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{{short description|Association football club in Glasgow, Scotland}}
{{Other uses}}
{{About|the men's football club|the women's team|Rangers W.F.C.}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2013}}{{Use British English|date=December 2012}}
{{pp-move-indef}} {{pp-vandalism|small=yes}}
{{pp-move}}
{{infobox football club
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}{{EngvarB|date=April 2015}}
|image=]
{{Infobox football club
|fullname=Rangers Football Club
| image = Rangers_FC.svg
|nickname=''The Gers'';{{break}} ''The Teddy Bears'';{{break}} ''The Light Blues''
| image_size = 185px
|clubname=Rangers
| fullname = Rangers Football Club
|founded=1872
| nickname = ''The Gers''<br />''The Light Blues''<br />''The Teddy Bears''
|owner=Rangers International Football Club Plc
| clubname = Rangers
|chairman=]
| founded = {{start date and age|1872|3|df=yes|p=yes}}
|ground=]{{break}}], Scotland
| owner = ]<ref> Companies House. Retrieved 1 July 2019.</ref>
|capacity=51,082
| chrtitle = Chairman
|manager=]
| chairman = Fraser Thornton
|league=]
| ground = ]
|current=2012–13 Rangers F.C. season
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|season=]
| mgrtitle = Manager
|position=], 1st
| manager = ]
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'''Rangers Football Club''' is a professional ] club in ], Scotland. The team competes in the ], the top division of ]. The club is often referred to as '''Glasgow Rangers''', though this has never been its official name.<ref>, Michael Cox, The Athletic, 16 March 2023.</ref> The fourth-oldest football club in Scotland, Rangers was founded by four teenage boys as they walked through West End Park (now ]), in March 1872, where they discussed the idea of forming a football club, and played its first match against the now-defunct ] at the Fleshers' Haugh area of ] in May of the same year. Rangers' home ground, ], designed by stadium architect ] and opened in 1929, is a ] and the third-largest ]. The club has always played in ] shirts.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://historicalkits.co.uk/Scottish_Football_League/Rangers/Rangers.htm|title=Rangers – Historical Kits|publisher=Historicalkits.co.uk|access-date=4 July 2019}}</ref>
'''Rangers Football Club''' is a ] club based in ], Scotland that plays in the Third Division of the ]. Their home ground is Ibrox Stadium in the south-west of the city. Founded in Early March 1872, Rangers were one of the ten founder members of the Scottish Football League, and remained in Scotland's top division until the end of the 2011–12 season.


Rangers have won the Scottish League title a record 55 times, the ] 34 times, the ] a record 28 times and the domestic ] on seven occasions. Rangers won the ] in ] after being losing finalists twice, in ] (the first British club to reach a ] tournament final) and ]. The club has lost a further two European finals; they reached the ] Final in ] and a fourth runners-up finish in European competition came in the ] Final in ]. By number of trophies won, Rangers are ].
In 2012, The Rangers Football Club Plc became ] and entered ], resulting in ] when an agreement could not be reached with its creditors. Its business and assets, including Rangers FC, were bought by a ], to which the club's ] membership was transferred in time to enable Rangers to relaunch in the ] at the start of season 2012–13.<ref name="Rangers Nimmo Smith">{{cite news|url=http://www.scotprem.com/content/mediaassets/doc/SPL%20Commission%20reasons%20for%20decision%20of%2012%20September%202012.pdf|work=Independant Commission of Lord Nimmo Smith|date=12 September 2012|accessdate=9 February 2012|quote=purchased substantially all the business and assets of Oldco, including Rangers FC, by entering into an asset sale and purchase agreement|deadurl=no}}</ref><ref> www.bbc.co.uk, 21 September 2012</ref><ref> www.heraldscotland.com, 1 October 2012</ref><ref> www.scotsman.com, 5 August 2012</ref>


Rangers has a long-standing rivalry with ], the two Glasgow clubs being collectively known as the ], which is considered one of the world's biggest football derbies.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/other_football/15149515.Passion__pride__tradition_and_nastiness__Why_Old_Firm_match_is_greatest_derby_in_the_world/|title=Passion, pride, tradition and nastiness: Why Old Firm match is greatest derby in the world|work=Evening Times|date=11 March 2017|access-date=12 June 2017}}</ref><ref name="FIFA">{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180326141358/https://www.fifa.com/news/y=2009/m=2/news=old-firm-enduring-appeal-1023776.html|archive-date=26 March 2018|url=https://www.fifa.com/classicfootball/clubs/rivalries/newsid=1023776/index.html |title=Classic Rivalries: Old Firm's enduring appeal |publisher=] |date=16 April 2016|access-date=31 July 2018}}</ref> With more than 600 Rangers supporters' clubs in 35 countries worldwide, Rangers has one of the largest fanbases in world football.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://rangers.co.uk/fans/supporters-clubs/|title=Supporters Clubs|website=Rangers Football Club, Official Website|language=en-GB|access-date=2020-04-12}}</ref> The club holds the record for the largest travelling support in football history, when an estimated 200,000 Rangers fans arrived in the city of Manchester for the ].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/manchester/content/articles/2008/05/15/150508_rangers_invasion_feature.shtml|title=Rangers invasion: your views|access-date=17 December 2019|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925071448/http://www.bbc.co.uk/manchester/content/articles/2008/05/15/150508_rangers_invasion_feature.shtml|archive-date=25 September 2015|publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation|date=15 May 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/175000-strong-rangers-support-the-biggest-in-world-977339|title=175,000-strong Rangers support the biggest in world football|work=Daily Record|date=15 May 2008|first=Keith|last=McLeod|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191217180033/https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/175000-strong-rangers-support-the-biggest-in-world-977339|archive-date=17 December 2019|access-date=17 December 2019}}</ref> Rangers also took the largest ever travelling support abroad when an estimated 100,000 fans arrived in Seville for the ].<ref name="bbc.co.uk">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-61471267|title=Rangers in Seville: Police say 100,000 fans expected|work=BBC|date=17 May 2022|access-date=5 July 2022}}</ref>
In domestic football Sevco 5088 Ltd won their first league title, (The Scottish 3rd Division), more 3rd division league titles than any other Rangers team in history, they have never won Scottish Cup, nor have they ever won the Scottish League Cup. They have also never achieved the treble of all three in the same season. In ], Sevco 5088 Ltd have never reached a UEFA tournament final, and they have never won won the European Cup Winners' Cup. They have also never been to a UEFA Cup final unlike there greatest rivals Celtic.


One of the eleven original members of the ],<ref>{{cite book|last1=Gammelsæter|first1=Hallgeir|last2=Senaux|first2=Benoit|title=The Organisation and Governance of Top Football Across Europe|date=2011|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-136-70533-5|pages=48|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e2usAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA48|access-date=16 November 2015}}</ref> Rangers remained in the top division continuously until ] during the ] saw the club enter ]<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-17026172|title= Rangers Football Club enters administration| publisher=BBC |date= 12 February 2012 |access-date=28 March 2020}}</ref> and the original company liquidated<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/jan/18/how-the-mighty-glasgow-rangers-have-fallen|title=How the mighty Glasgow Rangers have fallen|work=The Guardian|date=18 January 2015|access-date=16 September 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/18407309|title=Rangers to re-form after creditors' deal is rejected|publisher=BBC|date=12 June 2012|access-date=7 September 2019}}</ref> with the assets moved to a new company structure.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/SC425159|title=The Rangers Football Club Limited|publisher=Companies House|access-date=24 August 2019}}</ref> The club was accepted as an associate member of the Scottish Football League and placed in the fourth tier of the ] in time for the start of the following season. Rangers then won three promotions in four years, returning to the Premiership for the start of the ]; in their climb through the Scottish lower divisions, Rangers became the only club in Scotland to have won every domestic trophy. In ] Rangers won their first Scottish championship in ten years, a then world record fifty-fifth league win which also stopped rivals Celtic's quest to break the domestic record of ten titles in a row.
Rangers have a long-standing rivalry with ], the two Glasgow clubs being collectively known as the ], since the late 19th century.

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==History== ==History==
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{{see also|List of Rangers F.C. seasons|Rangers F.C. Hall of Fame}} {{see also|List of Rangers F.C. seasons|Rangers F.C. Hall of Fame}}


===Formation and early years=== ===Formation, early years and William Wilton===
] ]

