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Favourite quirks of Scottish stadiums.


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2 hours ago, Flybhoy said:

What is now the 'grassy knoll' behind one goal at Firhill was once a terrace some younger people might not be aware, been like its present form about a decade I think. Here is its former image.

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I find it such a shame that that old terrace has been taken back by nature essentially. I remember in Thistle's stint in the SPL they put Christmas trees in to make the place look more festive (and also live up to its name). What a shame that the league didn't allow standing then because Firhill and lots of other grounds would have been even better to visit than they are now.

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3 hours ago, Flybhoy said:

What is now the 'grassy knoll' behind one goal at Firhill was once a terrace some younger people might not be aware, been like its present form about a decade I think. Here is its former image.

FB_IMG_1512315000488.jpg

A  great end terracing that was  torn down by a well-meaning but ultimately incompetent board . For a development that had no planning permission and never happened, leaving the  “bing” or grassy knoll as a permanent eyesore that ruins Firhill. Allan Cowan and the rest of the guilty men never apologised - indeed I seem to recall Cowan had a personal vision of  Firhill as a three, two, or even one sided stadium.  Astonishing that they did this and just walked away.

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3 hours ago, Flybhoy said:

What is now the 'grassy knoll' behind one goal at Firhill was once a terrace some younger people might not be aware, been like its present form about a decade I think. Here is its former image.

FB_IMG_1512315000488.jpg

Its criminal we lost a good terracing like this because of the daft 'all seated stadia' requirements.   

Firhill was a good ground where you could create a really good atmosphere.

 

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5 minutes ago, Stan Butler Says said:

A  great end terracing that was  torn down by a well-meaning but ultimately incompetent board . For a development that had no planning permission and never happened, leaving the  “bing” or grassy knoll as a permanent eyesore that ruins Firhill. Allan Cowan and the rest of the guilty men never apologised - indeed I seem to recall Cowan had a personal vision of  Firhill as a three, two, or even one sided stadium.  Astonishing that they did this and just walked away.

Didnt know the story behind it, thanks forthe info, sounds  a comedy of errors. 

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Believe it or not but this is the old jungle at Celtic Park in 1966, getting a new roof and concrete steps, crush barriers etc as even back then it was a dilapidated crumbling wreck, wasnt much better in the 70's onwards but at least when I first went in the late 1980's it had a roof that didnt leak and terracing that wasn't crumbling.

IMG_20171203_205649.jpg

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Believe it or not but this is the old jungle at Celtic Park in 1966, getting a new roof and concrete steps, crush barriers etc as even back then it was a dilapidated crumbling wreck, wasnt much better in the 70's onwards but at least when I first went in the late 1980's it had a roof that didnt leak and terracing that wasn't crumbling.
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Looks like the scene of a disaster there!
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37 minutes ago, Daydream said:


Looks like the scene of a disaster there!

The jungle as I remember it in the 80's and 90's from roughly the same angle.

Looks relatively neat but was still quite primitive from what I recall as a boy. Toilets were horrendous and it could get quite cramped at games v the **** and european ties, meaning as a laddie I saw little of the game but what an atmosphere  8)

My first ever game in there was 2nd January 1988 when a Frank McAvennie double beat the now dead club 2-0 on the way to a league and cup double in Celtic's 100th year, not a bad first visit !!!

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On 12/2/2017 at 21:27, Salvo Montalbano said:

I was only at Muirton Park once and it was the scene of one of the worst things to ever happen at a game. It was a midweek game and we were in the corner of the old stand. I was cold and hungry so asked my dad if I could get a pie. He reluctantly agreed so I went down the stairs at the front into the enclosure and round to the wee wooden shed to get one. Queued for ages and when I eventually returned with the pie (and a tea for my dad) it was steak and kidney. Boak. Makes me heave even thinking about it. Why would a football ground sell such a monstrosity?

 

On 12/2/2017 at 21:48, killiepiemuncher said:


I had a chicken and chorizo pie today, very nice filling but the pie case was a bit soggy.

Good grief. Comparing a 30 year old pie at Muirton to modern day St Johnstone at McDiarmid? Really?  That's undoubtedly the worst attempted slagging of our catering I've seen on here and that takes some doing. Literally the only connection between the two is they are both in Perth. Jeez.

