Mark Walters recalls ‘scary’ Rangers debut as pig’s foot and dart were thrown at Celtic Park
Mark Walters has recalled the extraordinary circumstances surrounding his Rangers debut – from the nerves of walking into Celtic Park on January 2 1988 to discovering decades later that a pig's foot and a dart had been among the objects thrown onto the pitch.
Walters arrived at Ibrox from Aston Villa in December 1987 for a fee of £500,000, joining Graeme Souness' rapidly evolving Rangers side full of other English stars such as Terry Butcher and Chris Woods.
It was a major decision for the winger, who had spent his entire career at Villa after joining the club as a 10-year-old.
His relationship with Villa had become increasingly difficult, however, after the club were relegated and Walters was asked to accept a wage cut.
“I had to take a wage cut,” Walters explained in an interview with The Rangers Journal.
Watch the full interview with The Rangers Journal below
“So, that was very hard for me to accept, having been there from 10 years of age and associated with the club.
“And knowing that the other players in the team who weren't playing regularly, and probably, in my opinion, weren't as good as I was, were getting more money than me.”
Walters rejected the offer and eventually found himself considering a move elsewhere.
Watford showed an interest before Everton entered the picture but then came an unexpected phone call claiming to be from Souness.
“I found it hard to believe at the time, having been a big fan of his as well,” Walters admitted.
The call was followed by a trip to Glasgow, where Souness gave him a tour of Ibrox and Walters was immediately sold.
“When you go through the marble halls and you go up those stairs, it's absolutely breathtaking,” he said.
“He didn't know at the time, but I probably agreed and wanted to sign then and there.”
Thrown straight into Celtic Park
There was little time for Walters to settle into his new surroundings.
His Rangers debut came away to Celtic just after New Year and only days after completing his move.
It was about as daunting an introduction to Scottish football as possible.
Souness had warned him about what to expect, but Walters still admitted the occasion got to him.
“I had to go into the toilet, and I was a little bit ill because I was so nervous with tension,” he revealed.
But once the game began, the nerves disappeared.
“The game was absolutely fantastic for me,” Walters said. “A young lad from Birmingham, playing with some world-class players. The atmosphere was electric.
“Honestly, nothing I've ever experienced since, apart from at Ibrox, but at an away game, nothing like it.”
Rangers ultimately suffered a 2-0 defeat, but Walters came away convinced that he had made the right decision.
“It was just great to be looking around me, seeing some fantastic players and hoping that this would be the spark that I needed to get my career going again.”
What Walters did not know at the time was the full extent of what had been happening around him during that match.
The pig's foot and the dart
Walters remembered supporters throwing objects towards him during his debut, with newspapers even joking beforehand about what was going to be thrown.
He and his Rangers teammates had initially found the stories amusing, however, the reality was far more serious.
Walters later discovered why the half-time interval had lasted around 20 minutes rather than the usual 10-15 minutes as the Celtic Park pitch had to be cleared.
“I saw a pig's foot and there was a dart on the side of the pitch,” Walters recalled.
“All these things they were clearing off and that's the reason why it took 20 minutes.
“That was a bit disconcerting when I found out, admittedly, decades later.
“I'm really pleased I didn't know that at the time because it was scary.
“I remember looking back and seeing that dart in the turf and I thought that could have been me easily.”
A security official reassured Walters that action would be taken.
“He ensured me that it wouldn't happen again and he was correct in saying it and it never happened again,” Walters continued.
Dealing with racist abuse
The objects thrown onto the pitch were only part of what Walters experienced.
The winger also faced horrific racist abuse from opposition supporters during his time in Scottish football, including at Celtic on his debut, with bananas also thrown from the stands.
This was not consigned just to the Hoops fans, Walters recieved similar abhorrant treatment at Tynecastle against Hearts and during his time in England.
Walters has previously spoken about how writing his book was cathartic because of the memories he had suppressed, but he insists he was able to deal with the abuse partly because of his upbringing.
