Memory Lane? Well Tannadice Street, actually. Exactly 42 years ago today, as an early eighth birthday present, my sister, who was a Dundee United fan, despite being a classmate of Alistair Johnson, took me to see my first-ever football match – Dundee United v Rangers at Tannadice.
As neither of my parents were interested in football, and I had no brothers, she took me the five miles or so (a two-bus journey!) to Tannadice. Although this had been planned for months, the game took on added significance as the preceding Wednesday evening, Slim Jim Baxter had broken his leg in the final minutes of one of Rangers greatest-ever away performances in Europe, in Vienna's Prater Stadium. His place on that Saturday therefore went to the Icelandic player Theorelf “Tottie” Beck.
So, as I reminisce, try, if you will, to see this whole experience through the eyes of a seven year old Dundee laddie, who would have been the only Rangers supporter in his class at school, and this was only a couple of years after Dundee had reached the European Cup semi-final. In other words, in my little world, I was heavily outnumbered by both Dundee and Dundee United fans, but still wore my scarf to school – yes, the scarf I had saved up 8/6 out of my 8d a week pocket money, to buy out of Smith & Horner.
Cue the cheesy music, but it is amazing the detail one remembers when it comes to Rangers matters.
So, after alighting our second corporation bus – they were green in Dundee in those days – only changing to blue when I left the bloody place! – we went to queue up at the Boys Gate. 2/- to get in (that's 10p) and 3d for a programme – one which actually told you who was playing! There were rosette sellers outside, and each one seemed to have an individual player in the centre, whether it was Jim Forrest, Davie Wilson or any other of our big stars. I couldn't make up m mind who my favourite was, so got one that just said “Easy-Easy” in the centre!
Yes, I can still remember which turnstiles we went in, and how delighted I was when I saw the view one could get from the back of Tannadice's steep terracing. We had to go down the front, though, so I could see.
It was here that my life finally became worth living, as there were Rangers fans everywhere! My world had become the way it should be. I checked the record books on this game last week, and noted the attendance was 25,000, so the Gers fans must have outnumbered the locals by a majority of 4:1.
Given the passage of time, much of the game is just a blur to me, but I do recall Forrest's first goal (of his hat-trick in a 3-1 victory) being a drive right into the postage stamp corner – what a goal! Scot Symon actually got out of the dug-out to cheer that one . . . not a regular sight, I'm told.
I also remember thinking Dundee United's best player (they were playing in all white, trimmed with black) that day was none other than Orjan Persson!
An agonising moment, however, arose, when the ball went out for a throw-in just next to me, and Davie Wilson was running over to come and get it, and although I stretched out to reach the ball, as I was desperate to hand it over to a hero of mine, the boy next to me got it instead. Never mind, by then I was hooked . . .
The bus fare was 4d on each of the two buses home, but Kate and I walked into town, and I spent the 4d bus fare saved, on a Lees macaroon bar from a shop in the Hilltown. And when I went to school on the Monday morning, well, there was only one item to discuss – Dundee United 1, Rangers 3.