Rangers in Sweden 1972; Jock Wallace karaoke, pipe bands and a Rangers victory

Göteborg-Rangers

Well-Known Member
A good Swedish friend sent this to me yesterday, Unfortunately the rest of the article is behind a pay wall, but the best part, concering us, seems to be at the start of the article below. Would love to hear stories from anyone who was there that day!


https://www.offside.org/reportage/han-var-kompis-med-eusebio-och-alex-ferguson/

The year is 1972 and in the western part of Trollhättan, just outside of Gothenburg, it's the summer holidays. Fallens Dagar (a festival in the city), which attracts around 50,000 visitors annually, is in it's third day. The highlight of the festival has been the fallpåsläppet (when they open the lock gates to the canal) since the festival started in 1959. This is the time when the locks are opened and 300 cubic meters of Göta Kanal water per second flows down the Trollhätttan Falls. But the people who didn't visit Trollhättan this July day may have missed something even better on the program this year. Glasgow Rangers, recent Cup Winners Cup champions, are in town to play a match against a "star studded" time of Västgötar (Swedish star players from the west of the country). 1,800 advertisement posters are put up around the small town. The Gulins department store has its windows full of scottish clothes, and in the centre of town, the Thistle Pipe Band plays so loud that the town square comes to a stop.

To the match at Edsborg's IP, where Lars-Gunnar Björklund's of Tipsextra fame has been hired as a speaker. 3,000 spectators see Glasgow Rangers win 5-2 and afterwards many of them continue to the Stadshotellet (City Hotel), where the evening of honor is held, at the 'Scot Ball'. Trollhättan Newspaper is watching the party, where the crowd dance the sounds of the bagpipe music. The herds of people are crowded in the room. The football agent Börje Lantz is there, Trollhättan municipal council as well, and the guests from Glasgow Rangers, according to the newspaper, take the opportunity to let their hair down. Rangers manager Jock Wallace is particularly in the party mood. In the late hours of the party, he goes up to the stage, grabs the microphone and sings "I left my heart in San Francisco".



42 YEARS LATER I'm looking for people who were there on Christmas day. I want to understand why the stars chose Trollhättan, but the first thing that strikes me is how much a city changes in four decades. The city hotel is now called Scandic Swania, Gulins has been purchased by Lindex and everyone knows how Saab is doing. The days of the fall are left, but it was many years ago, such a big team played at Edsborg's IP.

Most people who were in 1972 have died or have no memories left of the days of the fall-soccer. But a journalist at the local newspaper gives me at least the number to Sven-Erik »Stinsen« Andersson, "Trollhättan's living encyclopedia".

"It was Nestor Laurén who fixed everything," says Stinsen. He was a friend of Eusébio and Alex Ferguson.
 
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I've got a football programme for Rangers vs stjarnkombination (Swedish all stars) at home from 1972,everything is the same...played at edsborg in trollhatten,but the date is given as 22nd July??? There's a few of these progs come up for sale quite regular,and they all share the same date.It stands out because it has the ecwc on the front cover. Sorry I can't post up the picture at the moment
 
I'm getting a 5-2 Rangers victory,Colin Stein hat trick,Fyfe and MacDonald, but it's still given as being a pre season game in July 22nd,not around Christmas time as the report in the OP states
 
Vaguely remember this as a young pup . Was it not part of a 3 match tour ? Iirc GAIS (? ) beat us 4-3 and we beat someone else 4-0 . Stand to be corrected , though .
 
Rangers Complete Record has.....

July 22 Stjarn Komb 2-5 Stein 3 A. McDonald, Fyfe

July 26 Malmo 4-2. Greig, Conn, A. McDonald,Johnston.
 
