Janefield Street, the road to Celtic Park

Janefield Street, the road to Celtic Park. How it looked in the early 1960s, from a photo posted by Willie Collow on social media this morning.

And how it looks today…

 

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.

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About Author

The Celtic Star founder and editor, who has edited numerous Celtic books over the past decade or so including several from Lisbon Lions, Willie Wallace, Tommy Gemmell and Jim Craig. Earliest Celtic memories include a win over East Fife at Celtic Park and the 4-1 League Cup loss to Partick Thistle as a 6 year old. Best game? Easy 4-2, 1979 when Ten Men Won the League. Email editor@thecelticstar.co.uk

5 Comments

  1. Jim O'Rourke on

    Absolutely brilliant memories of the pollok bhoys all climbing over the graveyard wall after the game to get to the bus to get back into town. Absolutely loved those days HH

  2. Magic pictures and stories. Here is a true story. Me and my uncle Kenny where going to a Celtic v Rangers match. My uncle has a wooden leg. Held together with pins and straps. Whilst walking along Janefield St to the ground he stoped and said my leg is falling off ? I said what ? So we went up into a close and obviously there’s a policeman guarding it ? I explained to him what had happened. So he looked at it and discovered a pin had come out ? We needed a hammer to knock it back in. ! The next thing he pulled out his truncheon and started hitting it in. The Celtic fans heading along towards the ground. Did not see it that way. They barged up the close to stop the police attacking this poor man. I had to stop them and explain what he was doing. As I said true story. The cop said wait till I get back to the station. They won’t believe me.

  3. David Potter on

    “…the tramp of feet down Janefield Street
    and a vision of London Road!”

  4. Michael Fitzpatrick on

    Fantastic memories of the Jungle the only place to be..between number 8 and the gantry for the tv cameras.Paced together wae your mates belting the songs oot great times🍀🍀

  5. William McGrandles on

    Aye and we didn’t need the three wise monkeys on drums or two clowns with megaphones the whole of Celtic Park was a sing song the old jungle best place on earth on match day /nights