Fifty Years Ago - Barcelona Bound

[Scott7 6,005]

1 hour ago, MacK1950 said:

GOOD OLD DAYS.?

They were indeed, weren’t they? Except at the dentist.

[compo 7,040]

Aye good days a pie for a tanner the half time scores on a board that you couldn't see but the best bit was having a piss in a beer can with a jagged edge hoping Forrest or Brand didn't score ? or you could get circumcised, I loved it

[26th of foot 6,082]

2 hours ago, MacK1950 said:

Can't remember what I first paid into Ibrox(circa 62/63) but when I went to Kilbowie Park to see the Bankies with my cousins it was an old tanner.When we could we silpped under the collection window,no turnstiles,and were able to spend our money on the "chocolate macaroon bars.

 

Also used to go to La Scala in Clydebank with a "jeely jaur" for entry.

 

GOOD OLD DAYS.?

Days of yore in deepest, darkest Lanarkshire presented a number of opportunities. You could join the Band of Hope(sign the pledge), join the Tufty Club, the Wolf Cubs, .................................... the Hamilton ABC Minors. The last was the most exciting, you paid your dosh at the local ABC Cinema, bought a frozen Jubilee, and surrendered to the mid morning darkness. You sucked the colour out of the Jubilee and then launched it. You watched the serials your old man had viewed 30 years before, you booed, cheered, or participated in the weekly talent contest(the lad playing the sash on a moothie always won).

 

The best bit came after leaving the Cinema. You left the town via the racecourse Road to the satellite villages and you flew a bi-plane(the Blue Max), rode the torrent de Valencia(El Cid) or stormed across Bothwell Brig(the Bridge at Remegan). I should mention that apres Cinema excitement only occurred if you were fortunate to survive the flying Jubilees.

[26th of foot 6,082]

Double Dutch.

 

The Glasgow Air Traffic Controllers strike had delayed the Rangers party's plans to arrive in Lisbon on the Monday evening. A hastily organised overnight stay in London was arranged and the Rangers party were separated into a a number of smaller groupings as they negotiated the journey from Heathrow to Lisbon. The last grouping arrived late Tuesday afternoon, just three hours before the UEFA deadline. It was hardly decent preparation for an important Euro' match. The added Double Dutch ingredient was about to be added the very second Referee, Laurens Van Ravens blew his whistle.

 

Van Ravens was no stranger to Scottish football, he had officiated when Rangers defeated Real Zaragoza 2-0 at Ibrox in the ECWC quarter-final first leg in 1967. Further, he had been centre stage at Hampden in 1968 when Scotland drew 1-1 with England. In Lisbon on that November evening he was clearly a stranger to the rules. The aforementioned Zaragoza game is a case in point, Rangers won two nil, then lost the second leg by the same scoreline in Spain. Extra time did not separate the teams, thus the Ref' tossed a coin and fortune was on our side. UEFA had changed the rules for all 1971-72 Euro competition, the coin toss was scrapped in favour away goals counting double and if extra time did not reach a conclusion, a penalty shoot out was deemed decisive.

 

As the players entered the pitch at Estadio de Alvalade the Lisbon Chronicle described the attendance as, "Sixty thousand filled the ground both physically and spiritually. The stands were crammed, spirits brimming over with faith. Hope, almost certainly was in the air, in everyone's souls". The teams taking the field were : Sporting Lisbon - Damas, Gomes, Hilario, Tome, Talo, Laranjiero, Vagner, Lourenco, Yazalde, Peres and, Dinis. Rangers - McCloy, Jardine, Mathieson, Greig, McKinnon, Jackson, Henderson, Conn, Stein, Johnston and, MacDonald. Rangers two Subs were Tommy McLean and Dave Smith.

 

Sporting's initial approach in front of their fanatical support was described by the Herald as, "hammer and tongs". In the 25th minute Yazalde put Sporting ahead, a long range free kick was spilled by McCloy and the Portuguese forward knocked the ball into the net. The Girvan Lighthouse blamed the lightness of the continental ball, "it constantly moved in the air". Two minutes later, Colin Stein was grateful for such lightness, he won the ball then chased his own knock down. He survived another two challenges before squeezing in the equaliser. Lisbon restored their lead five minutes before half time, Tome notching. At the break, the Portuguese side were through on the away goals ruling.

 

It took two second period minutes for Stein to equalise for the second time. Just after the hour mark, Ronnie McKinnon went in for a challenge and did not get back up. Doddie was quoted, "he tackled then sat up with his hand in the air". I urged him to get back into the fray but he just sat there, "he wasn't rolling around and when I went back over he told me he had broken his leg". Ronnie had sustained a double fracture that effectively ended his career, Dave Smith came on as Ronnie was stretchered off. There were six minutes remaining when Sporting retook the lead through Gomes. The game ended 3-2 and 5-5 on aggregate, the home side had the advantage of 30 minutes extra time in front of their own support.