We played this side in a post-season friendly in 1977. Shortly after, I received a copy of the prog through the post which was sent from Sweden. Never ordered it or asked anyone to send it but thanks 41 years on to whoever did, think we won 7-2

HAVE YOU GOT YOUR OWN RANGERS-THEMED PERSONAL STALKER? :eek:
 
A good Swedish friend sent this to me yesterday, Unfortunately the rest of the article is behind a pay wall, but the best part, concering us, seems to be at the start of the article below. Would love to hear stories from anyone who was there that day!


https://www.offside.org/reportage/han-var-kompis-med-eusebio-och-alex-ferguson/

The year is 1972 and in the western part of Trollhättan, just outside of Gothenburg, it's the summer holidays. Fallens Dagar (a festival in the city), which attracts around 50,000 visitors annually, is in it's third day. The highlight of the festival has been the fallpåsläppet (when they open the lock gates to the canal) since the festival started in 1959. This is the time when the locks are opened and 300 cubic meters of Göta Kanal water per second flows down the Trollhätttan Falls. But the people who didn't visit Trollhättan this July day may have missed something even better on the program this year. Glasgow Rangers, recent Cup Winners Cup champions, are in town to play a match against a "star studded" time of Västgötar (Swedish star players from the west of the country). 1,800 advertisement posters are put up around the small town. The Gulins department store has its windows full of scottish clothes, and in the centre of town, the Thistle Pipe Band plays so loud that the town square comes to a stop.

To the match at Edsborg's IP, where Lars-Gunnar Björklund's of Tipsextra fame has been hired as a speaker. 3,000 spectators see Glasgow Rangers win 5-2 and afterwards many of them continue to the Stadshotellet (City Hotel), where the evening of honor is held, at the 'Scot Ball'. Trollhättan Newspaper is watching the party, where the crowd dance the sounds of the bagpipe music. The herds of people are crowded in the room. The football agent Börje Lantz is there, Trollhättan municipal council as well, and the guests from Glasgow Rangers, according to the newspaper, take the opportunity to let their hair down. Rangers manager Jock Wallace is particularly in the party mood. In the late hours of the party, he goes up to the stage, grabs the microphone and sings "I left my heart in San Francisco".

2hrk7lk.jpg



42 YEARS LATER I'm looking for people who were there on Christmas day. I want to understand why the stars chose Trollhättan, but the first thing that strikes me is how much a city changes in four decades. The city hotel is now called Scandic Swania, Gulins has been purchased by Lindex and everyone knows how Saab is doing. The days of the fall are left, but it was many years ago, such a big team played at Edsborg's IP.

Most people who were in 1972 have died or have no memories left of the days of the fall-soccer. But a journalist at the local newspaper gives me at least the number to Sven-Erik »Stinsen« Andersson, "Trollhättan's living encyclopedia".

"It was Nestor Laurén who fixed everything," says Stinsen. He was a friend of Eusébio and Alex Ferguson.
 
A good Swedish friend sent this to me yesterday, Unfortunately the rest of the article is behind a pay wall, but the best part, concering us, seems to be at the start of the article below. Would love to hear stories from anyone who was there that day!


https://www.offside.org/reportage/han-var-kompis-med-eusebio-och-alex-ferguson/

The year is 1972 and in the western part of Trollhättan, just outside of Gothenburg, it's the summer holidays. Fallens Dagar (a festival in the city), which attracts around 50,000 visitors annually, is in it's third day. The highlight of the festival has been the fallpåsläppet (when they open the lock gates to the canal) since the festival started in 1959. This is the time when the locks are opened and 300 cubic meters of Göta Kanal water per second flows down the Trollhätttan Falls. But the people who didn't visit Trollhättan this July day may have missed something even better on the program this year. Glasgow Rangers, recent Cup Winners Cup champions, are in town to play a match against a "star studded" time of Västgötar (Swedish star players from the west of the country). 1,800 advertisement posters are put up around the small town. The Gulins department store has its windows full of scottish clothes, and in the centre of town, the Thistle Pipe Band plays so loud that the town square comes to a stop.

