Rangers Football Club has a long and illustrious history. Formed in 1872, Rangers were the first club in the world to win more than 50 league titles. Rangers are the most honoured football club in the world having won 107 trophies in total. Despite being formed 134 years ago Rangers have only ever been managed by twelve different men. When Paul Le Guen took over at the end of season 2005/06 he became only the second non-Scot to fill that role. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Rangers Football Club is among the worlds most successful football clubs. ... 1872 (MDCCCLXXII) was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Wednesday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... Rangers Football Club is a football club from Glasgow, Scotland, which plays in the Scottish Premier League. ... Paul Le Guen (born March 1, 1964 in Pencran, Brittany) is a former French international footballer and current football manager. ... The 2005-06 season is the 109th season of competitive football in Scotland. ...

The birth and the early days

Tell me God,why was this club formed?Satan obviously formed it but most drunk huns will tell you this myth.In 1872, the brothers Peter and Moses McNeil, William McBeath and Peter Campbell saw a group of men playing football on Glasgow Green's Flesher's Haugh and decided to form a team of their own. Moses McNeil was a Scottish professional footballer who was one of the founding members of Rangers Football Club. ... McLennan Arch at the north-west entrance to Glasgow Green Glasgow Green situated in the east end of the city on the north bank of the River Clyde, is the oldest park in Glasgow dating back to the 15th century. ...

The team's first game was in May of 1872 against Callander F.C. on Flesher's Haugh, which resulted in a 0-0 draw. Moses McNeil suggested the name Rangers after seeing the name in a book about English Rugby. Rangers only played two matches in their birth year and their second match was a comprehensive 11-0 win over a team named Clyde - not the present Clyde F.C. Rugby football, often just referred to as rugby, refers to sports descended from a common form of football developed at Rugby School in England. ... Clyde Football Club is a Scottish professional football team currently playing in the First Division of the Scottish Football League. ...

Rangers began to grow into a more formal football club and in 1876, for the first time, a player was called up to play international football as Moses McNeil made his Scotland debut against Wales. First international Scotland 4 - 0 Wales (Glasgow, Scotland; 26 March 1876) Largest win Wales 11 - 0 Ireland (Wrexham, Wales; 3 March 1888) Worst defeat Scotland 9 - 0 Wales (Glasgow, Scotland; 23 March 1878) World Cup Appearances 1 (First in 1958) Best result Quarter-finals, 1958 European Championship Appearances none (First...

In 1888 the now famous Old Firm fixture was born as Rangers met Celtic for the first time in a friendly match. Celtic beat Rangers 5-2. By 1890 the Scottish league was formed and Rangers enjoyed a victorious first season as they finished joint-top with Dumbarton and after a play-off match finished 2-2, the title was shared. One of the fiercest rivalries in world football The name Old Firm (sometimes called the Auld Firm) is a collective term for the Glaswegian football clubs, Rangers and Celtic. ... Celtic Football Club (pronounced seltik, in IPA) AIM: CCP is a Scottish football club, competing in the Scottish Premier League, the highest form of competition in Scotland. ... Dumbarton Football Club is a football (soccer) club from Scotland. ...

Rangers had to wait until 1894 to taste their first Scottish Cup success after losing to Vale of Leven in 1877 and 1879 but finally lifted the trophy for the first time after a 3-1 win over Celtic. Rangers even came close to winning the English FA Cup in 1887 when they lost to Aston Villa in the semi-final. The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup, also known as The Scottish Cup, is the national cup knockout competition in Scottish football. ... Vale of Leven Football Club are a Scottish football (soccer) club based in the town of Alexandria in the Vale of Leven area of West Dunbartonshire. ... Note: for the full results of all FA Cup finals, see FA Cup Final The FA Cup - this is the fourth trophy, in use since 1992, and identical in design to the third trophy introduced in 1911. ... Aston Villa Football Club play at Villa Park in Aston, Birmingham, England. ...

Rangers ended the nineteenth century with further Scottish Cup wins 1897 and 1898 and a League Championship win in 1899 during which they won every one of their 18 league matches. Rangers formally became a business company in 1899 and match secretary William Wilton was appointed as the clubs first manager. The club also appointed its first board of directors under the chairmanship of James Henderson. Rangers were well on their way to becoming one of Scotland's top clubs. William Wilton (died May, 1920) was a Rangers manager from 1899-1920, having previously served the club under several roles including match secretary. ...

Wilton and Struth

Rangers continued their success in the early 1900s winning the championship seven times between 1900 and 1918. Having lost the title in 1919 they responded in 1920 with one of the best seasons in their history as manager William Wilton and his right hand man Bill Struth retained the title netting 106 goals in 42 league games. However, in May 1920 the clubs first ever manager, William Wilton, died in a boating accident and Bill Struth was subsequently appointed manager. Struth went on to steer Rangers to 18 league championships, 10 Scottish Cups and 2 League Cups in his 34 year tenure as manager. He was also the first Rangers manager to win the domestic treble when it was achieved for the first time in Scottish football history in season 1948-49. // First flight by the Wright brothers, December 17, 1903. ... Bill Struth Bill Struth (1873-1956) was the second manager of Rangers Football Club, controlling the team for 34 years between 1920 and 1954, as well as the holder of a number of other positions at the club. ... The Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League members. ... Season 1948-1949 was the fifty-first season of Scottish League football. ...

