THE grand old lady of the Glasgow nightclub scene is about to make a comeback. Beloved of a generation of footballers and the punchline to many a stand-up's joke, Victoria's hits the big 35 this year.

And the Sauchiehall Street hang out is about to receive an £8million facelift that will restore her to former glory.

Victoria's was once the favoured hang-out of footballers Frank McAvennie, Ian Durrant, Derek Whyte and Darius Dziekanowski, as well as TV presenter Chick Young.

London club king Peter Stringfellow visited whenever he was in Glasgow, as did former super-bantamweight boxer Naseem Hamed.

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Hollywood star Robert Duvall made an appearance too, while former Spandau Ballet star Tony Hadley recalls: "It was one of those places that people across Britain had heard of, like the Barrowland."

Now Victoria's is back.

After four years when it was known as Studio, the legendary name is to return, a new restaurant will be installed in the club, and there's the possibility of a first for any city nightclub - the addition of a 33-room boutique hotel.

In the late 1980s, Glasgow clubs king James Mortimer turned an average club into the city's No 1 celebrity haunt.

Spending millions, he gave Glasgow its equivalent of Tramps and Stringfellows in London's West End.

A grand staircase with mirrored walls and glitterball greeted customers as they stepped off the street, leading them to a chrome overloaded nightclub, cabaret bar with resident comedian Billy Porter and the legendary piano bar towards the very top of the building.

Video cameras were installed in the club and the images streamed to TV screens on the outside of the building so that people whose names weren't on the guest list that night or had just left another nightclub could see what fun they were missing inside.

And in case anyone didn't realise who the owner was, Mortimer's name, signature, and image were carved into a piece of polished granite and set into one of the walls.

Top DJs of the time were brought in too. Guys like Tiger Tim and a youthful George Bowie supplemented their Radio Clyde incomes with the odd set.

Smooth FM DJ Dougie Jackson was the man behind the video screens and was responsible for the sounds during the club's late 1980s and early 1990s heyday.

"It was an institution," says Dougie.

"I was in there with George Bowie in those days and my overriding memory was Italian house music, all the time.

"And you can imagine the style that went with it."

HE explains: "What made the place different was all the levels - it had different parts for different people. The piano bar used to attract footballers in their droves. It was heaving.

"It was always trying to do new things too. My company at the time was responsible for the videos, and I remember the club boasted that it had Glasgow's first fibre optic walls - even though most people didn't even know what a fibre optics were!

"I think the beauty of the place was that it didn't take itself too seriously - even if some of the customers did."

The footballing connection became the basis for most of comedian Jonathan Watson's and the Off the Ball team's act, Jonathan even recorded one of his Frank McAvennie sketches within the club's walls.

If you played with any of Scotland's big teams, were under 25 and unmarried, then it was a safe bet to suggest that you would be found in Victoria's at some point during the week.

Former Celtic star Tosh McKinlay was playing for Hearts during Victoria's heyday, but still had some fond memories of the place.

"By the time Victoria's became the place of choice for footballers I was married.

"It was more of the younger players like Jackie (Darius Dziekanowski) who went there. It suited them. A bit flash and plenty of women.

"I still went in on the odd occasion. James Mortimer's clubs always suited footballers. The places were always nicely kitted out and you were treated well.

"And you never had

Victorias is back!
and with it.. legendary Sunday nights

The biggest Sunday around.
cheap drinks, classic tunes &
a great atmosphere

what more do you need!

FREE CD for everyone this wk
+ 29th June: DAVE CL YOUNG

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