The four founders of Rangers – brothers ] and ], ] and ] – met in Early March in 1872. Rangers' first match, in May that year, was a 0–0 friendly draw with ] on ]. In 1873, the club held its first annual meeting and staff were elected.<ref name="Founded 1872">{{cite web|url=http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/blogs/world-of-sport/45-000-see-rangers-face-blokes-coming-off-153126585.html|title=45,000 to see Rangers face blokes coming off night shift|work=]|publisher=]|date=17 August 2012|accessdate=18 August 2012|quote=Founded: 1872{{break}}Biggest win: 10–0 v Hibernian 1898{{break}}Most appearances: John Greig 775 (1960–1978)|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A0mTcErH|archivedate=18 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref><ref name="Official meeting 1873">{{cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-15307021|title=The on-field history of Rangers Football Club 1873–2012|publisher=]|work=]|date=14 February 2012|accessdate=18 August 2012|quote=The club's origins date back to 1872 when Peter McNeil, his brother Moses, Peter Campbell and William McBeath formed their own team in Glasgow.{{break}}The name Rangers was adopted from an English rugby club and the first game, against Callander FC, ended 0–0. The club's official beginning came to be recognised as 1873, when the first annual general meeting was held.{{break}}By the time of the first Scottish Football League season in 1890, Rangers had arrived at their current home of Ibrox, in the south east of Glasgow, via Burnbank and Kinning Park.{{break}}Rangers finished joint top of the league with Dumbarton, and after a play-off ended 2–2, a decision was taken to share the title.{{break}}This was the only time the league has ever been shared, and it marked the first senior honour for Rangers.{{break}}Rangers won the Scottish Cup for the first time in 1894, beating Celtic 3–1{{break}}Three years later, the club recorded their first ever Scottish Cup win, beating Celtic 3–1 in the 1894 final.{{break}}Rangers won the trophy again in 1897 and 1898 with victories over Dumbarton and Kilmarnock.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6AA4wDKFT|archivedate=24 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> By 1876 Rangers had their first ], with Moses McNeil representing ] in a match against ].<ref name="Rangers first Scottish international player">{{cite web|url=http://www.helensburghheroes.com/heroes/moses_mcneil|title=Co founder of Glasgow Rangers Football Club, Rangers and Scotland Footballer – a true Footballing Pioneer|work=Helensburgh Heroes|publisher=helensburghheroes.com|accessdate=23 December 2012|quote=McNeil won two caps for Scotland, the first Ranger to represent his country, the first on 25 March 1876 in a 4–0 win over Wales and the second on 13 March 1880 in a 5–4 win over England, in which he played alongside his brother, Henry. Henry McNeil won a total of 10 caps for his country and scored 5 goals.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D7dX7U5B|archivedate=23 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> In 1877 Rangers reached a Scottish Cup final; after drawing the first game Rangers refused to turn up for the replay and the cup was awarded to ]. Rangers won the ] the following year against Vale of Leven 2–1, their first major cup.<ref name="Rangers History">{{cite web|url=http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/rangers/history|title=Rangers History|work=]|accessdate=20 January 2013|publisher=]|quote=Rangers were born in March 1872, after a group of teenage rowing enthusiasts watched a game of football in Glasgow Green. Brothers Peter and Moses McNeil and Peter Campbell and William McBeath got their heads together to give rise to the club, who played just two matches in their first year.{{break}}It’s believed that Moses McNeil suggested the name ‘Rangers’ after seeing it in a book about English rugby. The club played their first game in May 1972 at Flecher’s Haugh in Glasgow Green against Callander, a match that ended in a 0–0 draw.{{break}}The year 1873 is the official founding of Rangers as that was the year the elected office bearers. The first time the club donned blue shirts was their second game, against Clyde (not the present-day club) and won it 11–0.{{break}}Five years after their founding, Rangers made it to their first major cup final against Vale of Leven. The game was played at First Hampden Park and it finished 1–1 so a replay beckoned. Rangers refused to turn up for the replay and Vale were awarded the cup. The teams met the following year in the Charity Cup. Rangers won 2–1 and the Glasgow Merchants’ Charity Cup was the first major trophy to be won by the team.{{break}}The 1890–91 season saw the inception of the Scottish Football League, and Rangers were one of ten original members. Rangers' first ever league match took place on 16 August 1890 and resulted in a 5–2 victory over Hearts. After finishing equal-top with Dumbarton a play-off was held at Cathkin Park to decide the champions. The match finished 2–2 and the title was shared for the only time in its history – the first of Rangers' 54 championships.|archivedate=20 January 2013|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6DoeKnGsx|deadurl=no}}</ref> 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 ]<ref name="First old firm match">{{cite web|url=http://www.football-soccer-camps.com/glasgow-rangers-training.htm|title=Summer Soccer & Football Camps train with the best teams in world football|work=football-soccer-camps.com|accessdate=20 December 2012|quote=After joining, Rangers finally reached their first final of the Scottish Cup in 1877 but were not victorious.{{break}} The eternal rivalry, known as the Old Firm, between the two Glaswegian city teams, Rangers and Celtic has been ongoing since the first Old Firm match in 1888, in which Rangers lost 5–2 in a friendly against the Celtic team which was largely made up of “guest players” from Hibernians.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D3RQaBBc|archivedate=20 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref><ref name="Celtic 5 - 2 Rangers">{{cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/sportscotland/asportingnation/article/0003/|title=The Founding of Celtic Football Club 1888|work=BBC|date=November 2005|accessdate=3 January 2013|quote=It would be over six months later before the newly-constituted Celtic club played its first ever match, on 28 May 1888 which resulted in a 5–2 win over Rangers, in what was called a 'friendly match'.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6DP6GLX3N|archivedate=3 January 2013|deadurl=no}}</ref><ref name="Early years">{{cite web|url=http://www.rangers.co.uk/index.php/club/history/club-history/item/499-founding-fathers|title=The Founding Fathers|publisher=Rangers FC|accessdate=24 August 2012|quote=All those championships and cups would never have found their way into the Ibrox Trophy Room but for that encounter between Peter McNeil, his brother Moses, Peter Campbell and William McBeath.{{break}}Their first match was an unlikely affair against Callander FC at Flesher's Haugh on Glasgow Green.{{break}}...{{break}}The result was 0–0, but that didn't matter. Rangers had been born.{{break}}The name Rangers was adopted from an English rugby club. By their second fixture – the only other they played that first year – they had donned the light blue. It must have done the trick – Rangers beat Clyde 11–0.{{break}}By 1876 Rangers had their first international, Moses McNeil one of the four founders, who made his Scotland debut in a 4–0 victory over Wales.{{break}}The following year Rangers made the breakthrough reaching their first Scottish Cup Final. It took three matches to find a winner, and sadly it was their opponents Vale of Leven. After two drawn games, 0–0 and 1–1, Rangers finally succumbed 3–2 in the second replay.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6AA4Q5VJF|archivedate=24 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref>
Rangers were formed by four founders – brothers ] and ], ] and ] – who met at West End Park (now known as ]) in March 1872. Rangers' first match, in May that year, was a goalless friendly draw with ] on ]. ] was also a founder member.<ref>{{cite book|title=Scotland Who's Who: International Players 1872–2013|author=Paul Smith|publisher=Pitch Publishing|year=2013|page=126}}</ref> In 1873, the club held its first annual meeting and staff were elected.<ref name="Founded 1872">{{cite web|url=http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/blogs/world-of-sport/45-000-see-rangers-face-blokes-coming-off-153126585.html|title=45,000 to see Rangers face blokes coming off night shift|work=Eurosport|publisher=Yahoo!|date=17 August 2012|access-date=18 August 2012|quote=Founded: 1872<br />Biggest win: 10–0 v Hibernian 1898<br />Most appearances: John Greig 755 (1960–1978)|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120818000246/http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/blogs/world-of-sport/45-000-see-rangers-face-blokes-coming-off-153126585.html|archive-date=18 August 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Official meeting 1873">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-15307021|title=The on-field history of Rangers Football Club 1873–2012|work=BBC News|date=14 February 2012|access-date=18 August 2012|quote=The club's origins date back to 1872 when Moses McNeil, his brother Peter, Peter Campbell and William McBeath formed their own team in Glasgow.<br/>The name Rangers was adopted from an English rugby club and the first game, against Callander FC, ended 0–0. The club's official beginning came to be recognised as 1873, when the first annual general meeting was held.<br />By the time of the first Scottish Football League season in 1890, Rangers had arrived at their current home of Ibrox, in the south east of Glasgow, via Burnbank and Kinning Park.<br />Rangers finished joint top of the league with Dumbarton, and after a play-off ended 2–2, a decision was taken to share the title.<br />This was the only time the league has ever been shared, and it marked the first senior honour for Rangers.<br />Rangers won the Scottish Cup for the first time in 1894, beating Celtic 3–1<br />Three years later, the club recorded their first ever Scottish Cup win, beating Celtic 3–1 in the 1894 final.<br />Rangers won the trophy again in 1897 and 1898 with victories over Dumbarton and Kilmarnock.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120302040857/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-15307021|archive-date=2 March 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> By 1876, Rangers had its first ], with Moses McNeil representing ] in a match against ].<ref name="Rangers first Scottish international player">{{cite web|url=http://www.helensburghheroes.com/heroes/moses_mcneil|title=Co founder of Glasgow Rangers Football Club, Rangers and Scotland Footballer – a true Footballing Pioneer|work=Helensburgh Heroes|publisher=helensburghheroes.com|access-date=23 December 2012|quote=McNeil won two caps for Scotland, the first Ranger to represent his country, the first on 25 March 1876 in a 4–0 win over Wales and the second on 13 March 1880 in a 5–4 win over England, in which he played alongside his brother, Henry. Henry McNeil won a total of 10 caps for his country and scored 5 goals.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130125001733/http://www.helensburghheroes.com/heroes/moses_mcneil|archive-date=25 January 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1877, Rangers reached the Scottish Cup final; after drawing the first game, Rangers refused to turn up for the replay and the cup was awarded to ]. Rangers won the ] the following year against Vale of Leven 2–1, their first major cup.<ref name="Rangers History">{{cite web|url=http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/rangers/history|title=Rangers History|work=Evening Times|access-date=20 January 2013|quote=Rangers were born in March 1872, after a group of teenage rowing enthusiasts watched a game of football in Glasgow Green. Brothers Peter and Moses McNeil and Peter Campbell and William McBeath got their heads together to give rise to the club, who played just two matches in their first year.<br />It is believed that Moses McNeil suggested the name 'Rangers' after seeing it in a book about English rugby. The club played their first game in May 1872 at Flecher's Haugh in Glasgow Green against Callander, a match that ended in a 0–0 draw.<br /> Rangers was officially founded in 1873 as that was the year they elected office bearers. The club first donned blue shirts in their second game, against Clyde (not the present-day club), and won it 11–0.<br />Five years after their founding, Rangers made it to their first major cup final against Vale of Leven. The game was played at First Hampden Park and finished 1–1, so a replay beckoned. Rangers refused to turn up for the replay and Vale were awarded the cup. The teams met the following year in the Charity Cup. Rangers won 2–1 and the Glasgow Merchants' Charity Cup was the first major trophy to be won by the team.<br />The 1890–91 season saw the inception of the Scottish Football League, and Rangers were one of ten original members. Rangers' first ever league match took place on 16 August 1890 and resulted in a 5–2 victory over Hearts. After finishing equal-top with Dumbarton, a play-off was held at Cathkin Park to decide the champions. The match finished 2–2 and the title was shared for the only time in its history – the first of Rangers' 54 championships.|archive-date=17 January 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130117065523/http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/rangers/history|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>, History of the Queen's Park Football Club 1867 – 1917, Richard Robinson (1920), via Electric Scotland</ref> The first-ever match against ] took place in 1888, the year after the East End club's establishment. Rangers lost 5–2 in a friendly to an opposition composed largely of guest players from ].<ref name="First old firm match">{{cite web|url=http://www.football-soccer-camps.com/glasgow-rangers-training.htm|title=Summer Soccer & Football Camps train with the best teams in world football|publisher=football-soccer-camps.com|access-date=20 December 2012|quote=After joining, Rangers finally reached their first final of the Scottish Cup in 1877 but were not victorious.<br /> The eternal rivalry, known as the Old Firm, between the two Glaswegian city teams, Rangers and Celtic has been ongoing since the first Old Firm match in 1888, in which Rangers lost 5–2 in a friendly against the Celtic team which was largely made up of "guest players" from Hibernians.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130620144003/http://www.football-soccer-camps.com/glasgow-rangers-training.htm|archive-date=20 June 2013|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Celtic 5 – 2 Rangers">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/sportscotland/asportingnation/article/0003/|title=The Founding of Celtic Football Club 1888|publisher=BBC Scotland|date=November 2005|access-date=3 January 2013|quote=It would be over six months later before the newly-constituted Celtic club played its first ever match, on 28 May 1888 which resulted in a 5–2 win over Rangers, in what was called a 'friendly match'.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130914093144/http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/sportscotland/asportingnation/article/0003/|archive-date=14 September 2013|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Early years">{{cite web|url=http://www.rangers.co.uk/index.php/club/history/club-history/item/499-founding-fathers|title=The Founding Fathers|publisher=Rangers F.C.|access-date=24 August 2012|quote=All those championships and cups would never have found their way into the Ibrox Trophy Room but for that encounter between Peter McNeil, his brother Moses, Peter Campbell and William McBeath.<br />Their first match was an unlikely affair against Callander FC at Flesher's Haugh on Glasgow Green.<br />...<br />The result was 0–0, but that didn't matter. Rangers had been born.<br />The name Rangers was adopted from an English rugby club. By their second fixture – the only other they played that first year – they had donned the light blue. It must have done the trick – Rangers beat Clyde 11–0.<br />In season 1875–76 they moved to ] and towards the end of that season Rangers had their first international; Moses McNeil, one of the four founders, who made his Scotland debut in a 4–0 victory over Wales.<br />The following year Rangers made the breakthrough reaching their first Scottish Cup Final. It took three matches to find a winner, and sadly it was their opponents Vale of Leven. After two drawn games, 0–0 and 1–1, Rangers finally succumbed 3–2 in the second replay.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130522090924/http://www.rangers.co.uk/index.php/club/history/club-history/item/499-founding-fathers|archive-date=22 May 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>
]


