09 Jun 2019 16:04:37
Its a true saying that you're born a rangers fan. My late dad took me along to ibrox from a very young age and i was hooked on the club i love. I used to have a debate with my dad when paul gascoigne signed for rangers from lazio, in july 1995,as to who was the all round better midfielder, between paul gascoigne and my dad's favourite slim jim baxter. Slim jim was slightly before my time although i did see many clips of him playing and without a doubt he was a fantastic footballer. But imo gazza was even better than baxter and the greatest rangers midfielder, i've ever seen at ibrox in over 42 years of going to watch the famous glasgow rangers. My late dad (god rest his soul), was that impressed with gazza at rangers, that he eventually agreed with me that gazza was even better than slim jim baxter. That for me, just epitomised how good gazza was, as my dad was a massive fan of baxter. So that's my wee story fellow bears,
would like other bears who've probably seen both playing for rangers, to have their say on these 2 world class midfielders and every bear in general, to which midfielder they thought was the better? It's all about opinions and nobody's right or wrong, no matter which player they rated better!
09 Jun 2019 16:21:02
Great story Coop, i can relate to that. i'm from Kilmarnock and my late dad took me to my first Rangers game but it wasnt at Ibrox, it was at Rugby park. I will never forget it, we won 8-1. That was me hooked after that.
09 Jun 2019 16:29:57
good post SG loyal
Slim Jim was a family friend and I actually bought his flat in Shawlands. Had the same debate many times and most older generations cite Baxter as the better player whereas younger generation normally go for gazza
I must admit I haven’t seen much of Slim
Jim in his pomp but if he was able to orchestrate a tanking of the World champs he must have been some player and the Lawman said Baxter was a class act - that’s high praise from a legend
In terms of what I’ve seen gazza was prob the best in a blue jersey although our own blue n white dynamite cld have been even better injuries aside I also loved the hammer - what a left peg!
09 Jun 2019 16:39:04
It's a great story coop I think there will be a few of us on here can relate to story of parents no longer with us and being taken to our first rangers game I'm doing the same with my son who is 9 taking him to ibrox to experience what I did as a boy.
09 Jun 2019 16:52:31
You're ageing yourself Novo. From Killie myself and was in teens myself and probably saw Davy Coopers best game in gers shirt. Remember Cooper taking ball halfway line, running through six killie players then rolling ball in net. What a game.
09 Jun 2019 16:55:30
My first game was partick thistle v hibe which my uncle took me too with him being a Hibs fan my dad was in the merchant navy and when he came back for shore leave took me to ibrox an hour after arriving home and said that there's only one teaming i will watching from now on and 43 years later I still am.
09 Jun 2019 17:53:52
Millerbrandwilson, yeh mate, getting on a bit. I remember we went to Rugby park early so i could maybe get some autographs. I said to my dad that there is this big guy in a Rangers shirt with huge hands - turned out it was Peter McCloy!
09 Jun 2019 17:54:22
Hi bears I can't actually remember who my 1st game was against but I know it was 1978 as the copland stand had replaced the east terrace. The broomland was being built and the old centenary stand was still there. All these years later I still get the same buzz when going to a game. Rangers till I die. W. A. T. P ????????????????.
09 Jun 2019 18:05:29
I am old enough to have seen slim
Jim play for the famous my eldest son is actually called symon grieg Baxter and gazza May have been in the same drinking league he certainly wasn't in slim class on the field.
09 Jun 2019 19:19:23
NOVO, was at that killie game as a kid. We had to sit on the track, it was so packed. Remember the Killie keeper, Jim Brown, was my aunties neighbour from Lochwinnoch. Poor guy!
09 Jun 2019 19:34:56
As much as I loved Gazza it's got to be Jim Baxter for me.
09 Jun 2019 19:49:46
As a 90s kid I never seen your Baxter’s or coopers so for me it’s got to be van bronkhorst, Gazza and laudrup.
