What does Rangers mean to you?

MancGer86

MancGer86

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As the thread title suggests...what makes you a Rangers fan, where did it all start for you? What do you want out of a being a Rangers fan? What matters to you when watching/supporting Rangers? What is it about the club that you love so much?

Club has a phenomenal fanbase that extends far beyond a stones throw from Ibrox so I'm interested in where everyone's attachment to the club comes from and how big a factor does it play in your own lives.
 
My dad was from bellshill., my mum from wishaw. Moved to Coventry for work… always about rangers… I was fortunate enough to see a lot of teams when I was growing up., Man Utd ., Liverpool., etc.. but nothing was as good as watching the bears… rangers…. it's the first thing I check when I get up and before I go to sleep .
 
georgedoors said:
The connection to my late dad, my youth my friends my life . I've mellowed in my older years thankfully as bad results used to affect my mood . Still have the odd rant . Rangers are in the heart body and soul.
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I’m the same - bad results used to ruin my weekends….now by the time
I’m in the car on the way home I’ve generally moved on from the result
 
cooperman said:
in the here and now, a bit of a slog tbh
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Huge emotional attachment to the club for over 40 years now and in the last 10-15 years have been fully invested

There have been many lows in recent years and Saturday is up there in the top 10. I don't want to feel cheated but I really do and questioning whether i can be bothered.

(don't worry Rangers, next year's ST's are already purchased x 3)
 
MancGer86 said:
Where did it all start for you then mate? Where were Rangers at when you first went to Ibrox?
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first ever game I went to was at rugby park went because someone took me, I supported no team or was that keen on football, won 8-1, even for a newbie at the time, I could not keep my eyes off Coops, hence I became a Rangers supporter, with him being THE reason
 
Ok I will start.
My grandfather was born in 1906. He remembers his dad taking him to see Rangers as a boy. He then had my dad in 1938 and took him to his first game after the war. My old man can’t remember when as he was so young.
My old man took me to my first game when I was about 2 1965. I have vague memories of him sitting me on the red metal stations that everyone leant against. He took me to every home game and many away games on the supporters bus from Pollokshaws. My son was born 1982. We went regularly then got season tickets when he was about 16. My 1st grandson was born in July 2013. He had a season ticket from the following season. My circumstances changed and I another longer live in the UK so it’s left to my son and grandsons to carry on.

Having been born and raised in the lucky side of Glasgow , Rangers are an obsession which takes over between July till May. I have had some brilliant times and memories along with some tortured days because of our circumstances but will never understand the it’s only a game mentality. My support of Rangers and the clubs values have shaped my life mostly for the good ( some things as I get older I see the madness of my youth ) but Rangers Football Club is a huge part of what I am and wouldn’t change it for the world.
 
rinosprayer said:
Huge emotional attachment to the club for over 40 years now and in the last 10-15 years have been fully invested

There have been many lows in recent years and Saturday is up there in the top 10. I don't want to feel cheated but I really do and questioning whether i can be bothered.

(don't worry Rangers, next year's ST's are already purchased x 3)
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I actually think the toughest time as a supporter was when John Greig was manager, add to that him and Coops did not seem to get on and he was benched quite a bit
Sure it's been shitty the last whatever years, but I still have hope, and I think PC will deliver next season if armed with the right tools
 
My dad took me to my first game in 1974, then every home game from the following season. We won 2 trebles in my first 3 years of regular attendance. To say I have a sense of entitlement is a massive understatement.
 
For as long as I can remember Rangers has been an obsession.
My Grandas, my dad, my uncles, my brothers. Our conversations revolved around Rangers. Sitting round the dinner table or at my grans. The good and the bad.
The one constant in my life. My first love.

I've now got two sons of my own one at 9 and one coming up for 5 and I can see in both of them the passion and love grow the very same way mine did. I was lucky to grow up through 9 in a row so you could say my love didn't need much help to blossom. Yet there it is with them. I've told the story before about my oldest being with me at Ibrox in the European run to Seville and I will never forget the look in his eye when Roofe scored against Braga and I knew he was hooked for life.

