Memories of football from years back

Used to love the day trips up North in the late eighties

3pm kick offs at Aberdeen and Dundee didn’t stop us getting there for opening time

Then a “refreshment stop” at Coupar Angus or Auchterarder resulting in an arrival back home at midnight

Quite often though the day out was spoiled by the game
 
When my father started taking me as a young bear. He’d always buy me a pin badge for my scarf from the ‘hats and scarfs’ guys outside the underground. This continued until the we got our season tickets and started going every week. I have a box somewhere with loads of badges that I’ve kept.
 
When my father started taking me as a young bear. He’d always buy me a pin badge for my scarf from the ‘hats and scarfs’ guys outside the underground. This continued until the we got our season tickets and started going every week. I have a box somewhere with loads of badges that I’ve kept.

I have great memories of my dad taking me over. Still keep my first ever scarf he bought me at my first game, it’s as in good of condition as the day I bought it. Glad I never took it to games as someday it will mean the world to me having it as a keepsake
 
Miss paper copies of the fanzines.

Bizarrely miss the original super scoreboard theme tune - always listened to it driving over to the match and as a 8/9 year old, it was always a sign that we were going to the game.

Miss 3pm by and large being the focus of the weekend.

And, having been away for several years, miss making the game regularly.
Can remember buying my Follow Follow fanzines were the newsagents now stock their Diggers. Changed days.
 
The old tunnel with McEwans Lager on it that would extend and retract when needed.

The smell of cigar smoke, dunno why but that one never left me.

The full song of Simply The Best, not just the intro then chorus.

Rangers running out the tunnel first to cheers, then the opposition to boos. None of this full line up for the cameras bollocks.

Being sent into the Rangers Shop across the road from the old Stadium Bar so my auld man could "find a guy he works with". Usually took him half an hour and he would usually come into the shop a little more slurry than when I left him. Upside to that I usually got a pair of Sondico goalie gloves or a boot bag etc. Took me years to realise he was going in for a few pints. Different days back then.
 
Sitting in my uncle's car outside lodge corkerhill while they got tanned into pints, they'd pop out the odd time with coke/crisps for us. We'd play cops/robbers in the car :)

Went to corkerhill for years and in all that time I think i got 1 game of pool, thats why we'd sit in the car.
 
I have the programme from the Dortmund game in 99 and kick off was half 8 on Channel 5 and so was the game in the Champions League in 95 on STV.

I can only go back 21 years but I always me and my dad walking down from Southcroft Street along Vicarfield Street by the old sadly missed Govan bowling club onto Copland Road and then when got to the subway the place was mobbed. Good old days
Yeah, but the away leg in the 1999 game was something like a 2.30/ 3pm kick-off here. They did similar playing Motherwell at Fir Park a few years before - was weird coming in from school to everyone watching a live game on a midweek afternoon (that wasn't a WC or Euros).

Incidentally, I remember watching the away leg in the Dortmund CL tie in 1995 on both STV and one of the German channels that our cable could pick up at the time - SAT1 possibly? Was learning German at school at the time, so I thought it was a novelty watching us on their coverage. Was also convinced that they'd be showing different pictures from STV (I didn't understand TV feeds obviously). The Germans referred to us as simply "Glasgow" which I thought was funny.
 
Used to love the day trips up North in the late eighties

3pm kick offs at Aberdeen and Dundee didn’t stop us getting there for opening time

Then a “refreshment stop” at Coupar Angus or Auchterarder resulting in an arrival back home at midnight

Quite often though the day out was spoiled by the game
The Boar's Head n Auchtermuchty was our preferred stop off point on the way home from Aberdeen. The day we won the league in 1987 was simply magnificent.
 
Standing behind the goals and then marching to the other end for the second half en masse picking up a greasy pie and Bovril on the way.
 
Deciding to go to a game on a Friday night. Taxi to Aviemore, overnight train, drink all day, overnight train back, depending on funds taxi/walk home Sunday morning.
 
The Rangers goalie wearing a yellow shirt with the same white shorts and black sox with red tops as the outfield players.

Used to be the law that a goalie had to wear an outfield kit but with a different jersey.

A lot of goalies didn’t do it. Then the law was changed.

:)
 
I remember the simplest of pleasures.. standing in the Enclosure, lighting a cigarette and deciding to watch Ally McCoist or Richard Gough for the duration of it.
The ball might be at the other end of the park but it was an education to see what they did when the ball wasn’t at their feet - the way they worked the opponent they were marking/being marked by was fascinating.

Funny memory to have that a cigarette was part of it but that was very much of the time.
 
I might be wrong but was there not a guy who went round the pitch at half time holding a board with the lucky programe number on it?
 
The odd player running out the tunnel at Ibrox and flicking their fag doubt onto the grass.

Wee Wullie Johnstone was a culprit.:))
 
Standing in the East Enclosure singing The Sash and TBB and egging on The Copland Nutter

Being at the piggery for the last game before they knocked it down and replaced it with a meccano set. singing in their end and watching McCoist score an overhead kick

Away days to Dundee, Dunfermline, Ayr, Motherwell, Perth and Edinburgh (HIV’s games) seeing players great players we had
 
Not as much of a veteran as some of the posts but one thing popping into my head is away games as a wee kid round about souness era, most of the grounds of the smaller clubs had the main stand and 3 sides terracing. So we'd get behind a goal and up to halfway line of terracing but there was always a wee pocket in the home end corner nearest main stand which seemed to be mixed rangers/ whoever we were playing and no agro. Maybe i just remember it that way as a kid and my old boy was having to deal with all sorts while i was celebrating our goals etc but i mind of that at fir park, douglas park and east end park and maybe some others that are a bit hazy. It was like all the home hardcore went up to the fence to be near our support so it was more or less neutral in that wee corner.
Also pipes. First couple of games i went to someone smoked a pipe and whenever i smell one now its like im 6 again.
 
