The Bad Early 80's

[OlegKuznetsov 10,816]

In the 1986/87 season we regularly beat Wee Jum's Dundee United at a time when they were tearing up Europe. Beating Barca home and away.

I had a soft spot for that United team as they also knocked out those cheating arschlochs from Moenchengladbach.

21,000 at Tannadice and a decent journalist. How times have changed. And that's before you even consider our league position, which is a total stitch up as we all know.

[nachothelegend 1,932]

Everyone of the 80 teams would have beaten our present team. We were not great, but had some good players as well as average ones. Plus we always tried to play attacking football, and also it sorted out the real fans from the glory hunters, who all came running back when we started to be successful.

I was there Minstrel and though I agree ,I don't know if its as Bad Yet .Only Time will Tell but I said it seemed to last Years back then .Maybe Because it did.

I remember Ally Started with us and almost Scrapping with other Bears because they where calling him Sally.

Yes it did sort out the Glory Hunters, and they came Pouring Back when Souness arrived.

I pitched up at an Aberdeen Game only to be told the Stadium was a sell out .

I followed them Home, and away everywhere and it was a Blow not being allowed entry to Ibrox because a lot of our Fans got out their Armchairs.

[WadeWilson 4,670]

Fewer distractions back then, when you consider the consoles, internet and avoiding TV celebrities/DJs .that folks spend time on too.

That's what's wrong with most of the current generation of players as well as fans.

Society has been polluted with this idiotic pandemic of 'fame-and-wealth-at-all-costs-even-though-I-have-limited-or-zero-talent-itis.'

[WadeWilson 4,670]

I was at the 5-0 drubbing of Munchenglabach,United regularly beat Europes best.Outwith Ferguson,Jim McLean and Brian Clough were outstanding managers with limited resources..

Was it 5-0 that Dundee United beat them??

Wow... I remember it was 1-1 and 0-0 with us the round before against them and we went out on away goals. Seem to remember both Cooper and Munro getting sent off even though the Borussia Moenchengladbach players were the dirtiest bunch of diving cheats I had ever seen up to that point.

Totally agree with your points about Clough and McLean too. For Clough to win two European Cups with Forest is nothing short of miraculous.

And if it wasn't for a certain Alex Ferguson, McLean would have received even more praise for his home-grown team's exploits in the European arena. A smattering of ex-Gers in there too.

[minstral 5,375]

I was there Minstrel and though I agree ,I don't know if its as Bad Yet .Only Time will Tell but I said it seemed to last Years back then .Maybe Because it did.

I remember Ally Started with us and almost Scrapping with other Bears because they where calling him Sally.

Yes it did sort out the Glory Hunters, and they came Pouring Back when Souness arrived.

I pitched up at an Aberdeen Game only to be told the Stadium was a sell out .

I followed them Home, and away everywhere and it was a Blow not being allowed entry to Ibrox because a lot of our Fans got out their Armchairs.

I know you were there mate, but it is just my opinion that we were better back then than the team we have at the moment. Plus in the first Greig season we played well and should have won the league, and we won the 2 cups.

[UKIP BEAR 370]

Remember being at midweek games in the late 70's possibly 80-81 when we had crowds of way less than 8K..... Ibrox was like a 'ghost town' and some of the football on offer was dire.

Attended one midweek fixture where a few of us ended up kicking a ball around the wee enclosure - only highlight on display that evening was a young gentleman by the name of Cooper (IIRC he scored that night) giving a Mr. J Greig a 'right roasting'.

In summation anyone who started supporting post-Souness, consider yourself lucky, very, very lucky/

Bollocks.

The Rangers attendance from they days are nowhere near as bad as some make out.

And Rangers were a better side then than now.

[minstral 5,375]

Bollocks.

The Rangers attendance from they days are nowhere near as bad as some make out.

And Rangers were a better side then than now.

Spot on about the crowds.

[BLUEDIGNITY 33,640]

Everyone of the 80 teams would have beaten our present team. We were not great, but had some good players as well as average ones. Plus we always tried to play attacking football, and also it sorted out the real fans from the glory hunters, who all came running back when we started to be successful.

