Memories of Davie 'Bamby' McPherson

[Coopers left foot.]

Totally agree with this. I'm sure he let the ball go under his foot for Adrian Sprott to score for Hamilton in 87?

The whole side was rank rotten that day.

 

[Sandbear]

I remember when he was a lad warming up infront of the East enclosure during an evening game can’t remember the year, there were some smart arse wankers giving him dogs abuse. He could only have been about 18 at the time so of course he reacted which these clowns thought was a great laugh. Ever since that night I really wanted him to do well which he did over two spells a very decent player for Rangers and Hearts.

 

[bigTAM weeTAM]

We called him "Nancy", and I was astonished when we bought him back!
He did a job, but I doubt anyone missed him when he left again.

We used to call him Big Jessie LOL

 

[huistrasleftpeg]

Scored the first Rangers goal that I ever saw at Ibrox, which was against Boavista in the 86/87 UEFA Cup.

Same here, scored in my first game albeit, different opponents. Motherwell in my case on the last day of the 85/86 season, which was also the day that the Magnificent Bastard was introduced on the pitch to the support.

The less said about other results that same day, the better.

Remember it so vividly. 34 fücking years ago

 

[bornabluenose]

I liked big Davie, one thing,you always got a decent shift from the big man.

 

[Sancus]

Good player and a nice guy but my one abiding memory is of him standing at the bar in The Village in Shawlands wearing one of those ridiculous black, see through, mesh type vests which were about in the 80’s!

 

[Flyingwinger]

An absolute gentleman to chat with. Would talk about the Rangers all day. He started as a young lad from Possil?. ....back in the day, bus to Ibrox, clean your own boots and strip all for £60 a week......changed days indeed.

 

[Shamrock hand and crown]

I liked big Davie, one thing,you always got a decent shift from the big man.

We signed Richard Gough to play right back and big slim in central defence.
Gough demanded to play in central defence and McPherson was put to right back.
Despite that he was a 7/10 and never let us down .

 

[BigDGrant]

He's from Pollok like me. Remember him playing heedie fitba about the place.
We called him the giraffe. Horrible horrible mullet.

 

[Sancus]

An absolute gentleman to chat with. Would talk about the Rangers all day. He started as a young lad from Possil?. ....back in the day, bus to Ibrox, clean your own boots and strip all for £60 a week......changed days indeed.

I think Davie played for Possil YM but stayed in Pollok as a boy.

 

[bertiebombscare]

Never looked comfortable with the ball at his feet but can't fault his medals haul, must've had more to him than I recall!!!

 

[Flyingwinger]

I think Davie played for Possil YM but stayed in Pollok as a boy.

that’s exactly it sir, your spot on.....

 

[RabSpackman]

Andy Goram said ' 92/93, Big slim played right back the whole season and was brilliant'

That was my memory of him coming back - playing right back in that season.

It’s always puzzled me... Stevens was injured playing for England ahead of Euro92 and it was clear he would be out for a year or so. Rangers went out and bought a centre half and played him at right back - sticking with Gough & Brown in the middle.
I realise Smith knew what he was getting with McPherson but I never understood why Rangers didn’t go out and buy a recognised right back. I understand the foreigners rule argument but even at that.. there must have been someone recognised as a right back that was an option?

To be fair to him, McPherson did a decent job, and then made more appearances in the middle over the next couple of seasons.
I remember reading one description of him running being like a giraffe chasing an ice cream van

He was a bit limited but I liked him... those marauding runs up the field that he went on produced a regular stream of goals for him or others over the years.

 

[Wugs]

Him and Maxwell in the 94 cup final.

It's the only one that sticks in my head.

I've never forgiven either of them.

Yep , cost us the first 'double treble' , pair of fannies !

 

[Deleted Account]

I seem to remember a statto mate telling me that the season big Gough mostly missed through injury, Rangers recorded their best goals against total of the 9 in a row era. The central defensive pairing was John Brown and Dave McPherson. Don't know how true this is, no doubt I'll find out soon.

It's not.

They barely played a game together at centre half.

And our lowest GA total was 19 in 89/90. With a regular back line of Woods, Stevens, Gough, Butcher, Munro.

 

[ChildOfGoth]

I think he was massively underrated talent , had a long career and won medals and played for Scotland across long time too when they were decent team .
Not many players from his generation can claim to have had a career that competes with Davie’s imo .

brilliant guy too . A great marker for the likes of Lewis Mayo imo .

 

[Deleted Account]

We signed Richard Gough to play right back and big slim in central defence.
Gough demanded to play in central defence and McPherson was put to right back.
Despite that he was a 7/10 and never let us down .

We sold McPherson 4 months before we signed Gough

 

[Blue Lou Boyle]

I went to school with his son and have spent and see him frequently.

He absolutely loves Rangers and has some amazing stories.

His parents were lovely down to earth people. Spoke to them on a number of occasions. His dad passed away a few years back.

As a defender i thought mcpherson was a good player for rangers and turned in some solid performances in our c league campaign in 92/93 home and away vs brugge sticking out.

 

[RFCStu]

He never got much appreciation due to his appearance and style, but you don’t play for Rangers and Scotland for several years, in that era, without being a decent player. Often shunted to right back too, which he never was, and that made him look a bit clumsy at times having to go forward, but he rarely let the team down.

A few players of that era tend to get easily forgotten amongst the usual legends, but guys like McPherson, Durie, Bjorklund, Alan McLaren, Davie Robertson, Spackman, Petric, Trevor Steven etc, were very good players for us, certainly domestically.

