Sheep-Shagging Bastards

One of the games most intense rivalries could determine the fate of Scotland's second Champions League spot. Glasgow Rangers make the trip north to Aberdeen to take on the Dons, with second place in the balance.

Check out this article for a little taste of what this fixture is all about. The history of these two clubs getting together makes for a great read, here are two highlights:

Aberdeen's rise to prominence under [Alex] Ferguson was resented on both sides of the Old Firm divide, yet while Aberdeen harbour no love for Celtic, their relationship with the green half of Glasgow is nowhere near as antagonistic. Indeed, the Dons even have a song reserved for the visits of the Hoops, that brags that: "We hate Rangers more than you".
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"Every time I come Pittodrie I expect something to happen," said Rangers' combative Dutchman back in 2002 after yet another incident-packed fixture in which crowd trouble saw play suspended for 20 minutes. Ricksen is the current bete noir of the Aberdeen support. In 2000, he confirmed his early reputation as a wild child by attempting a kung fu kick on Aberdeen's Darren Young at Pittodrie. The incident in itself was probably enough to earn him a place in the fixture's pantheon of villains, but it was his subsequent boast on his personal website, that Young had needed to be "sorted out", that ensured he remains on the Red Army black list.

Aberdeen come into the game with a two point edge over their visitors and have lost only once in their last nine outings. Rangers are coming off of a one-all draw against Celtic last week and can't afford to lose any more ground to the Dons.

They last met on October 1st at Ibrox, with the hometeam nicking all three points. Tomorrow's match is at 7:30am ET and will be shown live on Setanta Premium.

Dons dare to dream again [BBC]
Pure, unadulterated hatred? Yes, I think you've picked the right game. [FourFourTwo]

-ac