| Full name | Rangers Football Club | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Gers, Teddy Bears, Blues | |||
| Founded | 1872[1] | |||
| Ground | Ibrox Stadium Glasgow, Scotland (Capacity: 51,082[2]) |
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| Owner | The Rangers F.C. Group Ltd | |||
| Chairman | Craig Whyte | |||
| Manager | Ally McCoist | |||
| League | Scottish Premier League | |||
| 2010–11 | Scottish Premier League, 1st | |||
| Website | Club home page | |||
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| Current season | ||||
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears (from the rhyming slang for the same) and the Light Blues,[3] and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses.[4] They are sometimes referred to as Glasgow Rangers, although the word Glasgow is not part of the club's official title.[5] The club is incorporated as The Rangers Football Club plc.[6] The club's home is the all-seated 51,082-capacity Ibrox Stadium in south-west Glasgow.
Rangers have won 54 League Championships, more top-flight national championships than any other club in the world. They have won the Scottish League Cup 27 times – more than any other Scottish club – and the Scottish Cup 33 times.[7] In 1961 Rangers reached the final of the European Cup Winners' Cup, becoming the first British club to reach the final of a UEFA club competition. They won the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1972, having been the runners-up in 1961 and 1967, and were runners-up in the 2008 UEFA Cup Final. An estimated 130,000 Rangers fans made the journey to Manchester, even though most of them did not have tickets for the match.[8]
The club have traditionally been identified with and favoured by the Protestant and Unionist community of Scotland, as well as the Unionist community in Northern Ireland. For most of their history, Rangers have enjoyed a fierce rivalry with their cross-city opponents Celtic,[9] and the two are collectively known as the Old Firm.
The four founders of Rangers – brothers Moses and Peter McNeil, Peter Campbell and William McBeath – met in 1872 and named their team after an English rugby club upon seeing the name in a book.[10] In May of that year the first match was played, a 0–0 draw in a friendly against Callander F.C. on the public pitches of Glasgow Green. The only other match played that year was another friendly against a team called Clyde (not the present-day Clyde) resulting in an 11–0 victory and featuring the debut of the club's blue strip.[11] The official founding of Rangers is recognised as taking place in 1873, when the club held its first annual meeting and staff were elected. The first season's fixtures were all friendlies, as the deadline for joining the Scottish Football Association had been missed, meaning the team did not take part in the inaugural Scottish Cup.[11] By 1876 Rangers had their first international player, with Moses McNeil representing Scotland in a match against Wales, and by 1877 Rangers had reached a Scottish Cup final. The first ever Old Firm match took place in 1888, the year of Celtic's establishment. Rangers lost 5–2 in a friendly to a team composed largely of "guest players" from Hibernian.
The 1890–91 season saw the inception of the Scottish Football League, and Rangers were one of ten original members. By this time Rangers were playing at the first Ibrox Stadium. Rangers' first ever league match took place on 16 August 1890 and resulted in a 5–2 victory over Heart of Midlothian. After finishing equal-top with Dumbarton a play-off was held at Cathkin Park to decide who would be champions. The match finished 2–2 and the title was shared for the only time in its history, the first of Rangers' world record 54 championships.[11] Rangers' first ever Scottish Cup win came in 1894 after a 3–1 victory over rivals Celtic in the final. By the turn of the century Rangers had won two league titles and three Scottish Cups.
The 1919/20 season heralded the dawn of a new era for Rangers as manager William Wilton and number two William Struth initiated a Rangers dominance that was to last until the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939. Though winning this season with 31 wins out of 42 games and scoring 106 goals, it was overshadowed by the subsequent death of manager, William Wilton. Taking over the manager's mantle, William Struth guided Rangers to a further 14 titles before the war. This period was also noteworthy for the attendances. On 2 January 1939 a British league record was broken as 118,567 fans turned out to watch Rangers beat Celtic in the traditional new year holiday Old Firm match.[12]
The 1971 Ibrox disaster overshadowed what happened on the pitch to a large extent in the early 1970s. On 2 January 1971, in the final minutes of the New Year's Day Old Firm game with the score set at 0–0, Jimmy Johnstone scored for Celtic. Within seconds Colin Stein had equalised for Rangers. As the 80,000 strong crowd was trying to disperse at full time, many fell down the stairway at the Copland Road end of the ground. Their momentum led to large scale crushing and 66 people died. It was initially thought the crush was caused by Rangers fans rushing back up the stairwell after the equaliser;[13] however, a later enquiry said that the crush was likely to have happened ten minutes after the final whistle and to have been triggered by someone falling on the stairs.[13] A benefit match to raise funds for the victims' families took place after the disaster. A joint Rangers and Celtic team took on a Scotland XI at Hampden watched by 81,405 fans.
