The fans of Glasgow Rangers have only one thought on their minds: tonight's big game. But spare a thought for the "other" Rangers. No, not the wee ones in Berwick but the even wee-er ones in Azerbaijan.

The Baku Rangers are limbering up for their end of season clash with their archrivals. That's right. You guessed it. They are playing Celtic, Sahil Celtic to be exact.

The two teams - junior sides in the Azerbaijani capital -are every bit as passionate as the Glasgow Old Firm. Not surprisingly, the two teams were set up by supporters of the respective Scottish sides, many of whom are currently working in the former Soviet republic's booming oil industry.

Neil MacDougall of the Baku Bears Rangers Supporters Club - in Manchester for the game as Zenit St Pete - stresses the two Azerbaijaini teams are pretty serious squads. The Baku Rangers, for example, are getting a whole stadium built for them by the Government after losing their original home for redevelopment.

"We have raised a quarter of a million pounds for local charities," Neil told The Herald yesterday. Fans of the big Rangers should take heart from Azerbaijan. Baku Rangers have never lost to Celtic.

There are plenty of fans of the big Rangers in Azerbaijan. More, says Niel, than on his home island of South Uist. South Uist, of course, is Celtic's Hebridean stronghold. Oil engineer Neil, meanwhile, paid £3000 to come to today's match.

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Why is every second shopkeeper in Manchester Scottish? "They have brought in translators,"explains one.

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The figure keeps going up and up. The latest unofficial estimate for Manchester's Rangers-Zenit economic boom? £25m. With at least one hotel offering rooms in the city centre for £2500, that is no surprise.