Why Scots Should Support The Old Firm In Europe

I'm tired of hearing Aberdeen, Hearts and Hibs fans waxing lyrically about how they want Rangers to get humped in Europe, or how brilliant it was that Celtic were beaten in the last minute by so and so. These people need to open their minds and shut their mouths for once.

I believe that, if your team's rivals are playing in Europe, you should support them. Even if it's your most hated ones. Crazy? Not really.

You might say "But I hate their guts! It will give me immense satisfaction for them to crash and burn". Fair enough, in your own league, I can understand that, but in Europe it's a different story.

Now, as a Livingston fan, my team may not have any intense rivalries likes some other clubs, but I have had a few nasty experiences with supporters of others. One time, a supporter from an unnamed club glassed my father when he mentioned he supported Livingston. Do I like that club? Not really. Does it bring a smile to my face when they struggle in the league? Sometimes. When they're in Europe, will I support them? Definitely.

You see there's 4 main reasons for doing this:

1. Points Mean Prizes
The further a team goes, the more prize money it will receive. As TV revenue money is quite pitiful in the SPL, the Champions League takes on an added importance. Take Celtic for example, when they went passed the group stage last year, losing narrowly to AC Milan. If they hadn't reached that far, would they have been able to spend so much money on players like Scott Brown and Scott McDonald? I think Hibs would have been mightily chuffed with the £4.4 million they received.

2. UEFA Coefficients
Ever wonder why Spain, England and Italy are allowed 4 teams each to compete in the Champions League, while say Macedonia are only allowed 1? This is because, the better say Arsenal, Chelsea, Man Utd and Liverpool perform, the more European places are freed up for England. So when Rangers qualified for the second round 2 years ago, this kept 3rd place in the SPL open for a UEFA cup place. I wouldn't expect to many Aberdeen fans to complain now.

3. Support The Underdog
As the Old Firm are relative minnows in the Champions League group stages, by supporting the other team, you are supporting the favourite. Which we all know just isn't cool for a neutral. "Hey it's Barca v Rangers tonight, who you going for?" "I'd like to see Barca win". Would you be so happy if they beat say Olympiakos? I think not.

4. Raising The Profile
Do you really want your country to be seen as a minor force in Europe? By not supporting other Scottish clubs in Europe, you are effectively saying that. There's nothing bad about some good football PR, and thanks to Celtic and Rangers' results this week, the European football world is slowly sitting up and taking notice of Scottish football.

Not that sitting in a pub shouting at a TV screen is going to make a difference anyway. :-)