Apologies in advance, long winded post 🙂
I started going to Motherwell with my da' (because my old man was a 'Well fan when he was younger) in about 1972/3 and got my first season ticket (old main stand, 5 rows back, 5 seats in) in '75 for the start of the new 10 team premier league. A few games into the season, we played Rangers and the row in front of me was full of their fans. This was my first experience of them (aged about 12). A sat with my old man and we were sat between a couple of folk that some on here may know. Don St John, a disabled club singer and Andy Edgar (later to become Hamilton Accies photographer). Early in the game, Don called John Grieg a 'clown' and was harassed, threatened, had a punch swung at him and was told for the whole game that he was 'getting it' down the back stairs. Over the years, I've witnessed and ended up sadly getting involved in numerous and regular altercations with their fans in the main stand. Call it luck, call it whatever, but I've never actually had to deal with that kind of shit from Celtic fans. Don't take this the wrong way, I'm not saying they don't have cunty fans as well, i've just never had to deal with any. As a result of these experiences at a young age, it gave me a really deep seated hatred of them (chuck in the 95/96 cup semi for good measure). Celtic to me are just another team that I love seeing us beat, along with any other team we play but I have to admit I get that extra wee spring in my step when we pump the currant buns.
None of this has anything to do with religion or background. If I followed a team cause of where I went to school i'd be a h*n and if I followed my pals from my childhood who i played football with up the park, i'd probably, on balance, be a tim. I'm neither. I'm a Motherwell fan and have inflicted the same on my kids 🙂
I certainly don't hate Rangers more than I love Motherwell and I certainly don't have any 'sympathies' for the other lot.