The ] saw the inception of the Scottish Football League, and Rangers, by then playing at the first Ibrox Stadium, were one of ten original members. The club's first ever league match on 16 August 1890 resulted in a 5–2 victory over ]. After finishing equal-top with ], a play-off held at ] finished 2–2 and the title was shared for the only time in its history. Rangers' first ever Scottish Cup win came in 1894 after a 3–1 victory over rivals Celtic in the final. By the start of the 20th century, Rangers had won two league titles and three Scottish Cups.<ref name="Official meeting 1873" /><ref name="Rangers History" /><ref name="Rangers honours">{{cite web|url=http://www.scottishfootballleague.com/club/rangers/|title=Rangers|publisher=Scottish Football League|work=scottishfootballleague.com|date=August 2012|accessdate=18 August 2012|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A0ihHPhd|archivedate=18 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref><ref name="Rangers uefa page">{{cite web|url=http://www.uefa.com/teamsandplayers/teams/club=50121/profile/index.html|title=Rangers FC|work=UEFA.com|publisher=]|date=30 December 2010|accessdate=19 August 2012|quote=Founded by brothers Moses and Peter McNeil, Peter Campbell and William McBeath, Rangers shared their first championship with Dumbarton FC in 1890/91 then beat Celtic FC 3–1 to win their first Scottish Cup in 1894, clinching their first title outright by winning every game of the 1898/99 campaign.{{break}}William Struth's 34 years as manager from 1920 onwards ushered in the club's first golden era; Rangers won 18 league championships, ten Scottish Cups and two Scottish League Cups under Struth, including Scotland's first domestic treble in the 1948/49 season.{{break}}In 1961, Rangers became the first British club to reach the final of a UEFA competition when they got to the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final only to lose 4–1 on aggregate to ACF Fiorentina; they lost 1–0 to FC Bayern München in the final of the same competition six years later before finally lifting the trophy in 1972 when beating FC Dinamo Moskva 3–2 at the Camp Nou.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D3Sy0sj2|archivedate=20 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> The ] saw the inception of the Scottish Football League, and Rangers, by then playing at the first Ibrox Stadium, were one of ten original members. The club's first-ever league match, on 16 August 1890, resulted in a 5–2 victory over ]. After finishing joint-top with ], a play-off held at ] finished 2–2 and the title was shared for the only time in its history. Rangers' first-ever Scottish Cup win came in 1894 after a 3–1 final victory over rivals Celtic. By the start of the 20th century, Rangers had won two league titles and three Scottish Cups.<ref name="Official meeting 1873" /><ref name="Rangers History" /><ref name="Rangers honours">{{cite web|url=http://www.scottishfootballleague.com/club/rangers/|title=Rangers|publisher=Scottish Football League|date=July 2014|access-date=31 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120817225904/http://www.scottishfootballleague.com/club/rangers|archive-date=17 August 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Rangers uefa page">{{cite web|url=http://www.uefa.com/teamsandplayers/teams/club=50121/profile/index.html|title=Rangers FC|publisher=UEFA|date=30 December 2010|access-date=19 August 2012|quote=Founded by brothers Moses and Peter McNeil, Peter Campbell and William McBeath, Rangers shared their first championship with Dumbarton FC in 1890/91 then beat Celtic FC 3–1 to win their first Scottish Cup in 1894, clinching their first title outright by winning every game of the 1898/99 campaign.<br />William Struth's 34 years as manager from 1920 onwards ushered in the club's first golden era; Rangers won 18 league championships, ten Scottish Cups and two Scottish League Cups under Struth, including Scotland's first domestic treble in the 1948/49 season.<br />In 1961, Rangers became the first British club to reach the final of a UEFA competition when they got to the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final only to lose 4–1 on aggregate to ACF Fiorentina; they lost 1–0 to FC Bayern München in the final of the same competition six years later before finally lifting the trophy in 1972 when beating FC Dinamo Moskva 3–2 at the Camp Nou.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121124095143/http://www.uefa.com/teamsandplayers/teams/club=50121/profile/index.html|archive-date=24 November 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> During ]'s time as match secretary and then team manager, Rangers won ten league titles.


