Dear all,
Hope you are all well...it’s been a long time but unfortunately there has been nothing to tell you, until now that is. Glasgow Rangers have made it into the UEFA Cup Final and are making history for Scotland.
Let’s start by looking at the astonishing achievements of the team and the management. To beat Fiorentina in penalties in Florence was simply stunning. I feel for Fiorentina, but it’s always easier to be compassionate when you win! In this day and age of multi million pound wages and leagues swimming in the sort of money that could solve third world debt, a Scottish team getting into the last 16 or the last 8 is an achievement in itself but to get to a European Final is nothing short of unbelievable. I'm still coming to terms with the magnitude of what this team has achieved. Also, a lot has been made of how we got to the final but I remember in the last round against Sporting with Rangers playing sharp football and Whittaker dancing round 3 or 4 players and scoring a memorable goal, worthy of any game anywhere in the world. Had Chelsea, Liverpool or Man U. scored that goal then maybe things would be viewed differently.
Already my phone is ringing of the hook with friends and family, old and new, wondering if I have any sort of contact that could maybe get that precious bit of paper that admits them into a place in history - that will allow them to dine out for years to come, on that night in Manchester and expressing to anyone who will listen, how it felt to be a Glaswegian Rangers fan.
I remember the European campaign of 1992. We had just played the Albert Hall the night before Rangers went to Leeds in the 2nd leg, which would see the winners qualify for the first Champions League. We were 2-1 up from the home leg and Rangers fans were barred from Elland Road, as Leeds fans had been barred from Ibrox. We had Gary Speed sorting our tickets for Elland Road. Big Mark Hately scored in the first couple of minutes, just then, right in front of us a couple of bears jumped up and cheered, much to the disgust of the Leeds fans that surrounded us, suddenly Elland Road felt like a really bad idea, the wrong place at the wrong time, but we survived and looking back it was very much the right place at the right time. We were there, we saw, we beat the English Champions..... sweet.
It’s no different here and I’ll be there, at the Final!
Congratulations to everyone associated with Rangers on this historic achievement.
Back Soon
Love Graeme xxx