the gunslinger 3,366 Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 In the 60's I always left the Copland end by the Edmiston Drive stairs, I still believe that the badge on the end of the main stand stated "Aye Ready". But as you say no photographic evidence has been forthcoming to prove it. Age plays tricks on the memory! As I get older I realise it really does. Memory is about perception as well as what you actually see. There are photographs from every decade out there. Every one says ready. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stimpy 0 Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 Make sure it's a nice bottle and not the peasant stuff you find on the bottom shelf of the supermarket bevy aisles! 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott7 5,156 Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 Google Images has a photo of Mr Struth - several in fact - which shows the grand old gentleman wearing natty braided blazer. The badge on it is the old heraldic shield with a lion superimposed on a St Andrew's cross. The left and right quadrants of the cross bear the date 18 71 . The bottom quadrant has the motto "Ready". Blow it up and get out the magnifying glass. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrahimHemdani 1 Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 In the 60's I always left the Copland end by the Edmiston Drive stairs, I still believe that the badge on the end of the main stand stated "Aye Ready". But as you say no photographic evidence has been forthcoming to prove it. Age plays tricks on the memory! I can confirm that. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
barca72 440 Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 could someone please post a picture of the main stand with the words AYE READY on the side of the building I found this post but my browser won't open the jpg picture, maybe yours will ... http://www.followfollow.com/sngl/ed23/ibrox_stadium_section/index.shtml Picture below shows Edmiston Drive and Main Stand façade. The main façade on Edmiston Drive is in redbrick with art deco and neo-classical features. On each corner in blue and gold mosaic is the Club Crest with the motto "Aye Ready". Beside this at either end is a set of wrought-iron gates in blue and white, which include the club name. The whole façade exudes prestige and power even to this day and has become a listed building such is its importance and position within the city of Glasgow. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrahimHemdani 1 Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 I am in no doubt that when I first started watching Rangers in the late 50's/early 60's the motto was "aye ready". I remember having a badge that said "aye ready" and being quite indignant when it changed to just "ready". That said, I have looked back to the earliest wee blue book that I have which is from season 1962/63 and the crest only says READY in block caps. That is also how it is shown on the crest on the cover page of Rangers the New Era which was published in 1966. However, I have found this on yahoo: Originally the motto was 'AYE WORK AWA', which was then changed to 'READY AYE READY', subsequently shortened to 'AYE READY' and finally in 1966 to 'READY'. The change in 1966 was explained as being a modernising move, but in fact it was so that the badge could be legally incorporated. And this on another site: "A circular club badge was adopted in 1959 and featured a lion rampant, an old-style football and the club's motto Ready, which was shortened from Aye Ready (meaning Always Ready in Scots), all surrounded by the team name, Rangers Football Club. The circular badge was modernised in 1969; the lion rampant, team name, club motto and old style football all remained. The modern circular badge is regularly used on club merchandise and by the media; it has never featured prominently on the club strip" which would bear out the fact that it had already been changed in the 1962 book. This is from http://www.followfollow.com/sngl/ed23/ibrox_stadium_section/index.shtml Article by farley1968 Updated Saturday, 24th February 2007 The main façade on Edmiston Drive is in redbrick with art deco and neo-classical features. On each corner in blue and gold mosaic is the Club Crest with the motto "Aye Ready". The pictures aren't there though. I also found this comment and similar on another site: "The change in 1966 was explained as being a modernising move, but in fact it was so that the badge could be legally incorporated" Robert McElroy. (Rangers Historian) More evidence is to be found in the title of this book: Aye Ready: Rangers War Heroes http://www.amazon.co.uk/Aye-Ready-Rangers-War-Heroes/dp/1845023536 The books author Paul Smith refers to "The club’s traditional motto, ‘Aye Ready’" Is it possible that the official motto was "aye ready" but that on some versions of the crest/badges it was shortened to just "ready" and then changed officlaly in 1966 or later? 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrahimHemdani 1 Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 I also found this interview with Jim Forrest: PS: 'I note your Rangers blazer with badge,was it 'Ready' when you were there?' JF: 'It was.Ready then and Ready now.Ready was on the badge when I first signed at Rangers and it was on,when I got my first player's blazer ' PS: 'Do you remember what was on the side of the Main Stand though?' JF: ' Well that was 'Aye Ready,yes I remember that.The club stuck with plain 'Ready' for the badge on the blazers though.Officially it was just 'Ready' and they stuck with that and later everybody knew it has just 'Ready'. KS: ' I remember it on the Main Stand in the 50s and 60s,so you DID see it? Many now doubt it was painted there,especially on 'Follow Follow' ...(message board-a plug!) ' JF: 'Yes it was there,I saw it everyday.It got changed though about the time I was there,1964,65.Why?,well 'Ready' was being used on everything.Suppose it could have been 'Aye Ready',but somewhere somebody changed it & it became 'Ready'. http://www.followfollow.com/news/tmnw/aye_ready_200064/index.shtml 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott7 5,156 Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 The "aye" means "yes" rather than the Scots "ever" or "always". It comes from naval parlance where before some task is started the leading rate asks "ready?" and the working party responds "aye, ready" before hauling on a rope or swarming up a rigging or whatever matelots do. The badge on Mr Struth Will tell you the truth. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrahimHemdani 1 Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 The "aye" means "yes" rather than the Scots "ever" or "always". It comes from naval parlance where before some task is started the leading rate asks "ready?" and the working party responds "aye, ready" before hauling on a rope or swarming up a rigging or whatever matelots do. The badge on Mr Struth Will tell you the truth. Your explanation sounds entirely plausible but here again I must admit that I always understood "aye ready" to mean always ready, which sounds to me like a good motto for a football team. Of course that doesn't mean that one explanation is right and the other is wrong; the correct derivation may be lost in the sands of time. For example some historians say that Robert E Lee's description of the North Carolinians as tar heels is derived from the tar on railroad tracks others say it is the tar on ship decks; no one really knows which is correct and unfortunately the General Commanding the Army of Northern Virginia isn't around to let us know. I don't think there's any doubt that "aye ready" was the motto at some point but exactly what it meant and exactly when it was changed seem to be a bit of a mystery. Anyway, I have sent Robert (McElroy) a text and asked if he can shed any more light on it. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
the gunslinger 3,366 Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 Robert has previously confirmed it's always just said ready. I am fairly certain. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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