In most peoples’ eyes, I had a good weekend. By that, I mean, if you think being chased around a kitchen by a three year old at five am of a Sunday morn is the way to go, then I had a great weekend, but I’ll let your long lies pass.
However, getting back to the reason for this scribble - I have been blessed in my journey following Rangers FC, truly blessed by the calibre of people I share that love and knowledge with.
On Friday morning just past, I was told that a Ranger, a real Ranger in every sense of the word with how I equate our club, Billy Barnes (from Govanhill), had passed away. So, it was a good weekend washed away in sadness.
So how do I explain my relationship with Billy? Well, we were never in each other’s company often, unless it was travelling to/from a Rangers game with the Nithsdale and having a quaff, post match in The New Regent on Pollokshaws Rd. afterwards. The talk was only ever about Rangers.
The slop houses that are Neesons, or The Penny Farthing (in Govanhill) would have suited us better, staggering home wise, but hey us old radicals never gave it a thought. Nope, our relationship was Strictly Come Rangers.
Billy loved our club and his ‘doing the knowledge’ was instinctive. Although I’m pretty sure he wasn’t in the Quiz team who came in third on the last Sunday of October 1993 in The New Regent. ‘Nithsdale: Trick or Treat’. What can I say? Our aim was skoo-whiff that night. Although Ally Maxwell, had he been in the immediate vicinity, might have thought otherwise.
The thing is, you take things for granted. The people you love, your parents being indestructible, etc. etc. I just thought, and did take it for granted, that I’d bump into Billy at Ibrox for the next few decades.
I would always seem to meet Billy on a match day and he’d be full of beans. "Wee man, did you see my wee bit in the ‘Now You Know’ column in midweek?"
It used to be Jaymark in the old Evening Times, then it was Bob Crampsey, now it is a collection of guys based at Hampden, who keep this particular wee ‘Glesga’ tradition’ alive.
Billy was always on the ball. No untruth or ‘unfact’ (I know) about the club was ever allowed to rest. And even better, if Billy didn’t tell me about it, my old man most certainly would. “Did you clock that letter from the guy Barnes from Govanhill, midweek? Do you know him?” “I certainly do pops, he is one of ours!” was always the reply.
What people don’t get, I think, is that for some of us growing up, that band of once young things now in middle age, is that we all remember in our own different ways that bloody blip between 1966 and 1970 when Rangers won sod all.
We remember the League Cup sections, when we had the chances to beat you know who, especially two missed penalties in 67/68 spring to mind. We remember a real bloody nose in the 69 Scottish Cup final. Mind you, Colin Stein’s disgraceful 42 days ban by the establishment (with a bigoted yahoo at the helm) didn’t help matters.
You look back, realise and then lament the fact that in 1965/66 and 1967/68 the title was within our grasp and the months of March '66 and April '68, especially put paid to all our hopes.
Now, I was brought up in Bridgeton and then Castlemilk in those far off days, so I was basically shielded/protected from what would have been rampant yahooery at the time. But for Billy, brought up in the soo-side, he would have been offered no such consolation.
It is still something I hear to this day, I think of Billy, Spiersy and Eddie McGonnell from The Tradeston bus, Monty and ‘the brow’ brought up in the hotbed of Calvinism that was Toryglen and you know how they still feel today is based on the years growing up beside the yahoos, gloating ones at that.
But let’s get back to Billy Barnes. He was born on the 15th November 1953. He’d have soiled his first nappy content in the knowledge that the teddies had defeated Hamilton Accies 8-1 the day before.
Billy never missed a Rangers Cup final from the age of eleven. Which brings me back to what I had said earlier: I count myself lucky that I was too young to fully appreciate Rangers going from Baxter to Ba’ Face! Billy at eleven plus? It must have seemed like the end of the world. The scars might have healed, but the hurt didn’t. Trust me on that one.
Yet, as The Nithsdale Loyal knew, when the results didn’t go our way, when those European black clouds seemed like never-ending, who was first with a hearty wee refrain about Rangers, who was first with a wee song to lift the spirits? Billy Barnes.
Billy was informed on the 23rd of March this year that a horrible illness was now in his system. On June 1st this year he made his last journey outside his house. Where did he go? I think you have guessed it.
Monty, (of Nithsdale fame) who y’all will have heard of, took him over to where Billy’s heart lay for the very last time. As Monty has told me since then, Billy just had that wee smile on his face as if to say, ‘That’s it, I just had to get over and see the place one last time.’
I knew Billy Barnes on a Rangers level. I suppose it sums Billy and yours truly up in certain respects. If you think about it, is it not ridiculous or pathetic that you can chat and have a relationship of sorts with a person for nearly three decades and you don’t even know what that person likes musically? You don’t know what movies or actors floated his boat? All we ever did was talk about Rangers! But hey, it suited us just fine.
I’m sure it was that 66 – 70 thang that bonded us.
Billy Barnes’ tragic and all too soon demise and his going through the bad times watching Rangers back in the day reminds me of another real Ranger, Willie (Big Winkie) McClachlan.
When I asked the ‘wink’ when was his favourite era supporting the teddies? No flinching, no batting of the eyelids, straight to the point. ‘The early 70s’, the big man would reply.
‘Why is that?’ I would ask. ‘Because bears wanted to be bears back then!’ he would growl. ‘Forget all this namby pamby PC pish!’
I have to say if the wink is looking down, here is my advice. Do not back good money against the new chap from the Nithsdale in town. Take it from me, Billy Barnes has the knowledge. Although that is gonna be some knees up you and Billy.
Mr B, I cannot believe I’ll never see that wee knowing smile again.
Thank you for the memories.
WATP.