In 1972, Rangers defeated FC Dynamo Moscow to win the Cup Winner's Cup, their first and only European trophy to date. Captain John Greig received the trophy in a small room within the Nou Camp due to a pitch invasion by Rangers fans.[14]
Every year from 1988–89 season until the 1996–97 season, Rangers won the league title. This nine-in-a-row achievement meant that they equalled Celtic's record. The first three of these seasons the club was managed by Graeme Souness, the latter six under the stewardship of Walter Smith.
In 1998 Advocaat accepted the invitation from Rangers chairman David Murray to become the club's new manager. When Advocaat took charge of Rangers he became the first foreign manager to do so[15] and only the tenth manager in the history of the club.
The previous season was the last of seven under Walter Smith,[15] and the first time the club had finished without a trophy in twelve years.[16] Long term members of the squad that had won nine league championships in a row left,[15] including Ally McCoist, Ian Durrant, Andy Goram and Stuart McCall.[16] With the financial backing from Chairman David Murray Advocaat invested heavily in the team.[15] Big money signings such as Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Arthur Numan and Andrei Kanchelskis were among Advocaat's first as Rangers tried to regain the league championship in Scotland.[15]
In Advocaat's first season in charge the club won the domestic treble (League, League Cup and Scottish Cup).[15] The League was won at Celtic Park on 2 May 1999 after two goals from Neil McCann and a penalty from Jorg Albertz.[17] The club also had a short run in the UEFA Cup.[15]
The following season the club won the league by an SPL record 21 point margin,[18] and also won the Scottish Cup. Advocaat guided Rangers into the Champions League having beaten the UEFA Cup winners Parma in the 3rd round qualifier.[19] Rangers went out of the group stage after being drawn alongside Bayern Munich, PSV Eindhoven and Valencia.[20] The club then lost to Borussia Dortmund in a penalty shoot-out in the UEFA Cup.[21]
Advocaat's third season at Rangers was less successful. Despite investment in the team with players such as Tore Andre Flo for a record £12 million,[22] Rangers failed to win any trophies, as Celtic under new manager Martin O’Neill, won the domestic treble.[15] In Europe Rangers qualified for the Champions League for the second consecutive season after two qualifying rounds. They were drawn alongside Sturm Graz, Galatasaray and Monaco. After good results against Sturm Graz[23] and Monaco,[24] the club failed to qualify for the next phase of the competition, finishing third behind Galatasaray on goal difference. Rangers then lost 3–0 to Kaiserslautern of Germany in the UEFA Cup.[25]
In his last season at Rangers Dick guided Gers to the last 16 of the UEFA Cup in the 2001/02 season, but with Celtic leading the league championship by 12 points, Advocaat resigned from the manager's position on 12 December 2001.[26] Alex McLeish was appointed as his successor with Advocaat moving to the position of General Manager. Advocaat also managed the Netherlands national team in a part-time capacity[27] before leaving the Ibrox club later that year.[15]
McLeish had become Rangers boss on 11 December 2001 and initially worked in association with Dick Advocaat who became Director of Football.[28] McLeish seemed to encourage performances out of a squad that had under-achieved under Advocaat. McLeish was an instant success at Rangers, winning both the Scottish Cup[29] and League Cup[30] in his first season, but the big prize of the league title was essentially lost before his arrival. Alex McLeish became the sixth Rangers manager to deliver a Treble when he swept the boards in season 2002/03 – his first full season in charge.[31] The League was won on goal difference in a dramatic final day shootout, which delivered Rangers' 50th title.
Rangers' worsening financial state saw many of the team's top players leave in the summer of 2003. Celtic won the league comfortably in season 2003–04, and Rangers failed to win any trophies.[32]
The Bosman signings of Jean-Alain Boumsong and Dado Pršo in the close season of 2004–05 gave Rangers renewed hope of regaining the title from Celtic's grasp.[33] McLeish's team won the 2005 league title on a dramatic last day, an outcome that had looked highly unlikely after Rangers fell five points behind leaders Celtic with just four games remaining.[34] Celtic losing to Motherwell at Fir Park, coupled with Rangers' win at Easter Road meant that the helicopter changed direction and delivered the SPL trophy to Rangers at the Leith ground.
