Rangers FC, David Marshall, Whisky & The Dallas Cowboys | A Chat With Dave Allardice
“I used to have a Rangers crest on a gold chain. Even on non game days if I was going into Glasgow city centre for the day my Dad would have me leave the chain at home.”
Rangers v Celtic 2019
Dave Allardice has several loves in his life; football, Rangers FC, Scotland, whisky, music, DJing, tracksuits, cigars, travelling, to name but a few. Growing up in Fenwick, just outside of Glasgow he became a huge football fan, specifically a huge Rangers FC fan.
As he got older he broadened his horizons & spent some time living in Holland, where a deep love for music grew. While for well over a decade now he has been working in the whisky industry, specifically for world famous brands like Balvenie & Glenfiddich. He has also been living in the US for over 15 years now, representing these whisky brands in cities such as Chicago, Dallas & Austin.
Here is our little chat with Dave.
TTT - You are a lifelong Rangers FC fan. Who or what got you into football & Rangers? What is your earliest footballing memory?
DA - I started to kick a ball whenever I was able to, probably around 4 years old. My dad and I always used to find time for a kick about in the house with a little sponge ball or whatever and as a got a bit older I’d be up at the local park, in the streets or in any car park where a ball was being kicked. We were obsessed with it growing up and I played boys club level until U18s both in Scotland and in Holland.
My Dad and Grandad were both Rangers fans and they took me to my first game at Ibrox when I was 8 years old. December 17th 1988, Ian McCall scored the winner with a beautiful left footed curler into the top corner. Rangers beat Hibs 1-0.
TTT - Back when you started going to games in the late 1980s compared to going to games in 2021, what is the biggest difference you have noticed? What do you miss the most about back then?
DA - That’s easy, terraces. My first ever Old Firm game in 1992, Rangers drew 1-1 at home to Celtic, Ian Durrant scored for Rangers. We got tickets in what was then known as the East Enclosure. It was one of the two last remaining all standing areas at Ibrox right behind the dugouts. It was absolutely mental when Rangers scored. Ended up getting flung off the bannister as the crowd surged forwards towards the fence when Rangers equalized. I ended up on the deck scraping my hand in the process but loving it anyway.
TTT - What is the best ‘Away Day’ you have ever been on? In Scotland or on the continent? And is there any stadium in particular that sticks out as your all-time favourite, excluding Ibrox?
DA - Braga in Portugal early 2020, hands down. Not only is the stadium one of the most unique I’ve ever seen but the build up to the game was incredible walking through the streets singing with 6000 other Rangers fans. The stadium only has two stands which run the length of the pitch. Behind one goal is the rocks that the stadium is built into. Behind the other goal is beautiful view looking out into the countryside of Braga, stunning setup. Also, we won and went through to the last 16 of the Europa League!
TTT - Rangers obviously contest one of the biggest derbies in world football, many in Glasgow & beyond would say the biggest. When you were growing up, how aware were you of the hate between Rangers & Celtic?
DA - It’s something you are aware of from early. I used to have a Rangers crest on a gold chain. Even on non game days if I was going into Glasgow city centre for the day my Dad would have me leave the chain at home. Some of the less savoury songs have left the grounds through pressure from the Government but they often creep back in. Football fans love nothing more than to get under the skin of their rivals, that’s deep rooted and will never change whether in Glasgow or anywhere else in the world. Our rivalry, “The Old Firm” is a bit unusual since it has deep roots in two different cultures with different so called religious affiliations. Celtic having roots in Irish Catholic immigrants and Rangers being Scottish Protestant based. In reality the majority of Rangers and Celtic fans have zero actual interest in religion outside of winding up their rivals on game day. But it’s a cultural thing that will probably never go away.
TTT - Is it possible to put into words the pain of being a Scotland fan over the last twenty or so years? Can you describe the feeling when David Marshall saved that penalty in Belgrade last November?
DA - Painful. We are known for our glorious failures. The nearly men. The valiant warriors who gave it everything they had but just missed out. An all too familiar story since 1998 when we last qualified for a major tournament. The buzz when we made it this year with that penalty save, incredible. I’ve always said I’ll go to the next tournament we qualify, and it just so happens our 2 opening qualifying matches at the 2021 Euro’s will be at home in Glasgow at Hampden (just over a mile from where I was born) and then our game against England “the auld enemy” at Wembley. Planning on being in UK for all 3 games ticket or not.
TTT - You are also quite into your casual clothing. Again, did terrace culture & terrace fashion in Scotland in the 1980s & 1990s have an impact on clothes & brands you wore then & still wear now? What are your favourite casual brands?
DA - Definitely no stranger to the track suit and have been wearing them since I was a youngster. They were massive in the UK but even more of a thing in The Netherlands. Mad bright colours too. Brands like Cavello and Australian were the big ones in the 90’s in Holland. I remember loving this Sergio Tacchini one I had then when I moved back to Scotland Kappa was huge so I may have owned one or two of those too lol.
TTT - Anyone who knows you or follows you on social media will be well aware that you are very into your music & that you DJ whenever & wherever you can. Did the terrace music & terrace chants in the 1980s & 1990s have any impact on your love for music & the type of music you listen to?
DA - I grew up on Hip-Hop listening to Tim Westwood’s Rap show on BBC 1 every Friday/Saturday night. Funnily enough I did end up moving to Holland in 1995 and getting big into hardcore music which was heavily tied to the football hooliganism from the terraces of Feyenoord from Rotterdam and Ajax from Amsterdam. I lived just outside Eindhoven though and became a bit of a PSV fan while living there.
Dave DJing at a boat party in Chicago.
TTT - You have settled in Austin, Texas, one of the fastest growing & multicultural cities in the US. Austin FC are due to make their MLS bow next season, what is the general level of excitement around the fact that the city will have its own “soccer” team? And might you adopt them as your second team?
DA - Well they sold out their season tickets immediately so there’s clearly a huge appetite for it here. Also, Austin only has college sports based here, absolutely no professional sports teams play here so the city is crying out for a team to root for. I’ll definitely go see a few games and we’ll see if it grabs my attention but I’ve been to quite a few FC Dallas games and I honestly struggled to get into it although people tell me the league is much more competitive now. The atmosphere just doesn’t seem to do it for me and also, Austin’s colors are green and white so that’s unfortunate……
TTT - You have now been living in America for over 15 years, how much have you missed attending Rangers & Scotland games? And have any of the various sports or sporting events on offer in the US in any way filled that void?
DA - I’ve been in the US over 15 years now. I miss it now and then. I went to quite a few games when I was back in Scotland in 2020 on sabbatical, that made me miss it even more. US sports are different. I’ve been to some massive NFL games. Playoff games at Lambeau Field with the Green Bay Packers Vs Dallas Cowboys and been to many Cowboys games in Dallas, old stadium and the new one. I do appreciate NFL most of all the US sports but it took me years to get into it. You can’t compare it to our football, it’s like comparing chess and Tennis. American football is way more strategic. Our football is a much more straight forward, an easy game to get into and has way more passion behind it in my opinion.
AT&T Stadium, the new home of the Dallas Cowboys.
We would like to thank Dave for his time in answering our questions for this interview. If you would like to learn more about Dave & keep up to date with his travels, his music, his whisky knowledge & more, you can find him here on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube & Soundcloud.