Football (Soccer)

The city has been sports mad, especially for football (soccer), for more than 100 years. The historic rivalry between its two main football clubs, Rangers and Celtic, is legendary, so the low-key club Partick Thistle is a less contentious alternative for football fans. Matches are held usually on Saturday or Sunday in winter. Admission prices start at about £20, and don't go looking for a family-day-out atmosphere. Football remains a fiercely contested game attended mainly by rowdy fans, though the stadiums at Ibrox and Celtic Park are becoming more family-friendly.

Celtic. This famous football club wears white-and-green stripes and plays in the east at Celtic Park, or Perkhead as it is know locally. Daily stadium tours must be booked ahead, and the Celtic Museum is also in the stadium. To get here, take a taxi from central Glasgow or a train from Central station to Dalmarnock (10-minute walk from station). Match tickets start at £90.

Celtic Park, 18 Kerrydale St., East End, Glasgow, Glasgow City, G40 3RE. 0871/226–1888; www.celticfc.net. Stadium tours £15..

Partick Thistle. Soccer in Glasgow isn't just blue or green, nor is it dominated by international players and big money. Partick Thistle Football Club, known as the Jags, wears red and yellow, and its home field is Firhill Park. 80 Firhill Rd., West End, Glasgow, Glasgow City, G20 7AL. 0141/579–1971; www.ptfc.co.uk.

Rangers. The Rangers wear blue and play at Ibrox, on the south side of the Clyde. Stadium tours are on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday; booking ahead is essential. 150 Edmiston Dr., South Side, Glasgow, Glasgow City, G51 2XD. 0871/702–1972; www.rangers.co.uk. Stadium tours £8.