We should have did better with some of the players that we had, a lot of apathy going about and no real leaders, thank fcuk for the league cup that kept us going a few seasons. But we came through that and we'll come through this because the fans hard core are still there and always will be, probably even more so this time as we have faced a constant barrage of hate and jealousy and the fans have reacted superbly with their support of the team. So bring it on and FUCK THEM ALL. Die Hard Loyal !

[Carson's cat 744]

I still have a soft spot for the Greig era because the first time I ever watched Rangers was in season 82/83.

We were up against good Dundee Utd and Aberdeen sides then, and Celtic weren't bad either. We also operated a strict maximum wage policy which restricted who we could sign and lost us a few useful players as well. I think I remember reading somewhere that in the season before Souness took over, the wage cap was set at £330 per week.

All that having been said, the early 80s sides included players like Peter McCloy, Ally Dawson, John McClelland, Colin Jackson, Bobby Russell, Robert Prytz, Jim Bett, Ian Redford, Davie Cooper, John Macdonald, Ally McCoist and Sandy Clark - all of whom could teach a thing or two to the current crop.

[minstral 5,375]

I still have a soft spot for the Greig era because the first time I ever watched Rangers was in season 82/83.

We were up against good Dundee Utd and Aberdeen sides then, and Celtic weren't bad either. We also operated a strict maximum wage policy which restricted who we could sign and lost us a few useful players as well. I think I remember reading somewhere that in the season before Souness took over, the wage cap was set at £330 per week.

All that having been said, the early 80s sides included players like Peter McCloy, Ally Dawson, John McClelland, Colin Jackson, Bobby Russell, Robert Prytz, Jim Bett, Ian Redford, Davie Cooper, John Macdonald, Ally McCoist and Sandy Clark - all of whom could teach a thing or two to the current crop.

That is what i was on about, we had some good players back then who were better than any of our team at the moment.

[macranger 296]

I remember games were really bad. We used to leave around 20 minutes to go, to go into a different bit of the ground just for something to do as it was so hard to watch. Remember sitting behind some partick fans in the broomloan singing Greig must go.

[Jimfanciesthedude 24,508]

better football but less fans?

the act of defiance that the fans have shown from last season onwards is a massive massive thing, however it remains to be seen if this would keep up should the unthinkable happen and we dont promote to the SPFL the first time of asking

[topgoalie 637]

Was it 5-0 that Dundee United beat them??

Wow... I remember it was 1-1 and 0-0 with us the round before against them and we went out on away goals. Seem to remember both Cooper and Munro getting sent off even though the Borussia Moenchengladbach players were the dirtiest bunch of diving cheats I had ever seen up to that point.

Totally agree with your points about Clough and McLean too. For Clough to win two European Cups with Forest is nothing short of miraculous.

And if it wasn't for a certain Alex Ferguson, McLean would have received even more praise for his home-grown team's exploits in the European arena. A smattering of ex-Gers in there too.

There was a certain mutual respect for other teams back then,the plastic paddy brigade excluded.The way Dundee United were treated in the European Cup semi final 2nd leg in Rome was disgusting.A total stitch up, they lost 0-3,after leading 2-0 from the first leg.

How times have changed mate,i have not watched an SPHELL game since we got demoted,never read a paper and quite frankly couldnt give a fck about any of them....

[Courtyard Bear 41,357]

better football but less fans?

We weren't winning anything, amazing the crap you will put up with when you still win things.

[ianferguson 2,619]

Started watching Gers home and away in 80-81 season and for me that team would walk over present team.Noticed Urquhurt getting abuse in this op but he had left by 1980 and while he was'nt technically gifted he did have to compete with better players than we have today anyway .A regular line up was Mccloy Jardine Dawson Forsyth Jackson Bett Redford Russell Cooper Mcdonald and MacAdam .Of the current squad i'd swap Wallace for Dawson but that's it.I go to Ibrox with my boy every game and have NEVER found it harder to watch.The early 80's team was between two great eras for gers and crowds did slump but always had some class on the park (Davie Cooper alone made it worth watching and we did win some cups) playing against the best united and sheep teams in their history.Maybe a bit bias and nostalgic caus they were my first memories as a full time bear but present team has players who should be left in third tier and the only redeeming factor at Ibrox is the fans as usual and special mention for Union Bears who would have graced any era at Ibrox and who help make this ageing bears trips to Ibrox bearable.