Under Scott Symon

After Bill Struth collected two more domestic doubles in 1950 and 1953, Scott Symon was appointed as Rangers third manager in 1954. Symon continued Struth's success winning six league championships, five Scottish Cups and four League Cups. He also became the second manager to win the domestic treble in season 1963-64. Symon also took Rangers into the European Cup for the first time in 1956-57 going out on to French team Nice. The following season however saw Rangers suffer their worst ever defeat to their arch rivals Celtic, losing 7-1 in the League Cup final of 1957. They did however reach the semi-finals of the European Cup in 1960 losing eventually to German club Eintracht Frankfurt by a record aggregate 12-4 for a Scottish team. In 1961 Rangers became the first British team to reach a European final when they contested the Cup Winners' Cup final against Italian side Fiorentina, only to lose 4-1 on aggregate. Rangers suffered yet more despair in the final of the same competition in 1967, losing 1-0 after extra time to Bayern Munich. Scott Symon James Scotland Symon (? - 1985) is a former Scottish football (soccer) player and manager. ... Season 1963-1964 was the sixty-sixth season of Scottish league football. ... Champions League Logo The UEFA Champions League is an annual international inter-club football competition between Europes most successful clubs, regarded as the most prestigious club trophy in the sport. ... The season 1956-57 of the European Cup football club tournament was won for the second time by Real Madrid against ACF Fiorentina. ... OGC Nice, full name Olympique Gymnaste Club de Nice-Côte dAzur, is a French football club based in Nice. ... Eintracht Frankfurt is a German football club based in Frankfurt, Hessen. ... The Cup Winners Cup was a football club competition between the winners of the European domestic cup competitions. ... ACF Fiorentina is an Italian football club based in Florence (Firenze), Tuscany. ... FC Bayern Munich (German: FC Bayern München) is a German football club based in Munich, the capital of the state of Bavaria. ...

Davie White

Davie White was installed as Rangers' fourth manager in 1967. However, his tenure was a brief one and he was dismissed after little more than two years in charge, winning no trophies. David White was a former football (soccer) player but is better known as a football manager. ...

Success under Waddell

Willie Waddell was appointed as Rangers manager in 1969 and he guided Rangers to their first, and only to date, European triumph when they won the Cup Winners' Cup by beating Dynamo Moscow 3-2 at the Camp Nou in Barcelona. Due to a pitch invasion the team were presented with the trophy in the dressing room and following pressure exerted by the Spanish Government of Generalissimo Francisco Franco UEFA banned Rangers from defending the cup ^{[citation needed]} (in response to what was considered to be an unfair politically driven decision; FC Barcelona were to invite Rangers to participate in their pre-season Joan Gamper Tournament the following year alongside the Basque team Athletic Club de Bilbao ^{[citation needed]}). The triumph in the European Cup Winners' Cup came less than two years after the Ibrox disaster where 66 people died on the east terrace on staircase 13. Within weeks of their European success, Willie Waddell moved to the general manager position and his coach Jock Wallace was appointed as manager. William Waddell (? - 1992) was a professional football (soccer) player and manager. ... Dynamo Moscow (Dinamo Moscow, Dinamo Moskva, Russian: Динамо Москва) is a Russian football club based in Moscow. ... The Camp Nou (Catalan for new field, sometimes reversed in other languages to become Nou Camp) is a football stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain ( ). It has a capacity of 98,787. ... Location Coordinates : Time Zone : CET (GMT +1) - summer: CEST (GMT +2) General information Native name Barcelona (Catalan) Spanish name Barcelona Nickname Ciutat Comtal Postal code 08001-08080 Area code 34 (Spain) + 93 (Barcelona) Website http://www. ... Francisco Paulino Hermenegildo Teódulo Franco y Bahamonde Salgado Pardo (4 December 1892 – 20 November or possibly 19 November[1] 1975), abbreviated “Francisco Franco y Bahamonde” and commonly known as “Generalísimo Francisco Franco” (pron. ... Futbol Club Barcelona, is a Catalan sports club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. ... Athletic Club de Bilbao are a Spanish football team from Bilbao in Vizcaya. ... There have been two accidents leading to major loss of life at Ibrox Park in Glasgow, Scotland. ... Jock Wallace (1935 - 1996) was a professional football (soccer) player and manager. ...

Jock Wallace

Wallace's managership of Rangers saw the club achieve a period of sustained success. His first season as manager - the club's centenary year - culminated in a 3-2 Scottish Cup win over Celtic. A nine-year period of Celtic dominance in the league was ended in 1974-1975 as Rangers captured what was to be the last championship of its kind. The new ten-team Scottish Premier League saw Rangers crowned inaugural champions, as part of a triumphant domestic treble. After a barren subsequent season, 1976-1977, Wallace presided over the club's fourth domestic treble in 1977-1978. Jock Wallace (1935 - 1996) was a professional football (soccer) player and manager. ... Season 1974-1975 was the seventy-seventh season of Scottish league football. ... Season 1976-1977 was the seventy-ninth season of Scottish league football. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ...

This burst of success from the mid-1970s saw Rangers once again established as Scotland's most successful club. In 1978 Wallace, suddenly and unexpectedly, announced his resignation while refusing to divulge the reason for his departure. In his wake, Rangers turned to another of the stalwarts of the great side of the mid-to-late 1970s, the captain John Greig. The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, inclusive. ... John Greig at Ibrox Stadium John Greig (born September 11, 1942 in Edinburgh) is a former professional football player who, despite his boyhood allegiance to hometown Heart of Midlothian F.C., spent his entire career in Glasgow with Rangers F.C.. A determined, forceful player who was a talisman for...

John Greig

Greig's tenure began promisingly. Wallace's treble-winning team of the previous season performed ably in the European Cup, defeating Juventus and PSV Eindhoven (the latter losing a game at home for the first time), before an injury-stricken team lost to FC Köln in the quarter final. Things began to unravel towards the end of Greig's first domestic season, however, as leadership of the league evaporated. Greig's efforts thereafter to restructure the team inherited from Wallace proved, for the most part, fruitless. The early years of the 1980s were ones of repeated frustration as the club continually failed to mount a challenge not only to Celtic, but to the then resurgent "New Firm" of Aberdeen and Dundee United. The gloom of under-performance in the league was punctuated only by periodic cup triumphs. The Scottish Cup win of 1981, in particular, saw a triumphant performance by the enigmatic winger, Davie Cooper. The League Cup proved fertile territory for Rangers throughout the fallow years of the early 1980s, but it was the failure to add to the league triumph of 1978 that saw the growing pressure on Greig culminate in his resignation as manager in 1983. Juventus F.C. (Latin for Youth) is one of Italys oldest and most successful football clubs, based in Turin. ... Philips Sport Vereniging (English: Philips Sports Union), widely known either as PSV or PSV Eindhoven, is a sports club from Eindhoven, the Netherlands. ... 1. ... New Firm is the term used to describe the rivalry between Scottish football clubs Aberdeen and Dundee United. ... Aberdeen Football Club is a football team from Scotland, who compete in the Scottish Premier League. ... Dundee United Football Club is a Scottish football club located in Dundee. ... David (Davie) Cooper (February 25, 1956 - March 23, 1995) was a professional football player. ...

