Jim Baxter - The Party's Over

I thought I'd seen all of the Baxter footage on Youtube but this is one I've not come across before, from BBC Alba:


I've only watched about 8 minutes so far but there are some weel kent faces like Davie Wilson, Ian McMillan and Bud.
 
I started following in the late 50’s so was lucky enough to have watched Baxter at his peak. Whenever we get around to talking about the best thing we’ve seen in a blue shirt, he’s always my choice.

The sad thing is that his drinking and gambling habits prevented him being even better.

He was the timskelper extraordinaire and I’m pretty sure the tramps were close to changing their strip to brown shorts for when they played us.

His last sentence in that first video sums him up. “The party’s just beginning”. :D
 
That Dennis Law goal against England was just absolute class. Can you imagine the wankfest there would be today about a goal like that?

Baxter was such a majestic player, if you look at his ball control at that goal it gives you an idea of how goal he was. No coincidence he mentions his record against the mentally challengeds either, as he completely owned them in a way no other Ranger has ever done.
 
Had the great pleasure of seeing Slim in most of his Rangers Appearances.
What a player.Wee Barry the only Scottish Rangers player to ever come close to him.imo.
Wee tear there watching that,so glad my late dad,took me to my first game in 1960,a hero and a legend slim Jim,if only someone could have just have sorted his off field antics out,his greatest story(apart from getting puskas laid)when he said All the Celtic supporters wives and girlfriends loved him,because when they played the Rangers,they always came home early!reading that wee Alan Ball post just proves how money ,I think has spoiled part of the game nowadays,no real characters,like Baxter, best,Johnston,Worthington etc
 
I was a young lad about 10/11 when Jim was at his height and probably didn't appreciate what we had.
Jim lived life to the full and that's the reason he never lasted.
I was 15 when he came back and he was never the same, his high life took it's toll, I remember one game especially it was against Gornik at Ibrox we got pumped 3-1, he was just awful and it was so sad, none the less in the early sixties he was a wonderful player
 
In the old footage most players look a bit slow, leaden or the ball is getting hoofed. Baxter's footage is always balletic.
 
The best scottish player I’ve seen plus the best ever to play in our league. Read one of his biographies some time ago cannot remember which one. His drinking was legendary but not in a good way, it’s an illness.
 
The best scottish player I’ve seen plus the best ever to play in our league. Read one of his biographies some time ago cannot remember which one. His drinking was legendary but not in a good way, it’s an illness.

I grew up at Paisley Road Toll and drank in Baxters in the early 80's. Jim wasn't a particularly nice guy around this time and it tarnished his reputation for me. Never meet your heroes certainly applied here.

But, as I grew older I realised that it would have been a difficult period of his life and it brought about the usual problems for ex-pro's namely drink and alcohol. Having a pub at the Toll was probably the worst thing he could do and at the end of his time there it looked like he was beginning to resent fans for wanting to meet him and reminisce about his playing career.

Thankfully I met him a few times years later and he seemed a lot happier and contented. He was humble, friendly and very amusing. Hopefully that was the real Slim Jim.
 
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I grew up at Paisley Road Toll and drank in Baxters in the early 80's. Jim wasn't a particularly nice guy around this time and it always tarnished his reputation for me. Never meet your heroes certainly applied here.

But, as I grew older I realised that it would have been a difficult period of his life and it brought about the usual problems for ex-pro's namely drink and alcohol. Having a pub at the Toll was probably the worst thing he could do and at the end of his time there it looked like he was beginning to resent fans for wanting to meet him and reminisce about his playing career.

Thankfully I met him a few times years later and he seemed a lot happier and contented. He was humble, friendly and very amusing. Hopefully that was the real Slim Jim.

I'm sure that was the real Slim Jim.

That was the Jim Baxter that I encountered back then, humble and friendly and in my case meeting my hero on several occasions only enhanced my estimation of the man.

It was sad, indeed tragic, the way things turned out.
 
Came across this on youtube , nowhere near as good as Jim's DVD , but 5 mins worth watching

I've watched this countless times before- but never tire of it

To say he was a legend, a true great or a wonderful talent- somehow under-states the facts

He had the most gallous style - I've ever seen- everything he did seemed effortless -
He was un-flappable & was at least 2 steps ahead of everyone else on the park (with the exception of Ian McMillan)

I greatly admire & respect Laudrup, Gazza, Gio, De Boer ( to name but a few) etc. - But somehow being one of our own Scots born in a side consisting of the same - makes him all the more exceptional to me

RIP Slim - you'll be long remembered
 
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