11 Fruende German mag Rangers

Really interesting. Currently live in Berlin so will go out and buy that tomorrow. Thanks for the heads up.

It’s from March last year:

https://11freunde.de/artikel/a-good...76?position=seiteninhalt&seite=3#seiteninhalt
 
mTpGL5d.jpg
 
I might be wrong but I always get the impression that The Rangers are well-liked and respected by German fans. Particularly older fans.
It depends on which supporters you are talking about. We were out of European football for so long that today we have missed half a generation of younger fans.

However, for older fans we were always known as a, maybe even the, ’Tradition Club’ ie long established and with a legion of fans, and that was 100% respected. Certain clubs’ fans were always positive for us including Uerdingen, SV Hamburg, and 1860, as well as Magdeburg, Coburg, Rostock, and Jena from the east. It wasn’t unusual either to see Rangers badges on fans’ scarves. Rangers also used to play in Germany almost every season or at least every other one. So fans were generally familiar with us. We were featured in ‘Kicker‘ Magazine, and I think there was a documentary on us too.

As I have said on here before, when we played 1FC Koeln back in the 70s we were introduced as ‘Die Weltberuhmten Glasgow Rangers’ - the world famous Glasgow Rangers. No one brought as many fans as us, and matches were always hard fought, so the footballng public always looked forward to the game as being a serious test. And, the fans made a bit of a spectacle, the pubs were full, so Rangers coming to town also created a bit of an atmosphere ;-).
 
It depends on which supporters you are talking about. We were out of European football for so long that today we have missed half a generation of younger fans.

However, for older fans we were always known as a, maybe even the, ’Tradition Club’ ie long established and with a legion of fans, and that was 100% respected. Certain clubs’ fans were always positive for us including Uerdingen, SV Hamburg, and 1860, as well as Magdeburg, Coburg, Rostock, and Jena from the east. It wasn’t unusual either to see Rangers badges on fans’ scarves. Rangers also used to play in Germany almost every season or at least every other one. So fans were generally familiar with us. We were featured in ‘Kicker‘ Magazine, and I think there was a documentary on us too.

As I have said on here before, when we played 1FC Koeln back in the 70s we were introduced as ‘Die Weltberuhmten Glasgow Rangers’ - the world famous Glasgow Rangers. No one brought as many fans as us, and matches were always hard fought, so the footballng public always looked forward to the game as being a serious test. And, the fans made a bit of a spectacle, the pubs were full, so Rangers coming to town also created a bit of an atmosphere ;-).
I think we also played German opposition both East and West on a fair amount of times in the earlier years of European Football and were thus the Scottish team that would have become the most familiar to their supporters.
I don't think the Filth ever played any German opposition until much later.
Back in the early thirties we also had a tour of Germany which made us a name in that country before WW2.
 
I might be wrong but I always get the impression that The Rangers are well-liked and respected by German fans. Particularly older fans.
Depends where really - Eintracht Frankfurt, Bayern, Babelsberg, Chemie, Mainz are toward Celtic from my experience - some pretty obvious there because of their politics and walk out song. Hannover quite strong towards Rangers I have seen and heard - sure a load came over a few year back for an Old Firm match, obviously HSV and Bochum as well. Many Germans have real interest in the British game and appreciate proper history. I can talk with some lads over there mind who think Chelsea are a plastic Club because of the money from RA and have no idea of the fan scene they have always had which is a bit sad, they see them in the same mould as say Wolfsburg. One Club that many Germans are really interested in is FC United. Lot of fan friendships in Germany now with English Clubs - has got a bit daft now to be honest, all a Facebook thing in a way. You can see all kinds of stickers when out and about over there linking Clubs - just the way modern Football has gone really.

This is also from 11F last Summer and might interest folk (needs translate on obviously):

 
Last edited:
One of our greatest ever aggregate results in Europe :

Rangers 11
Borussia Monchengladbach 0

8.0 at Ibrox & 3.0 over there.

Maybe 1963 ? I’m sure our experts will correct me if not 63, but what a result, even if German football wasn’t at today’s levels.