===Bill Struth and Scot Symon=== ===Bill Struth and Scot Symon===
Taking over as manager from ] in 1920, ] was Rangers' most successful manager, guiding the club to 14 league titles before the onset of the ]. On 2 January 1939 a British league attendance record was broken as 118,567 fans turned out to watch Rangers beat Celtic in the traditional new year holiday Old Firm match.<ref name="Record attendance">{{cite news|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/2346330/A-lot-of-bottle-in-Old-Firm-duels.html|title=A lot of bottle in Old Firm duels|work=]|publisher=]|date=22 September 2006|accessdate=24 August 2012|author=Forsyth, Roddy|quote=The record Old Firm gate at a club ground was set on 2 Jan 1939 by a crowd of 118,567 at Ibrox.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A1FYKKp2|archivedate=18 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> Leading the club for 34 years until 1954, Struth won more trophies than any manager in Scottish Football history, amassing 18 league championships, 10 Scottish Cups, 2 League Cups, 7 war-time championships, 19 Glasgow Cups, 17 Glasgow Merchant Charity Cups and other war-time honours.<ref name="Founded 1872" /><ref name="Wilton and struth">{{cite web|url=http://www.rangers.co.uk/index.php/club/history/club-history/item/506-the-dominant-force|publisher=Rangers FC|title=The Dominant Force|quote=Sadly, Wilton was not to enjoy this extraordinary success which saw Rangers take the title 15 times in 21 seasons.{{break}}With the Championship back at Ibrox, Wilton – the club's first manager – died the day after the last game of the season in May 1920, drowning in a boating accident.{{break}}Struth, who was appointed his successor, lived to become a legend. He managed the club for 34 years, winning a glittering array of trophies – 18 League Championships, 10 Scottish Cups and two League Cups.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D3S4Xe1C|archivedate=20 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> During the wartime regional league setup, Rangers achieved their highest score against old firm rivals Celtic with an 8–1 win in the ].<ref name="Record old firm result">{{cite news|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2011/dec/30/joy-of-six-new-year-fixtures|title=The Joy of Six: new year football fixtures|publisher=]|work=]|date=30 December 2011|accessdate=6 January 2013|author=Murray, Scott|quote=The humiliated Rangers boss that day was Scot Symon, so it is with a pleasing symmetry that Symon was a player in the other record victory in an Old Firm match. Because while Celtic's 7–1 win is the biggest win in official competition, Rangers went one better in an unofficial wartime Scottish Southern League ne'erday game between the two rivals in 1943. An Ibrox crowd of just over 30,000 watched a strong Rangers side including Symon, George Young and the legendary winger Willie Waddell rattle up an 8–1 victory.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6DdtrdpVy|archivedate=12 Janauary 2013|deadurl=no}}</ref> Taking over as manager after William Wilton's death in 1920, ] was Rangers' most successful manager, guiding the club to 14 league titles before the onset of the ]. On 2 January 1939, a British league attendance record was broken as 118,567 fans turned out to watch Rangers beat Celtic in the traditional New Year's Day ] match.<ref name="Record attendance">{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/2346330/A-lot-of-bottle-in-Old-Firm-duels.html|title=A lot of bottle in Old Firm duels|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=22 September 2006|access-date=24 August 2012|author=Forsyth, Roddy|quote=The record Old Firm gate at a club ground was set on 2 Jan 1939 by a crowd of 118,567 at Ibrox.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131208192622/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/2346330/A-lot-of-bottle-in-Old-Firm-duels.html|archive-date=8 December 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> Leading the club for 34 years until 1954, Struth won more trophies than any manager in Scottish Football history, amassing 18 league championships, 10 Scottish Cups, two League Cups, seven war-time championships, 19 Glasgow Cups, 17 Glasgow Merchant Charity Cups and other war-time honours.<ref name="Founded 1872" /><ref name="Wilton and struth">{{cite web|url=http://www.rangers.co.uk/index.php/club/history/club-history/item/506-the-dominant-force|publisher=Rangers F.C.|title=The Dominant Force|quote=Sadly, Wilton was not to enjoy this extraordinary success which saw Rangers take the title 15 times in 21 seasons.<br />With the Championship back at Ibrox, Wilton – the club's first manager – died the day after the last game of the season in May 1920, drowning in a boating accident.<br />Struth, who was appointed his successor, lived to become a legend. He managed the club for 34 years, winning a glittering array of trophies – 18 League Championships, 10 Scottish Cups and two League Cups.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130522065218/http://www.rangers.co.uk/index.php/club/history/club-history/item/506-the-dominant-force|archive-date=22 May 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> During the wartime regional league setup (in which the team won all seven seasons, along with official championships either side of the conflict in 1938–39 and 1946–47), Rangers achieved their highest score against Celtic with an 8–1 win in the ].<ref name="Record old firm result">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2011/dec/30/joy-of-six-new-year-fixtures|title=The Joy of Six: new year football fixtures|work=The Guardian|date=30 December 2011|access-date=6 January 2013|author=Murray, Scott|quote=The humiliated Rangers boss that day was Scot Symon, so it is with a pleasing symmetry that Symon was a player in the other record victory in an Old Firm match. Because while Celtic's 7–1 win is the biggest win in official competition, Rangers went one better in an unofficial wartime Scottish Southern League ne'erday game between the two rivals in 1943. An Ibrox crowd of just over 30,000 watched a strong Rangers side including Symon, George Young and the legendary winger Willie Waddell rattle up an 8–1 victory.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120218223906/http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2011/dec/30/joy-of-six-new-year-fixtures|archive-date=18 February 2012|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>, The Scotsman, 21 March 2020.</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/rangers-supporters-campaign-world-war-10952292|title=Rangers supporters campaign for World War Two titles to be recognised by SFA and SPFL|author=Record Sport Online|date=8 August 2017|website=Daily Record|access-date=17 December 2020}}</ref>


] continued Struth's success, winning six league championships, five Scottish Cups and four League Cups, becoming the second manager to win the domestic treble in ], the era of ], one of the club's greatest players.<ref name="Scot symon">{{cite web|url=http://www.in.com/scot-symon/profile-249707.html|title=About Scot Symon|publisher=]|accessdate=20 December 2012|quote=He returned to Rangers just one year later where he would steer them to six league championships. He also took Rangers into European football for the first time reaching two Cup Winners Cup finals which was a fine achievement by losing in both finals|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D3Sdw7Yl|archivedate=20 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref><ref name="Rangers greats baxter">{{cite web|url=http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1010809-top-10-rangers-players-of-all-time/page/9|title=Top 10 Glasgow Rangers Players of All Time|work=]|date=5 January 2012|accessdate=23 December 2012|author=Stone, Colin|pages=2–11|quote=Regarded as one of Scotland's greatest ever players, Jim Baxter can also be counted amongst the Rangers' greats for his terrific achievements in the '60s.{{break}}"Slim Jim" joined the club in 1960 for £17,500, a record at the time, and went on to win 10 trophies in the five years he spent in Scotland.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D81yoLOb|archivedate=23 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> Rangers also lost by their biggest old firm margin of 7–1 to Celtic.<ref name="Record old firm result" /> ] continued Struth's success, winning six league championships, five Scottish Cups and four League Cups, becoming the second manager to win the domestic treble in ], the era of ], one of the club's greatest players.<ref name="Scot symon">{{cite web|url=http://www.in.com/scot-symon/profile-249707.html|title=About Scot Symon|publisher=in.com|access-date=20 December 2012|quote=He returned to Rangers just one year later where he would steer them to six league championships. He also took Rangers into European football for the first time reaching two Cup Winners Cup finals which was a fine achievement by losing in both finals|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131101085803/http://www.in.com/scot-symon/profile-249707.html|archive-date=1 November 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Rangers greats baxter">{{cite web|url=http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1010809-top-10-rangers-players-of-all-time/page/9|title=Top 10 Glasgow Rangers Players of All Time|work=Bleacher Report|date=5 January 2012|access-date=23 December 2012|author=Stone, Colin|pages=2–11|quote=Regarded as one of Scotland's greatest ever players, Jim Baxter can also be counted amongst the Rangers' greats for his terrific achievements in the '60s.<br />"Slim Jim" joined the club in 1960 for £17,500, a record at the time, and went on to win 10 trophies in the five years he spent in Scotland.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130527044149/http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1010809-top-10-rangers-players-of-all-time/page/9|archive-date=27 May 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> Rangers also lost by their biggest Old Firm margin of 7–1.<ref name="Record old firm result" />


Rangers reached the semi-finals of the ] in 1960, losing to German club ] by a record aggregate 12–4 for a Scottish team.<ref name="Record aggregate european lose">{{cite news|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1306079/CHAMPIONS-LEAGUE-DRAW-Tottenham-Manchester-United-Chelsea-Arsenal-Rangers-learn-fate.html|title=CHAMPIONS LEAGUE LOWDOWN: The teams to avoid, plum picks and all you need to know about the group stage draw|publisher=]|work=]|date=26 August 2010|accessdate=20 December 2012|author=Ripley, Dan|quote=Rangers: Semi-finalists – 1960{{break}}Lost to Eintracht Frankfurt 12–4 on aggregate in what remains a record scoreline in a European Cup semi-final.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D3ZF1Mju|archivedate=20 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> In 1961 Rangers became the first British team to reach a European final when they contested the Cup Winners' Cup final against Italian side ], only to lose 4–1 on aggregate.<ref name="Rangers first british side in european final">{{cite web|url=http://www.culturewars.org.uk/2001-7/hampden.htm|title='And the cry was "No Defenders"' The Museum of Scottish Football at Hampden Park, Glasgow|publisher=Institute of Ideas|work=Culture Wars|accessdate=23 August 2012|author=Baird, Stuart|quote=Rangers were the first British team to reach a European final in 1961|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A9Pfhiru|archivedate=24 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> Rangers lost again in the final of the same competition in 1967, losing 1–0 after extra time to ].<ref name="Rangers uefa page" /> Rangers reached the semi-finals of the ] in 1960, losing to German club ] by a record aggregate 12–4 for a Scottish team.<ref name="Record aggregate european lose">{{Cite web|date=2002-05-15|title=Hampden dazzled by white magic|url=http://www.theguardian.com/football/2002/may/15/championsleague.sport|access-date=2021-02-10|website=The Guardian|language=en}}</ref> In 1961 Rangers became the first British team to reach a European final when they contested the Cup Winners' Cup final against Italian side ], only to lose 4–1 on aggregate.<ref name="Rangers first british side in european final">{{cite web|url=http://www.culturewars.org.uk/2001-7/hampden.htm|title='And the cry was "No Defenders"' The Museum of Scottish Football at Hampden Park, Glasgow|work=Culture Wars|publisher=Institute of Ideas|access-date=23 August 2012|author=Baird, Stuart|quote=Rangers were the first British team to reach a European final in 1961|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131002010054/http://www.culturewars.org.uk/2001-7/hampden.htm|archive-date=2 October 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> Rangers lost again in the final of the same competition in 1967, by a single goal, after extra time, to ].<ref name="Rangers uefa page" />


