First Ever Saints Game


Ally91
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Was chatting to some mates the other day about our first ever football matches and I vaguely remembered my first McDiarmid Park experience being a 3-2 win that clinched the First Division title in the mid-90's. A bit of googling shows that it must have been East Fife we were playing in 1997 but being 5 years old at the time it's safe to say the memories are very bleak! Is anyone able to let me know a bit more about the game? How did the atmosphere compare to other games such as securing third place against Dundee or our latest First Divison win? Also thought it might be interesting to hear what other people memories are of there first ever Saints games.

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I can't actually remember my first game to be honest, but used to stay on Balhousie Street and regularly got "lifted o'er the turnstiles" at Muirton Park.

My old man played junior football though, so going to a senior game wasn't a regular thing til I was old enough to go on my own.

My uncle took me to Parkhead to see Saints v Rangers in the Scottish cup semi. Those old enough to remember will recall a draw being earned, torrents of abuse received by the orc scum and sadly getting tanked in the replay.

Saints club on Barossa Street has a few photos of players from that great team.

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First game was against Aberdeen in the cup at Muirton. Cant remember the year, but Robert Connor scored the only goal as far as I remember.

Best game: the Airdrie game..no doubt, although the 5-0 against Aberdeen runs it close.

My memory of the Dundee game that secured Europe was the bloke beside me giving me a great big hug when Kane scored!

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I remember that East Fife game pretty well, Phillip Scott's opener was an absolute peach. You can see it (followed by the other 2 from the game from 1.27 on this video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jw0aXw8kkz4 ). Got some great memories from that season, including pestering Alan Main throughout an away game at Old Bayview (where the front of the terrace was about a yard away from the goal line) and, obviously the new year's day game. Don't know how much of it is rose tinted specs or only storing memories from select matches and forgetting the dross, but I remember the atmosphere at McDiarmid being far better back then (I was 13 though so maybe it just seemed better due to not having experienced much real excitement).

 

My first game was a, dreadful, 2-0 defeat to Airdrie in the league cup that somehow got me hooked.

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Like edstar, my early memories of muirton from the late 70's and early 80s are of running around beside the boards or behind the enclosure.

I do remember looking towards the pitch and realising I was only a couple of inches away from a young g strachan, who had come over to take a throw in for aberdeen.

At the time he was as big a deal as it is possible for a 6/7? year old to comprehend. I am ashamed to say, that it may have led to an infatuation with aberdeen that was only properly shaken off with the advent of the totten era. Sorry. I have said it now...

Another early memory involves the ladies toilets on the end of the stand at the icerink end, and daring each other to go in. From memory they were dank and creepy, and I would be surprised if any female had set foot in them in the last 10 years of muirtons existence.

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Celtic in the final game of the 73/74 (?) season. We had to win to get into the new Premier League. We won 2-1. Absolutely brilliant day, I can still remember the excitement I felt as I went up the wooden steps into the Centre Stand and looked out at Muirton Park. I was hooked from then on. It remains my greatest Saints experience.

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Celtic in the final game of the 73/74 (?) season. We had to win to get into the new Premier League. We won 2-1. Absolutely brilliant day, I can still remember the excitement I felt as I went up the wooden steps into the Centre Stand and looked out at Muirton Park. I was hooked from then on. It remains my greatest Saints experience.

Think you may need corrected....

 

It was the 1-- 0 win against Hibs to get us in the newly formed Premier League...That was my first game....

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I remember that East Fife game pretty well, Phillip Scott's opener was an absolute peach. You can see it (followed by the other 2 from the game from 1.27 on this video - ). Got some great memories from that season, including pestering Alan Main throughout an away game at Old Bayview (where the front of the terrace was about a yard away from the goal line) and, obviously the new year's day game. Don't know how much of it is rose tinted specs or only storing memories from select matches and forgetting the dross, but I remember the atmosphere at McDiarmid being far better back then (I was 13 though so maybe it just seemed better due to not having experienced much real excitement).

My first game was a, dreadful, 2-0 defeat to Airdrie in the league cup that somehow got me hooked.

Some great memories there. Quality videos. Those were the days. Chance for some braw memories this year to mind!
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My first game was a 1-1 draw with Hamilton Accies at Muirton in about March 1978 if memory serves. Can't remember a thing about the game though! My first away game was against Accies too - a 1-0 win at old Douglas Park in the Third Round of the Cup in 82-83. Remember much more about that one!

