Our photo of the day feature often proves popular with readers and triggers conversations about memories and history among the Celtic faithful. In a recent edition, we chose an aerial shot of the Jungle in the 1960s, after a friend had sent it in to one of the writers. There was a lot of debate about the story behind the picture and which game it related to… until Mike Maher clarified all with an intriguing and informative comment.
“This photo is from the Jim Rodger collection,” Mike said. “It was taken from the League match at Celtic Park on 10 September 1960 which Rangers won 5-1. The crowd was only around the 40,000 mark. The previous Saturday there had been 60,000 there when the teams met in a League Cup section match. Celtic had led the section and with two home games to go looked as if they were going to qualify. However they lost them both. A draw in the last game with Rangers would have been enough but after taking an early lead they lost two second half goals and failed once again.”
Mike provided further context on the occasion, remarking: “There was a lot of trouble after that game and talk of postponing this league game. That plus disillusionment among the Celtic support probably contributed to the low crowd. You also have to remember that in those days the crowds at Old Firm games were virtually half and half around the stadium. The fans you will see in the far right of that photo will be Rangers fans. What a lot of people forget or don’t realise was that the Jungle was not in those days the ‘Fearsome Terracing’ it would become later. The singing and passion came from the Celtic End.”
The story of the Jungle as a renowned terracing in British football is legendary. The noise that emanated from it, and the characters who frequented the terraces will never be forgotten. Yet, as Mike pointed out, it only became iconic in the late 1960s.
“My young brother recalls being taken to his first Old Firm game in 1968 by a ‘sensible uncle’ as I was deemed too irresponsible because I went to the Celtic End. To make it a less hazardous occasion our uncle took him to the Jungle. It was not long after that that the Jungle started to become a bit more popular with the ‘choir’. However, that was the ‘new’ Jungle as the TV gantry was in there and fans realised that the singing in there was better picked up on the microphones. It would still be a few years before the Jungle would be fully occupied by Celtic fans but the Jungle as it appears in that photo would never have had an Old Firm game without Rangers fans in it, and it would not have been considered the place where the more passionate fans went.”
Thank you to Mike for this fascinating information and for helping us to pinpoint the match from which the image was taken. Your comments are sure to prove educational and insightful for a number of readers.
Many happy memories of The Jungle in the sixties
The jungle in the 80s was brilliant too.
I’d have loved to have gone to football in the 80s