===Ibrox disaster, European success and Jock Wallace=== ===Ibrox disaster, European success and Jock Wallace===
] ]
The ] occurred on 2 January 1971 when ] on a stairway exit at the culmination of the ] Old Firm game claimed 66 lives. An enquiry concluded 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.<ref name="Ibrox disaster">{{cite news|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1312971/Thousands-pay-tribute-to-victims-of-Ibrox-disaster.html|title=Thousands pay tribute to victims of Ibrox disaster|publisher=]|work=]|date=19 June 2001|author=Womersley, Tara|quote=David Murray, the chairman of Rangers, yesterday unveiled a bronze statue of John Greig, the captain who led his team against Celtic on the day of the accident. The statue lists the names of those who died in 1971 and 25 fans killed when wooden terraces collapsed during a match between Scotland and England in 1902. Mr Greig then laid a wreath at the plinth of the statue.{{break}}...{{break}}An inquiry, however, later discounted the theory and said that the crush was likely to have happened 10 minutes after the final whistle and to have been triggered by someone falling on the stairs.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D3aDCdYz|archivedate=20 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> A ] to raise funds for the victims' families took place after the disaster, a joint Rangers and Celtic team playing a Scotland XI at Hampden, watched by 81,405 fans.<ref name="Old Firm versus Scotrland XI">{{cite web|url=http://www.celticprogrammesonline.com/PROGRAMME%20COVERS/7071/scotlandXI/scotlandXI7071h.htm|title=Scotland XI vs Rangers/Celtic Select Official Programme of the Match|publisher=celticprogrammesonline.com|date=27 January 1971|accessdate=17 August 2012|quote=Attendance: 81,405|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6AAClRnC3|archivedate=24 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> The ] occurred on 2 January 1971 when ] on a stairway exit at the culmination of an Old Firm game claimed 66 lives. An enquiry concluded 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.<ref name="Ibrox disaster">{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1312971/Thousands-pay-tribute-to-victims-of-Ibrox-disaster.html|title=Thousands pay tribute to victims of Ibrox disaster|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=19 June 2001|author=Womersley, Tara|quote=David Murray, the chairman of Rangers, yesterday unveiled a bronze statue of John Greig, the captain who led his team against Celtic on the day of the accident. The statue lists the names of those who died in 1971 and 25 fans killed when wooden terraces collapsed during a match between Scotland and England in 1902. Mr Greig then laid a wreath at the plinth of the statue.<br />...<br />An inquiry, however, later discounted the theory and said that the crush was likely to have happened 10 minutes after the final whistle and to have been triggered by someone falling on the stairs.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212035423/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1312971/Thousands-pay-tribute-to-victims-of-Ibrox-disaster.html|archive-date=12 December 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> A ] to raise funds for the victims' families took place after the disaster, a joint Rangers and Celtic team playing a Scotland XI at Hampden, watched by 81,405 fans.<ref name="Old Firm versus Scotrland XI">{{cite web|url=http://www.celticprogrammesonline.com/PROGRAMME%20COVERS/7071/scotlandXI/scotlandXI7071h.htm|title=Scotland XI vs Rangers/Celtic Select Official Programme of the Match|publisher=celticprogrammesonline.com|date=27 January 1971|access-date=17 August 2012|quote=Attendance: 81,405|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130520191621/http://www.celticprogrammesonline.com/PROGRAMME%20COVERS/7071/scotlandXI/scotlandXI7071h.htm|archive-date=20 May 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>


In 1972, Rangers emerged from the tragedy of the previous year to finally achieve success on the European stage. A ] goal and a ] double helped secure a 3–2 victory over ] at the Nou Camp, Barcelona, to lift the ]. Captain John Greig received the trophy in a small room within the ] following pitch invasions and rioting by Rangers fans.<ref name="European cup winners cup win">{{cite news|url=http://www.scotsman.com/sport/destiny-awaits-ibrox-heroes-1-1433001|title=Destiny awaits Ibrox heroes|publisher=]|work=]|date=10 May 2008|accessdate=22 March 2009|quote=It is hard to take that after Celtic were able to celebrate as much as they liked in Lisbon, our club and supporters were denied a post-match presentation because the Spanish police completely misunderstood the fans' on-field invasion at the end.{{break}}I played with a stress fracture in my foot. A guy jumped on it late in the final and I ended up with another fracture on the other side, but the euphoria kept the pain away until I was called down to this little room to receive the trophy.{{break}}It all passed in a blur, but I hobbled down there in agony with our manager Willie Waddell and a UEFA delegate and, in this cramped corner covered in Barcelona memorabilia, the delegate handed me the trophy and basically said: "Here, take the cup Glasgow Rangers, now go away".{{break}}When I got back to the dressing room all my team-mates were either in the bath or out of it. I felt sorry they didn't get to parade the trophy – ultimately what we were playing for – and even sorrier for all those people who had a paid a lot of money to travel to the Nou Camp and see that.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D3af34Xw|archivedate=20 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> Rangers were banned from Europe for two years for the behaviour of their fans, later reduced on appeal to a year.<ref name="Fans riot after win">{{cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/sportscotland/asportingnation/article/0047/|title=Rangers triumph in Europe 1972|publisher=BBC|work=BBC Sport Scotland|date=December 2005|accessdate=20 December 2012|quote=Rangers were handed a two-year ban by UEFA for their fans' poor behaviour. Waddell succeeded in getting this reduced to one year, meaning Rangers could not defend their trophy. Waddell argued that the police had over-reacted, that the fans were drunk but not intent on violence, and that recent European finals had witnessed rejoicing Celtic, Bayern Munich and Ajax fans running on to the park and those occasions had been deemed acceptable.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D3b2vcrt|archivedate=20 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> In 1972, Rangers emerged from the tragedy of the previous year to finally achieve success on the European stage. A ] goal and a ] double helped secure a 3–2 victory over ] at the Nou Camp, Barcelona, to lift the ]. Captain John Greig received the trophy in a small room within the ] following pitch invasions by Rangers fans reacting to the heavy handed tactics of the Spanish police, the majority of whom had been brought in from outwith Catalonia.<ref name="European cup winners cup win">{{cite news|url=http://www.scotsman.com/sport/destiny-awaits-ibrox-heroes-1-1433001|title=Destiny awaits Ibrox heroes|work=The Scotsman|date=10 May 2008|access-date=22 March 2009|quote=It is hard to take that after Celtic were able to celebrate as much as they liked in Lisbon, our club and supporters were denied a post-match presentation because the Spanish police completely misunderstood the fans' on-field invasion at the end.<br />I played with a stress fracture in my foot. A guy jumped on it late in the final and I ended up with another fracture on the other side, but the euphoria kept the pain away until I was called down to this little room to receive the trophy.<br />It all passed in a blur, but I hobbled down there in agony with our manager Willie Waddell and a UEFA delegate and, in this cramped corner covered in Barcelona memorabilia, the delegate handed me the trophy and basically said: "Here, take the cup Glasgow Rangers, now go away".<br />When I got back to the dressing room all my team-mates were either in the bath or out of it. I felt sorry they didn't get to parade the trophy – ultimately what we were playing for – and even sorrier for all those people who had a paid a lot of money to travel to the Nou Camp and see that.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130521042924/http://www.scotsman.com/sport/destiny-awaits-ibrox-heroes-1-1433001|archive-date=21 May 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> Rangers were banned from Europe for two years for the behaviour of their fans, later reduced on appeal to one year.<ref name="Fans riot after win">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/sportscotland/asportingnation/article/0047/|title=Rangers triumph in Europe 1972|publisher=BBC Scotland|date=December 2005|access-date=20 December 2012|quote=Rangers were handed a two-year ban by UEFA for their fans' poor behaviour. Waddell succeeded in getting this reduced to one year, meaning Rangers could not defend their trophy. Waddell argued that the police had over-reacted, that the fans were drunk but not intent on violence, and that recent European finals had witnessed rejoicing Celtic, Bayern Munich and Ajax fans running on to the park and those occasions had been deemed acceptable.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107021304/http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/sportscotland/asportingnation/article/0047/print.shtml|archive-date=7 November 2012|url-status=live}}</ref>


The following season saw the club compete in the first ever European Super Cup, although the European ban saw it officially recognised as Rangers centenary anniversary match. The side played the European Cup holders Ajax, who had first proposed the idea, in January 1973. The Dutch side proved too strong and recorded a 6–3 aggregate win, with Rangers losing 1–3 at Ibrox and 3–2 in Amsterdam.<ref name="Hist">{{cite web|url=http://www.uefa.com/competitions/supercup/history/index.html |title=UEFA Super Cup – History |publisher=] |access-date=17 October 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081014203034/http://www.uefa.com/competitions/supercup/history/index.html |archive-date=14 October 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Emerging from the shadows of ] Celtic side, Rangers regained ascendancy with notable domestic success under the stewardship of manager ]. In his first season in charge – the club's ] – Rangers won the Scottish Cup at ] in front of 122,714 supporters.<ref name="1973 scottish cup final">{{cite web|url=http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/football.cfm?page=1990|title=Scottish Cup History And Archives|publisher=]|accessdate=20 December 2012|quote=122,714 supporters packed into Hampden on 5 May 1973 for the Scottish Cup Final between Rangers and Celtic.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D3lk7kNQ|archivedate=20 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> In 1974–75, Wallace led Rangers to their first League championship triumph in eleven years, before winning the treble the following season, repeating the historic feat in 1977–78.<ref name="Jock wallace brings success after knocking rangers out in cup as a player">{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-jock-wallace-1330513.html|title=Obituary: Jock Wallace|publisher=Independent Print Ltd|work=]|date=26 July 1996|accessdate=20 December 2012|author=McKinney, David|authorlink=David McKinney (journalist)|quote=Jock Wallace was a giant of Scottish football. No other description can do justice to the man who ended Celtic's domination of the game in the 1970s and who, as manager, led Rangers to two domestic trebles within three years, the Glasgow club winning the League title, the League Cup and the Scottish Cup.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D3lMK83C|archivedate=20 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref>