After this success, McLeish and his Rangers team headed into the 2005–06 SPL campaign as favourites to retain the championship. After a reasonable start to the season, including a win over Celtic,[35] Rangers suffered a series of poor results between September and November. This period included a club record of 10 games without a win. However the tenth match of this run, a 1–1 draw with Inter Milan in the Champions League, took Rangers into the last 16 of the Champions League.[36] The club were defeated on the away goals rule by Villarreal.[37] but in reaching this stage of the competition had become the first Scottish team to progress that far in the European Cup since 1993, and the first Scottish team to progress through a European group stage.[36]
On 9 February 2006, it was announced by chairman David Murray that McLeish would be standing down as manager at the end of that season.[38] It was later announced that he would be succeeded by former Olympique Lyonnais manager Paul Le Guen.
Paul Le Guen replaced Alex McLeish as manager after season 2005–06.
The season started poorly for Rangers, with a number of losses and draws against teams lower in the league, as well as their being knocked out of the League Cup by Division One side St. Johnstone.[39] Rivals Celtic built a lead at the top of the table, while Rangers fought for second place alongside Hearts and Aberdeen.[40][41] The first Old Firm match of the season resulted in a 2–0 defeat;[42] the second – at Ibrox – was a 1–1 draw.[41]
In the UEFA Cup Rangers became the first Scottish side to qualify for the last 32 of the competition since the introduction of the group phase after finishing their group unbeaten.[43]
There had been rumours during the season of disharmony at Rangers, between Scottish and foreign units, with players including captain Barry Ferguson disapproving of Le Guen's strict disciplinarian stance.[44] It was announced on 4 January 2007 that Le Guen had left Rangers by mutual consent.[45]
On 10 January 2007, it was announced that former manager Walter Smith was the new manager of Rangers, with Ally McCoist as assistant manager and Kenny McDowall as first-team coach.[46]
The following season Rangers embarked on a UEFA Cup adventure after dropping into the competition from the Champions League.[47] The club progressed to the final, defeating Panathinaikos, Werder Bremen, Sporting Lisbon and Fiorentina along the way.[48] The final was against Zenit St. Petersburg who were managed by former Rangers manager Dick Advocaat.[49] They lost the match 2–0,[50] amid serious disturbances caused by some supporters.[51] Video evidence was released by the Greater Manchester Police of Rangers fans attacking officers and officers attacking the fans with batons and dogs, in Manchester city centre following the defeat.[52]
The 2008–09 season saw Rangers make a below-par start to their UEFA Champions League campaign, losing out in the knock-out stage to FBK Kaunas of Lithuania.[53] The financial consequences of the failures to qualify for the Champions League were revealed when the club posted a loss of £3.9m for the six months to December 2008, and in March decided to offer staff the option of voluntary redundancy as a way of cutting costs.[54] Despite a tight title race, on the final day of the league, Rangers managed to claim their 52nd league title.[55] With their title success, Rangers gained automatic entry into the following season's Champions League group stage. Rangers won the Scottish Cup for the 33rd time after defeating Falkirk 1–0 in the final, clinching a double in the process.[56]
At the beginning of the 2009–10 season Rangers had to reduce their squad size by several players due to increasing costs while not having the finances to sign anyone. After a disappointing European campaign where they only picked up two points in the Champions League group stage they made a £13 million profit at the turn of the year.[57] Rangers reached their fifth consecutive domestic cup final where they played St. Mirren in the Scottish League Cup. After having two players sent off in the second half Rangers won the final 1–0 through a goal from Kenny Miller.[58]
On 25 April 2010, Rangers retained their league title with three matches remaining by defeating Hibernian 1–0 with a Kyle Lafferty goal. This was their 53rd Scottish League title. With this success, they again sealed their automatic entry into the 2010–11 Champions League.[59]