Return of Wallace

Rangers hoped to rekindle success by bringing Jock Wallace back to the club, following his exile in England with Leicester City. Wallace, though, was not the club's first choice: Jim McLean and Alex Ferguson, the then managers of the New Firm clubs, were said to have rebuffed Rangers' advances. ^{[citation needed]} Wallace, however, returned with the aim of restoring the glory years of the treble-winning sides of the late 1970s. His initial impact was positive. Wallace's team won the League Cup twice in a row in 1983 and 1984, but league form remained indifferent. The continuing dominance of the great Aberdeen side of the 80s, coupled with a Dundee United and Celtic team that offered periodic challenges to Aberdeen's ascendancy, put Wallace under increasing pressure. By season 1985-86 Rangers had slipped to fifth place in the league and, with little evidence of improvement since the Greig era, Wallace was sacked as manager. Leicester City Football Club, (also known as The Foxes) are an English professional football club based in the city of Leicester. ... Jim McLean (born 1937, Larkhall, South Lanarkshire) is a former football player although he is best known as a football manager with Dundee United. ... Sir Alexander Chapman Ferguson KBE (born 31 December 1941 in Govan, Glasgow) is a Scottish football manager and former player, currently managing Manchester United F.C. He has won more trophies than any other manager in the history of English football and been in charge of Manchester United for more... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ...

The Souness era

Graeme Souness was appointed as Rangers' first player-manager in 1986. The club's US-domiciled owner, Lawrence Marlborough, concerned at the lack of progress in the 1980s, began to take a more active interest in Rangers, wresting clear control of the boardroom after years of internecine squabbling. One of his most significant decisions was the appointment of David Holmes as the club's chairman. Holmes' most significant act was to recruit Souness. Graeme James Souness (born Edinburgh, Scotland, 6 May 1953) was the captain of the all-conquering Liverpool F.C. football team of the early 1980s who later returned to the club as manager. ... This is the first product to successfully combine football management and action games together. ...

Souness, drawing on his preeminent reputation in the English game and backed by Holmes' approval of unprecedented transfer spending, kick-started a period in which the arrival of top players from England was a regular occurrence. In his first season at the helm, he brought the championship back to Ibrox - the first since 1978.

The League Cup was also captured with the defeat of Celtic, heralding a period of Old Firm dominance that was to last for the bulk of the next two decades.

The arrival of businessman David Murray as self-styled 'custodian' of the club saw Rangers' resurgence continue. Murray had acquired Rangers for £6m from the increasingly cash-strapped Lawrence group. From the outset, Murray viewed Rangers as a way of cementing his already high profile in the media and in Scottish business circles. ^{[citation needed]} David Murray David Murray is a Scottish entrepreneur, businessman and Chairman of Rangers Football Club. ...

In the first season of the Souness-Murray partnership (1989), Rangers won the first of what would eventually become nine championship wins in a row.

The Souness years were marked by both achievement and conflict. Under Souness's stewardship, Rangers' pre-eminence in the Scottish game was restored. At a time in which English clubs were excluded from European competition (following the Heysel stadium disaster of 1985), the club also gained arguably a higher profile in the British game than at any time in its history. This was fuelled by the purchase of a succession of English internationals, including Ray Wilkins, Terry Butcher and Chris Woods. It was also fuelled by the controversial signing of Roman Catholic and former Celtic player Mo Johnston, who was persuaded to change his mind at the last minute and sign for Rangers rather than their bitter city rivals. Johnston's signing led to outrage from some fans of the traditionally Protestant club as he was the first high-profile Catholic to sign for Rangers in modern times. Raymond Colin Wilkins MBE (born September 14, 1956 in Hillingdon, Middlesex) was an English football player, and now a highly respected coach and TV pundit. ... In Englands white, RÃ¥sunda Stadium 1989 Terence Ian (Terry) Butcher (born December 28, 1958 in Singapore) is the current manager of Motherwell and former professional footballer who made his name as an uncompromising defender with Ipswich Town, Rangers and England in the 1980s. ... Chris Woods (born November 14, 1959 in Boston, Lincolnshire) was a goalkeeper who was best known for being Peter Shiltons long-time understudy in the England team in the mid to late 1980s. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... Mo Johnston Maurice Mo Johnston (born April 30, 1963 in Glasgow) is a former Scottish soccer forward, who made his name with Celtic before controversially playing with Rangers. ...

Despite his success, Souness was never part of the Scottish footballing establishment. His managership saw countless run-ins with the footballing authorities. He was sent off in his debut (see[1]) and suffered more than one touchline ban.

Souness left Rangers in 1991 to join his former club Liverpool. Coming before the league campaign reached a dramatic culmination with a last-day victory over Aberdeen at Ibrox, Souness's departure met with mixed reactions amongst Rangers supporters. Many were disappointed. Some bemoaned what they saw as his betrayal of the club. All, however, were united in viewing the Souness years as amongst the most dramatic in the club's history. Liverpool Football Club are a football club based in Liverpool, in the north west of England. ...

The challenge for his successor - his former assistant Walter Smith - was to ensure than Rangers' ninth manager would achieve as much as its eighth. Walter Smith OBE (born February 24, 1948 Lanark) is a former football player, but is better known as a football manager. ...