Edit - 1960/61 season, with Scot Symon as manager.
 
Been to watch us in Germany 5 times, and yet to see us score.
Cologne - twice. 5-0, 2-0
Dusseldorf. 0-0. (qualified)
Munich. 0-0
Munchengladbach. 0-0
 
Love it when we face German opposition, went to Stuttgart v Rangers in the champions league years back and the trip was excellent. Stuttgart fans were very friendly towards all the bears and joined in with us in the city centre albeit a bit taken aback by how much we all drank. German beer is the best though
 
Here is the article translated :


Football culture magazine

11 F 20 years of Ibrox
Willie Vass
20 YEARS OF 11FREUNDE!
" A good lady's front bottom!"
In the summer of 2012, the student Philipp Züfle goes to Scotland for a semester abroad. A little later he runs against the Rangers. In the Ibrox. In front of 45,000 spectators.

By Philipp Züfle , Minutes Max Dinkelaker
PAGES
MARCH 21, 2020
DIVIDE
DIVIDE
Page 3: I was banned and the trainer ignored me
Back then, my brother watched the game live " Rangers TV" on the Internet. At half-time it was all about my foul. Repetitions, analyzes, the whole program. My brother said later that it was dark yellow at most. But the Rangers reporters saw it differently. In the end we lost 2: 6. The days after that were hell. Rangers fans wrote me on Facebook, what I would imagine attacking Kevin Kyle like that.

My trainer was also extremely pissed off and criticized me publicly on the radio. At school, the children kept taking out their school calendars and holding them in front of my nose. The things were bright red. And even the Rector's morning speech was about the foul, the man was crazy about football. To be honest, before the game I had dreamed a bit again. I was only 23 years old and thought that maybe something would go in the direction of a professional career. But this experience brought me back down to earth. After all: our fans didn't take it amiss. When I snuck out of the field, they applauded.

After that I was out for a whole month. I was banned and the trainer ignored me. Not a good time. But: there was still the second leg. And the Ibrox topped it all off. I ran through the catacombs, saw the trophies, all the pictures, goosebumps. The cabins are great too. Everyone has their own locker, jerseys are lined up on a hook, and there is a dehydration pool. And then this mood! Police on horseback were everywhere in the streets, because: Despite the forced relegation, masses of fans made the pilgrimage to the stadium.

The only problem: the kick-off was at twelve o'clock. Weird time to play football. I didn't even know when to eat - and only had a ready-made pasta salad with me. In a plastic tray. I wanted to eat it in the cabin. But there was a cameraman there all the time, filming everything. Somehow I couldn't get it, instant noodles out of the plastic bowl, in front of the camera, before the game at the Ibrox. So I didn't eat anything. Which wasn't bad in the end, because when I stepped onto the lawn to warm up, the lights were on for me. 44,534 spectators watched - what an unbelievable backdrop. My father and my roommates were also there.

Now it was all paying off.
 
Been to watch us in Germany 5 times, and yet to see us score.
Cologne - twice. 5-0, 2-0
Dusseldorf. 0-0. (qualified)
Munich. 0-0
Munchengladbach. 0-0

Leverkusen
Stuttgart
Bremen

and a few friendlies in NRW, Bochum and one against a Leverkusen select at an amateur ground.

I was lucky enough to live in Leipzig so went to RB, Lok and Hallesche games. German football is superb for fans.
 
Here is the article translated :


Football culture magazine

11 F 20 years of Ibrox
Willie Vass
20 YEARS OF 11FREUNDE!
" A good lady's front bottom!"
In the summer of 2012, the student Philipp Züfle goes to Scotland for a semester abroad. A little later he runs against the Rangers. In the Ibrox. In front of 45,000 spectators.

By Philipp Züfle , Minutes Max Dinkelaker
PAGES
MARCH 21, 2020
DIVIDE
DIVIDE
Page 3: I was banned and the trainer ignored me
Back then, my brother watched the game live " Rangers TV" on the Internet. At half-time it was all about my foul. Repetitions, analyzes, the whole program. My brother said later that it was dark yellow at most. But the Rangers reporters saw it differently. In the end we lost 2: 6. The days after that were hell. Rangers fans wrote me on Facebook, what I would imagine attacking Kevin Kyle like that.

