Hampden memories

[PossilYM]

20 minutes ago, Otis Blue said:

First Hampden visit was September 1973 for QP v QOS, with a 3-0 win to the mighty blue machine.  Remember entering the old South Stand enclosure but most of the QOS fans were on the North terrace so we hopped onto the running track and wandered round behind the goals at the R*ngers end to the North Terrace - no stewards, polis, fencing or anything to stop us.  Was surreal wandering around such a vast nearly empty stadium - I'd have been 15 at the time.  The echoes from the players shouts were as loud as the fans.

Only time as a neutral was in 1976 for the Bayern v St Etienne European Cup final.  Was in the "neutrals" section between the German and French fans - with various unbiased refrains such as "We won the war" emanating from our friendly section.  Worked closely with a French company decades later, and their director told me how many French fans still remembered to this day how the square (rather than round) Hampden posts had twice denied a French equaliser - they never forgave us for that.  I expressed my "sincere" condolences to him.  I think St Etienne later bought a set of the old square shaped Hampden posts for their museum.

Obviously, the best memory was the crazy 4-3 cup semi-final win against Aberdeen in 2008.  Especially, remember after the game being congratulated by Dons fans walking back to the car, even although they must have been gutted to lose to a diddy side.  The contrast after the final was starkly opposite, walking back among R*ngers fans you couldn't tell that they'd won, don't think any of them were smiling (cos they'd lost the UEFA final a few days prior, and also the league I think to the other mob) - there was no "hard lines lads" or any such banter, just looked at us as if we were pond life.  Gotta love the OF.

Rangers End

lol

[kingjoey]

8 hours ago, PossilYM said:

Rangers End

lol

@Flybhoy will think you're bizarrely seething.

[PossilYM]

2 minutes ago, kingjoey said:

@Flybhoy will think you're bizarrely seething.

Believe "The Rangers End" poster follows Queen of the South.

[Guest]

My first visit to Hampden. When you tell people that Scotland v France was your first game several people gave thought I meant the Gary Caldwell game.