 

The reports of the match I have read all mention the dozen Sporting drummers at the front of the main stand, apparently they increased their beat during the added thirty minutes. They stopped when Willie Henderson's shot found the net but again picked up the rhythm when Sporting won and scored a penalty through Peres. The game finished 4-3 and the tie was 6-6. Rangers had notched three away goals to Sporting's two, thus Rangers should have progressed into the quarter-finals. The Dutch Ref' had other ideas.

 

Stein and McCloy remonstrated with Van Ravens but he was adamant penalties were needed to decide the tie. He consulted his Linesmen and came back to the centre circle where he proceeded to toss a coin. John Greig called and the Ref decided the toss was to decide which end the penalty shoot out should take place. Confusion reigned, Rangers had won on away goals, had won the toss but, missed their first four penalties. John Greig did not get to take the fifth. Sandy Jardine was last off the pitch and he remembered the Sporting Keeper, Damas being chaired around the track.

 

There are two stories as to what occurred next, the first is Daily Express Journo, John Fairgreave approached Willie Waddell post matc with UEFA rule book in hand. The Rangers manager then sought out the UEFA Delegate, Ramirez. He was at the mouth of the tunnel attempting to stop the penalties but the first had already been taken. He then bumped into Waddell and assured him Rangers were through. He then went to the Directors' room and gathered together both clubs' representatives to inform them of Rangers progression. The Portuguese fumed at the Spaniard.

 

Telegrams were sent to Berne, Sporting's President, Guilherme Medeiros booked two flights to Berne, he was intent on pressing the Portuguese claim in person. Medeiros was quoted in the next day's Chronicle, "The Referee's decision is final, he is sovereign upon the field of play. We will go to Berne to defend the prestige of football and sporting ethics and to avoid serious moral and material damage to our club". UEFA responded with a direct telephone call, "don't bother sending anybody, the Referee misinterpreted the rules and, Rangers will be attributed the victory". The Chronicle reported other telegrams had been sent and finished a week later, blaming the fact that the first telegram had not been translated into any of UEFA's three languages (ie French, German or, English) as the reason why Sporting remained out.

 

Concurrently, the Portuguese press were most generous in their appreciation of various Rangers players. Colin Stein was described as, "sensational". The Skipper was, "a defender of extraordinary class" and, Sandy Jardine was lionised by Abola, "three games(including the international) exuding power in the tackle and magnificence in his surges into midfield". Poor Peter McCloy was the only player not worthy of a Rangers jersey, but the Gas Meter would prove his worth in the next games.

 

Rather amazingly, I cannot find a quote attributed to Referee, Laurens Van Ravens.

[Scott7 6,005]

2 hours ago, 26th of foot said:

Colin Stein was described as, "sensational". The Skipper was, "a defender of extraordinary class" and, Sandy Jardine was lionised by Abola,

I’ve said it before. The Portuguese journos knew a player when they saw one.

[26th of foot 6,082]

Qualification for the ECWC quarter-finals had been done the hard way. We had put out the French cup winners by a single goal and dispatched the Portuguese cup winners on goal difference. The draw for the last eight ratcheted up the pressure another notch, we drew the Italian cup winners, Torino. An article in the Herald explained the boys in maroon were the only talk in the Toon. Turin is a two club city, the more famous Juventus drew it's support from the rest of Italy and beyond. Torino were the favourites of the denizens of the city, reinforced for another reason. Ferrari. The Agnelli family owned the majority of the Juve' shares. Since the majority of locals worked for FIAT, they refused to support their Bosses club.

 

Talking of which, the Agnelli family works team has seen off Aberdeen in the first ever UEFA Cup(taking over from the Fairs Cup as Europe's third competition). Juve' had defeated the Dons 3-1 over two the two legs. The Dandies were Scotland's only losers, all other progressed. St Johnstone had lost 1-0 in Hungary but triumphed 2-1 on aggregate over Vasas. Sellik also made it into the European Cup quarter-finals, defeating the mighty Sliema Wanderers of Malta 7-1 on aggregate. A very fine Dundee side fought back from being 1-2 down against Cologne to win 4-2 at Dens Park for a 5-4 aggregate victory. Rangers return from Lisbon saw them travel to Muirton Park to meet the Perth men.