Nine in a row

Walter Smith went on to clinch the championship in 1991 following Souness's departure after a dramatic last day win over title challengers Aberdeen. Smith, with the financial backing of David Murray, continued to attract top players to the club and in season 1992-93 steered Rangers to one of the best seasons in their history. Not only did they win the domestic treble but they came to within one match of the European Cup final. Rangers saw off English Premier League champions Leeds United in a 'battle of Britain' tie. Then, in the group stage, Rangers won two matches and drew four but, despite remaining undefeated, went out to the French team Olympique de Marseille, subsequently found guilty of bribing opposing players to 'throw' games. Rangers won the double the following season but missed out on a back-to-back domestic treble after losing in the Scottish Cup final to Dundee United. Rangers again won the championship in seasons 1994-95 and 1995-96 with the help of signings such as Brian Laudrup and Paul Gascoigne. In season 1996-97 Rangers went on to win their ninth championship in a row thereby equalling Celtic's achievement of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Season 1997-98 proved to be Walter Smith's last season as manager and Rangers were unable to win their tenth league championship in a row. Smith left Rangers and joined English Premiership club Everton. Many players also left Rangers including Brian Laudrup, Ally McCoist and captain Richard Gough. The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... Leeds United Football Club is the only professional association football club in the city of Leeds in West Yorkshire. ... Olympique de Marseille is a football team that plays in Ligue 1, the top level of the French Football League, based in Marseille. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... Brian Laudrup (born February 22, 1969 in Vienna, Austria) is a former Danish professional football (soccer) player, who won the 1992 European Football Championship (Euro 1992) with the Denmark national team, and he was a vital part of that Rangers FC team which dominated the Scottish Premier League in the... Paul John Gascoigne (born 27 May 1967 in Gateshead, England), often referred to by his nickname Gazza, is a former English football player, notable for his great footballing talent and colourful character. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... Competitive football has been played in Scotland since 1890. ... The FA Premier League (often referred to as the Barclays Premiership in the UK and the Barclays English Premier League internationally) is a league competition for football clubs located at the top of the English football league system (above The Football League), making it Englands primary football competition. ... Everton Football Club is located in the city Liverpool in Merseyside, England. ... Richard Gough (born April 5, 1962 in Stockholm, Sweden) was a Scottish footballer who played most of his career in central defence for Rangers FC. He is now a football manager. ...

The Little General

Dick Advocaat, nicknamed the Little General, succeeded Walter Smith at the start of season 1998-99. Advocaat, former manager of PSV Eindhoven, was only Rangers' tenth manager and the first non-Scot to hold the position. His appointment was viewed by some as reflecting a desire to begin to challenge Europe's elite clubs. David Murray, the club's owner and chairman, had long proclaimed that Rangers ought to be judged not just in relation to success in Scotland, but on performance in Europe, and especially in the increasingly high-profile (and financially lucrative) Champions' League. But despite being given resources on a scale never before handed to a Rangers manager, success on a larger stage failed to materialise, and the costly legacy of Advocaat's time at Ibrox was a debt that would cripple the club for years. Dick Advocaat Dick Advocaat (born September 27, 1947 in Den Haag, Netherlands) was head coach of the Dutch national football team and, in his younger years, a football player. ... Competitive football has been played in Scotland since 1890. ...

The scale of these resources made available to Advocaat initially confirmed that the Rangers management was thinking in bold, European terms. Confronted with a rump of players remaining after Smith's departure, Advocaat was furnished with an unprecedented transfer budget over the coming seasons. In total Advocaat spent over £36 million on new players in his debut season. Some - the Dutch internationals Arthur Numan and Giovanni van Bronckhorst - were successful; others - for example Andrei Kanchelskis - proved ineffectual. Arthur Numan (born 14 December 1969 in Heemskerk, Netherlands) is a retired Dutch footballer. ... Giovanni Christiaan van Bronckhorst aka Gio (born February 5, 1975 in Rotterdam) is a Dutch football (soccer) defender and midfielder, who currently plays for Barcelona in La Liga. ... Andrei Kanchelskis (Russian: Aндрей Канчельскис, born January 23, 1969 in Kirovograd) is a Russian-Ukrainian football midfielder, who currently plays for FC Saturn in Russia. ...

But while Advocaat's record in transfer dealings remained mixed throughout his time at Ibrox, at first the club appeared to be beginning to deliver in playing terms, both in Scotland and (less predictably) Europe. Advocaat's first season saw another domestic treble secured. Performance in Europe was promising, with Bayer Leverkusen defeated in a solid, if unspectacular, UEFA Cup run. In the following season, Advocaat continued to spend big, bringing the likes of Michael Mols and Claudio Reyna to Ibrox. A domestic double was secured in Advocaat's second season. In Europe, too, there were signs of greatly improved performance in the Champions League, as Parma were defeated en route to qualification for the group stages of the competition. Michael Mols (born December 17, 1970) is a professional footballer who currently plays for ADO Den Haag. ... Claudio Reyna (born July 20, 1973 in Livingston, New Jersey), is the son of an Argentinean father and Portuguese mother. ... The UEFA Champions League (which used to be named and is often still called the European Cup) is an annual club football competition organized by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for the most successful football clubs in Europe. ... Parma Football Club (formerly Parma Associazione Calcio) is an Italian football club based in Parma, nicknamed the Gialloblu. ...

Rangers entered Advocaat's third season emboldened by the capture of five of the six domestic trophies available in his first two years. However, while the club again qualified for the Champions League group stage, performances in the league began rapidly to disintegrate. Further high-profile signings - Tore André Flo for a club record £12 million, and the Dutch internationalist Ronald de Boer on a lavish contract - could not reverse the decline. Morale amongst players and supporters plummeted amidst credible rumours of players unrest and dressing room divides. A worsening financial position exacerbated the gathering gloom. The club failed to win a major competition in the 2000-01 season, as Celtic swept the domestic board. Having continued in similar fashion in 2001-02, and with Martin O'Neill's Celtic side once more running away with the championship, Advocaat resigned as manager and took up a general manager position, which he would leave after only 11 months. Alex McLeish was the surprising appointment as the new Rangers manager in December 2001. Tore André Flo Tore André Flo (born June 15, 1973 in Stryn) is a Norwegian footballer, who currently plays for VÃ¥lerenga in the Norwegian Premier League. ... Ronald de Boer (born May 15, 1970 in Hoorn, Netherlands) is a Dutch football midfielder for the Dutch national team as well as a host of professional clubs in Europe. ... The 2003-04 season was the 104th season of competetive football in Scotland. ... The 2001-02 season was the 105th season of competetive football in Scotland. ... Martin Hugh Michael ONeill, OBE, born 1 March 1952, in Kilrea, Northern Ireland, is a former Northern Ireland national football team captain and football manager. ... Alexander McLeish (born January 21, 1959 in Barrhead, Scotland) nicknamed Big Eck, is a well known football figure in Scotland. ... 2001 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December Events: December 2 - Enron files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection five days after Dynegy canceled a US$8. ...

