The old Rangers end at the Piggery

First time there, first ever OF game was 1st Jan 1986, we lost 2-0, still have my ticket stub, Janefield St, £2.50. The singsong tho was immense.

Celtic:
Bonner W McStay McGrain Aitken McGugan Grant McClair P McStay McGhee Burns Archdeacon Subs: McAdam McInally

Scorers: McGugan 9 McClair 49

Rangers:
Walker Dawson Munro McPherson Paterson Durrant McCoist Russell Williamson D Ferguson (Bell) Cooper (McMinn)
 
So many great memories of standing in the Rangers end there with around 18,000 fellow bears, there was nowhere really that came close to creating that atmosphere, the Rangers end at Hampden maybe at a push.
I still have a few tickets from around that time, the one below was probably one of my first, I would have been 13 then. You can still see the wee holes at the top where I had it pinned to my wall along with loads of others, as people did back then.

 
the first 5 mins of the 4-2 new year game was utter bedlam.
We'd been at a house party for the 'bells' and one of the girls boyfriend was visiting from Jersey(not really a footy fan)..pleasant night,nothing out the ordinary.we invited him to come with us,as we were all 'skipping' in.
Poor guy didnt know what hit him:))
 
Rangers fans today including McCoist saying the clubs should revert back to the way it was before Rangers evicted the scum from the Broomie.
When the return the full stand behind their goals as they gave us for over 100 years then we shall do likewise.
1585983205picsay1585983223.jpg
 
Used to be able to purchase tickets from their pool shop, West Nile St, upstairs next to the photographers iirc, then at Dundas St next Queen St station
 
1288Bear said:
Something to do with his diet in the afterlife ;)
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Hahaha.

The guy that had this banner climbed up the floodlight (just out of the reach of the coppers) to display it. He was up there for what seemed like ages. One of the funniest things I’ve seen at the football.
 
blue barney said:
Never bought anything from it but remember the manky pie stall at that end with the pies passed out through a wire grill?
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There was a female who worked in the same factory as my Mrs.. Got sacked for bad hygiene.. Her job on a Saturday afternoon... Yep you've guessed it.. Working in their manky pie stalls
 
Hard to tell how many Bears got into the sty in the old days. I can remember when it was pay at the gate and the Rangers end was packed. No ticket, no attendance limit.

But I think that anyone who ever chanced it in there will agree that it was a dangerous slag heap. Tbf it is only marginally better now.
 
Sancus said:
He died a while after that having never fully recovered. He was at same school as me and his dad was an inspector in the police.
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Really sad that..
Saw the bottles raining down. Pushed a mate out the way of one then moved to a different area.
 
Was a cesspit but what a atmosphere created by the bears. Anybody remember Rambo, bear who had his scarf tied round his head and climbed up the pylons. Everybody was singing Rambo,Rambo then the polis decided to go up and get him down, guy pulls his cock out as the polis is half way up. Was hilarious.
 
willemtway said:
Used to be able to purchase tickets from their pool shop, West Nile St, upstairs next to the photographers iirc, then at Dundas St next Queen St station
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Used to be able to buy Rangers end tickets at the Piggery :p
 
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sprally said:
Not just the piggery
Fir park
Love st
Easter rd
Tyncastle
Dens
Tannadice
Brockville
Hampden
And many more.
I feel I’ve been spoilt having been to these grounds as a youth supporting the famous.
Especially in the late 80’s and 90’s.
Tbh the grounds now are soulless.
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Loved going to above grounds in the 70s and early 80s.If they had CCTV in those days more than few of us would have got a 6 o'clock chap weeks later.
 
the nowhere man said:
Loved going to above grounds in the 70s and early 80s.If they had CCTV in those days more than few of us would have got a 6 o'clock chap weeks later.
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Not just CCTV - think most of us who grew up and had our youth in the 70's/80's will be grateful there were no camera phones or social media back then.
Some of us could have ended up in a spot of bother ;)
Or seriously embarrassed :)
Simpler happier times.
 
SSR said:
Used to be to buy Rangers end tickets at the Piggery :p
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I get mine from Phil Coles on Bank St, Coatbridge. Phil Coles was a mentally challenged slophouse but they always had a few Rangers end tickets for sale.
 