To the match at Edsborg's IP, where Lars-Gunnar Björklund's of Tipsextra fame has been hired as a speaker. 3,000 spectators see Glasgow Rangers win 5-2 and afterwards many of them continue to the Stadshotellet (City Hotel), where the evening of honor is held, at the 'Scot Ball'. Trollhättan Newspaper is watching the party, where the crowd dance the sounds of the bagpipe music. The herds of people are crowded in the room. The football agent Börje Lantz is there, Trollhättan municipal council as well, and the guests from Glasgow Rangers, according to the newspaper, take the opportunity to let their hair down. Rangers manager Jock Wallace is particularly in the party mood. In the late hours of the party, he goes up to the stage, grabs the microphone and sings "I left my heart in San Francisco".



42 YEARS LATER I'm looking for people who were there on Christmas day. I want to understand why the stars chose Trollhättan, but the first thing that strikes me is how much a city changes in four decades. The city hotel is now called Scandic Swania, Gulins has been purchased by Lindex and everyone knows how Saab is doing. The days of the fall are left, but it was many years ago, such a big team played at Edsborg's IP.

Most people who were in 1972 have died or have no memories left of the days of the fall-soccer. But a journalist at the local newspaper gives me at least the number to Sven-Erik »Stinsen« Andersson, "Trollhättan's living encyclopedia".

"It was Nestor Laurén who fixed everything," says Stinsen. He was a friend of Eusébio and Alex Ferguson.


2hrk7lk.jpg
 
I actually bought a programme for this game when we played Ayr Utd at Somerset @1974, we drew 1-1, Graham Fyfe was outstanding (the day we sang Johan,Johan Johan Fyfe) I think Sandy Jardine scored, I was only 11 back then. I sold the programme & most of a quite good collection to get funds to go to the Villa friendly a couple of years later!
 
My brother & his mate Alex actually went out to Sweden to follow follow. In fact they did it two seasons in a row & only met two other bears at one of the games. Three highlights were trying to take a photo of wee Bud at a throw in. Bud took the camera off them and photographed them. While waiting outside one stadium to meet the team wee Alex McDonald asked them how they were getting on with everything being so expensive. After telling him he went onto bus & collected money from the players & gave it to them. Another game Willie Waddell asked how they were getting about then let them sit in the team bus to the next venue. My brother reckons him & Alex were backpacking before the word was invented.
 
Who can speak to the club about a little summer trip. Jocke Björklunds the assistant manager with Swedens league leaders, so I am sure he would be up for it.
 
We played Malmo in a pre season in 75/76ish and lost 2-1. Our scout troop were over on a day trip from Copenhagen and we were all bought hot dogs by the club after the game
 
My mate and I were the only two Bears at the Trollhattan game.. (At the Malmo game there was a party of Boy Scouts who came across from Copenhagen. )
Big Jock invited us to sit on the bench with the subs etc. It was a tiny ground. It was arranged for there because the team used a local hotel facilities for pre season training.
We hitch hiked there. Glasgow to Newcastle. Ferry Newcastle to Esbjerg. Then hitched to malmo. From there up to Trollhattan.
Tom 74 above is getting mixed up. Doddle did give us money for a pint or two. However the team bus ride he mentions was when watching Scotland in Denmark. We hitched up to see the under 21's and were offered a lift back to Copenhagen and complementary tickets for the Euro tie the next night.
My dad was the president of the wee Gers club and met Jock Wallace a few times. The year after Trollhattan he asked my dad if our family could entertain a mother and two daughters who worked at the hotel at which the team stayed. We had them over for dinner. The youngest was about my age and I took her to an end of season party for my Saturday morning team. The boys were impressed I had a Swedish blonde friend with me called Ingalena.
 
Great story mrdobby!

Trollhättan is not so far from me, so it's brilliant to hear about Rangers being there many years ago and to even see pictures in the Rangers news from that time.
 
