New Year, no Old Firm. Those cynics who thought the world would have to stop spinning before a match between Rangers and Celtic was postponed have, for once, been proven wrong.

Even the so-called greatest derby in the world it seems is not immovable nor immune to the emotional tug of a football community in mourning.

The decision to call off tomorrow's match is not one that has been met with universal approval but the demeanour of those who passed through Rangers' Murray Park training ground yesterday would appear to vindicate the postponement.

Just two days after the untimely and tragic death of Phil O'Donnell, the Motherwell captain, it came across as almost churlish to press the manager of Rangers to give us his thoughts on relatively unimportant matters such as tactics, formations or the latest injuries to his squad.

Walter Smith is not a man to dispense freely with his emotions, and yet even he seemed burdened by an air of world-weariness as he took questions at his pre-match press conference.

Smith had been the Rangers manager when Davie Cooper, a former Ibrox hero, died in tragic circumstances in 1995, and he reflected on the similar fate that befell O'Donnell on Saturday evening.

"It's a difficult time, obviously," said Smith. "It's not something we all have a great deal of experience of. We saw it with Davie Cooper a few years ago, although that was in a slightly different circumstances as it didn't happen at a football match.

"In football you don't expect it. There are not many occasions when a fit, young man goes out to play his third game in seven days and this happens.

"This places football firmly in its position when you think of the lad and his family. For those of us that are in the game, the only thing that matters is that we show a proper degree of sympathy to his family.

"On behalf of everyone at Rangers, our thoughts go with them at this time.

"I knew him as a player but I didn't know him that well as a person. His conduct on the pitch was always exemplary and it seems that's the type he fellow he was off the pitch.

"It's a tragic loss, really."

Smith, speaking before the match was postponed, had given his backing to any decision taken by Celtic or the Scottish Premier League.

"I don't think you can think about playing.

"Football is fairly irrelevant at this stage. We're the away team in the Old Firm match at Celtic Park and these things are usually between the SPL and the home team.

"It's a difficult time. It's bad enough for those of us who didn't have a personal contact with the boy. When it happens those who knew him far better feel it far more."

News of O'Donnell's death had reached the Rangers team as they journeyed home from Edinburgh following their victory over Hibernian earlier in the day and, although few of the travelling party knew the player personally, their grieving was not diminished as a result.

"Obviously all the boys are shocked. We were on our way home from Edinburgh on Saturday when we heard the news," said Smith.

"Barry Ferguson was friendly with both Phil and his family so he's probably the one in the team who knew him best.

"He, like everyone else, is feeling the effects of it all."

Prior to the postponement, Smith admitted the prospect of preparing for a crucial Old Firm match was going to prove difficult.

"It's not easy for anybody in these circumstances. Those who knew Davie Cooper, when it happened to him, can appreciate how everybody feels at the moment.

"But, like everything else, circumstances dictate to us what we do but it won't be easy for any of us to overcome.

"The footballing aspects of this go well into the background on occasions like these."