82 Years Ago Today.

[The Moonlighter 3,624]

On the 16th February 1935 Rangers legend Tom Vallance died at the family home at 83 Pitt Street Glasgow aged 78.

Tom is buried in Hillfoot Cemetery in Bearsden and his funeral was attended by Mr. Struth, Chairman James Bowie and his old team-mate James McIntyre who both took a cord. Incredibly, players from the Vale of Leven team whom Tom had faced 60 years earlier in 1877 were also in attendance. 

That will give you an indication as to how highly regarded Tom Vallance was.

Tom was paid the ultimate accolade by the Club in May 1898 when he was made a life member.  In 2012  we had Tom put on to canvas by way of a  painting by artist Helen Runciman which was unveiled at Ibrox Stadium at the end of our Founders Trail.  

Tom Vallance took his rightful place at the top of the Marble Staircase alongside his friends and fellow Founders.

Some facts on Tom  Vallance:

Tom had an incredible 60 year association with the Club.

He was a master oarsman, a champion athlete (he set a Scottish long jump record of over 21 feet), he studied at the Glasgow School of Art, had paintings accepted by the Royal Scottish Academy and was Rangers Club Captain and President for many years.

While President of the Club it was not uncommon to find Tom Vallance working the turnstiles on match day at First Ibrox.

We have recorded details of Tom Vallance being present at the ceremony held on 1st January 1929 which saw the opening of the Main Stand at Ibrox and also at a Dinner held in the old St.Enoch’s Hotel after a Rangers match in 1933, he was also a guest of the Club that year for the New Year’s day game against Celtic. 

So, the lad who was present at Fleshers Haugh in 1872 was still attending Ibrox some 60 years later where the Club that he’d helped form and nurture were now playing in front of crowds touching 100,000.

Tom Vallance.

https://www.thefounderstrail.co.uk/tom-vallance

 

[BlueVanguard 6,815]

4 minutes ago, The Moonlighter said:

On the 16th February 1935 Rangers legend Tom Vallance died at the family home at 83 Pitt Street Glasgow.

Tom is buried in Hillfoot Cemetery in Bearsden and his funeral was attended by Mr. Struth, Chairman James Bowie and his old team-mate James McIntyre who both took a cord. Incredibly, players from the Vale of Leven team whom Tom had faced 60 years earlier in 1877 were also in attendance. 

That will give you an indication as to how highly regarded Tom Vallance was.

Tom was paid the ultimate accolade by the Club in May 1898 when he was made a life member.  In 2012  we had Tom put on to canvas by way of a  painting by artist Helen Runciman which was unveiled at Ibrox Stadium at the end of our Founders Trail.  

Tom Vallance took his rightful place at the top of the Marble Staircase alongside his friends and fellow Founders.

Some facts on Tom  Vallance:

Tom had an incredible 60 year association with the Club.

He was a master oarsman, a champion athlete (he set a Scottish long jump record of over 21 feet), he studied at the Glasgow School of Art, had paintings accepted by the Royal Scottish Academy and was Rangers Club Captain and President for many years.

While President of the Club it was not uncommon to find Tom Vallance working the turnstiles on match day at First Ibrox.

We have recorded details of Tom Vallance being present at the ceremony held on 1st January 1929 which saw the opening of the Main Stand at Ibrox and also at a Dinner held in the old St.Enoch’s Hotel after a Rangers match in 1933, he was also a guest of the Club that year for the New Year’s day game against Celtic. 

So, the lad who was present at Fleshers Haugh in 1872 was still attending Ibrox some 60 years later where the Club that he’d helped form and nurture were now playing in front of crowds touching 100,000.

Tom Vallance.

https://www.thefounderstrail.co.uk/tom-vallance

 

Great wee read that, RIP Mr Vallance 

[Courtyard Bear 41,357]

Wish we had more like him today. 

[scottyscott1963 18,457]

52 minutes ago, The Moonlighter said:

players from the Vale of Leven team whom Tom had faced 60 years earlier in 1877 were also in attendance. 

Imagine leaving people with a memory that would last 60 years.
You only have to wonder at what sort of person was capable of this.

[Vanoli 4,625]

Class. Cheers for posting that, the personal and individual sides to our clubs history makes it even more magnificent.

RIP Tom

[The Moonlighter 3,624]

3 minutes ago, scottyscott1963 said:

Imagine leaving people with a memory that would last 60 years.
You only have to wonder at what sort of person was capable of this.

The 1877 Scottish Cup Final.

This is  from our Founders Presentation.

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.As late as the 1930’s the surviving team members including our own Tom Vallance would often take a sail up Loch Lomond from Balloch and stop off for lunch and a few drinks at a Hotel. On the journey back down the Loch the boats engines would be stalled opposite Tarbet and speeches were made, on one occasion on Saturday 1st September 1928 after visiting the Rowerdennan Hotel 72 year old Tom Vallance rose and had this to say.

‘’The decade that I spent playing with the Rangers were the best years of my life, I mentioned this to my wife the other day and she commented that I should still be playing.

I wasn’t sure if that was sarcasm or not but with this in mind I went to the manager of Rangers and asked if he could find me a place in his team. There was laughter as Vallance admitted Bill Struth had asked him for a fortnight to consider his request and that several months on he was still waiting on his reply’’. 

The details of these reunions are taken from a wonderful book The Old Vale and its Memories 

 

[The Moonlighter 3,624]

After years of disappointment the Rangers eventually got their hands on the Scottish Cup on 17th February 1894 after beating Celtic 3-1 at Hampden.

 

Tom Vallance is pictured  sitting on the back row with the proud Rangers committee.

 

They were presented with the Cup in the Alexandra Hotel which stood at No. 148 Bath Street.  

 

We have to bear in mind that the winning of the Scottish Cup in 1894 was still the pinnacle achievement for all Clubs, as the Scottish League was still very much in its infancy Tom had this to say on the milestone reached by the Club, he wrote in the Scottish Sport.

 

“It is with a true sense of delight that those who have followed the varying fortunes of the Rangers since their formation can now see their triumph, their name and fame shining throughout the land with a luster that they never before approached”.

 

Tom presented each Rangers player with a gold scarf pin to commemorate this milestone in the Club’s history.

 

 

 

 

[The Moonlighter 3,624]

The Rangers Annual Dinner 1921 at the Grovesnor Gordon Street Glasgow.

Tom Vallance is standing on the back row.

Tom Vallance's Painting ' The Charge'

[North Rd 2,860]

To me Mr Vallance was the 5th Pioneer 

[MisterC 12,329]

Was Tom vallance at the meeting in Kelvingrove Park where Rangers was conceived? 

[scottyscott1963 18,457]

3 hours ago, The Moonlighter said:

The Rangers Annual Dinner 1921 at the Grovesnor Gordon Street Glasgow.

Tom Vallance is standing on the back row.

Tom Vallance's Painting ' The Charge'

Is your visit to the Ship Inn Ayr still scheduled for the 4th March guys? 

[The Moonlighter 3,624]

12 hours ago, scottyscott1963 said:

Is your visit to the Ship Inn Ayr still scheduled for the 4th March guys? 

Yes , Presentation starts at 7.30.

We're all looking forward to it.