By the early 1990s there wasn’t so much animosity in the fixture or around the clubs - they coexisted and we had a situation where the likes of Butcher and Aitken played for opposing sides but were friends from previously playing against each other internationally and recognising that as opposing captains they ought to have a reasonable relationship.
Even the local guys like McCoist, Durrant, Grant, Whyte were able to be competitive without it spilling over and while they might not have been best mates and hanging around together, they were able to be around each other without any issues.
The Celtic support on the other hand were determined that they were downtrodden and cheated by referees and the cheerleader of this in the media, like Gerry McNee and Paul Cooney, were delighted to make that the conversation as they took control of the airwaves.
We had the nonsense of Paulo Di Canio arriving in Scotland and suddenly spouting about Masonry and Celtic being cheated... there was an agenda being pushed by Celtic people and once it really took hold in the mainstream by the mid to late 1990s, you found Celtic suddenly churned out a marketing strategy that was very aggressively Irish & Catholic.
The Rangers support, drunk on success and NIAR just didn’t recognise the battle being waged, far less compete in it.
Add O’Neill and then Lennon into the mix in 2000 then the whole rivalry has taken on an intensity that is unhealthy for many in it or around it.
And it is all the backdrop for the Sectarian Industry and the use of the sport and the clubs as a political football by the SNP.
The times of McNeill and Greig being competitive but respectful to each other and their clubs seem like a different world entirely.