We will follow Rangers by Hugh Taylor

[*Manticore* 1,893]

Just read this elsewhere FF, has anybody read this book? Sounds good:

"The Scots arrived in Wolverhampton with the clamour and ungency of an invading army. They wore no arms or armour, but their blood was set on fire with the excitemet of combat to come; there was a hint of the pomp of war about the banners they carried, their fierce battle hymns and their touchy, defiant chant: 'We Are The People'.

To English eyes they must haver 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 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 Union Jacks and Scottish Standards.

The Scots were supporters of The Glasgow Rangers Football Club.

Ten thousand of them had travelled to England to see their club play Wolverhampton Wanderers in the semi-final of the European National Cup Winners 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 noisiest supporters we have ever known' said a police official afterwards.

The English, who had thought that Scots were dour, phlegmatic, often mournful, lacking humour, looked on amazed.

Welsh choirs had no more fervour than the Scots from the Glasgow streets, the Highland moors, the Lowland Housing schemes as the chanted: 'There's not a team like the Glasgow Rangers.'

Their were tears in their 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 nine goals at Wembley when England humiliated Scotland the previous Saturday.

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

When the triumphant Rangers fans 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.'

[minstral 5,375]

Just read this elsewhere FF, has anybody read this book? Sounds good:

"The Scots arrived in Wolverhampton with the clamour and ungency of an invading army. They wore no arms or armour, but their blood was set on fire with the excitemet of combat to come; there was a hint of the pomp of war about the banners they carried, their fierce battle hymns and their touchy, defiant chant: 'We Are The People'.

To English eyes they must haver 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 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 Union Jacks and Scottish Standards.

The Scots were supporters of The Glasgow Rangers Football Club.

Ten thousand of them had travelled to England to see their club play Wolverhampton Wanderers in the semi-final of the European National Cup Winners 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 noisiest supporters we have ever known' said a police official afterwards.

The English, who had thought that Scots were dour, phlegmatic, often mournful, lacking humour, looked on amazed.

Welsh choirs had no more fervour than the Scots from the Glasgow streets, the Highland moors, the Lowland Housing schemes as the chanted: 'There's not a team like the Glasgow Rangers.'

Their were tears in their 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 nine goals at Wembley when England humiliated Scotland the previous Saturday.

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

When the triumphant Rangers fans 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.'

Manti that would bring tears to your eyes, those were the days.

[Orangeclement 581]

[*Manticore* 1,893]

Minstral I knew you'd be first to respond to it

[ianwrsc 23]

Fantastic read

Is this were the song Wolverhampton Town comes from or was that a different game??

[*Manticore* 1,893]

Fantastic read

Is this were the song Wolverhampton Town comes from or was that a different game??

It's about the same game.

[MrSifter 181]

I used to have a first press copy of this. It didn't have the dust sheet but was hardback, in red with the name and author etc in blue. Might still be kicking about at the parent's house.

[minstral 5,375]

Grown men singing away with tears in their eyes who were so proud to be fans of our great club.

[DavidCF2 29]

Qualit stuff mate, excellent post.

[Jelle1880 318]

Cracking read

[IfYeCannae 48]

Read it a couple of years back.

If only it was like that now..

[KingKai 439]

There were no 'Handwringers' among THAT 10,000 !

[frommetoyou 60]

Just read this elsewhere FF, has anybody read this book? Sounds good:

"The Scots arrived in Wolverhampton with the clamour and ungency of an invading army. They wore no arms or armour, but their blood was set on fire with the excitemet of combat to come; there was a hint of the pomp of war about the banners they carried, their fierce battle hymns and their touchy, defiant chant: 'We Are The People'.

To English eyes they must haver 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 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 Union Jacks and Scottish Standards.

The Scots were supporters of The Glasgow Rangers Football Club.

Ten thousand of them had travelled to England to see their club play Wolverhampton Wanderers in the semi-final of the European National Cup Winners 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 noisiest supporters we have ever known' said a police official afterwards.

The English, who had thought that Scots were dour, phlegmatic, often mournful, lacking humour, looked on amazed.

Welsh choirs had no more fervour than the Scots from the Glasgow streets, the Highland moors, the Lowland Housing schemes as the chanted: 'There's not a team like the Glasgow Rangers.'

Their were tears in their 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 nine goals at Wembley when England humiliated Scotland the previous Saturday.

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

When the triumphant Rangers fans 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.'

Manti that would bring tears to your eyes, those were the days.

It did to mine

[Tumshie 205]

Great post

[*Manticore* 1,893]

There were no 'Handwringers' among THAT 10,000 !

Indeed:

.....they are the Loyalists of Loyalists, the Protestants of Protestants.

No identity crisis there......

[bombaybadboy08 15,660]

That's fantastic

[RFC55 110,241]

There were no 'Handwringers' among THAT 10,000 !

Indeed:

.....they are the Loyalists of Loyalists, the Protestants of Protestants.

No identity crisis there......

honestly it fills me with saddness that its not this way today, to many quick to dismiss, too many desperate for approval. We are the Rangers No surrender

[MrSifter 181]

There were no 'Handwringers' among THAT 10,000 !

Indeed:

.....they are the Loyalists of Loyalists, the Protestants of Protestants.

No identity crisis there......

I don't really want to start a rammy and we all probably broadly agree on standing up for our heritage but......

10,000 people and I very much doubt they all had the same view on politics and religion

and

It was a very different world then. What is important to us today probably won't be as important in 50 years time to our progeny.

[*Manticore* 1,893]

10,000 people and I very much doubt they all had the same view on politics and religion

No, but I'm pretty sure that a huge majority would happily call themselves Protestants and Loyalists.

[MrSifter 181]

10,000 people and I very much doubt they all had the same view on politics and religion

No, but I'm pretty sure that a huge majority would happily call themselves Protestants and Loyalists.

I agree. That's because the majority of Scotland and Scots at that time was Protestant and held unionist viewpoints. Nowadays most are probably still unionists but I'd argue the majority are nominally Protestant at best.

There is a difference between having a respect and admiration for our past and desperately clinging onto something that no longer represents the current day.

[allthebluebellsRblue 0]

There were no 'Handwringers' among THAT 10,000 !

Indeed:

.....they are the Loyalists of Loyalists, the Protestants of Protestants.

No identity crisis there......

unbelieveable my da always talked about that game, Greet post m8 , Pity about them other so called rangers fans handwringers the septic are looking for more fans i heard?

[*Manticore* 1,893]

Who is 'desperately clinging onto' what?

[royalbluebell 38]

Fantastic post Manti.....why would anyone want to change that?

[allthebluebellsRblue 0]

There were no 'Handwringers' among THAT 10,000 !

Indeed:

.....they are the Loyalists of Loyalists, the Protestants of Protestants.

No identity crisis there......

I don't really want to start a rammy and we all probably broadly agree on standing up for our heritage but......

10,000 people and I very much doubt they all had the same view on politics and religion

and

It was a very different world then. What is important to us today probably won't be as important in 50 years time to our progeny.

thats bull, the reason while im a rangers fan is because of my father and the reason while hes a rangers fan is because of his father, now as ive always been told a tradition never dies only a person dies, which hints at nothing has changed. So all are traditions wasnt put on us we where choosen by our fathers to be rangers fans. Tell me this how did you become a rangers fan?

[MrSifter 181]

Who is 'desperately clinging onto' what?

The reason a good number don't describe themselves as Protestants is because they probably aren't. Many also wouldn’t describe themselves as Loyalists as it is probably more relevant to the community in Northern Ireland.

That's not handwringing, that's just the facts of modern day Scotland.