And we're off and running. Celtic are attacking the traditional "Rangers end". The noise is astonishing!

Hugh Dallas, Scotland's top referee, is the man in the middle this afternoon. After this he'll be packing his suitcase for the World Cup finals in Japan and South Korea. That's going to be painful to watch with Scotland not there but it surely won't be long before the Tartan Army are roaring their heroes on in a major finals.

Here come the teams, striding out to the amphitheatre on Glasgow's south side. There will be no pats on the back for gallant losers - what matters is winning.

This is a match you either love or hate - few are ambivalent about it. You either love the drama, the rivalry, the colour, the ridiculousness of celebrating winning a throw-in like a pools win, and let's not pretend some enjoy the hatred too, whether it's real or imagined, or you may feel that such visceral, irrational tribalism over a game of football makes you reach for a sick bag.

Rangers boss Alex McLeish had an illustrious career and enjoyed success on this pitch. He looks fit enough to still be playing, but the brown brogues have replaced the football boots and his influence will be restricted to shaping, observing, adjusting and cajoling. His Celtic counterpart Martin O'Neill, for all his tremendous success as a player and manager, has the look of an earnest student fretting over fees for the late return of his library books. But out they come. Is that a smirk on the face of Celtic's prolific striker Henrik Larsson?

A little note, folks. Glasgow, Scotland, like any city and country, evolves and some of the chanting you may hear in the coverage from 2002 reflects what was in the song books for some fans back then...

Both teams have one trophy in the cabinet already this season.

Celtic cruised to the Scottish Premier League title, winning by 18 points, but Martin O'Neill's men were stung by the defeat to Alex McLeish's Rangers in the semi-final of the League Cup, a competition the Gers went on to win.

Hampden is heaving. With the array of talent on show, we could be in store for a cracker. Who knows, it might even be regarded as a Scottish Cup classic a generation from now.

Poet Clive Russell voices this lovely piece about this afternoon's foes...

"It would be easier to imagine Glasgow without rain than the city without Rangers and Celtic

A double act to rival Laurel and Hardy, fish and chips, Sven and Ulrika..."

Enjoy this tribute to the Old Firm's place in Scotland's sporting landscape...

It's going to be fascinating to see how Celtic cope with the attacking pace of Claudio Caniggia, Neil McCann and Peter Lovenkrands, the first of that fleet-footed trio still extremely nippy over short distances, while the Argentine's left-sided team-mates will fancy their chances in a foot race against any defender.

Just like Celtic, Rangers have talent aplenty on the bench. Australian left-sided defender Tony Vidmar joins Norwegian striker Tore Andre Flo, German midfielder Christian Nerlinger, Georgia international Shota Arveladze with 17 goals to his name this season and - what's this, a Scot! - Allan McGregor, the substitute goalkeeper watching from the sidelines.

On the Celtic bench this afternoon is substitute goalie Jonathan Gould, the ever versatile duo Tom Boyd and Jackie McNamara, the outrageously talented Slovak Lubo Moravcik and last summer's signing from Leicester City, English midfielder Steve Guppy.

Rangers are seeking their 30th Scottish Cup title in their 48th final. Celtic have won the oldest trophy in world football twice more than their rivals.The prize, first won by Queen's Park in 1874, is two-foot tall and is made mostly from silver, the handiwork of Glasgow silversmiths George Edward & Sons. It's a thing of beauty, is it not? But what colour of ribbons will be attached to its handles a few hours from now?

Image source, SNS

The last time these teams met in the Scottish Cup final was three years ago when Rod Wallace scored the only goal of the game. Stefan Klos, Lorenzo Amoruso and Neil McCann were in the team that day and play again today.

Celtic, too, have three players starting this afternoon who played in that final: Johan Mjallby, Paul Lambert and Henrik Larsson, while Jonathan Gould and Tom Boyd were in the starting line-up in 1999 but are on the subs' bench today.

Image source, SNS

Celtic and Rangers joined the tournament in the third round. Celtic swatted Alloa aside with a 5-0 win, but Rangers were held to a goalless draw away to Berwick Rangers before prevailing 3-0 at Ibrox in the replay. They then beat Hibernian 4-1 while Celtic progressed with a 2-0 win away to Kilmarnock.

It was the same score for Celtic away to Aberdeen in the last eight and in the semi-finals Martin O'Neill's men ended Ayr United's cup dreams with a 3-0 victory at Hampden.

A Christian Nerlinger double and a goal by Barry Ferguson made it a 3-0 win for Rangers over Partick Thistle in the semis, having thumped Forfar 6-0 in the quarter-finals.

A warm welcome to this evening's live text commentary to accompany the broadcast of a classic Scottish Cup final on the BBC Scotland channel. Our special match tonight is the meeting of Celtic and Rangers at Hampden on 4 May 2002. These were two great teams, going head to head at a Hampden Park split 50/50 in terms of green and white and red, white and blue. So, close your eyes for a moment, allow yourselves to be transported back almost 20 years and enjoy the match.