Emerging from the shadows of ]'s Celtic side, Rangers regained ascendancy with notable domestic success under the stewardship of manager ]. In his first season in charge – the club's ] – Rangers won the Scottish Cup at ] in front of 122,714 supporters.<ref name="1973 scottish cup final">{{cite web|url=http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/football.cfm?page=1990|title=Scottish Cup History And Archives|publisher=Scottish Football Association|access-date=20 December 2012|quote=122,714 supporters packed into Hampden on 5 May 1973 for the Scottish Cup Final between Rangers and Celtic.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130102121716/http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/football.cfm?page=1990|archive-date=2 January 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 1974–75, Wallace led Rangers to their first League championship triumph in 11 years, before winning the treble the following season, repeating the historic feat in 1977–78.<ref name="Jock wallace brings success after knocking rangers out in cup as a player">{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-jock-wallace-1330513.html|title=Obituary: Jock Wallace|work=The Independent|date=26 July 1996|access-date=20 December 2012|author=McKinney, David|author-link=David McKinney (journalist)|quote=Jock Wallace was a giant of Scottish football. No other description can do justice to the man who ended Celtic's domination of the game in the 1970s and who, as manager, led Rangers to two domestic trebles within three years, the Glasgow club winning the League title, the League Cup and the Scottish Cup.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105060545/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-jock-wallace-1330513.html|archive-date=5 November 2012|url-status=live}}</ref>
===Graeme Souness and Walter Smith – Nine in a row===
Every year from the ] season until the ] season, Rangers won the league title. This nine-in-a-row achievement equalled Celtic's record, set prior to the forming of the ], subsequent to which competing teams met 4 times a season. The first three of these seasons the club was managed by ], the latter six under the stewardship of ].<ref name="Best boss in modern ibrox">{{cite news|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1385338/Graeme-Souness-Walter-Smith-best-boss-modern-Rangers-era.html|title=EXCLUSIVE: Graeme Souness – Smith is simply the best boss in the modern Ibrox era|publisher=Daily Mail and General Trust|work=Daily Mail|date=9 May 2011|accessdate=26 August 2012|quote=There will be no more fitting way to mark his departure than to beat Celtic to another championship but Walter has already established himself as one of the finest managers Scotland has ever produced. He's the best Rangers manager in the modern game. After Sir Alex Ferguson and Jock Stein, his record is fantastic; his success is there for all to see.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D3pjhDJA|archivedate=20 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref><ref name="Paying for over spending">{{cite web|url=http://www.thefootypie.com/2012/02/19/rangers-paying-for-overspending-ways/|title=Rangers paying for overspending ways|publisher=thefootypie.com|work=The footy pie|date=February 2012|accessdate=December 2012|quote=Graham Souness lead the side to their first two championships as player-manager before his assistant, Walter Smith, took the reign, claiming another seven titles to equal a record set by Jock Stein at Celtic in the 1960s and 70s.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D3npjdH7|archivedate=20 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref>


John Greig served as manager for five years but was unable to achieve the success as a manager that he had as a player. Unable to win the league during his reign, he was replaced by Wallace returning in 1983. Wallace was unable to repeat the success of his first period in charge with a win ratio of less than 50%, and was himself replaced by ] in 1986.
Notable seasons included ], which culminated in a final day finale, Rangers securing a 2–0 victory at Ibrox over Aberdeen, who needed only a draw to secure the championship. Season ] was notable for a ] of trophies, as well an extended run in the inaugural UEFA Champions League, the club at one stage only one goal from securing a place in the final.<ref name="Champions league season 92-93">{{cite web|url=http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/season=1992/clubs/club=50121/matches/index.html|title=UEFA Champions League 1992/93: Rangers|publisher=UEFA.com|work=UEFA|date=10 August 2011|accessdate=26 August 2012|quote=|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D3mxcGmr|archivedate=20 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref>


===Graeme Souness, Walter Smith and 9-in-a-row===
Outstanding contributions from ] winners ] (1991–92), ] (1992–93), ] (1993–94), ] (1994–95 and 1996–97) and ] (1995–96),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.napit.co.uk/viewus/infobank/football/awards/sfwafootballeroftheyear.php|title=napit|publisher=napit.com|work=Napit|accessdate=20 December 2012|quote=1997 – Brian Laudrup – Rangers{{break}}1996 – Paul Gascoigne – Rangers{{break}}1995 – Brian Laudrup – Rangers{{break}}1994 – Mark Hateley – Rangers{{break}}1993 – Andy Goram – Rangers{{break}}1992 – Ally McCoist – Rangers|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D3okar4R|archivedate=20 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> were crucial to maintaining success. Rangers ninth consecutive championship title was secured at ] on 7 May 1997, with a 1–0 victory over ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.soccerbot.com/scot/results/sdprem97.htm|title=Scottish Premier Division 1996–97|accessdate=17 August 2012|publisher=soccerbot.com|work=Soccorbot|date=27 June 2000|quote=|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D3p1lyrw|archivedate=20 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref>
Every year from the ] season until the ] season, Rangers won the league title. This nine-in-a-row achievement equalled Celtic's record, set prior to the forming of the ], subsequent to which competing teams met four times a season. The first three of these seasons the club was managed by Graeme Souness; the latter six under the stewardship of ].<ref name="Paying for over spending">{{cite web|url=http://www.thefootypie.com/2012/02/19/rangers-paying-for-overspending-ways/|title=Rangers paying for overspending ways|work=The footy pie|date=February 2012|access-date=31 December 2012|quote=Graham Souness lead the side to their first two championships as player-manager before his assistant, Walter Smith, took the reign, claiming another seven titles to equal a record set by Jock Stein at Celtic in the 1960s and 70s.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130520235037/http://www.thefootypie.com/2012/02/19/rangers-paying-for-overspending-ways/|archive-date=20 May 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>


Notable seasons included ], which culminated in a last-day finale, Rangers securing a 2–0 victory at Ibrox over Aberdeen, who needed only a draw to secure the championship. Season ] was notable for a ] of trophies, as well an extended run in the inaugural UEFA Champions League, the club at one stage only one goal from securing a place in the final.<ref name="Champions league season 92-93">{{cite web|url=http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/season=1992/clubs/club=50121/matches/index.html|title=UEFA Champions League 1992/93: Rangers|publisher=UEFA|date=10 August 2011|access-date=26 August 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121018004704/http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/season=1992/clubs/club=50121/matches/index.html|archive-date=18 October 2012|url-status=live}}</ref>
===Dick Advocaat and Alex McLeish===
In 1998, ] ] became the club's first foreign manager.<ref name="First foreign manager">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/7393259.stm|title=Advocaat's Rangers legacy|publisher=BBC|work=]|date=13 May 2008|author=Campbell, Andy|accessdate=6 August 2010|quote=When Dick Advocaat became the Rangers manager in 1998, it was a brave new dawn for the Ibrox club as chairman David Murray attempted to begin a new chapter in the club's history following Walter Smith's departure.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D3rJ8C4Q|archivedate=20 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> Nine-in-a-row era stalwarts having moved on, Advocaat invested heavily in the team with immediate results, leading the club to their sixth domestic treble. The league championship was won with a 3–0 victory at ] on 2 May 1999.<ref name="Champions again">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sport/football/scottish_premier/334094.stm|publisher=BBC|work=BBC Sport Scotland|title=Rangers make history out of chaos|date=3 May 1999|accessdate=20 December 2012|quote=Celtic 0–3 Rangers{{break}}Rangers created history by winning the title at Celtic Park in a stormy Old Firm game which saw referee Hugh Dallas injured by a missile thrown from the pitch.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D3rRfJuo|archivedate=20 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> A second consecutive league title was won by a record 21 point margin,<ref name="Rangers can win the league">{{cite news|url=http://www.scotsman.com/sport/when-rangers-can-win-the-league-1-796986|title=When Rangers can win the league|publisher=Johnston Press|work=The Scotsman|date=28 March 2010|accessdate=6 August 2010|quote=The biggest winning points margin in the history of the SPL was enjoyed by Rangers in 1999/00, when they finished 21 points clear of Celtic.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D3rpwRnG|archivedate=20 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> the club securing a domestic double with a 4–0 ] final victory over Aberdeen. Rangers' campaign in the ] was promising, defeating UEFA Cup winners ] en route.<ref name="Rangers go out at the group stages">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sport/football/champions_league/503436.stm|title=Champions League group tables|publisher=BBC|work=]|date=2 November 1999|quote=|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D3s6ZDGa|archivedate=20 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref><ref name="Rangers beat parma">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sport/football/417699.stm|title=Rangers put Parma in the shade|publisher=BBC|work=BBC Sport|date=12 August 1999|accessdate=20 December 2012|quote=Rangers 2–0 Parma{{break}}Rangers secured one of their most impressive European results in years, as Italian giants Parma crashed to defeat in the first leg of their Champions League qualifier|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D3sUdA2k|archivedate=20 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref>


