Andy Halliday: My Grandad became a Livingston fan when I was booted from Ibrox...

[ian1964 10,457]

...now he's a Rangers season ticket holder again.

 

GERS midfielder has a lot to thank the West Lothian club for but will be going out to gun them down at the weekend to keep his family happy.

 

ANDY HALLIDAY reckons Livingston are a granda old team to play for.

 

The Rangers ace will always be grateful to the Almondvale club for rescuing his career after he was released by the Light Blues as a kid.

 

His grandfather Jack Taylor ditched his Ibrox season ticket and went to West Lothian to watch him play but was so hooked he kept going even after Halliday headed to England.

 

The midfielder returned to Ibrox in the summer – and his grandad followed – but facing Livi will still be special for both when the side’s meet in Govan this weekend.

 

The 23-year-old said: “When I started playing in England, it was a bit too far for my grandad to travel every week so he continued to watch Livi for years.

 

“He went to a couple of their pre-season matches but now I’m back at Rangers he’s got a season ticket there again – the Livi fans are probably not too happy because he’s jumped ship!”

 

Halliday came close to chucking football after he was let go at Ibrox. But Livi brought him back into the fold and he’s never looked back.

 

He said: “It will be nice to play Livingston. I enjoyed my time there and they were the team who gave me the platform to go and be where I am today. I have a lot to thank that club for.

 

“I’ve never been fortunate enough to go back to Almondvale since I left.

 

“This is a home game but I’ll look forward to all the fixtures we have against them this season. I’m hoping to see some familiar faces in and around the backroom staff.

 

“There are also fans who supported me when I was young boy. I will be sure to give them a clap because it is the least they deserve.

 

“Livingston picked me back up from the lowest point of my career – when I was released at a young age from Rangers.

 

“They were the team who got me back involved in football, who gave me that platform to be in a first team at a young age.

 

“I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for Livingston.

 

“It’s well documented I took a break when I got released but such is my passion I was always going to get back into football. Livi were the club who took a chance on me getting involved.

 

“My family was devastated when I left Rangers, not just my grandad, but it’s led me back to Rangers a few years later so it’s certainly nothing I regret.”

 

Halliday has played a major role in Rangers’ barnstorming start to the new season under Mark Warburton.

 

And the 23-year-old revealed he has extra motivation as he’s out to make a name for himself in Scotland all over again.

 

He arrived from Bradford in the summer with a glowing reference from ex-boss Phil Parkinson – and he’s determined to live up to the billing.

 

Halliday said: “I saw the words from Phil and I was very thankful, there were a lot of kind words from him.

 

“I was fortunate enough to be involved in a lot of big games for Bradford but maybe the one thing that meant we missed the play-offs was that we lacked consistency last season.

 

“I feel every game is a big game for me at Rangers and that I’ve still got a lot to prove to people.

 

“Not a lot of people here have seen me play because I moved down to England at a pretty young age.”

 

Halliday might love playing at Ibrox but rivals teams are not enjoying it much this season. The Light Blues have blasted 12 goals in four home games – including five against Raith Rovers last weekend.

 

And Halliday has warned his old side to prepare for the worst as there is no way

Warburton’s men will ease off the gas.

 

He said: “We feel as though the buzz is back around Ibrox and Murray Park.

 

“We’ve obviously talked about laying down markers at the start of the season and we wanted to bring a bit of that fear factor back to Ibrox.

 

“I don’t think many teams will fancy playing us just now.

 

“It’s never too easy when you play for Rangers because every team wants to beat you.

 

“This game is their cup final so we need to make sure we are on top form every game, because complacency kills momentum.

 

“We need to make sure we never drop our standards because as soon as we do

that there will be a team ready to capitalise.”

 

Halliday was speaking as he led Rangers Charity Foundation’s partnership with Glasgow City Mission.

 

The Ibrox club have pumped in £25,000 to help the city’s homeless and Halliday was delighted to be involved.

 

He said: “I am well aware what the charity does as my mum works at Glasgow City Mission and family centre in Govan.

 

“I’ve been there a few times because of young family members who go to the nursery and they are great kids.

 

“It’s not just the night centre the money will benefit.

 

“There are a lot of factors in the project and I’m well aware of the amazing work the charity does. We know how passionate Rangers fans are so we are just looking for them to back the cause, which we know they’ll do.”

 

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/andy-halliday-grandad-became-livingston-6414336

[JTP 0]

Amazing to think Halliday is still only 23, his performances so far this season are likened to a seasoned Pro in the centre of the park.

 

Keep it up Andy and you'll be seeing a testimonial in 10 years my fellow bear.

 

"He's one of our own, he's one of our own .......... Andy Halliday, he's one of our own"

[Gazza_8 233]

A granda old team to play for?

 

Jeeeezo!

[craig 5,199]

A granda old team to play for?

 

Jeeeezo!

 

Agreed, what a shocking attempt at a play on words !

[craig 5,199]

A granda old team to play for?

 

Jeeeezo!

 

Agreed, what a shocking attempt at a play on words !

[Gazza_8 233]

Agreed, what a shocking attempt at a play on words !

 

It's not just that. We're Rangers not Celtic. Awful attempts at humour by the journalist.

[craig 5,199]

It's not just that. We're Rangers not Celtic. Awful attempts at humour by the journalist.

 

That's what I meant when I said shocking attempt at play on words

 

1. It was a shitty attempt

2. It used a Celtic term for a Rangers article.

 

I actually wouldn't be surprised if it was a deliberate attempt to slip something Celtic into a Rangers article.

[Germinal 27]

The midfielder returned to Ibrox in the summer – and his grandad followed – but facing Livi will still be special for both when the side’s meet in Govan this weekend.

 

I object to this shocker even more. Even the Rangers website articles are riddled with basic spelling mistakes. Sigh

[Zappa 0]

I object to this shocker even more. Even the Rangers website articles are riddled with basic spelling mistakes. Sigh

 

You really do have to wonder how on earth some of these folk manage to get jobs as reporters & journalists when half of them don't even have a basic grasp of their own language.

[pete 2,499]

Instead of writing bumf like this they should spend some time some time bringing the Rangers website up to date like the first team players squad. Surely that is not more than a half-hours work at most.