Ted McMinn Memories

Crown_Defender

Crown_Defender

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Just how good was he? I didn’t get my first ST until the season after he left so I never got to see him play. Just started reading his book and it was quite the story. Working in a sawmill in £20 a week to signing for Rangers. Just got up to the part where Alex Totten wound him up about his pre-match meal. For those that haven’t read it, the players got a very basic meal in those days (scrambled eggs on toast) but AT had him thinking they got steak. Went into every minute detail, how did he want it cooked, even how fat/skinny his chips were to be, before announcing to Big Jock that ‘the new guy wanted steak’ :D

Gutted I didn’t go to his testimonial to this day.
 
Being aged 11, taken to the baseball ground while down visiting folks my old man used to work with in the railways, him loudly and in a broad Glasgow accent rollicking Ted during a long break in play for not scoring for about a year. Sure enough he scored.

(https://www.11v11.com/matches/derby-county-v-portsmouth-19-october-1991-124909/)

Same story won me a signed copy of Butcher's autobiography on Rangers TV channel when it was a live show. Cool story bro n all that...
 
LetsGo said:
Being aged 11, taken to the baseball ground while down visiting folks my old man used to work with in the railways, him loudly and in a broad Glasgow accent rollicking Ted during a long break in play for not scoring for about a year. Sure enough he scored.

(https://www.11v11.com/matches/derby-county-v-portsmouth-19-october-1991-124909/)

Same story won me a signed copy of Butcher's autobiography on Rangers TV channel when it was a live show. Cool story bro n all that...
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I was at that one too mate, C Stand Paddock.
 
Crown_Defender said:
Just how good was he? I didn’t get my first ST until the season after he left so I never got to see him play. Just started reading his book and it was quite the story. Working in a sawmill in £20 a week to signing for Rangers. Just got up to the part where Alex Totten wound him up about his pre-match meal. For those that haven’t read it, the players got a very basic meal in those days (scrambled eggs on toast) but AT had him thinking they got steak. Went into every minute detail, how did he want it cooked, even how fat/skinny his chips were to be, before announcing to Big Jock that ‘the new guy wanted steak’ :D

Gutted I didn’t go to his testimonial to this day.
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If you look on YouTube the full game against Celtic from Aug 86 is on there. That will tell u how good he was
 
Me and my mate caught in traffic in Motherwell after a game at Fir Park in 1986 - the bold Kevin walking away from the ground with his Rangers suit on alone. I rolled down the window and asked him why he wasn't on the bus - going straight home by train was the answer

He was sound - came over and signed our programmes
 
I was in the west enclosure, half full at best, sure it was a midweek game.
I remember his boot came off, he still played on for what seemed ages.
He was on the wing facing the broomloan.
Me and the mates were in fits
 
I remember a game against Clydebank I think it was,he beat half the team and runs into the box, then took a swipe at the ball, missed it and fell. Moments later he banged one into the net from the junction of the penalty box line and byline.
 
I clearly remember in the match before an Old Firm game at Ibrox, scoring direct from a corner against Dumbarton at Boghead. He went nuts celebrating, and was generally in excellent form.

In that Old Firm game, within the first two minutes, Roy Aitken kicked him hard in the stomach, but disgracefully no red card. McMinn did not play well after that.
 
He was tremendous during Souness’s first season.

The League Cup semi final against Dundee United was a particular standout, if my memory serves me well.

Edit: I see our man Edgar has beaten me to the punch.
 
As McCoist once said...he never knew what McMinn would do next, because Ted didn’t either. The great thing about getting old is that we start to only recall the great days, so Ted McMinn is now a much better player than he actually ever was...lol Fun memories of his good days though
 
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Not a specific memory as such, but I remember meeting my pals in Shawlands, late '86, and walking down to Ibrox for nearly every mid-week game. It was nearly always pay at the gate back then. We'd get in the Copland Rear and then study the players warming up. More than once I remember rubbing my hands together when I saw McMinn and Davie Cooper both warming up and then starting the game together. I just wish I had appreciated more at the time what I was watching.
 