Rangers' ninth consecutive championship title was secured at ] on 7 May 1997, with a single-goal victory over ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.soccerbot.com/scot/results/sdprem97.htm|title=Scottish Premier Division 1996–97|access-date=17 August 2012|work=Soccorbot|publisher=soccerbot.com|date=27 June 2000|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130517145101/http://www.soccerbot.com/scot/results/sdprem97.htm|archive-date=17 May 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>
Advocaat's third season saw Rangers fail to compete domestically against Celtic under new manager ]. Despite investment in the team including ] for a club record £12 million,<ref name="Flo signed for 12m">{{cite news|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/scottish-premier/2993243/Rangers-12m-Flo-gamble.html|title=Rangers' £12m Flo gamble|publisher=Telegraph Media Group|work=Telegraph|date=12 November 2000|author=Forsyth, Roddy|accessdate=21 December 2012|quote=DAVID MURRAY, the Rangers chairman, moved dramatically last night to end the crisis at Ibrox by setting a new Scottish transfer record of £12 million for Chelsea's out-of-favour Norwegian international forward, Tore Andre Flo.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D4gxycZC|archivedate=21 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> European success beyond the ] group stages again proved elusive.<ref name="Rangers out of champion league 00-01">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/uefa_cup/1059684.stm|title=Kaiserslautern 3–0 Rangers|publisher=BBC|work=BBC Sport|date=7 December 2000|accessdate=6 August 2010|quote=Full time: Kaiserslautern 3–0 Rangers{{break}}92 mins The Fritz Walter Stadium erupts on the referee's final whistle which brings down the curtain on Rangers' European campaign.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D4h7iuhu|archivedate=21 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> After a slow start to the following season, Advocaat resigned from his post in December 2001 to be replaced as manager by ].<ref name="McLeish appointment">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/1701609.stm|title=Rangers unveil McLeish|date=11 December 2001|accessdate=16 October 2007|publisher=BBC|work=BBC Sport|quote=Alex McLeish has been unveiled as Rangers' 11th manager after a dramatic day at Ibrox.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D4hLKa1Q|archivedate=21 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref>


===Dick Advocaat, Alex McLeish and Paul Le Guen===
In his first full campaign, ] saw McLeish become the sixth Rangers manager to deliver a domestic treble.<ref name="Seventh treble">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_div_1/2946904.stm|title=Rangers complete Treble|publisher=BBC Sport|work=BBC Sports Scotland|date=31 May 2003|accessdate=16 October 2007|quote=Rangers capped a fabulous season with a hard-earned Scottish Cup win over Dundee at Hampden Park to seal the seventh domestic Treble in the club's history.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D4hVn2t3|archivedate=21 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> The championship was won on goal difference during a dramatic final day 6–1 triumph over ] at Ibrox,<ref name="Championship won on final day">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_prem/2932016.stm|title=Rangers win to clinch title|date=25 May 2003|publisher=BBC Sport|work=BBC Sport Scotland|accessdate=9 October 2012|quote=Rangers 6–1 Dunfermline Athletic{{break}}An injury-time penalty by Mikel Arteta clinched the SPL title for Rangers in an amazing afternoon at Ibrox.{{break}}Rangers were 5–1 up as the match entered the last few minutes, but with Celtic 4–0 up at Rugby Park and still playing, they knew the championship was not yet theirs.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D4hc4O1L|archivedate=21 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> securing Rangers' 50th league title, the first club in the world to achieve the feat.<ref name="Record 50th title">{{cite news|url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/spl/aberdeen/six-into-one-equals-victory-rangers-secure-a-world-record-50th-championship-as-title-showdown-goes-all-the-way-to-the-wire-1.117675|title=Six into one equals victory Rangers secure a world-record 50th championship as title showdown goes all the way to the wire|publisher=]|work=]|date=26 May 2003|accessdate=21 December 2012|author=Grahame, Ewing|quote=Rangers secure a world-record 50th championship|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D4jsUhw3|archivedate=21 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> Major expenditure sanctioned by ] ] had burdened Rangers with considerable ]s in the region of £52m.<ref name="Rangers run up big losses">{{Cite news|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2002/sep/30/newsstory.sport6|title=Rangers stay cool over huge losses|work=]|publisher=]|date=30 September 2002|quote=Rangers chairman John McClelland has attempted to assure shareholders the club's £52m debt is nothing to be alarmed over.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D4hxplcy|archivedate=21 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> The club's worsening financial state saw many of the team's top players leave in the summer of 2003, the ] failing to deliver any trophies, only the second such occasion since ].<ref name="McLeish fails to win a trophy">{{cite web|url=http://footballblog.co.uk/alex-mcleish-career.html|title=Aston Villa’s Alex McLeish, a look at his managerial career|publisher=footballblog.co.uk|work=Football blog|date=29 July 2011|author=Salty|accessdate=21 December 2012|quote=At this point McLeish was viewed as one of the hottest managers in the game. Success doesn’t last forever and Rangers financial state cost McLeish dear in 2003. Many of his prize assets were sold and subsequently Celtic won the league comfortably. Also, Rangers failed to pick up a single trophy that season.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D4in5Iqr|archivedate=21 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref>
In 1998, Dutchman ] became the club's first foreign manager.<ref name="First foreign manager">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/7393259.stm|title=Advocaat's Rangers legacy|work=BBC Sport|date=13 May 2008|author=Campbell, Andy|access-date=6 August 2010|quote=When Dick Advocaat became the Rangers manager in 1998, it was a brave new dawn for the Ibrox club as chairman David Murray attempted to begin a new chapter in the club's history following Walter Smith's departure.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120508234855/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/7393259.stm|archive-date=8 May 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> Nine-in-a-row era stalwarts having moved on, Advocaat invested heavily in the team with immediate results, leading the club to their sixth domestic treble. The league championship was won with a 3–0 victory at ] on 2 May 1999.<ref name="Champions again">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sport/football/scottish_premier/334094.stm|work=BBC Sport|title=Rangers make history out of chaos|date=3 May 1999|access-date=20 December 2012|quote=Celtic 0–3 Rangers<br />Rangers created history by winning the title at Celtic Park in a stormy Old Firm game which saw referee Hugh Dallas injured by a missile thrown from the pitch.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121114041324/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/sport/football/scottish_premier/334094.stm|archive-date=14 November 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> A second-consecutive league title was won by a record 21-point margin,<ref name="Rangers can win the league">{{cite news|url=http://www.scotsman.com/sport/when-rangers-can-win-the-league-1-796986|title=When Rangers can win the league|work=The Scotsman|date=28 March 2010|access-date=6 August 2010|quote=The biggest winning points margin in the history of the SPL was enjoyed by Rangers in 1999/00, when they finished 21 points clear of Celtic.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121019010202/http://www.scotsman.com/sport/when-rangers-can-win-the-league-1-796986|archive-date=19 October 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> the club securing a domestic double with a 4–0 ] final victory over Aberdeen. Rangers' campaign in the ] saw them defeat ] winners ] en route.<ref name="Rangers go out at the group stages">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sport/football/champions_league/503436.stm|title=Champions League group tables|work=BBC Sport|date=2 November 1999|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131104071831/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/sport/football/champions_league/503436.stm|archive-date=4 November 2013|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Rangers beat parma">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sport/football/417699.stm|title=Rangers put Parma in the shade|work=BBC Sport|date=12 August 1999|access-date=20 December 2012|quote=Rangers 2–0 Parma<br />Rangers secured one of their most impressive European results in years, as Italian giants Parma crashed to defeat in the first leg of their Champions League qualifier|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131104071825/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/sport/football/417699.stm|archive-date=4 November 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>


