118 Years Ago Today.

[The Moonlighter 3,624]

On the 13th April 1898 a  supper  was held in Tom Vallance’s Metropolitan Restaurant at 40 Hutchison Street ,Merchant City  Glasgow.

 It was held to mark the 21st Anniversary of our first ever Scottish Cup Final in 1877 v Vale of Leven.

It was this series of games that was to change the course of our Club’s history.

 

The small memorial plaque at the bottom of the invitation lists players whom we’d sadly lost since the Cup Final.

Sandy Marshall, Peter Campbell, William Dunlop and goalkeeper James Watt.

As a footnote, Tom Vallance was actually having the results of Rangers matches wired to his restaurants and announced to his patrons as early as the 1890’s.

[The Moonlighter 3,624]

The series of games that was the 1877 Scottish Cup Final not only created a fierce rivalry between Rangers and Vale of Leven it also cemented great friendships that would last for over 50 years. 

Anniversary dinners were also held in 1887 and 1907.

Incredibly as late as the 1930’s the surviving team members including our own Tom Vallance would organise reunions and take a sail up Loch Lomond from Balloch then stop off for lunch and a few drinks at a Hotel.

[OceanRain 2,845]

I love reading these posts, OP. Keep it up.

[scottyscott1963 18,208]

Thanks for that nice wee snippet about our fabulous history  

[WATP-FOREVER 5,231]

Well done 'The Moonlighter' - and our future is bright too - WATP