During the close season Walter Smith announced the upcoming new season would be his last as manager of Rangers and that the intention was to replace him with Ally McCoist and assistant Kenny McDowall. Smith stated: "I am wholly committed to managing the club next season and when it comes to the end of next season I firmly believe that Ally and Kenny would do a great job and I am glad everybody at the club shares that view."[60]
Rangers were drawn against Bursaspor, Valencia and Manchester United in the group stages of the 2010–11 Champions League.[61] They finished third in the group, behind Manchester United and Valencia.[62]
On 24 February 2011 Rangers reached the last 16 of the Europa League by beating Sporting Clube de Portugal on away goals.[63] Their opponents in the last 16 were PSV Eindhoven who knocked Rangers out of the competition, winning 1–0 on aggregate after a 1–0 win at Ibrox on 17 March.[64] Three days later Smith led Rangers to victory in the League Cup Final over Celtic.[65]
On 6 May 2011 it was confirmed that David Murray had sold his controlling interest in the club (85.3 percent) to Wavetower limited for £1.[66] Wavetower Limited is owned by the company Liberty Capital which in turn is ultimately owned by businessman Craig Whyte, a lifelong supporter of the club.[66]
On 15 May 2011 Rangers secured their third consecutive title by beating Kilmarnock 5–1. The win was Smith's final match in charge of the club.[67]
Ally McCoist was announced as the new Rangers manager beginning in June 2011.[68] McCoist's first competitive match in charge was against Hearts, ending in a 1–1 draw.[69] Rangers were drawn against Swedish side Malmo in the Champions League third round qualifying match which they lost 2-1 on aggregate.[70] Rangers were then knocked out of Europe in the Europa League qualifying match against Slovenian side Maribor 3-2 on aggregate.[71] In the first Old Firm match of the 2011-12 season and McCoist's first in charge of the club Rangers won 4-2 at Ibrox.[72] However, they were knocked out of the League Cup by Falkirk.[73]
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| The light blue hoops, worn 1879–1883 |
The club colours of Rangers F.C. are royal blue, white and red. However, for the majority of the first forty-eight years of Rangers existence the club played in a plain light blue home shirt. The only deviation from this was a four season period from 1879 when the side wore a light blue hooped shirt.[74]
The team's home strip invariably features a royal blue shirt (often with white and/or red trim). Traditionally this is accompanied by white shorts (often with royal blue and/or red trim) and black socks with red turn-downs.[74] Black socks were first included in 1883 for five seasons before disappearing for eight years but became a permanent fixture from 1896 onwards. When the red turn-downs were added to the socks in 1904, the strip began to look more like the modern day Rangers home kit. Occasionally the home kit will be altered by the shorts and socks, sometimes replacing the black socks with white ones; or replacing the white shorts and black socks combination with royal blue shorts and socks.
The basic design of Rangers away strips has changed far more than the traditional home strip. White and red have been the most common colours for Rangers alternate strips, though dark and light blue have also featured highly.[75]
In recent years, Rangers have introduced a third kit.[76] This is usually worn if both the home and away kits clash with their opponents. The colours used in the third kits have included combinations of white, red, dark and light blue as well as black.[77]
Rangers currently have two different club crests. The scroll crest, representing letters RFC overlapping each other, has been used since the club's formation in 1872 and was first introduced to the Rangers kits in 1968; it was modified several times in the 1990s. After successful season 2002/03, which delivered Rangers a Treble and their 50th championship title, it was decided to add five stars above the scroll crest, one for every ten titles won by the club.[78]
The circular crest was adopted in 1959[78] and features a lion rampant on an old-style football and the club's motto Ready, which was shortened from Aye Ready (meaning Always Ready in Scottish English) in 1966, all surrounded by the official team name, Rangers Football Club.[79] The circular crest is mostly used on merchandise and by the media.