My youngests first game ended up being Hibs at Easter Road due to his big brother getting chicken pox on the morning of the game. Although I think the more hostile away crowd has rubbed off on him a bit. Ever since he has lived and breathed Rangers and football in general. I got into bother on Saturday night right enough when I got in and got told he had gave the tele the finger when joe Hart was carrying on after our goal. So I might have trouble on my hands with him in a few years.

My Mrs for long enough couldn't understand how I am with Rangers she was never into football but she has came to accept it over the last few years to the point she would probably call herself a Rangers fan now. Whether that is down to seeing how it effects our boys or just accepting the fact she couldn't compete I don't know.

It's too simple to say it's a way of life. But it is.
 
Met McCoist outside the doors of Ibrox getting autographs when I was 6-7. Laughed and joked with us for a wee while and that was him my hero.

Dad and granda (mums side) both Rangers fans. Dad took me to the odd game when a boy. But my Granda bought me my first season ticket and I’ve never looked back 20+ years. They are no longer with us, so see it as a connection to them to follow on.
 
Not exactly a secret to say that City is my first and therefore no.1 love but this is my association with Rangers, think I've touched on some of this already anyway in previous threads but here we are..
So when i was a kid growing up in Manchester I first became aware of Rangers via the European nights in the early 90s, seeing the Leeds and Marseille games on TV after coming home from scouts at the community ctr up the road from us. Then I get older, learn more about football in general, start to see what the OF was all about but was always told by my dad that City fans followed Rangers and Utd followed Celtic, so always took on that line of thinking even if it was on a casual basis because I was all in on City back then (still am, just to a lesser degree in terms of going to as many games etc)
For reasons I've not really worked out myself as yet it took me til Jan last year to go to Ibrox for the first time. Won't ever forget the experience even though I'm sure regulars will do because it was a basic 2-0 win over st Johnstone. Cantwells debut. Tav penalty first goal. A lot of it reminded me of my old days of going to Maine Road because of the scarf, badge and flag stalls everywhere within close proximity to the ground, blue is my colour so to see a sea of blue everywhere was right up my street, and of course its such an iconic traditional stadium. I was up there on my own and anyone I spoke to outside and inside the ground was brilliant with me, all great people with stories to tell about their own love for club etc. And it's been like that ever since. It's hard for me to get up to Ibrox more than 2 or 3 times a season but I think that helps make it even more special for me personally. So its gone from being a passing interest to watching every game i possibly can, trying to get up for whatever games I'm able to and giving a shit about the results.
I can't deny it's a more casual, distant bond with the club compared to a lot of you but there's an attachment there that's grown enormously since that first Ibrox visit.
 
MancGer86 said:
As the thread title suggests...what makes you a Rangers fan, where did it all start for you? What do you want out of a being a Rangers fan? What matters to you when watching/supporting Rangers? What is it about the club that you love so much?

Club has a phenomenal fanbase that extends far beyond a stones throw from Ibrox so I'm interested in where everyone's attachment to the club comes from and how big a factor does it play in your own lives.
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Answering thread title question:

“It means that I have regained some form of positive mental health now that the season has come to an end!!!”
 
cooperman said:
I actually think the toughest time as a supporter was when John Greig was manager, add to that him and Coops did not seem to get on and he was benched quite a bit
Sure it's been shitty the last whatever years, but I still have hope, and I think PC will deliver next season if armed with the right tools
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It was tough under JG but the last 13 years have been a lot worse.
Under JG the Sheep and Dundee Hibs have good teams which meant the Bheasts didn't hoover up nearly every trophy !
 
An unhealthy obsession but one that I wouldn't change or probably be capable of anyway.

The lows are low but the highs make it all worth it and there's no doubt the highs will be returning more frequently in the near future. I was lucky to grow up in the best period of our history so I have seen both sides of what we are going through at the moment and have been fortunate to attend two European finals either side of the lowest period in our history aside from the disaster in 1971. Winning in Seville would have been the jewel in the crown of my time supporting Rangers but I'll always retain hope that we will return to that stage again and make it third time lucky for my generation.

