Jump to content

Colin Jackson


black75

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 168
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

An RM interview with Colin, from a few years ago.

RangersMedia Speak To: Colin Jackson

Raised up in Aberdeen, Colin broke the mould, as far as the local area was concerned, by supporting Rangers. This was following a game where Rangers beat a very strong and successful Aberdeen team in 1956. The score that day was 6-2 as Scott Symon's men romped to victory with Bobby Shearer, Billy Simpson, Max Murray and Johnny Hubbard all on the scoresheet.

"I just thought wow, I'll support that team. I'd never seen Aberdeen get such a hiding and that was it, decision made."

After playing for Aberdeen schoolboys, Colin was invited to Manchester United at the age of 15 for a weeks trial, funnily enough, the week after George Best had arrived from across the water.

"Man United was the only other place I would have gone too. I trained with George Best as a kid and I got asked to sign. There was a guy 'Murph', Jimmy Murphy, who was the assistant manager to Matt Busby and he pointed out Besty and said 'Do you wanna be like that lad there?' and I remember him looking out the window and saying 'he's gunna be a player'."

Despite the huge attraction to sign, Colin decided that Manchester was too far away at the time and he made the long train journey back to Aberdeen.

Still playing for Aberdeen Schools, Colin featured in the Schools Cup final, held at Tynecastle in 1962, where he attracted interest from numerous teams. Dundee and Hearts were the first, then Rangers and then Celtic, but being a Rangers supporter, there was only one team for Colin and he looks back at the day his dreams came true.

"Something that sticks in my mind, is the day I signed for Rangers. They had just been gubbed up in Aderdeen and I was sat with Scott Symon discussing my terms as the players were coming in changed from the game. They all looked fully remorsed after getting so badly beat and I thought too myself they take this seriously don't they. It really sunk in what I was about to do".

After signing for Rangers so young, Colin spent the first few years serving a real apprenticeship. How couldn't you learn vast amounts when Bobby Shearer was your captain?

Colin made his debut in the Ne'er Day game against Partick Thistle in 1966.

"I was in and out of the team at first and my first game was on New Years Day against Partick Thistle and we won four nothing. I played in that game and then two days later they played Celtic and I thought I was in with a shout. Davie Provan came in at centre half as they didn't want to risk me, but we lost 5-1, so I was relieved despite being disappointed at first. In these days if guys got injured, you got in the team, but unless they got injured, the team never really changed nine times out of ten."

With over 500 appearances for Rangers, Colin played in more than a few Old Firm games. His first came in a league cup game in August 1968.

"We got beat two nothing and having just won the European Cup they were a real good team, but it was at Ibrox, which really pissed me off. It was really embarrassing to get beat at Ibrox. We got our revenge later on in the season, when we beat 'em 4-2 at Parkhead. That was the last time we beat them in the league at Parkhead until 1974 and I should know because I scored the winner!"

Despite featuring heavily in the climax to the 1971/72 season and starring in the famous victory over Bayern Munich at Ibrox in the semi-final of the Cup Winners' Cup, Colin was due to start for the final. Much to his bitter disappointment, Colin went over on his ankle, in the warm up of the day of the game!

"I went over and my ankle swelled up straight away, I knew I was out of the game. I was sat having a drink in the hotel room with Ronnie MacKinnon on the afternoon of the game, who was also injured from the quarter final, steaming drunk and absolutely distraught. At half four big Jock came in and bawled 'Look at the state you're in' and he dragged me in to the bathroom and threw me in the shower still in my training gear. By the time I got on the bus I was OK, but it was embarrassing and all the guys were looking at me saying 'are you alright?'. That was probably the worst moment in my football career."

As we all know, Rangers won that game and the celebrations that followed, were more than enough for Colin to lose this feeling of anguish. He looks back at that famous semi-final against Bayern Munich, a hell of a lot more fondly.

"That game was the highlight of my career. They had five or six of the world cup winning team and Muller especially was quite interesting and challenging to play against. He did nothing in the game for so long, then all of sudden, whoosh and you really had to be close to him. You couldn't get too close to him though because he was a strong bugger".

"The fans were superb that night. They say there were 80,000 there that night but I was sure it was more like 90,000. The place was absolutely heaving and the noise was phenomenal. You've got to know what you're doing when it's like that because you can't hear the man five yards away."

As far as domestic honours go, the League Cup win in 1979 was rather special as Colin scored a headed winner against his native Aberdeen.

"That's a good one against your own mob, because my old school pals still talk about that goal today".

With the length of Rangers career that Colin had, he served under five different managers; Symon, White, Waddell, Wallace and Greig. Some more than famous names there, as far as Rangers history is concerned. So who was his favourite? And who wasn't?

"Willie Waddell I didn't like. I couldn't stick him actually, he was a pain in the arse. Don't get me wrong, he was a good manager, but he was a bit of a bully".

"Jock Wallace was the one I had great admiration for, not only as a manager but as an actual human being. Gullane sands was really hard though, you were physically sick. You would try and get young kids to run and get a you a bottle of water when the gaffer wasn't looking."

Make no mistake, Colin was a true legend of his generation and it is fantastic to get such an insight, in to life as a Rangers player from a hall of fame entrant, a club legend and all round gentleman with plenty of amazing stories to tell.

I was fortunate enough to spend many evenings enjoying Colin's Rangers stories, and he was always kind enough to offer to help me with many Rangers-related projects throughout the past few years.

Regrettably, I hadn't seen him this year and had no idea he had been unwell, but I can say that the world is definitely worse off without him.

Rest well, Colin.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Upcoming Events

    • 03 October 2024 19:00 Until 21:00
      0  
      Rangers v Lyon
      Ibrox Stadium
      UEFA Europa League

×
×
  • Create New...