THE STREETS of Ibrox were mostly deserted on Friday morning but an electric feeling remained in the air after Rangers brought home a historic victory on Thursday night.
At the Louden Tavern, an Ibrox institution, devoted fans never really stopped the party and celebrations are expected to continue into the weekend.
The Light Blues defeated RB Leipzig 3-1, with midfielder John Lundstram scoring a dramatic winner at ten minutes to the final whistle, sending his team to the Europa League final in Seville.
It is Rangers’ first European final for 14 years, since the clash with Zenit St Petersburg for the UEFA Cup that took place in Manchester in 2008.
Owner Robert Flynn abandoned his post behind the bar on Thursday night as he does for every single Rangers game.
“It was tremendous, we’re going to Seville,” he said.
“Every game is special, it’s Rangers, but this was the best ever.
“You only have to listen to what the Leipzig manager was saying about Ibrox – that it’s the best thing he’s seen.”
For Robert, the match was particularly emotional after the recent loss of kit man Jimmy Bell.
“That’s what Rangers do,” he said. “We have a minute of silence. Some people have a minute of applause, but it means nothing. A minute of silence is respect. “Everybody had a tear in their eye.”
Rangers are synonymous with family for Robert.
READ MORE: 6 ways Rangers fans can get to the Europa League final in Seville for as little as £100
“That’s what Rangers are all about. It’s more than just a football club, it’s a family.
“It's about taking your kids and grandweans to the game.
“The likes of that – I don’t have a son, but I have daughters and I take my grandwean to the game.”
Robert’s daughter, Louise, who also works at the legendary bar, said the atmosphere there was “the best I’ve ever experienced”.
“We’ve got party songs and it gets the crowds bouncing.
“It was brilliant – there was a great atmosphere.”
While she did not make it to the game, winning means a lot for Louise too.
“It's the best feeling in the world,” she said. “I had tears in my eyes last night.
“I had a 13-year-old son who was at the game and I’ve never seen him so happy in all my life.
“He was buzzing the moment he woke up.
“I’m almost crying now thinking of him.”
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel