The Old Firm in the New Age Celtic and Rangers Since the Souness Revolution

The arrival of Graeme Souness at Ibrox in April 1986 signalled a revolution in the fortunes of Rangers and the club's traditional role as a pillar of the Protestant establishment. The new manager embarked on a spending spree that saw the unprecedented arrival in Scotland of top English stars, but this was surpassed by the signing of the former Celtic hero Maurice Johnston in 1989. By signing a Catholic, Rangers were breaking with a tradition that had set them apart in the modern sporting world, but it was a necessary step to take if the club were to enter the global game and take advantage of the financial rewards that flooded into football from the mid-1980s onwards.