The 'bloody' of the title of this painting refers to the football violence, which became all too common in the 1980s. The painting also recalls the famous rivalry between Glasgow Rangers and Celtic, the battle on the pitch mirroring the territorial struggle taking place in the terraces. The football supporters form a screaming and gesticulating frieze around two sides of the painting, threatening to spill over onto the pitch. Many of Howson's paintings are male-dominated and depict scenes in Glasgow, as is the case here.