SCOTTISH PREMIER LEAGUETHE FIRST Old Firm game of the season arrives in Glasgow tomorrow (kick-off: 12.30, live Setanta Ireland), the first Old Firm game since Tommy Burns's death in May. We shall see if the sincere outpouring of grief and sympathy that came forth from across Glasgow then has had a lasting impact.

For all Usain Bolt's exploits, for a certain number of us there will be no more powerful sporting photograph taken in 2008 than those that caught the Rangers manager Walter Smith and his assistant Ally McCoist in despair as they carried Burns's coffin.

Rangers had just returned from the Uefa Cup final in Manchester and, though they lost, were due to have an open-top bus parade to recognise their first European final for nearly 40 years. But when they heard of Burns, Rangers cancelled the parade. As Celtic Park turned into a green and white shrine to Burns's memory, blue Rangers jerseys and scarves started to colour the scene. Rangers fans delivering their goodwill were applauded.

Smith and McCoist were also applauded at the funeral service. Burns's faith in Celtic had a religious zeal and Smith and McCoist could hardly symbolise Rangers more but they were friends and Scotland colleagues.

That was because of personal contact. It is a reminder of just how divisive social segregation is in places such as Belfast, Derry and Glasgow. If there is no opportunity to meet, then there can be no friendship. A bleak feature of tomorrow is that this may be those clapping individuals' first encounter with each other since then. And they will be segregated again.