Michael Beale was involved in Brazilian derbies where crowd violence meant away fans weren’t even allowed on the premises.
So he can chuckle at the thought of Old Firm punters squabbling over a 700 ticket visitors’ allocation for Ibrox or Parkhead. But the Rangers manager is well aware that to Glaswegians, this game is no laughing matter. Especially not when you’re playing second fiddle to your city rivals. Beale was in the dugout 13 times previously against Celtic as Steven Gerrard’s right-hand man.
But on Monday he’ll be the guy in the firing line. And despite a stint in Sao Paulo as a coach, where derby games are notoriously volatile, he rates the Old Firm equivalent as being one of the best in the world. That’s why he can’t wait to directly pit his wits against Hoops gaffer Ange Postecoglou in Govan for the first time. Beale has plenty of experience as a coach at Chelsea, Liverpool, Sao Paulo, Rangers, Aston Villa and QPR. But he knows that nothing is quite like what he’s walking into on Monday afternoon.
