THREE hundred and sixty five days of pent-up emotion. Twelve months of frustration and anticipation. A year without Old Firm football.

All of it unleashed in an under-17s Glasgow Cup Final at Firhill. It could only happen in Glasgow.

Forget any other derby in British football. In fact, scrub any other city rivalry in Europe. No other clubs could produce the kind of atmosphere witnessed in Maryhill last night.

And it reminded everyone in Scottish football just what we have been missing. Yes, the unsavoury elements of the Rangers v Celtic clash were again here for everyone to see.

At times it was intimidating and shamefully this was no place for youngsters coming to watch their team in a ‘friendly’ environment.

The loutish behaviour and sectarian undercurrent hasn’t gone away in the last year. But in a domestic campaign which has failed to get out of second gear, this was a sharp reminder of why the Old Firm have to be the driving force behind our game.

A crowd of 6,500 turned up and Rangers under-17s boss Billy Kirkwood compared the final to a Milan derby after his side emerged as winners thanks to Junior Ogen’s double and a Ryan Hardie strike.

Both sets of fans set off flares and Kirkwood said: “You expect that kind of atmosphere from the fans when they haven’t met each other all season. It was like a Milan derby out there.

Celtic’s Paul McMullan scores his second of the game

“I knew the atmosphere would be good due to the unique circumstances at our club and Celtic being SPL champions. There was always going to be a healthy crowd because the punters love the competition but to get that crowd for an under-17 game is unbelievable.

“It’s fantastic for the boys to win the only Old Firm game of the season.

“We keep saying to our kids to show a bit of ‘Rangers class’ in that environment and they did that.

“To play in front of crowds bigger than what most SPL clubs get, it’s a great education for them.”

Gutted Celtic under-17s gaffer Tommy McIntyre felt his side deserved more and praised striker Paul McMullan for netting a double.

McMullan fired home the opener from the spot and McIntyre said: “It’s up to other people to judge whether the Rangers defender should have been sent off. We hit the post twice and didn’t have that wee bit of luck.

“Young McMullan was excellent. He has already played for our u-20 side and is a handful. He’s quick, has a good leap and can score goals.

“If we keep his feet on the ground he can really progress.”

It’s hard to believe it was exactly a year to the day since Rangers last faced Celtic in a competitive match.

But it was April 29, 2012, when Neil Lennon’s side beat Gers 3-0 with goals from Charlie Mulgrew, Kris Commons and Gary Hooper.

That confirmed Celtic’s status as SPL champions but few could have predicted the rapid demise of Ally McCoist’s men and the absence of this match from the calendar.

There will be a chunk of both supports who claim they don’t miss it but they’re kidding themselves, judging by the Firhill chaos.

Hoops fans currently have the bragging rights after a year of financial turmoil saw Rangers start the season in the Third Division. Constant chants of “liquidation”, “zombies”, “Craigy, Craigy Whyte”, and “you’re not Rangers anymore” only served to get the Ibrox supporters’ backs up.

Junior Ogen celebrates after scoring his second goal

And the light blue legions had little to shout about on the pitch early on as well. David Brownlie was lucky to stay on the pitch after fouling McMullan in the box.

He escaped with a booking but McMullan netted the 15th-minute penalty to send the Celtic end into a state of ecstasy – followed by a mass Huddle.

The striker celebrated wildly in front of the Rangers support and was lucky not to be booked. It was looking bleak for Rangers at that point but, in typical Old Firm fashion, the match was then turned on its head.

First, Gers striker Hardie latched on to a long through ball and buried an equaliser beyond keeper Jordan Hart. And within five minutes Kirkwood’s team were in front thanks to a wonder goal from Ogen.

He danced his way through Celtic’s back-line unchallenged before coolly slotting past Hart. It was a super strike and one fit to win ANY derby.

Such was the intensity of this under-17s clash, it made you wonder just how mental things might get when the big teams meet again. Judging by how the punters celebrated the kids’ goals, it will be a bit tasty.

As ever in Old Firm games, there is always one set of supporters happier at the end. Ogen ensured it would be the Gers fans when he grabbed what proved to be the winner on the hour with a cracking volley.

McMullan curled a brilliant effort into the top corner to make it 3-2 and set up a tense finish but Gers held on to lift the trophy.

(Daily Record )

POLICE say they are studying CCTV footage from a football ground where three fans were arrested at a youth cup final between Glasgow rivals Rangers and Celtic.

Last night’s Glasgow Cup under-17s fixture at Firhill Park, the home of Partick Thistle FC, was the first meeting of the Old Firm since Rangers were relegated to the Third Division.

Fans ripped up seats, threw flares and invaded the pitch during an Old Firm kids match last night.

Witnesses told of running street battles outside the ground after the match as masked yobs ambushed rival supporters.

The Glasgow Cup Under-17 match – the first high-profile game between the two sides since Rangers were demoted to Division Three – was marred by both sets of fans.

The match was delayed by five minutes as more than 6000 supporters flooded into Partick Thistle’s Firhill ground.

There was a heavy police presence, with mounted officers and helicopters called up.

Police Scotland said three arrests were made at the game which Rangers won 3-2.

Two 17-year-old boys were arrested inside the ground over an alleged pitch invasion and a 19-year-old man was arrested outside the stadium in connection with a minor assault.

A report will be sent to the procurator fiscal.

(Daily Record )