I just joined follow follow and saw this post. My mate Gordon and I were actually at this game in Trollhattan. I was at the Barcelona final. I was a first year student at Strathclyde in Glasgow. I worked in Oslo that summer and dead that we were playing a friendly in Sweden. My mate Gordon and I decided to take a few days off and hitch hike down to Trollhattan. It was Friday the day before the game. We hitch hiked separately and agreed we should meet outside the stadium and whoever arrived first should wait there for the other.
I ended up getting there first and got directions to the stadium. I recall it was an extremely hot day. The small gates to the stadium were open and I went in to take a look. A small stadium but nice playing surface. There was someone working on the field around my age (19). I went back outside and sat on the grass. After about half an hour the young groundsman came out ..I nodded to him and he nodded back. He crossed the road and went into an apartment building After about 10 minutes he came out again crossed the road and approached me. He introduced himself Thomas Ellstrom and likewise I introduced myself. Thomas's English was very good We started chatting and i told him how I was a Gers supporter was working in Oslo for the summer, had hitchhiked there for tomorrow's game and was waiting for my mate. He went back to his apartment and came back again a few minutes later. He said it's really hot to be outside my mother has invited you to come and wait for your mate at our place..Thomas introduced me to his mother and younger brother Hans. His mother didn't speak much English but I was hardly there and she wanted to make some sandwiches for me while Thomas is in the fridge to get a nice cold beer. An hour later Thomas's dad comes home from work and introductions again. A little later Thomas's mum shouts out to him and Thomas tells me I think your mate is outside the stadium! We go over and get him and bring him back to the apartment. Food and beer brought to him. Thomas's mum and dad ask him where we are staying and before you know it we're invited to stay at their place by his parents. Thomas tells us that night that because he is working at the ground that they told him that Saturday morning before the game the Ranfers squad are going to sightsee at the Trollhattan Falls.

We went there before the scheduled time and sure enough a coach h arrives and out steps all the team. The Rangers News reporter is there and their photographer and want photos of the two of us with the team. Also got our own photos with my hero John Greig and me with Colin Jackson who lived down the road from me in Rutherglen (I live in Canada now). The photos and story were in the following week's Rangers News..I still gave that newspaper somewhere in a box in my basement.

That's my story of the summer of 72 friendly game in Trollhattan..good memories to look back on..and best of all 47 years later Thomas Ellstrom and I have always kept in contact with each other with an annual Christmas card to each other...
 
Was only a fan when he was manager second time round but he is my favourite Rangers manager. After what happened to the club in recent times I went back the way, looking more at the previous decades; he was a colossus. Had he not left when he did what careers would Russell, John MacDonald, Cooper, and Gordon Smith have had? His ability to put belief in players was incredible, and it's the recurrent theme in interviews with his former players.
 
Just imagine a book with all the stories of Bears traveling to see the Famous play in Europe throughout the years, Personal accounts of their journeys.
It would be a Thousand times bigger than War and Peace, and bestseller to boot.
 
Just imagine a book with all the stories of Bears traveling to see the Famous play in Europe throughout the years, Personal accounts of their journeys.
It would be a Thousand times bigger than War and Peace, and bestseller to boot.
I`m sure a poster called livibear or something did one a couple of years back. Am not sure if it made it to print but remember me giving him a story to use at the time.
 
I have just received a copy of the programme I bought online and on googling to do a bit of research, found this thread. The posts above by those who were there are absolutely fantastic to read. I now feel like I will treasure the programme that bit more having read the above! I dare take it out the pocket in which it is wrapped as it is pristine! Thanks to the posters above who contributed those two tales! @Burlingtonbear and @mrdobby
 
They used to go to the Hindas training camp for pre season for a few years . Me and a mate went to see them one year as we were in Sweden at the time . I wanted to speak to Alfie Conn as he was my favourite player at the time but Sandy Jardine told me he had been sold to Spurs , 1974 I think . we didn,t get to any games but got invited to attend the camp and watch the guys train .
 
If you fancy it, you can still go and stay in the same place as the team stayed in Hindås. Not so much of a Sports centre any more, but the ski jump is still there.

 
If you fancy it, you can still go and stay in the same place as the team stayed in Hindås. Not so much of a Sports centre any more, but the ski jump is still there.

Remember Cutty Young standing at the bottom of it sreaming like Tarzan . Don't remember seeing any houses near the place .
 
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