The club has had five main shirt sponsors. Tennent's are currently the main shirt sponsors of Rangers, and as part of the sponsorship deal, their logo is displayed on the front of the club's shirts and a number of other merchandise. The first shirt sponsor was Scottish double glazing firm CR Smith. In 1984, Rangers signed a three-year deal with CR Smith, who also had a similar deal with Celtic. At the end of the contract both Old Firm clubs were offered terms by brewers Scottish & Newcastle to become their new sponsor. The deal would have seen Rangers bear the McEwan's Lager and Celtic sport the Harp Lager logo on their shirts. The latter club rejected the deal but Rangers accepted and in 1987 began what would become a twelve-year association with the drinks company.[80] The club wore the McEwan's Lager logo on the front its shirts for all but two matches during the Nine in a row era. When Rangers played French sides AJ Auxerre and RC Strasbourg in the 1996–97 UEFA Champions League and the 1996–97 UEFA Cup respectively, due to a French ban on alcohol advertising the team wore the logo of Center Parcs.[81] In 1999, both Old Firm clubs signed a joint sponsorship deal with telecommunications company NTL.[82] The four-year deal was worth £13 million but ended in the summer of 2003.[83]
Rangers then signed a contract with Carling. The deal was the second joint Old Firm sponsorship agreement.[84][85] It was announced on 3 January 2003 and began at the start of the 2003–04 season, initially for three-years and worth a total of £12 million pounds. On 21 July 2005 the contract was extended. The new deal was five-years in length and worth a basic £18 million but with substantial bonuses should either club meet performance targets.[86] As Rangers and Celtic both reached the last 16 of the Champions League during this period, plus the Ibrox club's 2008 UEFA Cup Final appearance, the deal proved to be lucrative.[87] On 3 February 2010, Rangers and Celtic announced a three-year contract with Tennent's brewery. The deal is worth around £1.5 million per season to each club.[88]
Similarly, the club has only had five independent kit manufacturers, the first being English sportswear company Umbro, which became the first company to place their logo on a Rangers shirt in 1978. Admiral took over in 1990, but only manufactured one strip. German company Adidas followed in 1992 then American company Nike in 1997 and Italian manufacturer Diadora in 2002, before Umbro began a second spell as the club's kit manufacturers in 2005.[89]
| Year | Kit manufacturer[90] | Shirt Sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| 1978–1984 | Umbro | None |
| 1984–1987 | CR Smith | |
| 1987–1990 | McEwan's Lager | |
| 1990–1992 | Admiral | |
| 1992–1997 | Adidas | |
| 1997–1999 | Nike | |
| 1999–2002 | NTL | |
| 2002–2003 | Diadora | |
| 2003–2005 | Carling | |
| 2005–2010 | Umbro | |
| 2010–2013 | Tennent's |
Between 1988 and 2011 Scottish steel magnate David Murray was the owner of Rangers, after he had purchased the club for £6 million.[91]
After protracted takeover negotiations, the club was bought by Scottish businessman Craig Whyte on 6 May 2011 for £1.[92] The reason for such a small fee was because of Rangers' outstanding debt of around £22 million.[93] As well as several debt cases which total over £55 million.[94][95] It is possible that Rangers will be made insolvent if they lose the biggest debt case against Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs, which is for £49 million.[95]
The club's most distinct rivalry is with Celtic F.C, the other major football club based in Glasgow; the two clubs are collectively known as the Old Firm. Rangers' traditional support has largely come from the Protestant Unionist community, meanwhile Celtics' traditional support has largely come from the Catholic republican community. During the late 19th century, many immigrants came to Glasgow from Ireland – this was a time of considerable anti-Catholic and anti-Irish sentiment in Scotland. Even before the formation of Celtic, in 1888, Rangers had close links to the Orange Order and freemasonry. By the early 20th century, Catholic players were asked to leave the club.[96]
The first Old Firm match was won by Celtic and there have been nearly four hundred matches played to date. The Old Firm rivalry has fuelled many assaults and many deaths on Old Firm derby days; an activist group that monitors sectarian activity in Glasgow has reported that on Old Firm weekends, admissions to hospital emergency rooms have increased ninefold over normal levels and journalist Franklin Foer noted that in the period from 1996 to 2003, eight deaths in Glasgow were directly linked to Old Firm matches, as well as hundreds of assaults.[97]
Between World War I and the 1980s, Rangers did not knowingly sign any Catholic players.[98] Many have written about the club's refusal to sign Catholic players, or employ Catholics in other roles, and the discrimination against employees who married Catholics.[99][100][101][102][103][104] Particularly from the 1970s, Rangers came under increasing media pressure over their policy,[105] but several of the club's directors publicly defended its position.[106]