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Otis Blue said:
The whole rangers support pointing at them whilst we sang, We absolutely bossed the atmosphere in those games. My memory is we seemed more elevated in the ground and looked down on them. Their jungle was to the right as we looked on the pitch if I remember. some on here have got much clearer memory than me ! Loved those games.
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The maximum height of the Rangers End was certainly higher than the Jungle. My first game at Parkhead was in 1969 and there have been some great results for us over the years, although not enough for my liking. Some really painful results too unfortunately. I have been in their end twice for Finals against Hibs and Aberdeen and I was surprised that the steps at their end were not as high as the Rangers End making it a really poor view. All in all, a bit of a dump.

It is strange how some things stick in your mind. At half time during a game in the 1970’s, the half time scores were being announced and the first one up was from Somerset Park and the home team was announced as ERR. We all burst out laughing at that. Might not seem funny now so I assume we were beating them at the time.
 
The Meik's Crombie said:
The maximum height of the Rangers End was certainly higher than the Jungle. My first game at Parkhead was in 1969 and there have been some great results for us over the years, although not enough for my liking. Some really painful results too unfortunately. I have been in their end twice for Finals against Hibs and Aberdeen and I was surprised that the steps at their end were not as high as the Rangers End making it a really poor view. All in all, a bit of a dump.

It is strange how some things stick in your mind. At half time during a game in the 1970’s, the half time scores were being announced and the first one up was from Somerset Park and the home team was announced as ERR. We all burst out laughing at that. Might not seem funny now so I assume we were beating them at the time.
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A win for EER and walking up the STERRS. common way for them to pronounce that type of word. I’ve never known why that is. Tims at work all pronounce that way. yes agreed it certainly was a dump but some great days.
 
It was merely a bonus getting a ticket for the piggery in your away allocation in the terracing days because you were always guaranteed getting in anyway by jumping the turnstile.
 
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Only ever been to the old piggery twice.
Beating Hibs 2-1 in the league Cup Final and 4-2 new years day match.
I remember admission was free that day. :))
 
Gibraltar Loyal said:
Remember a game that we got beat 3-0 I think a couple sent off inc Souness but what i do remember is the police trying to remove a massive Union Flag from the Rangers end and the bears standing firm and throwing out any polis that came in.
Some wee mentally challenged looking bastard with scrmabled egg on his hat was directing police from trackside. He told one young cop to get in amongst it and looked like the cop told him to basically %^*& off or after you. Was quite funny.
mentally challengeds sent ball boys out with buckets to pick up the coins that were getting lobbed
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Tam fae cambuslang said:
I was there that day, i thought it was an Ulster flag they tried to remove, police were literally chased off the terracing.
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blueshire said:
I could be wrong but also remember it being a huge union jack
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Bada-Bing said:
Was it not a whole lot of Ulster flags stiched together that the police tried to take? If so I was there standing beside Bomber Brown who done a quick sharp harp in his demin jacket to avoid to press. This was my favourite moment at the piggery!
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I remember this quite vividly as I was not far behind the said banner. It was in the section nearest their main stand. Bada Bing is correct.

It was a number of Ulster Flags all the same size stitched together and it actually had a union flag in the center of it. Guys were holding it up and police were sent in to pull it down as no doubt it was wrongly construed as being 'sectarian'. They were repelled! There was actually a photo of it at the time and what helps my memory was the chant went up of 'Ulster Says No'. There was a real feeling of defiance and no way were they coming in to take it down.

This was around 91/92 and at that time, while there was the odd flag/banner in the grounds it wasn't massively widespread for clubs to have them at domestic games. More big away trips. For me, this incident above changed this

There was a piece in Follow Follow about and it may actually have made the papers and was incorrectly reported. Off the back of this, the fanzine then put out a call to arms for everyone to mobilise and dig out any banner they had and turn up at the next game at the Piggery and get them up. It was the first of the modern 'Flag Days'. This led to the resurgence of the bringing of flags to games. I remember reading the rules in the FF which was along the lines of no gang names, no swearies and no paramilitary themes. I believe it was the 2nd Flag day there where the photo was taken which eventually was made into the famous poster that was given free with the fanzine of the full Rangers end with hardly an area not being covered with a banner of some description. It also coincided with us playing in the very first Champions League format and with the influence of European fans doing similar, our supporters and RSCs started getting their own ones made up.

Make no mistake that our support led from the front (coordinated with the fanzines) with creating atmospheres during this period ( we also had the bog roll day!)and it was some time until the Tims caught on and started to have any kind of attempts to keep up with us.