Reading the grandstand thread got me thinking how much has changed going to matches as a young lad in 1993 up until now. I’m sure a lot of older bears will have far more memories than myself in the last 30 years but some of my favourite memories are:

1. My dad going to the football. He still watches every game on tv but hasn’t been since the advocaat era. Have managed to pick up spares for a few games through the years but he just doesn’t wanna go. Would love to get him back for a few games again!

2. The old days of a sash bash going on on the ferries after every home game. Used to be brilliant fun and atmosphere for a young lad. Wish it was still like that

3. The atmosphere. Not sure if it was because I was young the atmosphere felt alot better than it does now but I remember Ibrox used to be bouncing

I’m sure more memories will pop up later on in the thread but these are 3 that stand out so far
 
Football special trains, old carriages pulled by a steam engine, absolutely rammed going to Hampden/ Ibrox. No health n safety in those days.
There is a flip side to that. That is why 66 people died on the stairs at Ibrox. I walked those stairs often and it was frightening. An accident waiting to happen.
 
Wearing a scarf round the neck accompanied with another on each wrist, strutting to the game with denim flares rain soaked up to the knees singing 'do you want to have a go with the Ibrox aggro?' with kerry oot in hand.
Have a few pics of my old man dressed like this in the enclosure, late 70s early 80s. Like a Rangers version of a Bay City Roller fan :))
 
I still have some old season books lying around in the attic somewhere. Fanzines , tickets for Hampden £2.50, and many copies of the Rangers News in the old newspaper form.
I used to have all the old first Rangers News but threw them out when I flitted about 30 years ago.

Mister gonny gie me a lift over.
Walking round from the Rangers end to the Celtic end to stand behind the goal Rangers were shooting in. Going over to training and stopping players when they were crossing from the Albion to Ibrox and getting their signiture. Unfortunately I have no idea where they books went to.
FOwFpkU.jpg
 
Yeah, but the away leg in the 1999 game was something like a 2.30/ 3pm kick-off here. They did similar playing Motherwell at Fir Park a few years before - was weird coming in from school to everyone watching a live game on a midweek afternoon (that wasn't a WC or Euros).

Incidentally, I remember watching the away leg in the Dortmund CL tie in 1995 on both STV and one of the German channels that our cable could pick up at the time - SAT1 possibly? Was learning German at school at the time, so I thought it was a novelty watching us on their coverage. Was also convinced that they'd be showing different pictures from STV (I didn't understand TV feeds obviously). The Germans referred to us as simply "Glasgow" which I thought was funny.
The Dutch used to call Rangers Glasgow as well. I think they call us The Rangers now
 
Getting lifted over the turnstiles as a youngster.
Away games.
Supporting Falkirk in the 70s kept you on your toes at away games.
Didnt carry a large away support then.
Youd be surprised at the amount of nutters in wee towns like Montrose, Arbroath, Forfar, Berwick etc.
Many a time we had to scrap our way back to the bus.
The smell coming from the pie and bovril hut.
Brockville.... still miss the place.... hate our new stadium and will never get used to it.
No camera phones... used to get up to all kinds if stuff that would see you locked up these days.
Singing songs that would have certain sections of society phoning the samaritans these days.

Love these kind of threads.
Reading them... thinking ... %^*& aye.. can remember this.
 
Half time walking round to change ends.
Kids on the trackside after getting pelted with bottles.
Getting lifted over the turnstiles.
Crushes going in and out of big games.
Home Internationals.
Procession of the wee blue disabled cars.
Double decker supporters buses.
Following Scotland.
Tougher but better times.
 
When only actual league champions played in the Champion's League.

Rangers doing their pre match warm up under the main stand.
 
Remember going to Ibrox also and have our own brand of crisps and chocolate bars.
I forgot about that. Was Duncan’s hazelnut in a Rangers wrapper. The stadium bar was fun for me as a lad. I was tall for my age so could get away with being in and having a beer with my uncles. We all used to play the give us a break machine in the bar. Aye ready salted crisps too. Lol
 
Strange, I know, but I used to love the fact that there was a sign at the turnstiles that told you what voucher to use for that day's game.

Smartcards are infinitely better, of course, but holding your season book in your hand at the start of each season was a terrific thrill.
 
Going under or over the turnstiles as a kid.
Rangers fans taking pop songs and turning them into terracing classics ( e.g. Those Were the Days my Friend by Mary Hopkins )
Bears sticking together when outnumbered
Getting the Rangers News and reading all the supporters notes
 
These posts have brought a lot of memories back for me.

I think for most the matchday itself has not changed much. Pub/Ibrox/Pub unless you’re a driver.

I recently bought a tablet so I can watch the early televised games in the car in comfort. Beats hanging about outside the ground.
 
Standing about the area near the Stairs behind the Copland Road next to the Edmiston club drinking cans of Lager. Late 80s early 90s, cant remember when the outdoor drinking was banned.
The place was littered with empty beer cans and bottles of MD20/20, Bucky etc by 10 to 3.
 
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