From the archives

25 YEARS AGO Richard Gough, the Scotland international defender, yesterday achieved his ambition when he joined Rangers from Tottenham in a deal which cost the Ibrox club nearly £1.5m. And on Scotland’s biggest ever day in the transfer market, Old Firm rivals Celtic, not to be upstaged, splashed out around £800,000 to bring international striker Frank McAvennie home from West Ham, probably in time to make his debut for his new club this afternoon, against Hibernian at Parkhead. 50 YEARS AGO Mr Marples’s last-minute effort to avert a railway strike today having failed, the travelling public began last night to feel the effects of the dispute. With overnight long-distance trains cancelled, main-line termini in Glasgow, Edinburgh, London, and other cities were almost deserted. The piles of mail normally seen on the platforms were almost completely absent. A warning of postal delays was given by the Post Office. Elaborate preparations were being completed by the motoring organisations and the police to cope with the extra traffic expected today on the roads. Notices posted at the stations told would-be travellers that British Railways “regretted” the suspension and alteration of their services. 100 YEARS AGO A meeting of the combined Municipal Ward Committees of Falkirk was held for the purpose of considering the proposed purchase by the burgh of the estate of Bantaskin, which has recently come into the market, and would it is believed, form an admirable gold course. There is also a mansion house on the estate, which, it is proposed, might be used as a branch library. The meeting considered that the scheme to purchase the estate was a most desirable one, but in view of the heavy expenses of the recent abortive Burgh Extension Orders, and the fact that the town was not in a too prosperous state, it was thought to be premature. 150 YEARS AGO We were assured on Wednesday, by two of the leading manufacturers in Dundee, that from 300 to 500 power-loom weavers could be employed in Dundee, in addition to those now in the town. Their opinion is, that the Glasgow power-loom wavers would be most suitable, and that if they were to come in companies of a dozen or so at a time, and spread themselves over the different works, they would be quickly taken up.