My trainer was also extremely pissed off and criticized me publicly on the radio. At school, the children kept taking out their school calendars and holding them in front of my nose. The things were bright red. And even the Rector's morning speech was about the foul, the man was crazy about football. To be honest, before the game I had dreamed a bit again. I was only 23 years old and thought that maybe something would go in the direction of a professional career. But this experience brought me back down to earth. After all: our fans didn't take it amiss. When I snuck out of the field, they applauded.

After that I was out for a whole month. I was banned and the trainer ignored me. Not a good time. But: there was still the second leg. And the Ibrox topped it all off. I ran through the catacombs, saw the trophies, all the pictures, goosebumps. The cabins are great too. Everyone has their own locker, jerseys are lined up on a hook, and there is a dehydration pool. And then this mood! Police on horseback were everywhere in the streets, because: Despite the forced relegation, masses of fans made the pilgrimage to the stadium.

The only problem: the kick-off was at twelve o'clock. Weird time to play football. I didn't even know when to eat - and only had a ready-made pasta salad with me. In a plastic tray. I wanted to eat it in the cabin. But there was a cameraman there all the time, filming everything. Somehow I couldn't get it, instant noodles out of the plastic bowl, in front of the camera, before the game at the Ibrox. So I didn't eat anything. Which wasn't bad in the end, because when I stepped onto the lawn to warm up, the lights were on for me. 44,534 spectators watched - what an unbelievable backdrop. My father and my roommates were also there.

Now it was all paying off.

Missed the last para:

As I looked into the crowd, I realized one thing: everything I had invested in football was now paying off. Because although I never became a professional, I did without a lot in my youth. But suddenly I was in the middle of the Ibrox. We lost again, 1: 3, and I was only substituted on. But first of all, the defeat was irrelevant because no team was relegated that year. And secondly, I saw the final whistle on the pitch - and I didn't fly off the pitch beforehand.
 
Will check for the magazine too, hopefully it will be online soonish as well.

They have a few articles on us or former players, e.g. Stefan Klos. Quality varies from article to article, pending on the "author" at hand and whether he knew a bit about us. E.g. in the "Über Stock und Stein" (i.e. over rock and stone) article, one line about our win against Braga says:

The chants echoed from the rock face onto the playing field, on which the “Billy Boys” stood and applauded the numerous supporters who had travelled with them, thanking them for their unconditional support.

I would assume that we never termed our players The Billy Boys, matter of fact, I would go so far and say that most of us do not refer to one another as Billy Boys for the last 30odd years or so ... that song aside.

Likewise, the article about the Scum`s attempt at 10IAR does list a few pro's and con`s hurled at each other from either side of the Old Firm fans, yet gives no background info. One quote of a Paul Lambert interview with the BBC is a belter though ...

If Celtic wins the title again, the entire history of the Rangers will be erased. Then that’s it, essentially.

Anyways, the articles themselves are usually sympathetic towards us, the fans and the tradion.
 
The wee magazine shop at Alexanderplatz S-Bahn should have it, for any Berliners.

From my own experience, most Germans don't really lean towards us or them. In fact, I've bumped into several St. Pauli fans while having a swally in Hamburg and although there's a bit of banter, none of them particularly cared for Celtic. At least, not in a way where they wouldn't at least be civil.

The FF hivemind has seemingly dubbed BVB a tim club, but I've met plenty of their fans, most of whom were oblivious to Scottish football. I was at a dinner with a guy who has a season ticket in the Yellow Wall last year and he was more interested in talking about Stefan "Hero of Auxerre" Klos than Paul Lambert. One is an actual legend, the other a cult figure.

I guess such discussions about who prefers who are daft considering they're anecdotal.
 
Steven Gerrard being in Germany’s biggest selling football magazine isn’t that big a deal, I’ve been in it at least 5 times and on the cover twice....................;-).

I should explain, I do some work for the magazine from time to time and have done colourised images for the cover.
 
Back
Top