15 Dec 2017 19:53:51
So I was reminicising with a Tim pal in the pub the other night and we got to talking about our early days going to see our beloved Glasgow Celtic (yes, my memory stretches THAT far back lol)
I remember being taken to the game by my uncle about 8 years old, him and all the other dads and uncles inside the pub, all us kids outside and the adults bringing us out cans of coke and crisps, to appease us while they had their "beer ration", it seemed like ages before all the men came out the pub and we ploughed on the supporters bus, we were ALWAYS late getting to the game.
Another memory I have is my uncle turning up late and we missed our supporters bus, so we went to the main road and my uncle flagged down a passing Celtic supporters coach, my uncle shouted to me to RUN, as the coach only slowed down and we had to jump on the open entrance at the back of the bus, yes it was the old double decker bus with no closed door, and apparently all buses slowed down instead of stopping.
I also remember one of the first times my parents allowed me to go to a Celtic game myself with my pals, no adults, we were about 13 and caught the old Trolley Bus to the game, only problem was the bus only took us to Bridegton Cross and we had to run the gauntlet of all the drunk huns standing outside their pubs, I have never ran so fast in all my life until we got well past them, then we "bravely" turned around and sang Celtic songs and waved our scarves, safe in the knowledge they were too drunk and too unfit to chase us lol.
15 Dec 2017 20:50:33
Aye Tim, only corpy buses were allowed to stop in Glasgow.
15 Dec 2017 21:16:11
Much the same Tim; Other early memories are getting a 'lift over' the turn-style from the auld fella and other relatives when I was 6 and being placed on the white wall, while he went back up the jungle steps to be with his cronies.
The polis would walk round the red ash track, making sure we never slung our legs 'pitch-side' over the wall as we carved Celtic graffiti in the muck with lollipop sticks, while the bigger boeys would try and spit on the back of their coats as they strolled by.
Later on; when I started secondary School, I started going with a few mates - sometimes on public transport or supporters club, waiting until the members took their seats on the coach, before us non-members could get on, or packed into football specials like cattle, (sitting on the floor of the guards van) - then paying my 30p at the Boys Gate and experiencing the magic of the Jungle for the, then foreseeable future - until 'The Jungles Last Stand'.
My first 'Old Firm; game was in 1972 and I will never forget the atmosphere, how well we played and dominated (but only scored 2) , the huge crowd - and the crushes when we scored and the panic trying to push and shove for the exits at the final whistle, while singin, chanting and trying not to get separated at the same time. Away game were a great day out - with the match a bonus especially in the late 60's early 70's, when we were superb and you soon learned what grounds were hostile and dangerous places.
The daftest thing I probably did in those days was meet up in the Dolphin Bar in Partick when I was 19 and then proceed to the subway station at Merkland Street, travelling to a game at Ibrox.
Fortunately taunts, insults and 'evils' were the only 'damage' but it sobered me up in record time and we cadged a lift back after the game (we lost 2-1) on a supporters bus to Yoker.
Numerous great memories, some not so great, many highlights some heartache. Infinite reasons to love this unique and fabulous club.
15 Dec 2017 22:21:03
Ah so that explains it, I have a memory of being in Glasgow with my mother, and we were going for the Dublin boat, I think I was about eleven, and my mother saying, "it doesn't stop, we have to jump on", I thought it was a tram, but maybe it was a bus, now that I know this.
16 Dec 2017 10:39:38
I don't mean this to come across as cheeky in any way as i don't know how old people are using the site but is anyone old enough to have been at games when the crowds used the wooden ratchets/ rattles.
16 Dec 2017 13:54:11
Don't quite remember the wooden rattles, but there were lots of rattles and clinks from the kerry-oot bags in the terracing.
16 Dec 2017 15:24:18
Aye there was a not so nice fragrance in the Jungle OaB. Sitting on the railing was a must as a kid unless you wanted to go home soaking haha.
{Ed007's Note - My earliest memories of The Jungle were that there was a card school up the back and a guy at the front every week that stood watching the crowd with his back to the park for the entire game.}
16 Dec 2017 15:49:42
We stood just to the right of the centre-line, just below the TV gantry when I was a teen and there was one guy that growled 'Am watchin you linesman' virtually the whole game ha ha.
Another memory is of 'rubber men' trying to pee into beer cans, without castrating or circumcising themselves. Oh the joys!
16 Dec 2017 16:00:51
Stan, Old man Chris is your man to ask he "rattles" plenty on here :-P.
16 Dec 2017 16:58:24
Maybe it was the biscuit tin 😁.
16 Dec 2017 17:06:49
Some amount of characters on this page. Can agree one day then disagree the next. Keep up the good work gents. HH.
16 Dec 2017 18:09:19
I used to stand at the exact same spot Once A Bhoy, to the right of the gantry under the walkway. I remember there used to always be a copper on the gantry who used to get pelters from the crowd! Very happy memories of the whole experience of Celtic Park in the 80's and 90's. Used to always wonder about Celtics clever accounting of crowd numbers. I remember being at a Dundee Utd game and the attendance reported in the Sunday Mail was around 40 odd thousand. No chance! There must have been 60+ there easy. Mostly cash in the turnstiles those days, I dare say there was a lot of skimming going on between the turnstile guy and the boardroom!
16 Dec 2017 18:49:58
I remember being wedged into the jungle with my mates the night we beat Real Madrid 2-0 in the European cup quarter final and had a goal disallowed! Crashed and burned 3-0 in the return though. Papers listed crowd as 40 something thousand the next morning. Jesus there must have been twice that in the ground that night. Great days under the old lights.
16 Dec 2017 19:05:23
cant remember exactly my first, definitely lifted over, guessing I was 8/ 9/ 10 so 40+ years ago (born in 67)
16 Dec 2017 23:30:08
Top stories troops.
16 Dec 2017 23:57:20
Very true Big Rab I remember the laugh that went round the ground as the attendance was announced (Y)
17 Dec 2017 11:19:16
How True Rab; The pockling of the attendance figures went on for decades, knocking thousands off the true figures - mind you some of the kids that were lifted over needed a Yarrows Crane ha ha.
Even some all ticket games I went to in the 70's were overcrowded, because the turn-style guy took a pound note in lieu of a ticket.