Advocaat's tenure at Ibrox had been a paradoxical one. On one hand, Advocaat spearheaded the building of Murray Park - a £14m training complex at Auchenhowie which was viewed as essential if the club was to compete with its European peers in nurturing home-gown talent and developing players. On the other hand, Advocaat's man-management was subject to criticism, ^{[citation needed]} and some argued that he had squandered a real opportunity to establish Rangers as consistent European competitors. ^{[citation needed]} With the club deep in financial difficulty, there was no realistic prospect of boosting its fortunes through further expensive player acquisitions. The challenge of restoring the club to supremacy in Scotland looked to be an unenviable one for Alex McLeish. Murray Park is the name of Rangers F.C.s training facility in Auchenhowie, Milngavie, on the outskirts of Glasgow. ...

Under Alex McLeish

Alex McLeish's four-and-a-half-year spell at Ibrox was a turbulent one, coming as it did after the wastefulness of the Advocaat era. McLeish never enjoyed access to the funds his predecessors had been given, and his managership was marked by wildly-fluctuating fortunes, in part caused by forced asset stripping of his best players due to the spectre of debt from Advocaat's spending.

His appointment in December 2001 ^[1] was met with a lukewarm reaction amongst many Rangers supporters. Some viewed it as symptomatic of the downsizing of the club's ambitions, while others saw in McLeish a manager whose mixed fortunes at Hibernian and Motherwell left him ill-equipped to cope with the demands of managing a high-profile club like Rangers. For the Maltese football club see Hibernians F.C. Hibernian Football Club (informally known as Hibs) are a Scottish football club from Edinburgh. ... Motherwell Football Club is a Scottish football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. ...

A few, perhaps remembering McLeish's days in Alex Ferguson's successful Aberdeen side of the early 1980s, questioned whether someone lacking any obvious Rangers allegiance could revitalise a club faced, for the first time in decades, with a concerted challenge from a seemingly rejuvenated Celtic. ^{[citation needed]} Such concerns were quickly allayed, however, as McLeish's Rangers began to display a spirit that had been sorely lacking in Advocaat's final seasons. Cup successes in McLeish's first half-season, 2001/2, saw a renewed sense of optimism that Rangers could regain the ascendancy claimed by Celtic under the managership of Martin O'Neill.

A 3-2 defeat of Celtic in the season's climactic Scottish Cup final ^[2], orchestrated by Barry Ferguson and marked by a dramatic last minute winner, reinforced the view that Rangers could once more gain the pre-eminence enjoyed for almost all of the period since Graeme Souness's appointment as manager in 1986. Barry Ferguson MBE (born Glasgow, Scotland, February 2, 1978) is a Scottish professional football midfielder who currently plays for Scottish Premier League team Rangers. ...

His first full season as manager, 2002/03, saw the club fulfil this sense of promise, and featured an astonishingly tense run-in to the league campaign that many thought could never be repeated - until two years later. Another victory over Celtic, this time in the League Cup ^[3], provided the first leg of the club's latest treble. Rangers' half-century of championships was secured on a dramatic last day of the league season, with victory over Dunfermline Athletic denying Celtic the title on goal difference ^[4]. The 2002-03 season was the 106th season of competitive football in Scotland. ... Dunfermline Athletic Football Club is a Scottish football team based in Dunfermline, Fife. ...

The destination of the title was unknown until the dying seconds of this match as both teams had headed into the game level on points and goal difference. Only a last-minute penalty by Mikel Arteta clinched the win. A somewhat drab and anti-climactic 1-0 victory over Dundee in the Scottish Cup final the following week saw a triumphant finalé to the season ^[5] and a near-flawless start to McLeish's reign, ruined only by a poor showing in Europe, which Rangers exited in the first round to minnows Viktoria Žižkov. Mikel Amatriain Arteta (born March 26, 1982 in San Sebastian, Basque Country, Spain) is a football (soccer) player. ... FK Viktoria Žižkov belongs among the oldest football clubs in the Czech Republic. ...

Yet the overall success of McLeish's initial period as manager proved difficult to sustain. The club's parlous financial position, in the wake of the profligacy of the Advocaat era, meant a period of relative austerity. Wage Ethels were slashed as the club embarked on an extensive cost-cutting programme in an attempt to stabilise a mushrooming (and unsustainable) debt. Confronted with a squad of well-paid but ageing players largely assembled by Advocaat, McLeish was compelled to rebuild without the luxury of the generous transfer kitty enjoyed by his predecessors over the preceding two decades, and lost from his treble winning team the inspirational but mistake-prone Lorenzo Amoruso, Scottish international winger Neil McCann and, most damagingly of all, club captain Barry Ferguson to Blackburn Rovers To replace these players, McLeish was required to rebuild, not through the high-profile and often audacious signings of the Souness, Smith and Advocaat years, but via wheeling and dealing and the selective use of 'Bosman' free transfers. Lorenzo Amoruso (born June 28, 1971 in Palese, Italy) is an Italian football player who currently plays for Blackburn Rovers F.C. as a defender. ... Neil McCann (born November 8, 1974 in Greenock, Scotland) is a professional footballer who currently plays for Scottish Premier League club Heart of Midlothian and has made 26 appearances for Scotland. ... Blackburn Rovers Football Club are an English Premier League football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. ...

