Scott Brown and Joey Barton go head to head in the dugout tomorrow for the first time as mangers.
And the former Celtic and Rangers duo will have a familiar face in the middle of the park with Scottish referee Bobby Madden handed the English League One clash between Bristol Rovers and Fleetwood Town at the Memorial Stadium.
Hoops hero Brown took over the Cod Army in the summer after hanging up his boots following an illustrious playing career. He created history at Parkhead, played at the highest level and won everything on offer in the domestic game during his trophy-laden spell with the legendary skipper one who will always be highly-regarded by the Hoops faithful. Former Rangers midfielder Barton previously stated that Brown was 'nowhere near' his level on his arrival to Scotland's top flight under Mark Warburton. However, his one Old Firm derby ended in a 5-1 thrashing in a result that proved to be the beginning of the end for Barton at Ibrox.
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Six years on the duo are both in the dugout and will lock horns in 24 hours time.
As things stand only one point separate's the two sides with Fleetwood on 21 points from 17 games and Bristol Rovers one back. The promotion play-off spots are still in sight and this could prove a vital three points in a bid to spark a run of victories in England's third tier.
Speaking previously about coming up against the former Rangers midfielder, Brown said: “You play those mind games and can do whatever you want as players. But, as manager, it’s completely different now. You’ve got to have respect for your opponents and respect for your fellow managers.
"Joey has done a great job. He was a fantastic manager here at Fleetwood as well. He’s doing it now at Bristol Rovers.
“There won’t be any pre-match wind-ups whatsoever – from me anyway. We’ll be fine.
"It’s about our teams doing the talking on the park. It’s a huge game – going away to Bristol will be tough, they’ve had some good recent results. We’ll look forward to that one but it’s not all about me, it’s about my players and I’ve got to help them be at their best.”
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