This revised and updated edition of Voices of the Old Firm tells the story of Rangers and Celtic in the words of those who can say ‘I was there’. By interviewing players, managers but above all supporters of the two great clubs, Stephen Walsh has built up a unique portrait of sixty years of football in the city.
Full of evocative social and historical detail, the book surveys all the great moments since the war – the ups and downs, the triumphs and disasters. What was it like to be in Lisbon for Celtic’s epic 1967 European Cup victory, or in Barcelona for Rangers’ European triumph of 1972? The different ‘voices’ which describe these and many other key events include some of the greatest players ever to pull on a green or a blue jersey and they have vivid tales to tell of encounters on the field.
But the book also hears the voices of those who have spent their time standing on the terraces or sitting in the stands cheering on their heroes. Ordinary supporters tell of their adventures at home and abroad while following their clubs with sometimes ridiculous levels of devotion. In their own words, they tell of great games of football, but they also describe the fabric of the fan’s life – the buses, the songs, the drink, the clothes, the bigotry and the passionate emotion which marks Glasgow out from almost all other footballing cities.
This classic oral history has been brought fully up to date with the addition of new material reflecting the way the teams have come to dominate the Scottish football scene in the last ten years. Highlights include Celtic’s pilgrimage to Seville for the UEFA Cup final and Rangers’ unforgettable championship win of 2005.