“I think it was awkwardness,” Walters said when asked why his teammates did not necessarily discuss the abuse with him in the dressing room.
“It later turned out one of some of the best guys I've ever come across in football were in that dressing room.
“You've got to imagine that they had their own game to worry about as well.
“My mother made me very proud of my heritage, very proud of where I'd come from.
“It was no problem for me to accept that at the time and just get on with my game.”
Walters dedicated his book to his mother, who passed away several years ago.
He remains hugely appreciative of the influence she had on him as a young footballer.
Rangers became a home from home
Away from the hostility he encountered from opposition supporters, Walters' memories of his Rangers teammates are overwhelmingly warm.
He arrived at a dressing room packed with personalities, including Ally McCoist, Graham Roberts, Ian Durrant, Derek Ferguson and Davie Cooper.
Roberts initially told Durrant and Ferguson to look after their new teammate but it did not take long for the situation to reverse.
“I always remember Graham coming in and telling Ian Durrant and Derek Ferguson to look after me, particularly on the night out and so forth,” Walters recalled.
“The irony is that after about three weeks, it was me looking after them.”
Walters described Durrant and Ferguson as “very lively” but credited them with making him feel immediately welcome.
“They made me very welcome, and I owe them a lot really because it really became a home from home.
“It just made me feel really welcome.”
Learning from Davie Cooper
One of the most significant figures Walters encountered at Rangers was Cooper.
Walters was effectively brought in as the long-term successor to the legendary winger, although he insists Cooper was never someone who could simply be replaced.
“For me, as I said, Davy was an iconic player at Glasgow Rangers,” Walters said. “Frankly, he was irreplaceable.
“I also watched the way he played, the way he accepted the ball, his touch, I'm sure I learned a couple of things off of him as well.”
Cooper's personality provided plenty of entertainment. Walters revealed that his teammate's nickname was “Albert Tatlock”, referencing the famously miserable character from Coronation Street.
“He was a miserable man but funny at the same time,” Walters joked.
England versus Scotland – in training
The competitive nature of Souness' Rangers was not limited to competitive matches.
Walters recalled the famously intense training games between the English and Scottish players.
Asked whether they really were as competitive as Durrant had previously suggested, Walters had no hesitation.
“It was very competitive,” he said. “You wouldn't believe that we had a game the next day sometimes because some of the tackles that were flying in were very high, to say the least.
“Luckily, as far as I remember, no-one really got hurt anyway, so that was a good thing.”
His first Rangers goal remains the favourite
For all the big games and major moments that followed, Walters says his first Rangers goal remains particularly special.
He scored against Raith Rovers, producing a delicate finish after being pulled back onto his left foot.
“The best moment for me was always my first goal for Rangers,” Walters said. “To score a goal for Glasgow Rangers was an absolute real pinnacle for me.
“Knowing that from there on I was going to be, if you like, in the history of Glasgow Rangers as a goalscorer as well as a player, that really enlightened me.”
Walters would go on to make 144 appearances for Rangers and score 52 goals, winning three league titles and two league cups.
There were also some spectacular moments along the way – including a memorable goal directly from a corner against Celtic.
“I've never done that before as a professional, but I've done it at school,” Walters laughed.
“It was a special moment to score a goal in a big game like that against a very good goalkeeper in Packie Bonner.”
But perhaps the most revealing thing about Walters' memories of Rangers is that despite everything he experienced – the pressure, the abuse, the nerves and the expectations – his overriding emotion remains one of gratitude.
“I honestly believe pressure is a privilege,” he said. “To think you have to win every game, you have to be at your top form mentally and physically, was fantastic.”
For a young winger arriving from Aston Villa, Rangers represented an opportunity to restart a career that had stalled.
Instead, Walters became one of the defining players of the Souness era – and decades later, his memories of those years remain as vivid as ever.
