Soldier, hunter, and showman – William “Buffalo Bill” Cody wore many cowboy hats throughout his long life.
It’s been over a hundred years since his death, but his Wild West Show (sharp-shooting, historical reenactments, rope tricks, etc), still has a resonance in our thinking of ‘the West’ today.
That Show travelled the world for 30 years, and some stops along the way were in Scotland.
The Herald documented an account of this visit in 2000, detailing how researcher Tom Cunningham unearthed newspaper reports of a visit by Buffalo Bill to Ibrox on November 7, 1891, where Rangers were playing a Glasgow Cup match against Queens Park.
‘Cody, wearing a white sombrero and a broad smile, received a warm reception. Some wit in the crowd, referring to the Colonel’s flowing locks, shouted ”get your hair cut”.
There was no room in the grandstand, and Cody and crew were ushered by the club secretary to VIP seats in front of the pavilion where they watched the game with several Bailies and members of the local Unionist party.
The Scottish Referee newspaper dated November 9, 1891, reported: ”From under the shadow of his huge sombrero the Colonel watched what he called the show.” At half-time he was presented to both teams.
Contemporary reports say Cody was very much taken by the ”blue shirts”. He confessed he did not know very much about their ”show” but invited them to visit his. He was also said to have been impressed by Rangers’ ”fighting spirit” despite their eventual 3-0 defeat.’
French Phillips Historical Consultancy 