In 1989, when Rangers signed Maurice "Mo" Johnston, "their first major Roman Catholic signing",[107] David Miller, the general secretary of the Rangers' Supporters' Association condemned the signing, saying "It is a sad day for Rangers... I don't want to see a Roman Catholic at Ibrox."[107] Johnston was the highest-profile Catholic to sign for the club since the World War I era; other Catholics signed prior to Johnston but since the end of World War I include Laurie Blyth (1951–1952), Don Kitchenbrand (1955–1956), Hugh O'Neill (1976) and John Spencer (1985–1992).[108][109]
In 1999, Rangers' vice-chairman Donald Findlay was forced to resign after he was filmed singing a sectarian song[110] (The Billy Boys) at an event organised by a Rangers Supporters Club. In his resignation letter, Findlay described the incident as "a serious misjudgement". He said his conduct "was not acceptable" and he regretted any harm done to the club's reputation.[110]
In 2002 the club dropped their controversial orange away strip after a "furious debate over whether Rangers were profiting from their sectarian overtones," though the club said their decision was "a commercial decision, not based on politics. We change the shirt every season with new designs to try to make it new and fresh."[111] Anti-sectarianism campaigners and politicians had criticised the club's decision to market an orange shirt, as the colour is associated with the Orange Institution.[111][112][113][114]
In 2006 UEFA declared the Rangers fans not guilty of alleged discriminatory chants after a UEFA Champions League tie against Villarreal.[115] UEFA challenged the ruling, and the Appeals Body partially upheld the appeal, fining Rangers €19,500 and issued a warning to the club regarding any future misconduct.[116]
Rangers were fined again (€12,000) in 2007 after some Rangers fans were filmed making sectarian chants at a UEFA Cup match against Osasuna.[117][118]
In 2008, Rangers fans' singing of the Famine song, containing the lyrics "The famine's over now / Why don't you go home", caused controversy. The football club urged fans to stop singing the song, and warned they could be arrested for it.[119] Rangers' chief executive Martin Bain also warned fans they could be arrested for singing the song, but would not condemn the chanting.[120][121][122] He also said "Clearly some supporters feel aggrieved that a song they believe to be no more than a tit-for-tat 'wind up' of Celtic supporters should be singled out in this way and merit the attention of police, governments and anti-racist organisations".[123]
The song was condemned as racist by anti-racism group Show Racism the Red Card[124] and described as "vile, vicious and racist" by Celtic chairman John Reid[125] and complaints prompted Irish diplomats to contact the Scottish government.[126] The Rangers Supporters Trust (RST), however rejected claims that the song was racist, saying : "Racism is not a wind-up, however distasteful, aimed at Scottish Celtic fans".[127]
In November 2008, a Rangers fan was found guilty of a breach of the peace (aggravated by religious and racial prejudice) by singing the Famine Song during a game against Kilmarnock.[128] In February 2009, sectarian chanting by some Rangers fans during an Old Firm match at Celtic Park was reported to the SPL by the match delegate, again relating to the chanting of the Famine Song.[129][130]
Both the club and its fans are disparagingly nicknamed Huns by some fans of Celtic.[131][132][133][134][135][136][137] The Rangers Supporters Trust, in their statement defending singing of the Famine Song, described the nickname as "sectarian abuse".[127] The anti-sectarian charity Nil By Mouth also considers "Huns" to be a sectarian insult.[138] In 2008, a Celtic fan was convicted of a religiously aggravated breach of the peace for wearing a t-shirt with the slogan "dirty horrible huns".[139]
In March 2011, Rangers fans were accused by UEFA of sectarian singing during the away leg of their Europa League match with PSV Eindhoven.[140] In April, further charges of sectarian singing were made against them concerning the home tie. Rangers were fined €40,000 and had their fans banned for one away European match as a result of the UEFA hearing[141]
In recent times, both Old Firm teams have taken measures to combat sectarianism. Working alongside the Scottish Parliament, church groups, pressure groups such as Nil by Mouth, schools and community organisations, the Old Firm have endeavoured to clamp down on sectarian songs, inflammatory flag-waving, and troublesome supporters, using increased levels of policing and surveillance.[142]
In August 2003 Rangers launched its 'Pride Over Prejudice' campaign to promote social inclusion, which has urged fans to wear only traditional Rangers colours and avoid offensive songs, banners and salutes. This involved publishing the 'Blue Guide', known as the "Wee Blue Book", which contained a list of acceptable songs and was issued to 50,000 supporters in August 2007.
