Brace yourself for fireworks

Apr 27 2008 By Gavin Berry

Celtic V Rangers Today, Kick-Off 12.30pm Live On Setanta Sports

ANDREW WADDELL sat in his hotel room in Holland 11 days ago as images of ref Kenny Clark getting caught up in Old Firm mayhem flashed in front of him.

And the former top Scots whistler immediately thought back to the day Clark was a rookie official at arguably the most infamous clash of Glasgow's footballing titans.

The date was March 17, 1991 and Waddell was taking charge of his first Old Firm derby - and what a baptism of fire it proved to be.

He flashed four red cards on a day of madness at Parkhead as Celtic won the Scottish Cup quarter-final showdown 2-0.

Clark was the fourth official on an afternoon labelled "The St Patrick's Day Massacre" despite never having refereed a top-flight game. He has much more experience now and sent off three players in the last meeting as Celtic won 2-1.

Following the melee at the end of that game there are fears today's clash at Parkhead could boil over.

And Waddell reckons the fixture is so unpredictable it could explode like the match 17 years ago when Mark Walters, Mark Hateley and Terry Hurlock saw red for Gers and Peter Grant was sent packing for the Hoops.

He said: "I was working on the continent last week so only managed to catch highlights of the Old Firm match on CNN.

"But my first thought was for Kenny when I saw the way the game ended. Funnily enough he was my fourth official in 1991.

"Kenny had the L-plates on and hadn't even refereed a Premier League game. He was sitting at the side of the park and I decided to have a wee bit of fun.

"When I went past him I started clutching the back of my leg as if I was going to come off and his face turned a funny colour.

"That was my first Old Firm game and it was a baptism of fire.

"Yet it actually started quietly and it was only in the second half it became a little emotional.

"Grant didn't go back 10 yards when he'd just been booked so that was the first red.

"And his dismissal was followed by three for Rangers.

"Hurlock's red card was for an off-the-ball incident and the other two were just for an accumulation of offences.

"I did a European quarter-final between Real Madrid and Spartak Moscow after that so I had no time to lick my wounds. But looking back I'm happy with what I did.

"The old adage in refereeing is you're never going to win, it's just how few you lose by. I think it was a narrow defeat that day.

"In an Old Firm game it can be quiet or it can get a bit tasty. And there's nothing to say this one won't be like 1991.

"You get days like that and can never say never in football."

Craig Thomson is the man in charge today and Waddell believes he'll be able to handle anything the game throws up.

He said: "Craig is our highest ranked official and like myself he came through the Ayrshire Juniors.

"If you can survive that you can survive anything.

"Because of the atmosphere at an Old Firm game things get blown out of proportion.

"Players are conscious of the crowd and emotions are cranked up.

"Donald Findlay once said an Old Firm match was an organised breach of the peace which is a good assessment.

"There's an intensity you don't see anywhere else."