It was passed down from my dad and I am now passing it down to my own sons having got my older one his first season ticket on his ninth birthday last summer. My family and my wife's family are all Rangers and 95% of my pals support Rangers.

I don't think we could escape it even if we wanted to, its just an absolute constant presence in daily life.

The great Walter Smith summed it up best when he said "There are people for whom Rangers Football Club is their entire way of life"
 
MancGer86 said:
As the thread title suggests...what makes you a Rangers fan, where did it all start for you? What do you want out of a being a Rangers fan? What matters to you when watching/supporting Rangers? What is it about the club that you love so much?

Club has a phenomenal fanbase that extends far beyond a stones throw from Ibrox so I'm interested in where everyone's attachment to the club comes from and how big a factor does it play in your own lives.
Click to expand...
I don't want to sound like I'm trying to be staunch but I'll answer the question honestly. Rangers is my life. I don't stop thinking about Rangers all day. My whole life evolves around when the next game is and wishing away the days until it comes. I cry like a baby all the way through old firm games. Old firm games excite me more than anything else in the world and I cant describe the feeling I get on those days and the amount of emotion I go through watching it is mental, often get people slagging me for the state I'm in eyes watering over a good tackle or one of our players getting stuck in for the jersey and crying if Celtic scored or crying with happiness if we score. I'm completely obsessed and it's like rangers is just another one of my family members. It was just passed down to me and this is the way I ended up.
 
Everything.

Was first taken by ma auld man and my Grandad.

My eldest sort of fell away from football after the final in Seville (understandable haha) but when he asked randomly to go to the game one this season the absolute buzz I got was electric.

Cantwell scored my sons hitting a griddy in the stand. Apparently when I was a kid I used to copy super ally doing his weird robot celebration.

Now my daughter is wanting to go and my youngest is Rangers daft.

My most expensive hobby, win lose or draw they are my life.
 
My dad worked weekends and although He was Rangers minded did not frequent Ibrox much.

Being from the Dalmarnock and Bridgeton area he probably attended more Celtic games by being lifted over the turnstiles than he did Rangers. Simpler times being a boy back then in the 1930’s

My much older Brother was in the navy and was a bear and would go to games whenever he could . Early memories of going to see Rangers at Tynecastle and Easter Road with my dad and Brother when he was on leave in the early seventies.

An old wardrobe full of Rangers News that were delivered every week. He was away for months on end usually under the ice in the arctic circle on a Polaris nuclear submarine during the Cold War. All read front to back and then over again. Playing for Rangers Annuals every year for Xmas.

As the saying goes it is a way of life.
 
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Probably too much!
Constantly checking for news, nervous before every game, having bad moods because simple things like cleaning and weeding the stadium footprint aren't done, getting depressed because no one will ever be held accountable for 2012.
Remembering the starting 11 for a match 30 years ago whilst forgetting what shopping is needed :))
Some things just get under your skin for life and I wouldn't be me without Rangers.
 
cooperman said:
I actually think the toughest time as a supporter was when John Greig was manager, add to that him and Coops did not seem to get on and he was benched quite a bit
Sure it's been shitty the last whatever years, but I still have hope, and I think PC will deliver next season if armed with the right tools
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I hope you’re right.

Greig as manager was around when I first attended a few games but I can accept it must have been miserable for older bears watching a club legend deliver so badly.

Coming 5th in 85-86 was a real low point for me also.

The last 12 years have been brutal but I’ve shared some real highs and great moments with my sons. Moments you just can’t replace.
 
MancGer86 said:
As the thread title suggests...what makes you a Rangers fan, where did it all start for you? What do you want out of a being a Rangers fan? What matters to you when watching/supporting Rangers? What is it about the club that you love so much?

Club has a phenomenal fanbase that extends far beyond a stones throw from Ibrox so I'm interested in where everyone's attachment to the club comes from and how big a factor does it play in your own lives.
Click to expand...
The team my dad supported and really the only thing we bonded over.

He left when I was young and he had 100s of Rangers News from 1990 - 1994ish.

