercest rivalries on the planet, so it is little surprise Celtic and Rangers gamers got security recommendation after the video games.
‘Gers icon Peter Lovenkrands was a giant favorite at Ibrox, not least due to his behavior of netting in opposition to the Hoops. He joined Rangers from Danish membership Akademisk Boldklub in 2000, figuring out little about Glasgow or the extraordinary hatred between the 2 units of followers within the metropolis.
But after scoring a few targets within the Old Firm he could not stroll down the road with out getting bombarded with verbal expletives from offended Celtic supporters out for revenge. Fortunately, the 44-year-old revealed, his native mates instructed him which elements of city to keep away from with the intention to avoid bother.
READ MORE: ‘Rangers has the very best environment I’ve skilled – I received a headache from the noise’
READ MORE: ‘I managed Celtic and believe no away fans at the Old Firm match is a positive thing’
“Celtic fans did not like me and I understand it. It’s such a big rivalry, the biggest you will ever get, and unless you experience it, you will never understand,” Lovenkrands solely instructed Ladbrokes Fanzone. “In my second season there, I scored a few goals against Celtic. So after that year, it all took a big turn for me.
“I went from having the ability to stroll down the streets no downside, to everybody searching for autographs and images. The destructive aspect then was the shouting and what not on the road from Celtic followers, however that’s half and parcel of it. I had good associates round me who helped me when it comes to telling me what to not do, locations to go, and so forth.”
Where does the Old Firm derby rank among the best rivalries in the world? Let us know what you think in the feedback part under.
Learn extra
Sky Sports is bringing you 500 reside soccer video games to observe, as properly entry to Cricket, Golf, F1, Boxing, NFL, NBA and extra throughout eight devoted channels. Sky Sports is the solely method to watch all of the motion this yr.
£22 a month
Sky
Despite the perpetual animosity, Lovenkrands says he feels honoured to have performed a small half within the Celtic-Rangers rivalry. “It is the most amazing derby to be part of and to be fair, people now won’t understand what it was like; back then it was crazy because the away fans were allowed over 8000 and the noise at those games was just incredible.
“Now, there’s no away followers so it’s not the identical. I really feel for the gamers and followers as a result of they don’t get the precise Old Firm expertise. The environment was insane.”
Lovenkrands scored 54 targets in 182 Rangers matches, with six of them coming in opposition to Celtic. He left in 2006 to hitch German membership Schalke 04, however returned to British soil two years later to signal for Newcastle. He hung up his boots in 2014 after a brief stint with Birmingham.
