[A Photographic History Of Scottish Football]

In the wake of an Aston Villa v Rangers friendly in the mid 1970's being abandoned due to a pitch invasion by  visiting fans, albeit goaded by some home fans waving Irish tricolours, Ian Archer wrote in the Glasgow Herald that 'Rangers and Celtic are a permanent embarrassment and occasional disgrace to Scottish football'.

Nothing much changes.

 

Just to rectify a typo in the above what Ian Archer actually said was -

"This has to be said about Rangers FC, briefly because Prague beckons.  As a Scottish football club, they are a permanent embarrassment and an occasional disgrace. This country would be a better place if Rangers did not exist.

They are a permanent embarrassment because they are the only club in the world which insists that every member of the team is of one religion.   They are an occasional disgrace because their fans, fuelled by bigotry behave like animals"

The piece goes on to list behaviour problems of Rangers players and supporters. The point of Archer's piece was to point out the problems that Rangers sectarian employment policy caused. This was sensational for the time. Rangers "No Catholics" policy was rarely mentioned in the media in those days and it was virtually never criticised. Indeed there were journalists who condoned it.

However Ian Archer was wrong about one thing. Rangers ceased to exist in 2012 but I would not say it has made Scotland a better place.

To that end I would echo the final paragraph in his article - 

"And, because some people are so sick, I have to put six words at the end of this column. I am not a Roman Catholic"

[A Photographic History Of Scottish Football]

Re the Summer Cup mentioned earlier -   Has anyone got indication of what attendances were like  ?                                                                                                                         I went to a few games at Fir Park and my memory is that for the sectional games there would have been barely a couple of thousand people there.                                   Also have a recollection that an Airdrie V Third Lanark game had an attendance of around 100 or so?

And yet at the semi final second leg v Hibs , and the final first leg V Dundee Utd the ground was packed? 

Or is my memory playing tricks?

 

[A Photographic History Of Scottish Football]

I don't think that Jimmy Johnstone was the scorer in that photo from Ibrox. I am sure it was Willie Wallace who had actually scored. In the background you can see the Celtic players celebrating with the scorer while Jimmy is celebrating in front of the fans. (although in those days the fans were a good bit further away than now

[A Photographic History Of Scottish Football]

On 19/11/2021 at 21:45, Dundee Hibernian said:

Wonder what colours Thirds were wearing that day: guessing at sky blue and claret to contrast Hearts' white with maroon candy stipes, but can't see anything mentioned in match reports.

Thirds wore a gold shirt that day - and Jocky Robertson did indeed wear a Hearts shirt under his goalkeepers jersey

[A Photographic History Of Scottish Football]

Very interesting to read about the 1909 Hampden Riot. I find the society aspect of football as interesting as the results.  And good to get contemporary accounts.  Often we see things from days gone bye through our modern eyes.  From what I have read in other places Celtic and Rangers were quite friendly in early days. It was a few years after this event before Rangers adopted their "No Catholic" policy.  So no segregation in those days? When I started taking interest in Football in the late 50's /early 60's the Old Firm game was unique I think in having segregated crowds. The London media often commented on this , and I remember reading a report of a Canadian journalist visiting Glasgow who went to a New Year derby. He stated how the crowd had a "smile on half its face" when a goal was scored. My father started going to football in Glasgow late 20's, early 30's. Old Firm segregation had been established by then. He said that as far he was aware the segregation was not imposed by authorities but had been adopted by the fans themselves. I have never been able to find out if that was indeed the case, and if so why each set of fans chose the end of the ground they did. Doubt if there is anybody still around from those days but are there any Celtic or Rangers fans who have any knowledge of this?

[Favourite quirks of Scottish stadiums.]

Incredible- I just started volume 1 on Tuesday. Will certainly be getting these 2. Started going to games in 1960-61 season so some great memories as well as information 

[A Photographic History Of Scottish Football]

On 08/03/2021 at 03:13, steelman1991 said:

Jeez that could easily have been mistaken for the Wheatfield end of Tynecastle.

 

Willie Hunter - bottom far right

Goalkeeper is Frank Haffey. Tommy Bryceland next to Andy Penman in front row I think. 

y