In 2005, Rangers Football in the Community partnered with Celtic to form the 'Old Firm Alliance', an initiative aimed at educating children from across Glasgow about issues like healthy eating and fitness, as well as awareness of anti-social behaviour, sectarianism and racism. The club's 'Follow With Pride' campaign was launched in 2007 to improve the club's image and build on previous anti-racist, anti-sectarian campaigns.[143][144] In the past there has been racism directed to players on the pitch at Rangers games, from both home and opposition fans. Some Rangers fans racially abused former Celtic player Bobo Balde, and former Rangers player Mark Walters was racially abused by some Celtic, Hearts and Rangers fans. The club, through the Rangers Study Centre, is also involved in the "Ready to Learn" project, along with Glasgow City Council.[145]
In 2006 William Gallard, UEFA's Director Of Communications, commended the SFA and Scottish clubs, including Rangers, for their actions in fighting discrimination.[146] In September 2007, UEFA praised Rangers for the measures the club had taken against sectarianism.[147]
Many Rangers fans see Aberdeen as a bitter rival. The rivalry began in the late 1970s when the two clubs were among the strongest in Scotland. Relations between fans were soured during a league match on 8 October 1988, when Aberdeen player Neil Simpson's tackle on Rangers' Ian Durrant resulted in Durrant being injured for two years.[148] Resentment continued and in 1998 an article in Rangers pre-match programme branded Aberdeen fans "scum". Rangers stated that they had "issued a full and unreserved apology" to Aberdeen and their supporters, and this was accepted by Aberdeen. In another incident, then Rangers captain Richard Gough accused Aberdeen of only playing when it was against Rangers.[149] This further increased the hostility between supporters of both clubs, which has continued.[150]
The club used a variety of grounds in Glasgow as a venue for home matches in the years between 1872 and 1899. The first was Flesher's Haugh, situated on Glasgow Green, followed by Burnbank in the Kelvinbridge area of the city, and then Kinning Park for ten years from the mid-1870s to the mid-1880s. From February of the 1886–87 season, Cathkin Park was used until the first Ibrox Park, in the Ibrox area of south-west Glasgow, was inaugurated for the following season. Ibrox Stadium in its current incarnation was originally designed by the architect Archibald Leitch, a Rangers fan[151] who also played a part in the design of, among others, Old Trafford in Manchester and Highbury in London. The stadium was inaugurated on 30 December 1899, and Rangers defeated Hearts 3–1 in the first match held there.
Since 1899, two major disasters have taken place at the stadium. The first occurred in 1902 during a Scotland vs England international match, when a section of terracing collapsed, leading to the deaths of 26 people and over 500 injuries. The second disaster took place in 1971, during the traditional New Year's Day Old Firm match. As the crowd were leaving the match, barriers on the stairway to the rear of passageway 13 at the Copland End collapsed, causing a crush and resulting in the deaths of 66 people, with over 200 injuries. This led to a major redevelopment of Ibrox, overseen by the general manager Willie Waddell, including its conversion to an all-seater stadium. Ibrox was awarded UEFA five-star stadium status,[152] which has since been replaced by a different classification system.
The stands in Ibrox are: The Bill Struth Main Stand (south; three tiers; the top one known as the Club Deck), Govan Stand (north; two tiers), and the Copland (east) and Broomloan (west) Stands (both two tiers), which are behind the goals. In addition to these, there are also the East and West Enclosures (in the lower tier of the Main Stand), and the two corners adjacent to the Govan Stand are filled in. As a result of work completed in the summer of 2006 to make the Bar 72 area situated in the Govan Stand, the total capacity of Ibrox is 51,082.[152] On 22 August 2006, Rangers announced that the Main Stand would be renamed The Bill Struth Main Stand in September 2006 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the death of their former manager, who served Rangers for 34 years.[153] There are currently plans underway for a redevelopment of Ibrox stadium which could result in Ibrox being rebuilt as a 70,000 seated stadium – which would make it the second largest club football stadium in Britain after Old Trafford. The official Rangers Website was quoted as saying: "We are analysing three strategies which would enhance the development of the existing outline planning proposals for the Hinshelwood area to the south of the stadium. One of the strategies includes the total rebuilding of Ibrox Stadium while retaining the brick facade, the tradition and the integrity of the Bill Struth Main Stand".[154]
Rangers' training facility is located in Auchenhowie, near Milngavie in Glasgow. The facility is known as Murray Park after former chairman and owner Sir David Murray. It was proposed by then-manager Dick Advocaat upon his arrival at the club in 1998.[15] It was completed in 2001 at a cost of £14 million. Murray Park was the first purpose-built facility of its kind in Scotland, and incorporates features including nine football pitches, a state of the art gym, a hydrotherapy pool, and a video-editing suite. Rangers' youth teams are also accommodated at Murray Park, with around 140 players between under-10 and under-19 age groups using the training centre.[155] Various first-team players have come through the ranks at Murray Park, including Alan Hutton, Chris Burke, Stevie Smith, John Fleck and Charlie Adam. International club teams playing in Scotland, as well as national sides, have previously used Murray Park for training, and Advocaat's South Korea team used it for training prior to the 2006 World Cup.
Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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| Position[157] | Name |
|---|---|
| Chairman | Craig Whyte |
| Chief Operations Officer | Ali Russell |
| Director of Football | Gordon Smith |
| Company Secretary | Gary Withey[158] |
| Non-Executive Director | Dave King |
| Non-Executive Director | Phil Betts |
| Position[159] | Name |
|---|---|
| Manager | Ally McCoist |
| Assistant Manager | Kenny McDowall |
| First Team Coach | Ian Durrant |
| Goalkeeping Coach | Jim Stewart |
| Head of Football Administration | Andrew Dickson |
| Head of Sports Science | Adam Owen |
| Chief Scout | Neil Murray |
| Club Doctor | Paul Jackson |
| Physiotherapist | Pip Yeates |
118,567 vs Celtic, January 1939
13–0 vs Possilpark, Scottish Cup, 6 October 1877
10–0 vs Hibernian, 24 December 1898
2–10 vs Airdrieonians, 6 February 1886
0–6 vs Dumbarton, 4 May 1892
John Greig, 755, 1960–1978
Sandy Archibald, 513, 1917–1934
Alec Smith, 74
John Greig, 121
Barry Ferguson, 82
Ally McCoist, 355 goals, 1983–1998
Jim Forrest, 57 goals, 1964–65
Sam English, 44 goals, 1931–32
Ally McCoist, 251 goals
Jimmy Fleming, 44 goals
Ally McCoist, 54 goals
Ally McCoist, 21 goals
Chris Woods, 1196 minutes, 1986–87 (British record)[160]
Frank de Boer, 112 caps for The Netherlands
Alan Hutton, £9m, Tottenham Hotspur, 2008[161]
Tore André Flo, £12m, Chelsea, 2000[162]
All players are from Scotland unless otherwise stated.
| Rank | Name | Career | Apps | Goals | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ally McCoist | 1983–1998 | 581 | 355 | 0.61 |
| 2 | Bob McPhail | 1927–1940 | 408 | 261 | 0.64 |
| 3 | Jimmy Smith | 1930–1946 | 259 | 249 | 0.96 |
| 4 | Jimmy Fleming | 1925–1934 | 268 | 223 | 0.83 |
| 5 | Derek Johnstone | 1970–1982 1985–1986 |
546 | 210 | 0.38 |
| 6 | Ralph Brand | 1954–1965 | 317 | 206 | 0.65 |
| 7 | Willie Reid | 1909–1920 | 230 | 195 | 0.84 |
| 8 | Willie Thornton | 1936–1954 | 308 | 194 | 0.63 |
| 9 | RC Hamilton | 1897–1908 | 209 | 184 | 0.88 |
| 10 | Andy Cunningham | 1914–1929 | 389 | 182 | 0.47 |
| Rank | Name | Career | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Greig | 1961–1978 | 755 | 120 |
| 2 | Sandy Jardine | 1964–1982 | 674 | 77 |
| 3 | Ally McCoist | 1983–1998 | 581 | 355 |
| 4 | Sandy Archibald | 1917–1934 | 580 | 148 |
| 5 | Davie Meiklejohn | 1919–1936 | 563 | 46 |
| 6 | Dougie Gray | 1925–1947 | 555 | 2 |
| 7 | Derek Johnstone | 1970–1982 1985–1986 |
546 | 210 |
| 8 | Davie Cooper | 1977–1989 | 540 | 75 |
| 9 | Peter McCloy | 1970–1986 | 535 | 0 |
| 10 | Ian McColl | 1945–1960 | 526 | 14 |
| Name | League | Scottish Cup | League Cup | Europe | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Wilton (1899–1920) | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| Bill Struth (1920–1954) | 18 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 30 |
| Scot Symon (1954–1967) | 6 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 15 |
| David White (1967–1969) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| William Waddell (1969–1972) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Jock Wallace (1972–1978, 1983–1986) | 3 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 10 |
| John Greig (1978–1983) | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| Graeme Souness (1986–1991) | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 7 |
| Walter Smith (1991–1998, 2007–2011) | 10 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 21 |
| Dick Advocaat (1998–2002) | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| Alex McLeish (2001–2006) | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 7 |
| Paul Le Guen (2006–2007) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ally McCoist (2011–) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Rangers Football Club has a team in the Superleague Formula race car series. The Rangers F.C. team has been operated by Alan Docking Racing. In 2008 Ryan Dalziel drove for Rangers F.C. in the teams maiden sason. James Walker also drove for the team in one round of the 2008 season and posted their best result, a fourth place finish.
For the 2009 season, the team were much more successful with Australian driver John Martin posting three podium places including one win at Donington Park.
The Rangers team did not compete in the 2010 Superleague Formula season as it was not named in the provisional entry list, which included which race teams might operate each car.[164]
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