Who are the Glasgow Rangers ?

[D'Artagnan 13,319]

The Scots arrived in Wolverhampton with the clamour and urgency of an invading army. They wore no arms or armour, but the blood was set on fire with the excitement of the combat to come; there was a hint of the pomp of war about the banners they carried, their fierce battle hymns and the touchy defiant chant; “We are the people.â€

To English eyes they must have been bizarre and alarming-as were the bearded, tattered clansmen who followed Bonnie Prince Charlie south of the border in 1745.

But it was perhaps as well that no one in Wolverhampton made that comparison, for the Scots who had taken over their town that April day of 1961 would have given the romantic Prince short shrift, would indeed, have been his most bitter enemies-for their proudest boast is that they are the loyalists of loyalists, the Protestants of Protestants.

Their banners had no foreign flavour. They were the Union Jacks and Scottish standards.

The supporters were supporters of the Glasgow Rangers Football Club.

Ten Thousand of then had travelled to England to see their club play Wolverhampton Wanderers in the semi-final of the EWCW trophy.

And Wolverhampton, a teeming industrial town of 160,000 inhabitants who thought they knew something about football partisanship gasped; for they had never seen such fanatical supporters. All day the Scots paraded the streets,singing,shouting and waving their banners.†They were the nosiest supporters we have ever known" said a police official afterwards

The English who had thought the Scots were dour, phlegmatic, often mournful, lacking in humour, looked on amazed. Welsh choirs had no more fervour than the Scots from Glasgow streets, Highland moors and lowland housing schemes as they chanted;"theres not a team like the Glasgow Rangers"

There were tears in the eyes as they bellowed fervently;"Follow Follow we will follow Rangers".

And the English wondered what it was all about when now and again a derisive chorus filled the air;"Haffey Haffey Haffey" That was the Rangers supporters way of poking fun at their great rivals Celtic, for goalkeeper Frank Haffey, of that club was the man who had lost 9 goals at Wembley when England had humiliated Scotland on the previous Saturday.

Excitement mounted amongst the Scots when the game started at Molineux Park. Rangers blazed their way into the final by drawing 1-1 with Wolves whom they already had beaten in the first leg at Ibrox 2-0.And at the end hundreds of Scots swarmed over the barriers onto the pitch to cheer and hug their idols.

When the triumphant Rangers fans left finally left on the midnight trains, flabbergasted Wolverhampton people were still asking:

Just who are the Glasgow Rangers?

What have they got to arouse such feelings among their fans? Imagine 10,000 supporters travelling all this distance for a club game?

The answer from any of the supporters who were going north tired but happy would have been simple. It would have been this;

Rangers are the greatest team in the World.

Taken from Hugh Taylor's book We Will follow Rangers (1961)

Kind thanks to Lagganvillage

[Ted E Bayer 496]

Beautiflul D'Artagnan. Loving reading shit like that.. CHeers.. (clap)

[blueger9 0]

Another great post D`Artagnan.....makes ye proud tae be a Bear reading that...

[Muff 245]

Thats a brilliant post yet again, D'Artagnan. Makes you proud to support the greatest team in the world reading that.

[Jelle1880 376]

WATP championee

[BlueIsTheColour 35]

Mate, you are going to have to tell me where i can find all of these bloody books you speak of. It is driving me mad. :wacko:

Another great post though. That is why We Are The People

There's not a team like the Glasgow Rangers. No not one and there never shall be one. championee

[nvager 498]

Enjoyed it.

My cousin lives in Hales Owen which is very near Wolverhampton and he supported Wolves then.

He had told me we had no chance, but as usual he was WRONG!

He later became a big fan of Bud Johnson when he played for West Brom.

[bon03 0]

The Scots arrived in Wolverhampton with the clamour and urgency of an invading army. They wore no arms or armour, but the blood was set on fire with the excitement of the combat to come; there was a hint of the pomp of war about the banners they carried, their fierce battle hymns and the touchy defiant chant; “We are the people.â€

To English eyes they must have been bizarre and alarming-as were the bearded, tattered clansmen who followed Bonnie Prince Charlie south of the border in 1745.

But it was perhaps as well that no one in Wolverhampton made that comparison, for the Scots who had taken over their town that April day of 1961 would have given the romantic Prince short shrift, would indeed, have been his most bitter enemies-for their proudest boast is that they are the loyalists of loyalists, the Protestants of Protestants.

Their banners had no foreign flavour. They were the Union Jacks and Scottish standards.

The supporters were supporters of the Glasgow Rangers Football Club.

Ten Thousand of then had travelled to England to see their club play Wolverhampton Wanderers in the semi-final of the EWCW trophy.

And Wolverhampton, a teeming industrial town of 160,000 inhabitants who thought they knew something about football partisanship gasped; for they had never seen such fanatical supporters. All day the Scots paraded the streets,singing,shouting and waving their banners.†They were the nosiest supporters we have ever known" said a police official afterwards

The English who had thought the Scots were dour, phlegmatic, often mournful, lacking in humour, looked on amazed. Welsh choirs had no more fervour than the Scots from Glasgow streets, Highland moors and lowland housing schemes as they chanted;"theres not a team like the Glasgow Rangers"

There were tears in the eyes as they bellowed fervently;"Follow Follow we will follow Rangers".

