Bought for £6 at auction, first recording of an Old Firm match

THE first recording of an Old Firm match, believed to be the ‘oldest football record in the world’, has been discovered – at an auction in Auchtermuchty.

The 78rpm record, titled The Football Match (Rangers v. Celts), features a comedian’s commentary of a game between the two sides in 1907. Released by the International Zonophone Company as a one-sided shellac disc, the record is ‘Sung by Mr Jock Whiteford’.

Radio DJ Shane Quentin, from Carnoustie, Angus, picked up the badly scratched record for £6 at the sale in Fife while he was looking for vinyl to play on his radio show. Mr Quentin has now asked a friend who works for the BBC to use specialist equipment to clean it up.

The recording captures fans cheering at Hampden, and the comic describing (in politically incorrect language) the moments before a missed goal. Whiteford is heard shouting: ‘Hamilton up the wing, Hamilton’s going, he’s going, he’s going, shoots... you big blind jessie!’

Mr Quentin, 59, said: ‘I have done my research on it. It’s definitely the oldest football match described on a record.’