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I remember that East Fife game pretty well, Phillip Scott's opener was an absolute peach. You can see it (followed by the other 2 from the game from 1.27 on this video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jw0aXw8kkz4 ). Got some great memories from that season, including pestering Alan Main throughout an away game at Old Bayview (where the front of the terrace was about a yard away from the goal line) and, obviously the new year's day game. Don't know how much of it is rose tinted specs or only storing memories from select matches and forgetting the dross, but I remember the atmosphere at McDiarmid being far better back then (I was 13 though so maybe it just seemed better due to not having experienced much real excitement).

 

My first game was a, dreadful, 2-0 defeat to Airdrie in the league cup that somehow got me hooked.

never seen that video cheers for that. cracking goal from fizzy, who was it that does the back heel lick for the 3rd?

my 1st game was rangers 3 saints 1 92 cup semi at hampden does anyone remember who scored our goal ?youtube only has the 3 rangers goals surprisingly

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My first games were at Muirton in the 83/84 season I think. My old man and his friend used to lift me and my sister over the turnstile into the main stand. I vaguely remember us getting totally hammered by both Aberdeen and Celtic. The games against Hibs and Dundee United being slightly closer.

 

For the next few years after that, my dad used to take us up for the last 15 - 20 mins of the home games - we used to sneak in once they opened the gates to let people out, as we couldn't afford to pay to go in at the time! Started going more regularly, both home and away, from about 1986/87.

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Think you may need corrected....

It was the 1-- 0 win against Hibs to get us in the newly formed Premier League...That was my first game....

The other guy has the right game but wrong year. Last game of the 74/75 season saw us best Celtic 2-1 to get into first premier league,Gordon Smith scored the winning penalty at ice rink end
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I Was a late starter as my Dad was not interested in Football, i was about ten when my uncle first asked me if i wanted to go to the Football it was about 1970 ish and i am sure it was a New Year game against Dundee in Perth, and i think we lost.I was never allowed to go to games myself so had to wait on my uncle taking me again about a month or 2 later against Clydebank i then attended most home games i would imagine, with my uncle until i went away to the Army at 16.

My first ever away game was a 4-3 win at Dens on New Years Day 1976, i was on leave from the Army and my Uncle bought me a pint( i never did tell my mother) she would have killed me

My games were then few and far apart as i was away from Scotland but managed to pick and choose some Home and Away games when i was home.

I left the Forces(Early, another story) in 1980 and started going Home and Away every week, it was rare to miss a game back then ,but it was as much for the Craick with mates as the Football, there were no expectations back then.

As Saturday was meet up with the mates at Lunch time, Go to game, have a sing song and a Laugh(Fighting with Opposition fans was an option) Stories to be told there , but that's for another day !The after the game you went to the Pub, read the Sporting Post(Home Games) The Win Lose or Draw you got pissed and looked forward to the next game

Edited by THE LARK SAINT
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First game was against Aberdeen in the cup at Muirton. Cant remember the year, but Robert Connor scored the only goal as far as I remember.

Best game: the Airdrie game..no doubt, although the 5-0 against Aberdeen runs it close.

My memory of the Dundee game that secured Europe was the bloke beside me giving me a great big hug when Kane scored!

We bit of useless Trivia

Aberdeen Paid 10 grand for a security fence at Muirton so game could go ahead

Edited by THE LARK SAINT
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never seen that video cheers for that. cracking goal from fizzy, who was it that does the back heel lick for the 3rd?

my 1st game was rangers 3 saints 1 92 cup semi at hampden does anyone remember who scored our goal ?youtube only has the 3 rangers goals surprisingly

Paul Wright scored in the semi defeat. That was a shite night!
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My first game was for some reason known only to my parents at parkhead 2-2 draw in 1969. I have been told since that that game is the biggest crowd Saints have played in front of. My first game at Muirton wasnt even a Saints game but Aberdeen v Killie Scottish Cup semi-final good game from what I remember and lots of fighting. Cant remember my first Saints home match but it would have been pretty soon after that semi. Best game seen THE Airdrie game.

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Guest Mongy Max

never seen that video cheers for that. cracking goal from fizzy, who was it that does the back heel lick for the 3rd?

my 1st game was rangers 3 saints 1 92 cup semi at hampden does anyone remember who scored our goal ?youtube only has the 3 rangers goals surprisingly

Just how good was Dino!!!

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