For the oldies. Graham Fyfe

[pete 2,499]

Just to bring a bit of football in at least for the oldies, I always thought that Graham Fyfe was a yard quicker in thinking than his team-mates at that time but he was never a popular player with most of the Ibrox crowd. I know there were religious issues with him and his wife but I am interested what other people thought of him as a player. I thought he was a good player to be honest but he did seem to disappear after Rangers.

Edited February 20, 2012 by pete

[alexscottislegend 2,092]

Thought he went to Falkirk or Dunfermline after us, someone like that. Never quite made it but came up through our much-criticised youth ranks.Don't remember the religious stuff, though. Think he was in same team as Quinton Young and Derek Parlane, but most of his good games were against 'lesser' opposition.

[chilledbear 16]

Like most wingers inconsistent, but good on his day. Never heard anybody mention religion when talking about him.

[pete 2,499]

Like most wingers inconsistent, but good on his day. Never heard anybody mention religion when talking about him.

Graham Fyfe (born 18 August 1951 in Motherwell) is a Scottish former professional football player, who is best known for his time with Rangers.

 

Fyfe made his first appearance for Rangers at Ibrox in league match against Hearts on 25 March 1969. He started on the right wing in a 3–2 home win. He went on to make 70 appearances for the club, including the first match against Ajax Amsterdam in the first ever European Super Cup. Fyfe also scored 23 goals which was not bad at all from a midfielder.

 

He left to join Hibernian after seven seasons in Govan, but his stay in Edinburgh was short lived, as he moved on to Dumbarton the following year. He played at Boghead Park for two seasons before moving to the United States to play with Major Indoor Soccer League sides Pittsburgh Spirit and Cleveland Force.

 

In 1980, Fyfe said that he had to leave Rangers because he had married a girl who had been Catholic.[1] However his former Rangers team-mates Bobby Russell and Derek Johnstone, who had also married Catholics and who had highly successful careers at Rangers, did not support his claims.[2]

 

Fyfe signed with the St. Louis Steamers in 1983 and spent one season with them.[3]

 

I remember thinking at that time he was a step ahead of other players in thinking, and some of his passes were brilliant but just not understood. He did go downhill quickly though so no other teams seemed to fancy him.

[Little General 80]

"Johan Johan Johan Fyfe"

[26th of foot 5,865]

Graham 'Johan' Fyfe was a truly gifted player.

 

Cerebrally, he was a couple of yards ahead, but always a yard off the pace. He had genuine quick feet and played with his head up. It seemed European football suited him better, the slower, more studied pace complimented his game. A couple of wonderful performances against Ajax in the first European Super Cup final and in the Luis Gaspar tourney in the Nou Camp earned him his soubriquet of 'Johan'.

 

My favourite memory of him was Autumn'74, a game at the piggery and we were racked by injury. Our three usual front men were out and Jock Wallace went with Fyfe and Cutty Young up front. They scored first and were 1-0 up at half time. However, we had played really well, another old firm debutant, Ian 'Ted' McDougall had shuttled box to box, Fyfe came short and continually turned, setting Young off on another run at Billy McBungle and Fat Pat McLuskey.

 

We murdered them in the second half. Fyfe came wide right, dragging Fat Pat out with him, McBungle did not know whether to stick or twist. Fyfe rolled the ball into the path of the charging McDougall, he cut in, drifted past Callaghan and hammered a shot from the corner of the 18 yard box. It found the inside of the back post and nestled into the net. Later, another Fyfe run was unsupported and he dragged the ball to the corner flag. Those quick feet saw him jink past two before the ball was bundled over for a corner. Calemero whipped in a peach and big Bomber Jackson bulleted it into the roof of the net.

 

I remember Fyfe running to the Rangers end at the culmination of the game, pumping his fist. We lionised him on the supporters bus all the way back to darkest, deepest Lanarkshire. Amazingly, that game is now remembered as McDougall's game; but it was Graham Fyfe who tormented them.