What is your earliest memory of going to watch your team?

[Kyle Reese]

For me it was when my Mum had nagged my dad to take me to the football at the start of the season in 1986, and every season of that decade afterwards.

That was the start of my love affair with HMFC.

Whole first season was a blur to be honest, I was six and seven.

…

The things I remember most vividly are:

Getting off the bus on Slateford Road

Trying to keep up with my Dad as we ran down the steps towards Gorgie Road (between Robbie Ave and Slateford).

Nipping in to Ramzan’s for a Ribeena and a Mars Bar

…

The walk up the stairs at the “school end” (Roseburn), and seeing the stadium open up in front of me…

The surge in the crowd when we scored and the strangers shaking and hugging us.

The smell from the S&N distillery.

Reading “The Pink” (edition of the Edinburgh Evening News) on the way home on the 44 Bus.
…

What are your times and moments?

 

 

Edited July 20, 2023 by Kyle Reese

[Hoose Rice]

Scotland v Russia around 1995  (I think) Scott Booth Scored. followed by Scotland v Greece 1995 (super Ally).  1-1 and 1-0 Ill guess both Wed nights.

Can mind my Mum taking me up the town for the bus after the LC Final in 1991.

I played a lot more football than went.   Started going to the cabbage around 1998 league one year.  Season ticket for the next 20 years after that.

[UsedToGoToCentralPark]

First game I went to - glorious summers day at Central Park getting beat 2-0 by Albion Rovers.

Halcyon days.

[Derry Alli]

Dens Park. 1986.

I wasn't even born until '88, too. Mental.

[madmitch]

Don't remember the first game  but remember the first season (67-68 Second Division) well.  St.Mirren didn't seem to ever lose.  Checking on the league table, they did only lose once. Probably lost away which I wouldn't have seen as only went to home games.  They won 27  drew 8 and  lost 1.  Scored 100 goals and  conceded 23.  Some team! They finished mid table in the First Division the following year. 

 

 

[rowsdower]

Motherwell v Rangers in the late 80s at fir park. My dad was a rangers fan so we were in the away end. I turned up in the rangers scarf he got me, my we brother was decked in motherwell gear, he wasnt going to take him in, and send him home woth mum instead, but in the end we all went in.

Motherwell won 2-1, but the only thing I can picture from the game was someone heading the ball off the bar. It also smelled like pish.

Followed the wee brothers lead after that.

Must have been this one

 

[velo army]

My first game was against Meadowbank. I was 4. We were in the south terracing in the days before clubs were required to have a state of the art bing.

My dad made it simple for my 4 year old self. "Boo the team in black and cheer for the team in red and yellow". Easy peasy.

Half time. Men in black come on to the pitch, I boo my wee heart out like the loyal Jags ultra I was. My da puts a hand on my shoulder. "Naw son, that's the ground staff" .

First proper Scotland game was great. I didn't watch the game, but me and some fellow wee boys ended up playing hidey on the terraces for the duration. Class.

[Richey Edwards]

My Papa used to take me to every home game. My first ever game was a 3-1 win against Airdrieonians back in August 2000. It was a really good game as far as I remember, and I stupidly thought all games would be like that. Home game weekends would usually involve me staying with my grandparents and I still associate going to the football with them.

I didn't go to a Scotland game until I was 18. My first game was a friendly against NI back in 2008. Unfortunately I had too much to drink so it was not a great time plus the match was shit.

[kingjoey]

The first game I remember being at was the Summer Cup Final play off against Hibs at Pittodrie on a Wednesday night in September 1964 when I was 8. We lost 3-1. We stayed 26 miles from Aberdeen and my dad worked on a Saturday so he couldn't usually take me, but pretty sure I'd been to a few midweek matches before then, but not a clue which ones.

[welldaft]

5 hours ago, rowsdower said:

Motherwell v Rangers in the late 80s at fir park. My dad was a rangers fan so we were in the away end. I turned up in the rangers scarf he got me, my we brother was decked in motherwell gear, he wasnt going to take him in, and send him home woth mum instead, but in the end we all went in.