Oh and it was also mentioned in this thread about us all singing along to 'Grand Old' Team; with the Ha Has. This was started at Parkhead by us as we lorded it over them continually during the 90s and it took quite a period before they beat us and got the chance to retaliate by doing it to the Billy Boys. This got more attention as the cameras of course were above the Jungle, but again, we had been doing it way before this, they were just nicking our support's ideas
 
Bearskin said:
I remember this quite vividly as I was not far behind the said banner. It was in the section nearest their main stand. Bada Bing is correct.

It was a number of Ulster Flags all the same size stitched together and it actually had a union flag in the center of it. Guys were holding it up and police were sent in to pull it down as no doubt it was wrongly construed as being 'sectarian'. They were repelled! There was actually a photo of it at the time and what helps my memory was the chant went up of 'Ulster Says No'. There was a real feeling of defiance and no way were they coming in to take it down.

This was around 91/92 and at that time, while there was the odd flag/banner in the grounds it wasn't massively widespread for clubs to have them at domestic games. More big away trips. For me, this incident above changed this

There was a piece in Follow Follow about and it may actually have made the papers and was incorrectly reported. Off the back of this, the fanzine then put out a call to arms for everyone to mobilise and dig out any banner they had and turn up at the next game at the Piggery and get them up. It was the first of the modern 'Flag Days'. This led to the resurgence of the bringing of flags to games. I remember reading the rules in the FF which was along the lines of no gang names, no swearies and no paramilitary themes. I believe it was the 2nd Flag day there where the photo was taken which eventually was made into the famous poster that was given free with the fanzine of the full Rangers end with hardly an area not being covered with a banner of some description. It also coincided with us playing in the very first Champions League format and with the influence of European fans doing similar, our supporters and RSCs started getting their own ones made up.

Make no mistake that our support led from the front (coordinated with the fanzines) with creating atmospheres during this period ( we also had the bog roll day!)and it was some time until the Tims caught on and started to have any kind of attempts to keep up with us.

Oh and it was also mentioned in this thread about us all singing along to 'Grand Old' Team; with the Ha Has. This was started at Parkhead by us as we lorded it over them continually during the 90s and it took quite a period before they beat us and got the chance to retaliate by doing it to the Billy Boys. This got more attention as the cameras of course were above the Jungle, but again, we had been doing it way before this, they were just nicking our support's ideas
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good post mate,i remember it vividly as well,as you say there was no way they were getting that flag,you could feel the atmosphere turning nasty very quickly,the Rangers support was not to be messed with,the coppers wisely backed down
 
LOL 133 said:
Not sure if this is right but I seem to remember there were 88,000 tickets for the piggery back in the late 60s early 70s.
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Forget there biggest crowd was not 91k and the tickets were 70 to75k in the 60's& 70's Do you believe they printed 88k absolutely no chance happened
 
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sprally said:
Not just the piggery
Fir park
Love st
Easter rd
Tyncastle
Dens
Tannadice
Brockville
Hampden
And many more.
I feel I’ve been spoilt having been to these grounds as a youth supporting the famous.
Especially in the late 80’s and 90’s.
Tbh the grounds now are soulless.
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Old Tynecastle and Brockville were my personal favourites, can’t think why cause they were both shit tips :))
 
blueshire said:
good post mate,i remember it vividly as well,as you say there was no way they were getting that flag,you could feel the atmosphere turning nasty very quickly,the Rangers support was not to be messed with,the coppers wisely backed down
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The game where that happened was in 1991. We played there twice in 2 weeks, the Cup game where Hurlock, Hateley and Walters were sent off then the League match which featured Davie Dodds at centre half. From memory the flag incident was at the Cup game, recall watching the game on tv and although not specifically referred to you could here from the crowd noise that there was an incident in our end
 
blueshire said:
Used to love going to the terraced Rangers end of the Piggery,20 thousand bears strong,first went mid 80s as a young teenager i was in awe of the Rangers support,never seen so many nutcases in the one place,anyone got some good memories to share,must be some cracking stories
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blueshire said:
Used to love going to the terraced Rangers end of the Piggery,20 thousand bears strong,first went mid 80s as a young teenager i was in awe of the Rangers support,never seen so many nutcases in the one place,anyone got some good memories to share,must be some cracking stories to be told!
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Whole place was a piggery
 
Jumped the perimeter wall from a garden behind our end back in the day. We won 3-1 and remember when John brown smacked in the third the poor (unt in front of me breaking his leg in the crowd surge. Apart from that it was a great day.
 