I agree with your list of underrated players apart from Trevor Steven who would genuinely be a £50million plus player in today's market. When we sold him it was for a British record fee £5.5million and at that time the most that had been paid by any British club was £2.3million if memory serves me right. Steven was a top drawer player and an England regular as well.

 

[Scoop]

One of my favorite Ibrox memories - maybe 1992 or 93- sitting in Copland . I see Macpherson get the ball near half way line - beats a few at Johnstone men - cuts in and scores - I swear that before the crowd cheered there was a split second silence of astonishment then laughter .

 

[The hunter2]

Always wonder how bored you must be to bump a thread 3 years old.

This is the 2nd one ive seen this morning

 

[Clicker]

My two abiding memories are Hamilton Accies and Dundee United.

 

[Sarahowen]

one of the funniest moments at Ibrox

against Hibs early 80's, Big Slim see's the keeper well out his goal, shoots from the half way line
ball curls over the desperate Hibs keeper and Davie turns and starts celebrating...
the ball keeps curling and goes just outside the post...while Dave is still off celebrating
only 16 1/2 K at Ibrox and I think we all burst out laughing
won 3-1, Big Slim not a bad player for us

I was at that game as well, I’m sure it was Alan Rough in goal for Hibs?? Was in the old east enclosure, great days

 

[BlueHaze]

Better known as Hen Broon by most of the Bears I knew at the time.

 

[rfc1952]

Better known as Hen Broon by most of the Bears I knew at the time.

I may be wrong but was he also known as Sadie ?

 

[BlueHaze]

I may be wrong but was he also known as Sadie ?

That is a good shout it does ring a bell.

 

[Whitecarlos]

My abiding memory will always be Gordon McQueen describing him as immense in Euro 92.

Leaving Gough for dead in a 4-2 Scottish Cup defeat at Tynecastle as he rampaged up the wing still lingers too.

 

[Masterblue]

My first thought was his 4 goals against Valletta.

 

[Professor Yaffle]

Nice big guy, decent reliable player whose few mistakes get remembered

 

[Snakehips]

I agree with your list of underrated players apart from Trevor Steven who would genuinely be a £50million plus player in today's market. When we sold him it was for a British record fee £5.5million and at that time the most that had been paid by any British club was £2.3million if memory serves me right. Steven was a top drawer player and an England regular as well.

I agree, Steven was a tremendous player, more so first time around. His form leading up to his move to Marseille was great, probably our best player at the time. I was not trying to say he was underrated though, just that sometimes he gets lost in the mix when our 9iar team gets mentioned, usually it is Goram, Gough, McCall, Durrant, Laudrup, Gazza, Hately, McCoist.

Fair to say we would not be in the same market for a player like Steven today, not when you see guys like McGuire, Shaw, Wan Bissaka etc going for silly money.

 

[Stewart clark]

6-7/10 most games but sadly will be remembered by me for costing us the chance to be first team to retain the treble. Maxwell equally culpable.

 

[Javi]

I was thinking about this and we still had Kuznetzov and Gary Stevens when Dave came back, both of whom were injury prone by then?

kuznetzov was fucked as soon as he turned up

 

[david1982]

Naw he was named "Bambi" because he looked like the wee deer on ice in the movie - All over the place

Blue tinted specs on for anyone putting him anywhere above average - glad to see back of him twice

Sorry, harsh but true

I think that is harsh tbh.

Was never a flash player but he was solid and reliable 99% of the time.

Would also add he was part of arguably the best rangers side/squad ever.

 

[abitoverdressed]

if rangers were the wu tang clan, dave mcpherson would be the rza.

 

[crmpicco]

He‘ll be forever remember for his part in Maxwell’s both to bottle the back to back trebles in 1994.

 

[Blue Lou Boyle]

He‘ll be forever remember for his part in Maxwell’s both to bottle the back to back trebles in 1994.

Truth be told we were never going to win that game mate. The team had been running on empty for weeks leading up to that game.

We could have played for another two days and still not got an equaliser.

 

[Melbbear]

Stuart Munro - I'm sure it's been said before but what an unsung hero he was

Certainly was good friend of mine.

 

[Dugsy]

The whole side was rank rotten that day.

Agree

 

[crmpicco]

Truth be told we were never going to win that game mate. The team had been running on empty for weeks leading up to that game.

We could have played for another two days and still not got an equaliser.

I remember the end to that season well. No goals scored in the last 3 games and 3 losses in 5 games. Awful stuff. Clearly Walter recognised the need to freshen the squad and brought in Boli and Laudrup

 

[BlueSevenTwo]

Mr Passback.

 

[Blue Lou Boyle]

I remember the end to that season well. No goals scored in the last 3 games and 3 losses in 5 games. Awful stuff. Clearly Walter recognised the need to freshen the squad and brought in Boli and Laudrup

Aye and boli was the 'bigger' signing!

 

[Woodrow Call]

Because Andy never came for crosses Walter liked a lot of height in his back 4.

 

[Charing]

He scored a couple of Beckenbaur class goals at Ibrox when from a deep lying position he dribbled through the entire opposition defence before calmly scoring. IIRC one of these efforts was against Dundee.
Oddly, however, despite being about 10 foot tall, I don't remember many headed goals?
Perhaps FF stattos can clarify.

 

[oxger]

RangersRadio | Dave McPherson Interview Tuesday 15/09/2020

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