09 Jun 2019 20:26:43
I agree with coops, I think Gaxza was the best player I've ever seen in a Rangers jersey. He was simply world class. I remember Jim Baxter as well. I was very young but remember what a talent he was. God threw away the mould when he made those two.
09 Jun 2019 20:49:03
My first games were Falkirk at Ibrox on the Wednesday night then a friendly v Bayern Munich on the Saturday. The buzz of walking up to Ibrox never leaves you and weather it’s your 1st time or 100th time if it’s in your blood your a true blue forever.
My memories of the best players I have seen are Davie cooper, Gazza and Laudrup. Hard to choose but if I had to Gazza for me.
09 Jun 2019 21:13:35
Coups. Its a hard question to answer perhaps impossible but a pleasure and privilege to sit and think of the many great midfielders to have played for us. I don't want to hedge my bets on anyone in particular but will put Gattuso's hat in the ring, his achievements are pretty spectacular. However think of some of the greats we've had and its just impossible.
09 Jun 2019 21:39:34
12 years old at Rangers v Beitar Jerusalem. I ran and jumped up and chapped the Rangers team bus window as it was arriving and a certain Rino Gattuso waved out the window too me. We sat in the Club deck not far from where I sit now. I was with 2 of my school mates and can mind singing and shouting like mad and other fans were smiling and laughing at us lol happy days!
09 Jun 2019 23:14:03
Yeah Coop, I am bit the same as yourself way Gazza the best. In the day with my Dad who is 80 now, Jim Baxter was his hero! I asked him what do you think of Gazza after watching, he said with a wee smile “I he’s a good yin” ??????????.
09 Jun 2019 23:51:40
I was lucky enough to watch Jim Baxter score the two goals that gave Scotland a 2-1 win at Wembley in 1963, and we beat them with 10 men. Baxter was unstoppable that day and i'm sure Caldow and Henderson played that day. After watching Baxter I started going to ibrox and have been proud to call myself a supporter for 60 years. Imo Jim Baxter was the best player ever to wear the jersey. Although Gazza is a very close second.
10 Jun 2019 05:30:52
Buz, Eric Caldow was carried off and Davie Wilson moved to left back and played a Stormer. Henderson was immense, but it was the Baxter show. In 1967 he was even better. Great debate lads, but Slim Jim is tops for me.
10 Jun 2019 08:06:11
Davie Cooper for me, the goal he set up for Durant against celtic with the reverse pass and the freekick against Aberdeen in cup final were incredible (remember Jim Leighton dived after the ball had bounced back of the back of the net as he hit it so hard) Amazing memories, love Gazza too.
10 Jun 2019 08:07:19
Gazza was a god to me, although my dad said he couldon't lace slim jims boots. I never had the pleasure of seeing him in the flesh.
10 Jun 2019 09:29:35
Thanks to everyone who has replied, it brought back some great memories.
I was lucky enough to see Baxter play for us and even styled my football on the way he played (I never succeeded, he was just too good)
Whether he was better than Gazza, I honestly can't say. It was a different era, different footballs etc.
All I will say is that we have had many great players over the years and will have many more in the years to come.
10 Jun 2019 10:24:29
Davie Cooper was the most naturally talented player I've seen in a gers shirt. Gazza was great though.
10 Jun 2019 10:46:53
Great debate and I wouldn't argue about Slim Jim and Gazza, though Barry Ferguson and the elegant Dave Smith must be worth a mention.
10 Jun 2019 13:37:17
different generation-different football -different boots and a different type of ball---for me its slim jim -in gascoigns era he would have been a star.
10 Jun 2019 13:46:35
Slim jim was my hero growing up and still think he was the greatest. What you have to remember is that the ball itself was far different from the modern day one and jim could thread a needle with those old ones.
He would have been even more of a genius with the modern ball. At times it seemed as though the game was in slow motion the way he could stroke it about.
Better than gazza on the park but would be a toss up when it came to the booze lol.
10 Jun 2019 23:52:03
All we need now is vera lynn.