Motherwell won 2-1, but the only thing I can picture from the game was someone heading the ball off the bar. It also smelled like pish.

Followed the wee brothers lead after that.

Must have been this one

 

You probably walked away thinking we would beat Rangers in the league quite often . Well done for going on to support the good guys .

My Father was a Motherwell fan. I was born in West end of Glasgow so my nearest team were Partick. Always had a soft spot for them. But I was never going to support anyone else other than the Well. Probably because I ended up at schools in Dunblane and then Crieff. No old firm bias ! 

My earliest memory was crying because I was absolutely freezing at my 1st game v Hearts around November / December 1974/75. I would have been 7 or 8 years old. I think we lost too . 

[stevieKTID]

October 23rd 1982,  2-0 home defeat against Aberdeen who were by all accounts not a bad side around that time, it was a beautiful sunny Autumn day, Aberdeen cruised it.

My two abiding memories from that day were Gordon Strachan's hair glowing in the hazy sunshine and being absolutely terrified of Derrick McDicken.

[lennyzer0]

Home game against Motherwell in the autumn of 1976 - the start of a decade long collection of Saturdays spent standing outside bookies, sitting in dark snooker rooms eating crisps, and sitting on the wall across the road from the Diggers - in chronological order, while my dad and uncle put on their morning bets, then had a few pre match pints in the Ferranti Club and finally scooped a last couple before the bus home.

Great days.

[Sergeant Wilson]

Delete the thread. I'm not having nostalgia about football that was essentially played about a fortnight ago. In fact 2000 was actually yesterday as far as I'm concerned. You certainly can't have colour videos.

[ropy]

Walking up Dalzell Avenue, past the big houses, everyone walking in the same direction, round the corner then down to the turnstiles, up the slope behind the goals then Fir Park emerged in all its glory.  A shiver of excitement surging through  my 3’ 6” tall body.  Hooked.

[Mr Heliums]

Early 1970s League Cup:  a mixture of vivid recollections and a blur. I remember walking up the Dunkeld Road with my grandad to go into Muirton Park at the main stand entrance, and a young lad beyond the turnstiles selling programmes – a big SJFC emblazoned on its cover –  and the steps to the left that led up to the old wooden stand itself. At the top of those steps, you saw the pitch for the first time, the awesomeness of it, but my strongest memory is of the smell of tobacco from the old pipe-smoking boys in their bunnets. Even now, on the rarest occasion when I smell pipe smoke, I'm transported. Almost impossible to think that some of those old guys would have been watching Saints since the early 1900s. Incredible to consider that continuing collective memory of supporters. 

I can't remember anything of the game, though I recall the deep maroon of the Hearts strips, and Donald Ford up front for them, and Jim Cruikshanks in goal. I think we won the game 2-1, after being behind at the interval. Afterwards the excitement of my grandad bringing back the Sporting Post almost as soon as we'd walked home, and reading the match report. The clear recollection of a line in it from the reporter suggesting that the manager must have fed Saints raw meat at half-time, and I took this literally, thinking maybe he should do that every week.

Edited July 21, 2023 by Mr Heliums

[DukDukGoose]

My first game was Stuart McKimmies testimonial against Blackburn.

Loved it, couldn't wait to go back. 

What a first season that was

[paranoid android]

Saw Hertz beat Motherwell 3-0 at Tynecastle for my first game.

In fact, we won the first five games I attended - thought I was a good luck charm.

How wrong I was! 

[Bigmouth Strikes Again]

Round about 1970, sneakey in at Dens, young children in these days simply crawled under the turnstile, or were lifted over. St Johnstone, remember sitting on the wall, front of the Derry.

Thank you.

[Arch Stanton]

Xmas day v Dumbarton in 1971.

[Smurph]

First Scotland game was the 2-2 draw at home to Belgium in 2001, where we conceded a last minute equaliser. I was obviously gutted at the time but didn't really understand the significance of the result.

First Thistle game was a friendly away to Morton in 2003, finishing 1-1. We also conceded a last minute equaliser although I was slightly less devestated. I remember wearing a very colourful Le Coq Sportif jacket and being excited seeing myself on the news.