A FORMER Rangers midfielder has revealed how he feared he wasn’t “getting out of here alive” at a famous Old Firm game.
Alex Rae said on a podcast last week that he was worried for his safety during a controversial game between Rangers and Celtic over 20 years ago.
The 53-year-old former Rangers, Sunderland and Dundee midfielder recounted the events leading up to the match between the two Glasgow rivals, referred to as the “shame game”.
Reminiscing about going to the match, years before he played for Rangers, Rae said he ended up having to wear a suit to the game and pretend to be a Sunderland scout just to get in.
Appearing on That Millwall Podcast on Thursday, Rae said: “I remember being at a Rangers Celtic game in 1999 – talk about being scared.
“At that stage I’m 29, I’m established playing at Sunderland in the English Premiership so people know who you are.
“Rangers had to go to Parkhead to win and it would have been the first time in a hundred years that they would have won the league at Parkhead and I thought ‘I ain’t going to that, there’ll be murders’.
“I don’t know if you’ll remember this game, but the referee got coshed by a coin, had blood coming down his face and a Celtic fan fell from the top tier and was stretchered down the touchline waving to fans.
“The Thursday before [the game] I said I’m not going, but then the closer the game’s getting I’m thinking I want to go to this.
“I had tried every avenue in Glasgow, couldn’t get a ticket because they were gold dust, everybody wanted to be at Parkhead to win the league with Rangers.
“I went in to see Peter Reid and he’s sitting with his feet up on the desk.
“’Gaffer, I’m looking for a big favour’, and he says ‘aye, if I can do it, I’ll do it’. And I said ‘I’m looking [for a ticket] for the Rangers-Celtic game.’
“He just said lovely, give me an hour then come back and see me. So, I went back in and he just said ‘sorted’.
“I said ‘F**k off’ and he said ‘No I’ve got you a ticket, don’t worry about it, there’s only one stipulation’.
“He told me you have to wear a suit and I said I’ve never worn a suit to a Rangers-Celtic game in my life, are you off your f*****g nut?
“He said ‘You are now, you’re going as the Sunderland chief scout’.
“I thought f**k it, I’m in – and this is true – this is the only time I’ve ever felt threatened at a game.”
Rae, who made 34 league appearances for the Ibrox club between 2004 and 2006, then told the podcast about how he thought he would be safe in Celtic Park’s hospitality section.
However, despite managing to keep his head down, Rae ended up in a spat as Rangers were winning the game.
He added: “What happened was I went to the main entrance [at Celtic Park] and I’ve got the suit on, trying to keep my head down.
“I don’t want to catch anybody’s eye, they give me a ticket for the scouts and I go through the main staircase, I go up and I’m just sitting three seats right of the Rangers directors.
“There’s 7,000 away fans on the right hand side.
“There’s 53,000 Celtic fans around us, I’m in the Celtic end and as I go in you’ve got guys like Pierre Van Hooijdonk, Dominic Matteo and the two rows in front of me are Celtic reserves.
“Alan Stubbs and Jackie McNamara who weren’t playing that day, then I’m in the third row.
“People behind me are all suited and booted and I thought ‘F*****g lovely, I’m safe in here’.
“Long story short we’re two nil up, I’m sitting on my hands but I’ve got the biggest cheeser.
“The guy taps me behind my back and says ‘You’re in the wrong f*****g end’.
“I’m thinking f**k, do I make a beeline for the exit before they attack me but he does it again so I had to confront this guy.
“I turn around and the guy has a suit on and I said ‘See if you don’t shut the f**k up, I’m going to leather you, you c**t’.
“The guy’s wife turns round and told him to leave me alone but he just said he didn’t give a f**k and that I was an orange b*****d.
“That was the only time I’ve been at a football match and thought I’m not getting out of here alive.”
Rangers later went on to win the game 3-0 with two goals coming from Neil McCann and a Jorge Albertz penalty.
