Old Firm, new friends – the day Celtic and Rangers played as one

But, somehow, the idea was approved. And Crerand was one of five Celtic players who would be included in the Celtic and Rangers combined XI.

Scottish League regulations at the time required all competing players to be signed to a single member club. The five Celtic players would have to sign for Rangers for the day on the trust that they would re-join Celtic the following day.

This would have been unheard of for supporters of both clubs.

A 19-year-old Jim Conway was one of the Celtic players who crossed the divide.

“For me, it was another football match and a great chance to play in this unique team,” he told BBC Sport. “Looking back, perhaps it was more of an important moment of unity.”

At the time, Rangers had an unwritten rule in place that they would not sign or employ a Roman Catholic.

It had occasionally been breached. For instance, when Catholic schoolboy John Spencer signed youth forms with the club in 1984, it was a notable story. But when Mo Johnston, once Celtic’s star striker, signed for Rangers in 1989, it was a watershed.

“I thought we had the social responsibility to take away this tarnish from the club,” said Rangers chairman David Murray at the time.

Some of Rangers’ fans disagreed. A wreath was laid outside Ibrox decrying the end of more than 100 years of history., external

But, albeit very briefly, Jim Conway, Paddy Crerand, Jim Kennedy and Charlie Tully had been part of breaking down that barrier 40 years before.

Conway recalls meeting up with the Rangers players at Glasgow Central station a few days before the game.

“Initially the Celtic and Rangers players were in two separate train carriages on the way up to the game,” Conway said.

“But then as time went on, I remember Dick Beattie who was the Celtic goalkeeper saying, ‘I’ve had enough of this’ and he got out a pack of cards and went to ask the Rangers players if they wanted to play.

“Soon, all of the players were all mixing and we were having a really good time and getting on well. Religion aside, family opinions aside, teams aside, supporters aside, we were just footballers doing our job.”

The select team was coached by the Rangers manager Scot Symon, described by Crerand as a ‘nice man’ and the team wore the Rangers’ away kit.

Conway remembers there being a big crowd in Inverness to watch the game.

“It was a huge moment and you can see why lots of people wanted to come out and watch us play,” Conway said.

Crerand said: “We were not used to playing under floodlights. It was a very new thing so it was great to do that. We got a great reception from the people. There wasn’t bigotry in Inverness those days, so they welcomed us.”