After a good start to 2003/2004 which saw the team lead the SPL and qualify for the money-spinning Champions League (with another dramatic late goal in Denmark against FC Copenhagen), the loss of Ferguson shortly afterwards led to a dramatic downturn in results and a trophyless campaign. McLeish's Bosman signings of experienced players, such as the Brazilian midfielder Emerson and Norwegian forward Egil Østenstad have since entered Ibrox folklore as some of the worst players to pull on a Rangers shirt. Most damaging of all, however, was the £600,000 signing of Portuguese winger Nuno Capucho. The 2003-04 Scottish Premier League season was won by Celtic F.C. with 98 points, 17 points ahead of closest challengers Rangers F.C.. Both Rangers and Celtic therefore gained the two Champions League places and Hearts F.C. got the UEFA Cup place having finished third. ... The Champions League logo The Champions League trophy The UEFA Champions League is an annual international inter-club football competition for Europes most successful clubs. ... FC København is a Danish football team, playing in Copenhagen. ... Image:http://i123. ... Egil Johan Østenstad (born January 2, 1972), nicknamed Østen, is a Norwegian footballer currently playing at Viking. ... Nuno Fernando Gonçalves da Rocha (born 21 February 1972), commonly known as Capucho (pron. ...

The 2004/2005 season started in the same vein, with McLeish making another poor signing in Serbian midfielder, Dragan Mladenovic, for £1m. The Serb would manage less than ten games for the club. On the pitch, the team again fell behind Celtic in the league and exited the Champions League at the qualifying stage. It was rumoured that failure to gain entry into the new UEFA Cup group stage would see McLeish lose his job, but another late goal and a penalty shoot out win over CS Marítimo of Portugal provided him with a stay of execution. The 2004-05 season was the 108th season of competitive football in Scotland. ... Dragan Mladenovic, (born February 16, 1976), is a professional Football player who currently plays in the Scottish Premier League for Rangers F.C.. Mladenovic, an international for Serbia and Montenegro, joined Rangers from Serbian champions Red Star Belgrade for £1m in 2004. ... The UEFA Cup is a football competition for European club teams, organized by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). ... Club Sport Marítimo commonly shortened to CS Marítimo and just Marítimo (pron. ...

After this, his fortunes began to turn again. Mladenovic aside, McLeish had made some canny signings in the summer, such as Nacho Novo, plus the Bosmans Dado Pršo, Jean-Alain Boumsong along with midfielder Alex Rae. Once these players settled in, the team began to recover ground on O'Neill's ageing Celtic side. Boumsong, in particular, was a great success but he was to be sold in January 2005, after only six months at the club, to English Premiership side Newcastle United (managed by former boss Graeme Souness) for £8m. This cash paved the way for more signings, including Thomas Buffel and the return of former captain Barry Ferguson. Nacho Novo (born March 26, 1979 in Spain) is a professional football player who currently plays for Rangers F.C.. He formerly played for fellow Scottish clubs Raith Rovers F.C. and Dundee F.C.. He was signed by Rangers manager Alex McLeish in July 2004 for a mere few... Miladin Dado PrÅ¡o [] (born 5 November 1974 in Zadar, Croatia) is a professional football player who currently plays as a striker for Scottish Premier League club Rangers F.C. as well as the Croatian national team. ... Jean-Alain Boumsong (born December 14, 1979, in Cameroon) is a professional football defender who currently plays for Juventus and the French national team. ... Alex Rae, (born September 30, 1969), is a professional football midfielder who currently plays for Rangers. ... Newcastle United Football Club are an English professional football team based in Newcastle upon Tyne. ... Graeme James Souness (born Edinburgh, Scotland, 6 May 1953) was the captain of the all-conquering Liverpool F.C. football team of the early 1980s who later returned to the club as manager. ... Thomas Buffel (born February 19, 1981 in Ruddervoorde, Belgium) is a Belgian footballer who plays for Rangers, he is a Midfielder and can play as a Striker, He also features regularly at international level for Belgium. ...

Another trophy, the League Cup, was procured in March 2005 after a 5-1 victory over Motherwell ^[6]. The league, however, appeared to have been lost. Despite catching and overtaking Celtic (two Old Firm wins, including a pivotal 2-0 victory at Parkhead - McLeish's first win there as Ibrox manager) nerves seemed to get the better of Rangers once they had got on top. A loss to Celtic in the last derby of the season handed a five-point lead to their rivals with only four games of the season remaining, and seemed to end McLeish's hopes of a second league title. ← - 2005 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December- → Deaths in March • 31 – Terri Schiavo • 30 – Mitch Hedberg • 29 – Johnnie Cochran • 27 – Wilfred Bigelow • 26 – Paul Hester • 26 – James Callaghan • 21 – Jeff Weise • 21 – Bobby Short • 19 – John De Lorean • 18 – Gary Bertini • 17 – George F...

However, the Ibrox team managed to win the league title on the last day of the season. A 3-1 Celtic home loss to Hibernian the week after the derby meant only two points separated the sides going into the final game of the season, at which point Rangers needed to win at Hibernian and hope that Celtic would drop points at Fir Park. In perhaps even more dramatic circumstances than two years previously ^[7], Motherwell overcame a 1-0 deficit with two goals in injury time to defeat the Parkhead side, while Rangers edged out a tight 1-0 win at Easter Road. For 89 minutes of the match, Rangers thought their rivals were set for the title, and once news broke of Motherwell's late intervention, ecstasy awaited for the Ibrox legions. Even the helicopter that was carrying the league trophy was on its way to Fir Park to present it to Celtic when it had to turn around and fly to Easter Road. That day has passed into Ibrox folklore, becoming known as 'Helicopter Sunday'. McLeish could celebrate his second, and Rangers' 51st, league title.

Season 2005/2006 got off to a bad start, with Rangers only winning six league games out of the first 17, being knocked out of the League Cup by Celtic in the process. The period from October through to early December saw the team embark on statistically the worst run in their history, going ten games without a win. During this time, however, the club became the first Scottish side to qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League, yet there was still significant pressure on McLeish from fans due to the club's poor position in the domestic league table. It was widely felt - and publicised - that chairman David Murray would let McLeish go after the European campaign had finished, and a press conference arranged two days after the final group match seemed to confirm this. The 2005-06 season is the 109th season of competitive football in Scotland. ...