And the English wondered what it was all about when now and again a derisive chorus filled the air;"Haffey Haffey Haffey" That was the Rangers supporters way of poking fun at their great rivals Celtic, for goalkeeper Frank Haffey, of that club was the man who had lost 9 goals at Wembley when England had humiliated Scotland on the previous Saturday.

Excitement mounted amongst the Scots when the game started at Molineux Park. Rangers blazed their way into the final by drawing 1-1 with Wolves whom they already had beaten in the first leg at Ibrox 2-0.And at the end hundreds of Scots swarmed over the barriers onto the pitch to cheer and hug their idols.

When the triumphant Rangers fans left finally left on the midnight trains, flabbergasted Wolverhampton people were still asking:

Just who are the Glasgow Rangers?

What have they got to arouse such feelings among their fans? Imagine 10,000 supporters travelling all this distance for a club game?

The answer from any of the supporters who were going north tired but happy would have been simple. It would have been this;

Rangers are the greatest team in the World.

Taken from Hugh Taylor's book We Will follow Rangers (1961)

Kind thanks to Lagganvillage

we are because we are!!!

[*Manticore* 1,893]

Great stuff.

Thanks for that D'Artagnan.

[Boab 73]

Do we need tae keep on reading things like this, come on, its Football that makes us the club we are today, not some story that almost makes us sound like a fairytale!

Even if its nice we brought 10 thousand fans to England

[cooper1989 0]

The Scots arrived in Wolverhampton with the clamour and urgency of an invading army. They wore no arms or armour, but the blood was set on fire with the excitement of the combat to come; there was a hint of the pomp of war about the banners they carried, their fierce battle hymns and the touchy defiant chant; “We are the people.â€

To English eyes they must have been bizarre and alarming-as were the bearded, tattered clansmen who followed Bonnie Prince Charlie south of the border in 1745.

But it was perhaps as well that no one in Wolverhampton made that comparison, for the Scots who had taken over their town that April day of 1961 would have given the romantic Prince short shrift, would indeed, have been his most bitter enemies-for their proudest boast is that they are the loyalists of loyalists, the Protestants of Protestants.

Their banners had no foreign flavour. They were the Union Jacks and Scottish standards.

The supporters were supporters of the Glasgow Rangers Football Club.

Ten Thousand of then had travelled to England to see their club play Wolverhampton Wanderers in the semi-final of the EWCW trophy.

And Wolverhampton, a teeming industrial town of 160,000 inhabitants who thought they knew something about football partisanship gasped; for they had never seen such fanatical supporters. All day the Scots paraded the streets,singing,shouting and waving their banners.†They were the nosiest supporters we have ever known" said a police official afterwards

The English who had thought the Scots were dour, phlegmatic, often mournful, lacking in humour, looked on amazed. Welsh choirs had no more fervour than the Scots from Glasgow streets, Highland moors and lowland housing schemes as they chanted;"theres not a team like the Glasgow Rangers"

There were tears in the eyes as they bellowed fervently;"Follow Follow we will follow Rangers".

And the English wondered what it was all about when now and again a derisive chorus filled the air;"Haffey Haffey Haffey" That was the Rangers supporters way of poking fun at their great rivals Celtic, for goalkeeper Frank Haffey, of that club was the man who had lost 9 goals at Wembley when England had humiliated Scotland on the previous Saturday.

Excitement mounted amongst the Scots when the game started at Molineux Park. Rangers blazed their way into the final by drawing 1-1 with Wolves whom they already had beaten in the first leg at Ibrox 2-0.And at the end hundreds of Scots swarmed over the barriers onto the pitch to cheer and hug their idols.

When the triumphant Rangers fans left finally left on the midnight trains, flabbergasted Wolverhampton people were still asking:

Just who are the Glasgow Rangers?

What have they got to arouse such feelings among their fans? Imagine 10,000 supporters travelling all this distance for a club game?

The answer from any of the supporters who were going north tired but happy would have been simple. It would have been this;

Rangers are the greatest team in the World.

Taken from Hugh Taylor's book We Will follow Rangers (1961)

Kind thanks to Lagganvillage

I have that book and indeed have actually read it. One of the things I always remember from it was the diving about the 'continentals' were doing back in the mid-50's and Taylor's prediction that a European Super League (think he even called it that) was the way forward. And, as stated, this was way back in 1961. Brilliant stuff.

[Guest orangpendek]

there's a bell going off in my head called 'hugh taylor's goalpost.' was that the guy? a letters page from late 70s/early 80s?

[D'Artagnan 13,319]

there's a bell going off in my head called 'hugh taylor's goalpost.' was that the guy? a letters page from late 70s/early 80s?

Same guy..great journalist.

[Guest orangpendek]

was he really though? or is this the fond memory of a distance? i recall jimmy sanderson using his superb command of the language to cut people to shreds, and still wish he was with us some 20 years after his death. but i bet i used to shout at the radio when he ws on.

it's a funny thing, i honestly cannot see one writer of the moment being recalled with any affection in the future. there is no imagination, no fresh style of reportage, just the same standard cliches and Q/A sessions. perhaps, having read his outstandingly good book 'action replays' i would exempt archie macpheerson from this criticism.

[D'Artagnan 13,319]

it's a funny thing, i honestly cannot see one writer of the moment being recalled with any affection in the future. there is no imagination, no fresh style of reportage, just the same standard cliches and Q/A sessions. perhaps, having read his outstandingly good book 'action replays' i would exempt archie macpheerson from this criticism.

Dek !

What part of "great journo" failed to convey my affection ! :Animation44: