CELTIC VOICES ON JANEFIELD STREET…
Janefield Street. At the corner of the Celtic End and the Jungle – who used to enter the ground down in that corner? These Celtic Supporters share their memories…
“Great memories. Used to queue at the boys gate, great times with my mates. We stood in the queue for the boys gate, and there was a fella in the queue with a moustache, he was told to move out the queue as it was for schoolboys, many times by a steward but he refused. Finally, a big copper came over, he said, “Right you! Get oot the queue, you’re no at school.” The fella with the moustache, said…” Aye am ur, I’m a flaming janitor! ” Stephen Reid.
“Aye these where the entrance turnstiles of choice then we would head to The Jungle happy days man!” Joe Bone. “Every 2nd week!” Pio Moireach.
“Aye. Walk down hamburger alley, turn on to Janefield Street, and funnel along past the houses. Always amazed me that there were so many windows with the same ornate blinds in them. Then queue to get in the turnstiles, nip through the bogs, pop up at the first passage in the jungle and wander down to “our” spot. Happy days. Modern fitba is rubbish,” George Walker.
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“That is a fantastic picture, brings back so many memories. I remember we used to climb over the dodgy fence at the back of the Celtic End, which would take you inside the ground and unto the toilet roof. Had to do it just as the turnstiles were opening as most of the stewards were otherwise engaged. If the Kellys and the Whites weren’t declaring my money, they weren’t getting my money!” Gus MacInnes. “Here’s the last o the Macaroons!” Alan Crawford.
“Used to come in that entrance all the time after walking down Janefield street, once inside we had to make a dash before they closed off the way in to the Jungle, remember particularly well the league clincher v Dundee in ’88, I never made it in on time and ended up in the Celtic end, still a fantastic day though and probably the largest crowd I’ve ever seen at Celtic Park, fans everywhere,” Chris Dalton.
“Used to enter just at the side of the old Celtic end. Got lifted over in my younger days. You used to able to walk to any part of the ground once you were in,” Alan Crawford. “I did early to mid-seventies,” Brian Gallacher. “Remember it well, used to be able to walk from one end to the other,” Toddy McCormack.
“I used to get a lift over at that corner and ma auld man used to stand there and put me doon the front, and we used to sit on the track and a big polis used to come round and tell ye to get back inside the barrier! Used to get “ra macaroon and spearmint Chewin guuum!” Happy days!” Tony G Dempsey.
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“Us Bhoys from the Roy Milne Celtic Supporters Club from Alloa and the surrounding area always came in at that corner for a while,” John Donnelly. “Nottingham Forest UEFA Cup, 1983 with Kevin Corns couldn’t get in the Jungle or the Celtic end,” Alan Dickson. “Aye…went out as a bhoy on the old mans shoulders …happy days,” Drew Lochhead.
“Great times there as a kid getting a lift over then onto the jungle,” Thomas Mcgowan. “I remember the tree folk used to climb to watch the games, don’t know if it was before or after this photograph,” Michael Farquhar .“Remember leaving it on the night the police charge down it….scary stuff,” Craig Arnott.
“Yip just next to the river of Colin Nish!” Scott Mason. “Me. When’s the picture from? I don’t remember it being as open as that, but again my memory ain’t that good now,” Jim McBride. “Those were the days,” Peter Smith.
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“Used to very often leave from it though I usually met my mates at gate 11 in the Rangers End then walk into the Jungle. Then out at that end if we were kicking into the Celtic end 2nd half,” Jim Payne. “What a brilliant picture! I’m probably in it somewhere! Craig Torrance. “I used 2 come in there on ma way 2 the Jungle.” Mark Mckenna.
“I was right there 2nd of January 1988 celtic 2-0 Rangers ,” Martin ‘Jock’ McPake. “Remember not being able to see many games in the Jungle, but the atmosphere was electric, didn’t need to see!” Gary Priestley.
“Wow, remember a wee boy going to the jungle and used to get pushed through the turnstile thing as the adults paid,” Gary Fraser. “Remember it well! Didn’t Ian Ferguson’s mum live in one of the flats? Christopher Connelly. “I think they stayed in the square on Janefield Street on the graveyard side,” Gus MacInnes.
“Used to get lifted over the gates there happy days, hail hail,” Eddie Reid. Yip loved those days, over the wall, under the turnstyles the crowds where massive those days sometimes on a euro night i wid jump the turnstyle and you had to be quick as the door would shut quickly at the other end, but i was always quick me.lol…hail hail .” John McGregor.
I remember making an offensive, politically incorrect, sectarian and totally false statement (fortunately before anyone bothered about such things) at the Father and Son gate in Janefield Street. It must have been about 1989 and I was there with six children, – my own three and each had a friend. So there I was standing at the turnstile with six children hoping to get them all in for £2 each. A policeman counted six children, looked at me with suspicion, mingled even possibly with admiration, as he said “Are they all yours?” I said “Aye, of course. I’m a Catholic!” “And a good one too” he said!
Standing at number 7 in the jungle at every home game in early 80s with all the pollok tims and other side of it was all the penilee bhoys brings back so many memories especially climbing over the graveyard wall to get a 62 bus back into the town and the amazing sing-songs. Was a great time to be a celt