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Happy Owen Coyle Day!


Yir Elder
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Amazingly, it's been 17 years this very day since the Mighty Well pissed on Rangers 9 in a row party, thanks to an Owen Coyle double. The 200 odd Well fans in attendance must've had the time of their lives, watching thus supposed day of celebration turn flat. It's one game I wish I'd went to.

So, what are everyone's memories of that day?

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I heard a story that the David Murray told John Chapman before the game that he wont be able to have a wee drink with him afterwards because they'll be celebrating the league win. When Coyle scored his second apparently Chapman ran over to Murray in the directors box & gave him an earful.

 

The Daily Record were handing out 9-in-a-row flyers that day as well. Best visit to Ibrox ever. Great performance, obviously Coyle but I seem to remember McMillan had a stormer at centre-half.

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We went into that game like lambs to the slaughter, or so we all thought given the circumstances of them only needing a point to win the league and us staring the playoffs in the face. I don't think they even got a touch of the ball in the first five or six minutes either and by the time they did we were 1-0 up. One of the most incredible and memorable results in my entire time supporting Motherwell.

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Aye that was one of the best.

 

We were part of one of Sky's double or tripple header things so I remember being in Motherwell Point from early on watching a bit of a thriller between Man Utd and Middlesborough having no inkling of what we were about to witness a couple of hours later.

 

I think we'd only be given a few hundred tickets and even then our end was heavily infiltrated. It was all about their 9-in-a-row party and nobody had given any thought to the fact we were in deep shit and staring down the barrel at a play-off against Airdrie, which nobody really fancied at all. They didn't factor in at all that we wouldn't just roll over.

 

We were just sensational that day and every bit of experience we had in that team was used to the full. Any hopes Rangers had of killing the game early just never materialised. They couldn't get the ball off us for about the first 5 minutes and much of that was spent in their half. That just set the tone for the full game.

 

It became clear just how few 'Well fans were in the "away" end at that first goal which I think just pumped up everybody that was there even more. There was some serious goading going on some of which boiled over when our second went in. There were coins pouring down the top tier as we celebrated below and I mind one of my mates cracking one of vile ones in the row in front who had been particularly mouthy as the celebrations were ongoing. It was all the more amusing as he thought he'd been caught by a coin by one of his own.

 

And Gaz, I've heard John Chapman himself recount that very story about the post match drinks although if I remember rightly his response was a much more subtle one liner along the lines of "I do hope you enjoy your champagne David".

 

Happy days!

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One of my favourite away days ever and a very important 3 points as has been pointed out. I remember watching the highlights and being able to pick myself out in the celebrations in my bright light blue anorak (which I'm sure was de rigeur in those days).

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I was one of the 150 or so of us who actually managed to get tickets. One of the best days ever following Motherwell. Our section was crawling with their fans but you sensed something special when it took Rangers over 4 minutes to get out of their own half at the start of the game. Brilliant occasion, tremendous to see their fans leaving our section after the pen and getting pelters.

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As a side point, looking back at that squad it baffles to think we were in a relegation battle that year. How many of the starting 11 that day would walk straight into our team just now?

 

Quite a few I'd imagine, although the standard of quality has dropped dramatically right across the board since then, its not just limited to us. I mean Mitchell van der gaag was at that time our record signing, for something like £500 - 750k? We wouldn't even spend a fraction of that now on a player, indeed no one in the top flight out with Celtic would even dream of that nowadays. The game and the landscape has changed so much.

 

It is however fair to say that a fair few of that team would walk into today's an improve it. I'd certainly take Scott Howie in goal, Brian Martin and Van der gaag at the back and a front two of Coyne and Coyle...easily the best front partnership I've ever seen at the club. If those two were our strike force today they would destroy the SPFL.

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As a side point, looking back at that squad it baffles to think we were in a relegation battle that year. How many of the starting 11 that day would walk straight into our team just now?

To be fair though Brian Martin and Tommy Coyne are over fifty now, so we might only get an hour out the two of them

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1399419452[/url]' post='410943']

Think we were in the Burns Tavern for that one, sweet memories.

 

Great result despite having McLeish in charge...also didn't realise that was Gough's last game at Ibrox.

 

It was meant to be his last game for Rangers, he was travelling to the States straight after the game to do whatever he got up to next. Those plans were suddenly put on hold.

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I remember walking to the ground from the car, and strangely enough it's the only time i've never felt edgy making that journey, purely because every single Rangers fan was in a great mood...they were there to party and we were there to make up the numbers. From my experience they were actually all in really good spirits, and not knowing what was to come...it actually put me in a good mood and looking forward to the game.

 

Then they couldn't get the ball. Then we scored.

 

I remember in the days before the wee corners were filled in and we were in the bottom tier of the Broomloan, it was common practice for the Rangers fans in the top tier to buy 2 pies and 2 bovrils, one for eating and drinking, and one for throwing, and by god did it rain down that day!

 

The other thing that sticks in my mind of that match, was going off at half time 1-0 up, Rangers team, management and fans all absolutely raging at us...and the first song that gets played over the tannoy? Go West by The Pet Shop Boys.... 1-0...to the Motherwell, 1-0...to the Motherwell 1-0...... All of a sudden 200 of us getting absolutely pelted from above whilst bouncing up and down. Amazing times.

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