A question about stadium reconstruction in the wake of the Ibrox Disaster.

I remember Andy Cameron being the MC and saying " the Ballboys wouldn't come out because Jaws was on the park",i couldn't tell you, who was in the Scotland ,select .
Was Alan Rough not in goals.
Could hardly see being a wee shortarse in a packed stadium.
65,000 i think.
 
The Derry was the main area where singing started up until it was seated and became the centenary stand around 1972/73.

Having said that when Celtic came to Ibrox singing would start in both the Derry and the terracing at the Copland Road end.

The enclosures were not populated with those that liked a sash bash.
I remember the enclosures being the habitat of older, arguably more knowledgeable, supporters up until the new stands were built.
 
When I was a teen we went to the East Enclosure because it was easy to get tickets (not season ticketed at that point); the tickets were cheaper (saving lunch money basically funded your ticket on Saturday) and the main singing was in the East Enclosure.

There was always this line pulled out that the Copland End was the main area where there was noise was quite confusing at times and there was definately a bit of rivalry between EE and Copland with the “Copland, give us the Sash” and “you can stick your season tickets up your arse” chants.

Over time I’ve understood that the Derry was the hub of it all in 60s & 70s but was the Copland End ever a recognisable place where the loudest of the support grouped before or after the stand erected?

I was really young when I started in the late 60’s Rab, but my recollection was that the Derry/Shed which then became the Centenary Stand was where the singing started.
 
Can’t remember the first game at all but I was at the second game at Cliftonhill.
Think we were in Brogan’s before it, not an establishment I usually frequented.

I remember Brogan's. Across the road from the Casanova on Jackson Street.
 
I was really young when I started in the late 60’s Rab, but my recollection was that the Derry/Shed which then became the Centenary Stand was where the singing started.
That's my recollection too. The Derry was about the 18yd line at the Copland end of the shed. I only remember the Copland end joining in at big games.
I remember a game around the Festive Season one year where there were tickets given out for free entry to the Centenary Stand. Might have been v Motherwell and can't remember how the tickets were distributed, possibly through RSCs. The first half the Centenary was mobbed, but very quiet. At half time it emptied and the choir assembled under the Copland shed.
 
I remember getting OF tickets from Ian Luke sports shop in Battlfield
There was an Ian Lukes in Greenock, I thought his shop there was a one off. I think he was an English man, if I recall correctly, at least the guy that served me was.
 
That's my recollection too. The Derry was about the 18yd line at the Copland end of the shed. I only remember the Copland end joining in at big games.
I remember a game around the Festive Season one year where there were tickets given out for free entry to the Centenary Stand. Might have been v Motherwell and can't remember how the tickets were distributed, possibly through RSCs. The first half the Centenary was mobbed, but very quiet. At half time it emptied and the choir assembled under the Copland shed.

That was a good thing actually MFG.

The guys could walk to behind the other teams goal at half time to be closer to the action.

I always remember in 72 when we beat Bayern. The stadium was jam packed & the whole old lady was absolutely rocking like I’d never seen it.

Special wee night in my life.
 
I remember Brogan's. Across the road from the Casanova on Jackson Street.
The infamous Casanova, was it Tom Fagan who owned that place? I seem to vaguely remember some incident there long ago involving mentally challenged players.
 
It was too small as was the in retrospect failed expansion via Club Deck. But... having a waiting list is better than covering stands in banners. I'd have gone for 60,000 personally but it's certainly best stadium in SPL by a mile
 
My first year as a Rover Season Ticket holder too.
The main reason people had a Season Tkt was to guarantee themselves a ticket for games v the scum, they were pretty much the only sell outs. These & other big games helped inflate the average attendance but for run of the mill league games we were lucky to get 15 to 18k.
We would rock up at 2-50pm and depending on the weather choose a stand, low sun or bitter cold wind meant avoiding the Govan rear.
#softasshitloyal B-D
 
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The infamous Casanova, was it Tom Fagan who owned that place? I seem to vaguely remember some incident there long ago involving mentally challenged players.

It started off as the Casanova with just a lounge upstairs. I dont know who owned it then but Fagan opened up the downstairs and it became the Albion Rovers Social Club.

It was pretty good back then with chicken or gammon and chips in a basket included in the entry price. Cutting edge stuff.

A mate of mine sang Bohemian Rhapsody on stage with no backing music. This was way before karaoke. He cant even sing but he got most of the words right. The crowd just sat in stunned silence.
 
If I remember correctly, midweek attendances in particular were very poor at this time, probably due to poor transport links etc.
I just looked up the attendance figures for the run in to the league of the treble winning 1977-78 season, quite astonishing figures considering it was a close run thing with the sheep only finishing 2 points behind.

Last four home league games.

Sat Apr 1 St Mirren 20,500
Wed Apr 12 Ayr Utd 12,282
Sat 22 Apr Dundee Utd 27,050
Sat 29 Apr Motherwell 43,500 League Clinched on final day, pay at the gate, first time league had been won at Ibrox since the sixties.

Very different times indeed.
Attendances were officially recorded as

St Mirren 22367
Ayr Utd 12797
Dun Utd 30239
Motherwell 45841
 
Attendances were officially recorded as

St Mirren 22367
Ayr Utd 12797
Dun Utd 30239
Motherwell 45841
Lifted my slightly different figures from an old copy of the Sharp Files excel sheet, near enough for the purpose of the post.
 
Ye it was very sparse and the Rangers end was gone to, but I played against a treble winning Rangers team at 18 so can’t complain
Can't argue with that.

Pretty sure i was at the game.

Lost 1-0 at home to St Mirren the previous Saturday iirc
 
In my opinion the big mistake was starting at the Copland Road end, possibly influenced by stairway 13 being there.

Too complicated to explain on here but in essence the traditional singing end being demolished led to our 'choir' being scattered throughout the stadium. As each new stand replaced the old the 'choir' ended up split between the EE and WE. When these were seated the atmosphere slowly evaporated.

Im sure others will disagree but I can assure you that's what happened. As Max Boyce used to say, "I know, 'cause I was there".

I think familiarity and sitting in the same seats for decades killed the atmosphere.

In the old days, first in got the good singing spots.

Same weekly allocated seats and getting old killed the atmosphere. That’s also why the European nights always have way better atmosphere
 
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