The rivalry is one of the fiercest in world football but it can cross a line at times
16:20, 02 Jun 2025
Tore Andre Flo, Peter Lovenkrands and Tony Vidmar during a Rangers training session
Tore Andre Flo revealed there were no-go areas for him during his time as a Rangers player - and that straying into the “wrong side” of Glasgow resulted in his car being vandalised.
The Norwegian remains a record buy for the Light Blues - and Scottish football - after his £12million from Chelsea to Ibrox a quarter of a century ago.
Flo failed to live up to that huge price tag and left Govan for Sunderland a couple of years later.
And he opened up on the fierce Old Firm rivalry in an interview with AceOdds, saying: “There were parts of the town where you had to be a bit careful if you were a Rangers player, but also the other way around of course.
“I went on the wrong side, when I went to a shop to buy a pram, and when I came out my car was scratched and there was written Celtic all over the front.
“It was a bit of a shock to me, and I think the newspaper wrote about it as well.
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"It wasn't that scary, but that was what could happen if you parked the car on the wrong side.”
Flo made an instant impact at Rangers when he scored in a 5-1 Old Firm rout of Celtic at Ibrox and he said: “It is the craziest atmosphere I have ever played in.
“People seemed to be crazy about Rangers, and it was really with passion.
"So the buildup to Celtic against Rangers was huge. In the newspaper they wrote so much about the Old Firm.
“I still see some of their games and I follow all their results. I still keep an eye on where they are.
Lovenkrands celebrates his goal against Celtic with team-mates Fernando Ricksen and Tore Andre Flo in April 2002
Lovenkrands celebrates his goal against Celtic with team-mates Fernando Ricksen and Tore Andre Flo in April 2002
"The Scottish people are really cool and lively. But when it was close to those matches, you had to be a bit careful.”
Record Sport revealed ex boss Steven Gerrard had bowed out of the race but Flo said he would have fancied the Liverpool and England legend.
Looking ahead to the new season, he said: “I hope Rangers can keep their best players and strengthen their squad instead of selling.
“A new manager will come in and I saw Steven Gerrard is in the picture, and I think every fan would love it if he came back.
“I am sure he would want to keep their best players and strengthen pretty much every area of the pitch to catch up on Celtic.
"Rangers have a good first eleven, but I don’t think the squad as a whole is good or big enough.
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“When they get injuries, their level drops, but when they put their best eleven on and play Celtic, we have seen that they have done better in the Old Firm this season than Celtic, so they definitely have good players, but they need to strengthen their squad.”