However, Murray seemed to undergo a change of heart and stated that McLeish would remain in charge indefinitely ^[8], but did concede that domestic results would need to improve. Rumours continued to suggest that this was because his favoured target, Frenchman Paul Le Guen, was unwilling to take charge until the summer. Paul Le Guen (born March 1, 1964 in Pencran, Brittany) is a former French international footballer and current football manager. ...

After this announcement, the team improved, helped by the signing from Kilmarnock of the young Scot and SPL top scorer Kris Boyd. The side strung together a ten-match unbeaten run. Yet, entering the crucial month of February, which was to feature a must-win Old Firm match and the resumption of European football, this evaporated. Rangers lost 3-0 at home to Hibernian on 4 February 2006 to go out of the Scottish Cup and end their last realistic hopes of silverware for the season. Protests against McLeish and the chairman who had kept him on followed the game, and four days later they were humbled in a 2-0 defeat at McLeish's old club, Aberdeen. Kris Boyd (born August 18, 1983 in Irvine) is a Scottish professional footballer currently playing for Rangers in the Scottish Premier League. ... February 4 is the 35th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Overall, the McLeish era was mixed. Results swung violently from one season to the next, while his record in the transfer market was also inconsistent. The lack of money certainly played its part in McLeish's downfall (he brought in around £13 million in transfer fees overall and the Ibrox wage Ethel was slashed too) but it is debatable, based on the money he did have to spend, whether greater sums would have been invested wisely. Indeed some supporters of the Ibrox club claim a good proportion of McLeish's signings have been among the worst in the club's entire history. At a time when Scottish talent was apparently beginning to emerge again, some fans found it puzzling that McLeish failed to make more of an effort to raid markets closer to home, or to develop youth players. However, others pointed out that he signed the likes of Novo, Andrews and Murray from other Scottish teams and youngsters such as Chris Burke, Alan Hutton, Ross McCormack and Steven Smith emerged from within the club. Chris Burke (2 December 1983) is a Scottish professional footballer currently playing for Rangers F.C. in the Scottish Premier League. ... Alan Hutton (born November 30, 1984) is a professional footballer currently playing for Rangers. ... We dont have an article called Ross McCormack Start this article Search for Ross McCormack in. ... Steven Smith (born 30 August 1985) is a Scottish professional footballer currently playing for Scottish Premier League club Rangers. ...

McLeish obtained seven domestic trophies in four years, the same number as his initial Old Firm counterpart Martin O'Neill.

A new era

After signs that supporter unrest was turning on Murray, on 9 February 2006, two days before the crucial Old Firm match, it was announced that Alex McLeish would leave his position as manager at the end of the 2005-06 season ^[9], and on 11 March, it was confirmed that former Lyon manager Paul Le Guen would indeed succeed him at the end of the season ^[10]. February 9 is the 40th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... March 11 is the 70th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (71st in Leap year). ... Olympique Lyonnais (popularly known as OL, or simply Lyon) are a French football club based in Lyon. ...

It was also announced that the Frenchman would be given significant funds with which to strengthen the squad, with Rangers having announced an arrangement with sports retailer JJB Sports. JJB Sports PLC is one of the United Kingdoms leading sports retailers. ...

Known for unearthing and nurturing young talent, Le Guen made an immediate splash in the transfer market signing South African Under 19 player Dean Furman from Chelsea, and youngsters William Stanger and Antoine Ponroy from Rennes. While allowing Ibrox favourite Alex Rae to move to a new career as player-manager of Dundee, he has also signed Libor Sionko and Karl Svensson. Rangers had been strongly linked with a host of other players and signed midfielder Jeremy Clement from Lyon and goalkeeper Lionel Letizi from Paris St Germain as a replacement for the departing Ronald Waterreus. Senegal's World Cup 2002 midfield player Makhtar N'Diaye signed a one year contract after a short trial period with the club. Dean Furman (born 22 June 1988 in Cape Town, South Africa) is a professional footballer currently playing for Scottish Premier League club Rangers. ... Chelsea Football Club (also known as The Blues or previously as The Pensioners), founded in 1905, are an English Premier League football team. ... William Stanger (born 19 September 1985 in Quimperlé, France) is a footballer currently at Scottish Premier League club Rangers. ... Antoine Ponroy (born 15 April 1986 in Rouen, France) is a footballer currently at Scottish Premier League club Rangers. ... Stade Rennais Football Club is a French football club from the city of Rennes, currently playing in their 47th season in Ligue 1 (the top French division). ... Dundee Football Club, founded in 1893, is a professional football (soccer) team based in the city of Dundee, Scotland. ... Libor Sionko (born February 1, 1977 in Ostrava) is an Czech footballer currently playing for Scottish Premier League club Rangers. ... Karl Svensson [IPA: kaː(r)l svɛnsɔn] (born 21 March 1984 in Jönköping) is a Swedish football defender currently playing for Scottish Premier League club Rangers. ... Jérémy Clément is a French professional footballer currently playing for Ligue 1 club Olympique Lyonnais. ... Lionel Letizi (born May 28, 1973 in Nice, France) is the current goalkeeper for the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). ... F.C. Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) are a French football club based in Paris. ... Ronald Waterreus (born August 25, 1970 in Lemiers, Netherlands) is a Dutch football (soccer) goalkeeper. ... The 2002 Football World Cup was held in South Korea and Japan from May 31 to June 30. ... Makhtar NDiaye (born December 31, 1981) is a Senegalese football player. ...