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1 hour ago, Flybhoy said:

Believe it or not but this is the old jungle at Celtic Park in 1966, getting a new roof and concrete steps, crush barriers etc as even back then it was a dilapidated crumbling wreck, wasnt much better in the 70's onwards but at least when I first went in the late 1980's it had a roof that didnt leak and terracing that wasn't crumbling.

IMG_20171203_205649.jpg

It used to seem as though it snowing as old bits of rust used to disintegrate while watching the game. Think it dated from when a seated stand on the same side burned down in 1904.

Edited by Glenconner
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9 minutes ago, Snafu said:

Looks like a larger version of the 'wine shed' at Clach in its prime.

I take it the heaps or mounds in front of the stand are the pigeon droppings?

 

 

2 minutes ago, Glenconner said:

It used to seem as though it snowing as old bits of rust used to disintegrate while watching the game. Think it dated from when a seated stand on the same side burned down in 1904.

My dad said it was originally ash banking with wooden railway sleepers every couple of feet and an old ashphalt roof :lol:

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10 minutes ago, Flybhoy said:

 

My dad said it was originally ash banking with wooden railway sleepers every couple of feet and an old ashphalt roof :lol:

Correct, corrugated iron roof with holes in it. Think in the early days they (the old old old board) charged a couple of pennies extra to get into it.

Pre the holes in the roof.

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The jungle as I remember it in the 80's and 90's from roughly the same angle.
Looks relatively neat but was still quite primitive from what I recall as a boy. Toilets were horrendous and it could get quite cramped at games v the **** and european ties, meaning as a laddie I saw little of the game but what an atmosphere  8)
My first ever game in there was 2nd January 1988 when a Frank McAvennie double beat the now dead club 2-0 on the way to a league and cup double in Celtic's 100th year, not a bad first visit !!!
images.jpeg.50ac82208cf4a34b37444c788cee605e.jpeg
GW577H335.jpeg.67b8f9c58a2df29d210ef4972e25c3ab.jpeg

Seems a shame that these famous terraces have gone. Times change though, eh [emoji57]
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On 02/12/2017 at 02:28, sjc said:

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Aberdeen v Kilmarnock - 1970 Scottish Cup SF - Muirton Park - Att: 25,000!

I was there in the enclosure in front of the main stand. Lots of trouble on the far terracing that day, but my main recollection is going on to the pitch at the end to celebrate and getting chased back off again by two big Killie bullies! By the way the exact crowd was 25,812.

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FB_IMG_1512315000488.jpg.f700c613220f8022f35242cceecda0e3.jpg
Shudder...look at that awful, disgusting, disgraceful, lethal, unsafe standing.  A death trap if ever I've seen one.

Loved that terracing. As a wee boy I used to stand down at the wall while my dad and uncles stood halfway up getting blootered. But they kept an eye on me. At the wall I was so close to the touch line I could almost touch my heroes.
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I'm a big fan of terracing and would love to see it back in whatever form - but I wonder how many people now (esp. in the top flight) would like to go back to open ends with no weather protection. Used to hate Tynecastle and Easter Rd for that reason and remember plenty of soakings at those places (most other grounds had some cover for away fans at that point if memory serves)...

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6 hours ago, Swello said:

I'm a big fan of terracing and would love to see it back in whatever form - but I wonder how many people now (esp. in the top flight) would like to go back to open ends with no weather protection. Used to hate Tynecastle and Easter Rd for that reason and remember plenty of soakings at those places (most other grounds had some cover for away fans at that point if memory serves)...

I'm all for the return of terracing but it would have to be covered imo.

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21 hours ago, Swello said:

I'm a big fan of terracing and would love to see it back in whatever form - but I wonder how many people now (esp. in the top flight) would like to go back to open ends with no weather protection. Used to hate Tynecastle and Easter Rd for that reason and remember plenty of soakings at those places (most other grounds had some cover for away fans at that point if memory serves)...

Agree. I would like to see terracing return, but we used to put up with some very primitive conditions! And it would probably still be exactly the same now, if health and safety hadn't made clubs modernise.  Tynecastle, Easter Road and Dens have definitely improved as an away fan, due to not having to stand out in the open behind the goal.

On the flip side, Pittodrie, Fir Park, Firhill are all poorer for visiting fans than they were before redevelopment.

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