[Zappa6995 3,644]

It's a no brainier

The teams and general style of play was from a different planet compared to the current dross.

I fully accept that we are operating under different circumstances but the quality of the current squad doesn't come near any of the teams from the early 80s.

[True Azure 1,414]

better football but less fans?

I remember going to Ibrox for a game v St Johnstone in the mid 80's and I'm sure there were less than 15,000 there. We were haemorrhaging fans due to very poor results, tactics and performances, however we were still in the top tier albeit playing like shite.

[tannerall 25,935]

The football was different (way more long balls), the competition was far sterner - we look back now on the time as a faiure as we didn't dominate but this was an era that Aberdeen were beating Bayern Munich and Real Madrid and Dundee Utd reached the European Cup semi-finals in 1984 and the UEFA cup final in 1987.

Its all about context - you dad probably thought it was harder to watch cause we were suddenly up against two excellent managers who built very good teams at the "new firm" that we were still expected to beat as well as cellic.

I would take any of our 80's teams against the 11 we have now any day of the week.

Not sure about more long balls, Aberdeen and Dundee United had great midfields at that time and played good football which is why they were successful in Europe. We also played through the midfield and were not too far behind.

There were also a few great wingers in those days, Cooper, Sturrock and Milne, Strachan, John Robertson at Hearts, and teams played with a lot more width.

[minstral 5,375]

I remember going to Ibrox for a game v St Johnstone in the mid 80's and I'm sure there were less than 15,000 there. We were haemorrhaging fans due to very poor results, tactics and performances, however we were still in the top tier albeit playing like shite.

Would be the 1983-84 season when we beat them 6-3. There was 12,500 at the game

[UKIP BEAR 370]

I was there Minstrel and though I agree ,I don't know if its as Bad Yet .Only Time will Tell but I said it seemed to last Years back then .Maybe Because it did.

I remember Ally Started with us and almost Scrapping with other Bears because they where calling him Sally.

Yes it did sort out the Glory Hunters, and they came Pouring Back when Souness arrived.

I pitched up at an Aberdeen Game only to be told the Stadium was a sell out .

I followed them Home, and away everywhere and it was a Blow not being allowed entry to Ibrox because a lot of our Fans got out their Armchairs.

Disagree mate.

We'd have the odd success against really good sides back then.

Would this present lot get near Aberdeen or Dundee utd back then?

Not a chance in hell,and neither would ceptic team just now.

[True Azure 1,414]

Would be the 1983-84 season when we beat them 6-3. There was 12,500 at the game

[legalbeagle 3,734]

There is a little bit of nostalgia coming across here, probably remembering the better days of that era and comparing to the worst of now.

The biggest problem back then was taking a team of champions and converting them into also-rans, the problem now is turning pretty much nothing into a team of also-rans.

[OlegKuznetsov 10,816]

Not sure about more long balls, Aberdeen and Dundee United had great midfields at that time and played good football which is why they were successful in Europe. We also played through the midfield and were not too far behind.

There were also a few great wingers in those days, Cooper, Sturrock and Milne, Strachan, John Robertson at Hearts, and teams played with a lot more width.

John Robertson at Hearts was a striker, a wee fat one. John Robertson of Nottingham Forest was the winger-also fat.

[tannerall 25,935]

Jim McLean and to a much lesser degree Alex Ferguson were always being suggested as our next manager in those days.

Would have liked to see McLean at Ibrox as he'd built such a good football playing team at Dundee United and also had great success in Europe.

[OlegKuznetsov 10,816]

I remember going to Ibrox for a game v St Johnstone in the mid 80's and I'm sure there were less than 15,000 there. We were haemorrhaging fans due to very poor results, tactics and performances, however we were still in the top tier albeit playing like shite.

I remember going to a game against Dundee at home with a similar crowd, about 84-5