Rangers' first match under Le Guen was a friendly against Irish Premier League champions Linfield on 6 July 2006 at Windsor Park, Belfast. Rangers won 2-0 with first half goals from Kris Boyd and Thomas Buffel. The squad flew out to South Africa on July 9 for a training camp where they played three matches, the first of which was a comfortable 4-0 win over local opposition with Charlie Adam netting a hat-trick. Rangers also defeated Jomo Cosmos 2-0 but, with a largely depleted starting line-up, they lost their final match 2-0 against Premier Soccer League champions Mamelodi Sundowns. Defender Fernando Ricksen did not take any part in the pre-season tour of South Africa due to what was described by the club as "unacceptable behaviour" on the flight to Johannesburg ^[11]. Rangers returned to face English Premier League sides Middlesbrough and Bolton Wanderers where they won 1-0 and drew 1-1 respectively. The SPL opening day on July 30 proved fruitful for Paul Le Guen and Rangers as they defeated Motherwell 2-1 at Fir Park, thanks to an early strike from Libor Sionko and the winning header from Dado Prso ^[12]. In Le Guen's first competitive game at Ibrox, Rangers were held to a 2-2 draw by Dundee United, and were forced to come back from 2 goals down ^[13]. The Irish Football League (IFL), or Irish League, is the national football league in Northern Ireland. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... July 6 is the 187th day of the year (188th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 178 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Windsor Park - a view from the Kop Stand, showing the two-tiered North Stand and the low Railway stand behind the opposite goal Windsor Park is the home ground of the Northern Irish football club, Linfield FC, in Belfast. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 54. ... July 9 is the 190th day of the year (191st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 175 days remaining. ... Charlie Adam (12 October 1985 -) is a Scottish footballer and son of ex-Professional player Charles Adam snr. ... Jomo Cosmos are a South African Premier Soccer League team based in Johannesburg. ... Premier Soccer League is the trading name of the National Soccer League of South Africa, also known by its initials (PSL). The term National Soccer League (NSL) is used to mean Premier Soccer League. ... Mamelodi Sundowns are a South African football club who currently compete in the Premier Soccer League. ... Fernando Ricksen (born July 20, 1976) is a Dutch defender/Midfielder who currently plays for Zenit St Petersburg. ... City motto: Unity in Development Province Gauteng Mayor Amos Masondo Area  - % water 1,644 km² 0. ... Middlesbrough Football Club are an English football club, commonly known as The Boro, currently in the FA Premier League. ... Bolton Wanderers F.C. are an English professional football club based in Horwich, five miles from Bolton. ... July 30 is the 211th day (212th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 154 days remaining. ... Fir Park is a football stadium situated in Motherwell, Scotland. ...

On August 9, Fernando Ricksen went to Russian Premier League club Zenit St Petersburg, the new club of ex-Rangers manager Dick Advocaat, on a season-long loan. In return, a friendly has been scheduled between the teams at Ibrox on August 23. On August 11 Rangers signed the "exceptionally talented", according to Alex Ferguson ^[14], 19 year old winger Lee Martin on loan for a season, after he played in a second string Manchester United team's pre-season win over a second string Celtic ^[15]. Rangers also recruited the services of Austrian Vienna defender Saša Papac while Marvin Andrews, Olivier Bernard, Robert Malcolm and Hamed Namouchi all departed. August 9 is the 221st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (222nd in leap years), with 144 days remaining. ... The Russian Premier League is the top division of Russian football teams. ... FC Zenit (Russian: Футбольный клуб Зенит Санкт-Петербург) is a Russian football club, based in Saint Petersburg. ... August 23 is the 235th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (236th in leap years), with 130 days remaining. ... August 11 is the 223rd day of the year (224th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Lee Martin (born February 9, 1987 in Taunton) is an English football player. ... Manchester Uniteds emblem Manchester United F.C. (often abbreviated to Man United or just Man U, pronounced man-yoo) is an English football club based at Old Trafford in Greater Manchester. ... FK Austria Wien is an Austrian football club which plays in the capital, Vienna. ... SaÅ¡a Papac (born February 7, 1980 in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina) is a Bosnian football defender. ... Marvin Andrews (born December 22, 1975 in Trinidad and Tobago) is a professional football defender who currently plays for Rangers F.C.. He has also spent time with fellow Scottish clubs Raith Rovers F.C. and Livingston F.C. and joined Alex McLeish at Rangers in 2004. ... Olivier Bernard (born October 14, 1979 in Paris) is a French footballer - a defender - who is currently a Newcastle United player Bernard made his name with Newcastle United after joining from Lyon. ... Robert Malcolm, (born November 12, 1980 in Glasgow), is a Scottish professional footballer who is currently playing for Derby County. ... Hamed Namouchi (born 14 February 1984) is a professional footballer currently playing for Rangers F.C.. He is also a Tunisian international, despite being born in France. ...

By mid November, Rangers found themselves in third place, a full 15 points behind leaders Celtic. Sporadic wins were mixed with regular dropped points as the team struggled to find consistency in the early part of the season. Rangers did, however, start promisingly in the UEFA Cup. After overcoming Norwegian Premier League club Molde FK 2-0 in the First round^[16], Rangers won 3-2 against Livorno Calcio in the opening match of the group stage, marking the first-ever victory for a Scottish club on Italian soil^[17]. A subsequent 2-0 home win over Maccabi Haifa and 2-2 draw at Auxerre made Rangers the first Scottish club to qualify from the UEFA Cup group stage. 67 die and about 300,000 people are affected by floods in Ethiopias Somali Region of Ogaden after the Shabelle River bursts its banks. ... The Norwegian Premier League is the top division for football (soccer) in Norway. ... Molde F.K. is a Premier division football club from Molde, Norway. ... Associazione Sportiva Livorno Calcio is a football club based in Livorno, Tuscany. ...

References

See also

• Rangers F.C.
• Category:Rangers F.C.
• Rangers F.C. Hall of Fame
• Category:Rangers F.C. players
• Rangers F.C. seasons

Rangers Football Club is a football club from Glasgow, Scotland, which plays in the Scottish Premier League. ... The Rangers F.C. hall of fame was set up in 2000 by chairman David Murray to honour the exploits of Rangers heroes. ... This is a list of seasons played by Rangers Football Club in Scottish and European football, from 1890 to the present day. ...

External links

• Official site - Club history