I swear I read each one, back to front hundreds of times. It was my only link to him so the Rangers News left, meant alot to me.

Its my obsession.
 
Old man born and bred in Copland road in 1943, moved up to the NE for work in the 70's. I was born in 80 and when i caught the football bug i was showing signs of liking Dundee Utd due to UEFA cup run etc, then i got the chat of how things were going to be and never looked back!! Got the crsmith top, discovered Ally McCoist, Davie Cooper and the rests history as they say.
 
Passed on me from my brother. I've had some unbelievable times watching Rangers. Where else would you get the same feeling as seeing Edu score a last minute winner against them? Nowhere. I've met some lifelong friends through Rangers, in particular lads from NI (Portadown if you want to be specific). Could never imagine being one of them.
 
Put it this way, I was interested in football, after that it was not up for negotiation. It's all through the family even the ones who don't really bother with football, always want us to win especially against them.

Started primary school and it now entered a new stage of the enemy, across a kind of no man's land in the RC school, where I first learned the classics, such as Catholic dogs eat the frogs, which they also sang with a slight changing of the lyrics.

Everything about the club has been a part of my life, from meeting and still very much friends with our kind. Always liked the bonus as the season ends, we had the marching season to enjoy. That's all part of it for me.

Agree with a couple of posters though, the older I get, the less upset I get by results. Just think that's maybe down to realising that events happen to us all, where you understand that football is not everything. My favourite memory was me and my old man watching the run to the Manchester final. Was one of my favourite times with him. Still don't know to this day, where he got the energy to jump out the chair when nacho scored the penalty that night. A great memory in his last couple of years.
 
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Followed my Dad, took me to my first match aged 6 in Feb 1971.
Season ticket since 1980.
As expected my son follow follows. Took him to his first game aged 5 in 1998 (Gazza's last game). He has had a season ticket since 2000. We both attend every away game when we have tickets, I generally mange almost all. We also go to euro aways, finances permitting.

The amount of my disposable cash (and at times indisposable cash) I spend on all things Rangers is ridiculous. The basic things I've done without to follow. The overtime I never claimed as pay & took as time in lieu (to go to see Rangers) easily equates to thousands.

Basically after family & close friends, Rangers is everything to me and even more so since 2012.
Ibroxonia sums it up for me.
 
My extended family were all Rangers supporters except ironically for my old man who only supported whoever his money was on.
And yet it was he who first took me to Ibrox. The reason being he was friendly with Willie Henderson and got complimentary tickets from him.
I was immediately captured by the magic of it all especially under floodlights.
I still get cold sweats wondering what would have happened if he had been pals with Jimmy Johnston.
 
It's in the family.

My dad, my son and I all bonded strongly through our trips to Ibrox and it will be in the blood always.
 
First game at Ibrox v Hearts in 1960, even though I have been here in Denver since 1996 I do not miss a game on RTV.
I love The Rangers.
 
MancGer86 said:
As the thread title suggests...what makes you a Rangers fan, where did it all start for you? What do you want out of a being a Rangers fan? What matters to you when watching/supporting Rangers? What is it about the club that you love so much?

Club has a phenomenal fanbase that extends far beyond a stones throw from Ibrox so I'm interested in where everyone's attachment to the club comes from and how big a factor does it play in your own lives.
Click to expand...

My family have always been a strong Rangers supporting family. I was born near Ibrox and I lived my very early life in Kinning Park before moving to the Rangers side of Hampden area.

Went to my first game in 1981 and loved it ever since.
 
Massive part of my life so much so that work, holidays, family events revolve around the games. I’ve missed important family events in the past for games

Travelling from Northern Ireland every home game it’s not as easy to get to all the aways I’d like to get to, as it’s a massive financial commitment. I see times me doing without other things in life to afford trips across at times.

I say every season I am cutting down to one a month but never happens

Being from Northern Ireland supporting Rangers plays a massive part in the PUL community whether ones like to admit it or not. A lot of the Rangers social clubs and pubs over here are the heart of many communities for meet ups functions etc
 
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