What does it feel like to step out at Ibrox for your first Old Firm game?

Here’s a moment from Bobby’s journey —when everything changed.

Saturday, 10 September 1977 will forever be etched in my mind as the day that I made my Old Firm debut in front of a packed Ibrox. I’d been to these games before, as a supporter and, no doubt, a lot of people reading this will have too; but it’s a totally different experience as a player, to encounter, for the first time, the incredible wall of noise and emotion that hits you from the second that you run out of the tunnel. I don’t recall being nervous though, just excited.

…Thrown Straight Into It

Jock Wallace had decided to play DJ at the back, in his preferred position, with Derek Parlane up front but, just 60 seconds in, Parlane went down heavily with a facial injury which needed treatment. Welcome to the Glasgow derby! Derek played on and we were playing some nice football but without much penetration. Celtic were second best in terms of possession but, unfortunately, with my old schoolboy nemesis, Tommy Burns, pulling the strings, managed to score twice through ‘Shuggy’ Edvaldsson, who Jock Stein had pushed up through the middle and was giving our defenders a torrid time.

…Half-Time: No Holding Back

Jock wasn’t happy at half-time and told us that in no unnecessary terms, but, ever the master motivator, also told us, on the way back out, that we were the better team and we’d lost two unlucky goals, so we’d better go out and score three bloody good ones!

…The Comeback

Derek Parlane had sustained a fractured cheekbone in that first minute clash so stayed inside with John Greig coming on and DJ pushed upfront. Straight away, we looked more threatening, and the home fans responded, urging us forwards time and time again until Gordon Smith took DJ’s layoff in the 53rd minute and drilled the ball past Peter Latchford in the Celtic goal. Bedlam in the crowd and we knew we’d turned the corner in that moment! We kept pressing and, 12 minutes later, Coop laid one on a plate for big Derek who made no mistake from close range. 2-2! We had our tails up now and were attacking in waves, with Celtic, despite the heroics of Peter Latchford, looking increasingly incapable of holding us off.

…Bedlam at Ibrox

In the 81st minute, Tommy McLean, who had replaced the injured Alex MacDonald a few minutes before, found me on the right-hand side of the box. I took a touch and crossed it towards DJ who had been tormenting the Celtic defence with his presence all half. Unfortunately (or fortunately) I didn’t get the cross quite right and it was heading comfortably into the hands of Latchford. Maybe he sensed big Derek was hovering and took his eye off it but, for whatever reason, the man who’d made a number of brilliant saves that afternoon, fumbled the cross over his head and onto the bar. The ball dropped down and Gordon Smith, who always seemed to be in the right place at the right time, had a simple tap-in from point-blank range to put us in front for the first time! The feeling was indescribable and, when Mr Foote blew the final whistle, the roar from the Rangers fans was as loud as I ever heard at Ibrox. Everyone in the ground was ecstatic at the result and knew just how significant that comeback had been and that we’d laid down a marker for the rest of the season.

This was just one of many unforgettable moments in Bobby Russell’s career —from rejection to triumph at the very top of Scottish football.

Read the full story and relive the journey.