I've not been back to the Chamber of Secrets since we won the league there in '99. Decided nothing would ever top that, so it's been Sky or whatever since then for me. Loads of times before that of course. One memory is the Spackman game at New Year and we'd been on it all night before heading to the game. My mate was particularly done by this time and I'm sure it was only the crowd being so packed in that was holding him up. Anyway when Nigel scored and bedlam ensues, he went down quicker than Frank McGarvey's wife and was AWOL for the rest of the game. Nothing beat a goal at that cesspit, going mental with the bears. Great memories.
 
First time there 3-1 Glasgow cup win midweek night when that comp meant something

First time I was in the Celtic end at parkhead was the Sc replay against st Johnstone was amazed at how small the home end was as the angle is much more shallow than the steep Rangers end

been in the jungle only twice SC semis against St Mirren and Morton
 
stonewall Jackson said:
The only ground where Bears were in the celtic end was Old Hampden in the 71 and 73 SCF. This never happened at the piggery or Ibrox.
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Sorry, but it definitely happened at Parkhead. There was a large section of our fans in the terracing at their end, right next to the main stand. When they scored, a whole section at that bit never cheered and remained still.I think that it may have been the game where we were on a really long run of undefeated games in the eighties. I remember we all commented on it at the game at that time.
I do remember our fans in their end at Hampden as you mention.
 
First time at the piggery was August 1987.
Travelled on Dunoon supporters bus.
Great passing their buses enroute & everyone going nuts!
I remember at the turnstiles, getting my ticket out, ready to go through & boys just charging on through with no tickets!!
The noise & passion in Rangers end just blew me away - magic!
Remember Mark Falco refused to shake hands with Pat Bonner at the end!!
 
Gordmar said:
Sorry, but it definitely happened at Parkhead. There was a large section of our fans in the terracing at their end, right next to the main stand. When they scored, a whole section at that bit never cheered and remained still.I think that it may have been the game where we were on a really long run of undefeated games in the eighties. I remember we all commented on it at the game at that time.
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Sorry mate dont remember that ever happening.
 
Sancus said:
Where I learned to stand with your back to the crush barrier and not facing it.
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remember that a from there. Right up against the barrier and the pressure from behind after a foul. Running out of breath just waiting for the pressure to let up. All part of the thrill but pretty scary when you think about it.
 
Gordmar said:
Sorry, but it definitely happened at Parkhead. There was a large section of our fans in the terracing at their end, right next to the main stand. When they scored, a whole section at that bit never cheered and remained still.I think that it may have been the game where we were on a really long run of undefeated games in the eighties. I remember we all commented on it at the game at that time.
I do remember our fans in their end at Hampden as you mention.
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I was in the Rangers end and you could clearly see a huge different coloured block of fans compared to those dressed in green.
 
Great place to be when we we won or got a draw against the odds eg with 9 men but one word describes the place for me ... deathtrap
 
stonewall Jackson said:
Sorry mate dont remember that ever happening.
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Coincidentally it was 33 years ago today.

We went into the match 4 pts ahead of them and with an 11 advantage goal difference wise. Given there were only 6 games to play and 2 points for a win coupled with the fact we hadn’t won the league for 9 years meant demand for tickets was off the scale.

We weren’t officially allocated tickets in their end but there were no restrictions on who could buy them. Originally my two tickets were for their end but due to a no-show I was upgraded to the Rangers end. I then swapped those outside the ground with 2 Bears who had tickets for the stand (I had a train to catch from Central at 5.10). Unfortunately, they neglected to advise me the briefs were for their part of the stand, we emerged unscathed but it was a long afternoon. Cooper’s goal direct from a corner at 0-0 should never have been disallowed
 
RFC Graham said:
First time at the piggery was August 1987.
Travelled on Dunoon supporters bus.
Great passing their buses enroute & everyone going nuts!
I remember at the turnstiles, getting my ticket out, ready to go through & boys just charging on through with no tickets!!
The noise & passion in Rangers end just blew me away - magic!
Remember Mark Falco refused to shake hands with Pat Bonner at the end!!
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Mine too. Went on the Clarkston bus.
 
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