2. The Great Derby Is Gone... Long Live The Great Derbies
The Old Firm provided perhaps football's most famous and competitive derby. The jewel in the crown of the SPL. The one bargaining tool to encourage the the likes of Murdoch and ESPN to spend their cash to broadcast the game to a worldwide audience of millions. Alas, it is gone... .for a while. Oh, if only there were other competitive, intense, exciting, city bragging right defining matches in Scotland? You mean other than Hearts v Hibernian, Dundee vs Dundee United, New Firm Derby Aberdeen v Dundee United and now the new Highland Derby between Inverness Caledonian Thistle and newly promoted teuchters Ross County. Expect these games to shine more brightly now that the Old Firm derby light has dimmed. Add to the mixture my first argument that these derbies may now more directly decide European qualification, league relegation and possibly even the title and expect full stadiums, great excitement and even interest from SKY and ESPN.