131 Years Ago Today.

[The Moonlighter 387]

24^TH March 1887.

 

Rangers required funds to help with the move from Kinning Park to First Ibrox  and subsequently  a committee was formed which was chaired by Tom Vallance.

 

The ‘’Monster Concerts’’ which were organised proved to be extremely popular with the people of Glasgow and  sold out .

 

The  outlets shown at the bottom of the concert  advert show that tickets could be purchased from Harry and Peter McNeil’s shop on Union Street , and from George Gillespie and James Watson who both played in that legendary series of games that was the 1877 Scottish Cup Final.

 

This was the lads who’d formed our Club, and others from our early years, fund-raising to help their dream of owning our own ground become a reality.

This was the Rangers in the process of moving to Ibrox and somewhere we could call home.

 

 

The Waterloo Rooms stood on the corner of Waterloo Street and Wellington Street and was used by Rangers for meetings  during season 1888-89.

 

 

In 1910 it  became The Alhambra Theatre which was demolished in 1971.

 

Today it’s the Alhambra House office block.

[boabie 230]

A perhaps surprising thing that used to happen in our early history was that Rangers Jolly Band supplied the entertainment after Celtic AGMs took place.

[compo 6,223]

A lovely insight to our early history .

[Gonzo79 13,764]

2 hours ago, boabie said:

A perhaps surprising thing that used to happen in our early history was that Rangers Jolly Band supplied the entertainment after Celtic AGMs took place.

Did they play Home On The Range or Marching Through Georgia, by any chance?  ?

[boabie 230]

A few excerpts from the early history of the manks --

 

" John MacCreadie was the first president of the Donegal Reunion Society and a founding member of the St Aloysius Association alongside Joe Shaughnessy, Joe Nelis and Dr John Conway. He was also a leading member of the Catholic Literary Society and was a star turn at their frequent soirées. At the St Patrick’s Day bash of 1891, he was accompanied by the Rangers Musical Association and John H McLaughlin in a rendition of “Wearing of the Green” and was also renowned for a spirited rendition of “God Save Ireland”. "

 

"A member of the Catholic Literary Society, during a break in their St Patrick’s Day social meeting, he proposed in an eloquent speech the toast of “Ireland a nation”. It was later noted that a most enjoyable feature of the evening was the artistic programme provided by the Rangers FC Musical Association. "

 

" He regularly played the piano with the Rangers FC Glee Club and in return the Rangers Musical Association would accompany him elsewhere. "

 

From reading elsewhere it would seem that the manks also used the Waterloo Rooms for their official functions.