My dad used to record the rangers highlights from about 1985 up to early 90s (only games we won) and remember sitting for hours as a 5 or 6 year old watching all these videos and can admit to mcminn being one of my early favourites despite being born in 1986.
 
With time ,I have nothing but happy memories of Ted, even if most of the time a was wondering, what the phuck was going on?
 
Loved The Tin Man.... Remember him running at a hibs player, standing on his chest as he basically ran him over..... and falling on his arse on a few occasions after brilliant mazy runs but getting back up with a huge smile on his face.
 
Before my time but his testimonial was amazing. Not that I remember much of that either.
 
I remember his debut - came on as a sub at Love St. He ran on looking like a circus clown, those size thirteen feet all unco-ordinated and I looked at my brother. "What the fuck ?"

If Souness hadn't come to Ibrox the next season I'm sure the novelty would have worn off sooner.
 
He absolutely roasted that big arsehole Derek Whyte when we beat the beasts at Ibrox in 1986 I think, the one wee Durrant scored the winner, Whyte was never quite the same after that, the Tin man was unplayable that day.
 
lowerhuttloyal said:
I was at that game also.

He went on a mad celebration run after he scored.:))
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Yes I was also there. A 4-2 win for the Gers if I recall correctly.

Also his famous mazy run v llves Tampere at Ibrox beat several players then a huge fresh air kick and fell on his face. The entire stadium burst out laughing as did some of the other Gers players.

One not so good memory was when Gers played Qos at Palmerston park in a cup tie. Ted was playing for QoS at the time and lost it big time, giving big gas meter a punch in the coupon. Big McCloy was too surprised to do anything.

Final memory was of a pre season match in Germany against some amateur team played in a rainstorm. Ball went out of play and ted vanished into the crowd and stuffed the ball up the back of his jersey, comes back on claiming he can’t find the ball. Cue confusion until ted finally produced it, this was one of souness first games in charge and he didn’t know whether to give ted a talking to or gut himself laughing.
 
Prestwick Bear said:
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That game brought back great memories and it was a tribute to Ted McMinn that he was voted man of the match with so many other fine players on the park.
It sparked off a secondary issue. I know that some on the forum have expressed reservations about signing players from other Scottish teams. OK, he was surrounded by quality players but Stuart Munro, who was signed from Alloa, never let the side down.
 
Carltonblue said:
Yes I was also there. A 4-2 win for the Gers if I recall correctly.

Also his famous mazy run v llves Tampere at Ibrox beat several players then a huge fresh air kick and fell on his face. The entire stadium burst out laughing as did some of the other Gers players.

One not so good memory was when Gers played Qos at Palmerston park in a cup tie. Ted was playing for QoS at the time and lost it big time, giving big gas meter a punch in the coupon. Big McCloy was too surprised to do anything.

Final memory was of a pre season match in Germany against some amateur team played in a rainstorm. Ball went out of play and ted vanished into the crowd and stuffed the ball up the back of his jersey, comes back on claiming he can’t find the ball. Cue confusion until ted finally produced it, this was one of souness first games in charge and he didn’t know whether to give ted a talking to or gut himself laughing.
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Talks about the McCloy incident in the book, although not that it was a punch, just that he clattered into him.
 
eeboh said:
I remember a game against Clydebank I think it was,he beat half the team and runs into the box, then took a swipe at the ball, missed it and fell. Moments later he banged one into the net from the junction of the penalty box line and byline.
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I'll second that and I remember it being Clydebank at Ibrox too. I still maintain it was one of the greatest non-televised goals I've ever seen.

Exactly the kind of maverick you'll never see in the fitness and possession obsessed modern game. Still one of my favourite ever Rangers.

The quintessential cult hero.
 
I played with Ted for a few years here in Australia. Was a very good player who got absolutely hammered physically and just got up and on with it.

Some of his stories were legendary.
 
Old school "character"! Actual name Kevin called "Ted", allegedly, because he owned one as a wean....surely we're alll called Ted by that logic?!?

The "Tin Man" nickname seemd to be tabloid driven, although it did kind of a catch on.

Could beat three men then fall over for no apparent reason but always an entertainment!
 
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