 

St Johnstone under Willie Ormand was always a tough ask, they had a very good front five. Henry Hall scored plenty, he was the recipient of plenty of service from inside forwards, John Connolly and Jim Pearson(both later transferred to Everton after failed Rangers bids). Winger, Kenny Aird was a handful and midfielder, John Lambie enjoyed a tackle. It was real drama that day in the fair city; ding-ding, seconds out.

 

After our morning school game, we found out our amateur Boys' Club game in the afternoon had been cancelled due to an SFA investigation into S-Form registrations. The opposition manager concerned was Eric Smith who would spend several years as Hamilton Acas boss and where, S-Form registration would revisit him and Acas owner, Jan Stepek. Anyways, four of us caught the Tannochside RSC bus and joined another 20,000 avidly waiting on the tag team action. The teams were : St Johnstone - Donaldson, Coburn, Argue, Rennie, Gordon, Whitelaw, Aird, Lambie, Pearson, Connolly and, Hall. Rangers - McCloy, Jardine, Mathieson, Greig, Jackson, Smith, Henderson, Conn, Stein, Fyfe and MacDonald. Willie Johnston was on as a Sub' for Fyfe at half time.

 

Muirton Park was a dump, I remember looking down from the back of an end terrace and you could not see the roofless brick toilet for the enveloping cloud of water vapour. The view of the pitch was not much better, Willie Waddell, Jock Wallace and, Willie Ormand rushed on to the pitch, attempting to separate the brawling players. Johan Fyfe was clearly hobbling after a number of late challenges. The Referee awarded Rangers a hat-trick of penalties, all converted by Johnston. Doddie added our second goal in the 55th minute and Pearson notched a consolation for the home side in the dying minutes. Rangers won 1-4 in a bad tempered match.

 

Pittodrie was and remains a toilet. Half a century past, it had an open high terracing running the length of the pitch. The SFA took Tommy Docherty's second match in charge of the national team to Aberdeen. Belgium were the opponents and the Doc' consolidated his good start with a second victory, Derby County's John O'Hare scored the only goal in the fifth minute. Thirty-six thousand squeezed into the toilet to see Sandy Jardine stroll the game. Those in the cobalt blue that evening were - Bobby Clark, Sandy Jardine, Davie Hay, Billy Bremner, Martin Buchan, Pat Stanton, Jimmy Johnstone, Stevie Murray, John O'Hare, Eddie Gray and, Alex Cropley. 

 

After five weeks at number one, Rod Stewart had given up appealing to Maggie to wake up. Slade had taken over the top spot with, 'Cos I luv you'. The Wolverhampton stomping rawkers could not fully subdue Rod the Mod, his LP, 'Every Picture Tells a Story' had re-established itself as number one album for a further two weeks. Slow burners were all the rage, November'71 saw a couple of unofficial Miners' strikes in Yorkshire and Kent. There was an NUM election for Presidency between Joe Gormley and Shotts born and bred, Mick McGahey. Gormley won and led the NUM into a seven weeks national strike at the end of the first week of the new year. CPGB founder member, Mick McGahey was the more moderate choice.

 

Next week, Rangers would host Dundee at Ibrox. Another win, our sixth in a row could see us challenge for the number one spot over the festive programme? Benny Hill had just released, 'Ernie the Fastest Milkman in the West'; who would win the race to number one? 

[Scott7 6,005]

That was some team Scotland had. Stanton and Buchan in defence. How did the opposition ever score?

[26th of foot 6,082]

1 hour ago, Scott7 said:

That was some team Scotland had. Stanton and Buchan in defence. How did the opposition ever score?

I agree with Buchan and Stanton, wonderful players.

 

There were three Dandies in the first eleven, Bobby Clark was a more than decent Keeper but I don't know he would have started if the game had not been at Pittodrie. As for Steve Murray, I think the Doc' would have to explain it. Murray got his move to Sellik eventually in his 31st year. I remember he carried the ball for fifty yards then passed the ball five yards.

 

Hibs had more than Stanton and Cropley deserving of a cap, John Brownlie, John Blackley, and Jimmy O'Rourke were most deserving.  

Edited November 15, 2021 by 26th of foot

[Scott7 6,005]

2 hours ago, 26th of foot said:

 

Hibs had more than Stanton and Cropley deserving of a cap, John Brownlie, John Blackley, and Jimmy O'Rourke were most deserving

A vintage Hibs team. O’Rourke deserved to be in it after the mediocrity alongside him at the start of his career.

[compo 7,040]

When I look at the Scottish team most of them would have walked into an English first division team back then ,just looking at tonight's Scotland team and apart from two the rest would be lucky to get a game on the Glasgow green .