Advocaat's third season saw Rangers fail to compete domestically against Celtic under new manager ]. Despite investment in the team, including ] for a club-record £12&nbsp;million,<ref name="Flo signed for 12m">{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/scottish-premier/2993243/Rangers-12m-Flo-gamble.html|title=Rangers' £12m Flo gamble|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=12 November 2000|author=Forsyth, Roddy|access-date=21 December 2012|quote=DAVID MURRAY, the Rangers chairman, moved dramatically last night to end the crisis at Ibrox by setting a new Scottish transfer record of £12&nbsp;million for Chelsea's out-of-favour Norwegian international forward, Tore Andre Flo.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212035427/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/scottish-premier/2993243/Rangers-12m-Flo-gamble.html|archive-date=12 December 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> European success beyond the ] group stages again proved elusive.<ref name="Rangers out of champion league 00-01">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/uefa_cup/1059684.stm|title=Kaiserslautern 3–0 Rangers|work=BBC Sport|date=7 December 2000|access-date=6 August 2010|quote=Full time: Kaiserslautern 3–0 Rangers<br />92 mins The Fritz Walter Stadium erupts on the referee's final whistle which brings down the curtain on Rangers' European campaign.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131104071605/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/uefa_cup/1059684.stm|archive-date=4 November 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> After a slow start to the following season, Advocaat resigned from his post in December 2001 and was replaced by ].<ref name="McLeish appointment">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/1701609.stm|title=Rangers unveil McLeish|date=11 December 2001|access-date=16 October 2007|work=BBC Sport|quote=Alex McLeish has been unveiled as Rangers' 11th manager after a dramatic day at Ibrox.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307020922/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/1701609.stm|archive-date=7 March 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>
The ] restored success to Rangers, who were boosted by signings such as ],<ref name="Boumsong leaves rangers">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/n/newcastle_united/4119197.stm|title=Magpies complete Boumsong signing|publisher=BBC|work=BBC Sport|date=2 January 2005|accessdate=21 December 2012|quote=Boumsong joined Rangers from Auxerre on a free transfer last summer and made just 28 appearances for them before moving to England.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D4lyei9Y|archivedate=21 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> ]<ref name="Rangers sign prso">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/3693503.stm|title=Rangers get Prso|publisher=BBC|work=BBC Sport|date=9 May 2004|accessdate=21 December 2012|quote=Rangers have confirmed the signing of Monaco's Croatian striker Dado Prso.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D4mDXcCM|archivedate=21 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> and ],<ref name="Rangers sign novo">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_prem/3856045.stm|title=Rangers sign Novo|publisher=BBC|work=BBC Sport Scotland|date=6 July 2004|accessdate=21 December 2012|quote=Rangers have completed the signing of Nacho Novo from Dundee but manager Alex McLeish insists his summer spending spree is not yet over.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D4oXzLDn|archivedate=21 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> along with the return of former ] ].<ref name="Rangers resign ferguson">{{cite news|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-332825/Transfer-window-dealings.html|title=Transfer window dealings|publisher=Daily Mail and general trust|work=Daily Mail|date=1 February 2005|accessdate=21 December 2012|quote=Barry Ferguson – Blackburn to Rangers, £4.5million rising to £5million depending on appearances.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D4pU83wx|archivedate=21 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> The club's league championship triumph culminated in a dramatic last day finish. The destination of the ] changed unexpectedly, with Celtic conceding late goals to ] at ] whilst Rangers led against Hibernian, requiring the ] carrying the SPL trophy to change direction and deliver the prize to the ] ground in ].<ref name="Rangers in dramatic title triumph">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_prem/4570627.stm|title=Rangers in dramatic title triumph|date=22 May 2005|accessdate=16 October 2007|publisher=BBC|work=BBC Sport Scotland|quote=Rangers pipped rivals Celtic to the Scottish Premier League title after a dramatic final day of the season.{{break}}The Gers went into the final game two points behind their Glasgow rivals but a sensational late fightback by Motherwell gave them the title.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D4lSVnv4|archivedate=21 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref><ref name="Helicopter sunday">{{cite news|url=http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-flashback-looking-back-on-rangers-1056885|title=Football flashback: Looking back on Rangers' 'helicopter Sunday' triumph in 2005|work=]|publisher=]|date=22 April 2010|accessdate=21 December 2012|author=Jackson, Keith|quote=NACHO Novo will be remembered forever as the man whose goal made the helicopter change direction.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D4p56Oiw|archivedate=21 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref>


In his first full campaign, the ] saw McLeish become the sixth Rangers manager to deliver a domestic treble.<ref name="Seventh treble">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_div_1/2946904.stm|title=Rangers complete Treble|work=BBC Sport|date=31 May 2003|access-date=16 October 2007|quote=Rangers capped a fabulous season with a hard-earned Scottish Cup win over Dundee at Hampden Park to seal the seventh domestic Treble in the club's history.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121111020952/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/scot_div_1/2946904.stm|archive-date=11 November 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> The championship was won on goal difference during a dramatic final day 6–1 triumph over ] at Ibrox,<ref name="Championship won on final day">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_prem/2932016.stm|title=Rangers win to clinch title|date=25 May 2003|work=BBC Sport|access-date=9 October 2012|quote=Rangers 6–1 Dunfermline Athletic<br />An injury-time penalty by Mikel Arteta clinched the SPL title for Rangers in an amazing afternoon at Ibrox.<br />Rangers were 5–1 up as the match entered the last few minutes, but with Celtic 4–0 up at Rugby Park and still playing, they knew the championship was not yet theirs.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120519000724/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/scot_prem/2932016.stm|archive-date=19 May 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> securing Rangers' 50th league title, the first club in the world to achieve the feat.<ref name="Record 50th title">{{cite news|url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/spl/aberdeen/six-into-one-equals-victory-rangers-secure-a-world-record-50th-championship-as-title-showdown-goes-all-the-way-to-the-wire-1.117675|title=Six into one equals victory Rangers secure a world-record 50th championship as title showdown goes all the way to the wire|work=The Herald|date=26 May 2003|access-date=21 December 2012|author=Grahame, Ewing|quote=Rangers secure a world-record 50th championship|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130604221321/http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/spl/aberdeen/six-into-one-equals-victory-rangers-secure-a-world-record-50th-championship-as-title-showdown-goes-all-the-way-to-the-wire-1.117675|archive-date=4 June 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> Major expenditure sanctioned by chairman ] had burdened Rangers with considerable ]s in the region of £52m.<ref name="Rangers run up big losses">{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2002/sep/30/newsstory.sport6|title=Rangers stay cool over huge losses|work=The Guardian|date=30 September 2002|quote=Rangers chairman John McClelland has attempted to assure shareholders the club's £52m debt is nothing to be alarmed over.|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120804072759/http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2002/sep/30/newsstory.sport6|archive-date=4 August 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> The club's worsening financial state saw many of the team's top players leave in the summer of 2003, the ] failing to deliver any trophies, only the second such occasion since ].<ref name="McLeish fails to win a trophy">{{cite web|url=http://footballblog.co.uk/alex-mcleish-career.html|title=Aston Villa's Alex McLeish, a look at his managerial career|work=Football blog|publisher=footballblog.co.uk|date=29 July 2011|author=Salty|access-date=21 December 2012|quote=At this point McLeish was viewed as one of the hottest managers in the game. Success doesn't last forever and Rangers financial state cost McLeish dear in 2003. Many of his prize assets were sold and subsequently Celtic won the league comfortably. Also, Rangers failed to pick up a single trophy that season.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022185253/http://footballblog.co.uk/alex-mcleish-career.html|archive-date=22 October 2012|url-status=live}}</ref>
Despite beginning as favourites to retain the championship, Rangers suffered an unprecedented run of poor results between September and November, a club record run of 10 games without a win. Included within this period, a 1–1 draw with ] took Rangers into the last 16 of the Champions League, the first Scottish team to achieve the feat since 1993,<ref name="Rangers through to last 16">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/4494912.stm|title=Rangers 1–1 Inter Milan|date=6 December 2005|accessdate=16 October 2007|publisher=BBC|work=BBC Sport|quote=Peter Lovenkrands was the goalscoring hero as Rangers became the first Scottish club to qualify from the group stages of the Champions League.{{break}}...{{break}}Criticised by some for his tactics during a run without a win now stretching to 10 games, McLeish got it right on the European stage with the surprise inclusion of Lovenkrands as a lone striker.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D4ur3bKZ|archivedate=21 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> the club eventually exiting on the ] to ].<ref name="Rangers go out to villarreal">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/4778246.stm|title=Villarreal 1–1 Rangers (agg 3–3)|date=7 March 2006|accessdate=16 October 2007|publisher=BBC|work=BBC Sport|quote=Rangers' dream of becoming the first Scottish side in the quarter-finals of the Champions League ended as they lost on the away-goals rule to Villarreal.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D4vS0qwX|archivedate=21 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> 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.<ref name="McLeish to leave rangers in may">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/4697444.stm|title=McLeish to leave Rangers in May|date=9 February 2006|accessdate=16 October 2007|publisher=BBC|work=BBC Sport|quote=Alex McLeish will leave his position as Rangers manager at the end of the season, the club has confirmed|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D4vXVoqt|archivedate=21 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref>


The ] restored success to Rangers, who were boosted by signings such as ],<ref name="Boumsong leaves rangers">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/n/newcastle_united/4119197.stm|title=Magpies complete Boumsong signing|work=BBC Sport|date=2 January 2005|access-date=21 December 2012|quote=Boumsong joined Rangers from Auxerre on a free transfer last summer and made just 28 appearances for them before moving to England.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130314213023/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/n/newcastle_united/4119197.stm|archive-date=14 March 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> ]<ref name="Rangers sign prso">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/3693503.stm|title=Rangers get Prso|work=BBC Sport|date=9 May 2004|access-date=21 December 2012|quote=Rangers have confirmed the signing of Monaco's Croatian striker Dado Prso.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160222232020/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/3693503.stm|archive-date=22 February 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> and ],<ref name="Rangers sign novo">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_prem/3856045.stm|title=Rangers sign Novo|work=BBC Sport|date=6 July 2004|access-date=21 December 2012|quote=Rangers have completed the signing of Nacho Novo from Dundee but manager Alex McLeish insists his summer spending spree is not yet over.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131104071644/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/scot_prem/3856045.stm|archive-date=4 November 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> along with the return of former ] ] after a spell in England with ].<ref name="Rangers resign ferguson">{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/blackburn_rovers/4203441.stm |publisher=BBC Sport |title=Ferguson clinches Rangers return |date=1 February 2005 |access-date=27 July 2011}}</ref> The club's league championship triumph culminated in a dramatic final-day finish. The destination of the ] changed unexpectedly, with Celtic conceding late goals to ] at ] whilst Rangers led against Hibernian, requiring the ] carrying the SPL trophy to change direction and deliver the prize to the ] ground in ].<ref name="Rangers in dramatic title triumph">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_prem/4570627.stm|title=Rangers in dramatic title triumph|date=22 May 2005|access-date=16 October 2007|work=BBC Sport|quote=Rangers pipped rivals Celtic to the Scottish Premier League title after a dramatic final day of the season.<br />The Gers went into the final game two points behind their Glasgow rivals but a sensational late fightback by Motherwell gave them the title.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130326191648/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/scot_prem/4570627.stm|archive-date=26 March 2013|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Helicopter sunday">{{cite news|url=http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-flashback-looking-back-on-rangers-1056885|title=Football flashback: Looking back on Rangers' 'helicopter Sunday' triumph in 2005|work=Daily Record|date=22 April 2010|access-date=21 December 2012|author=Jackson, Keith|quote=NACHO Novo will be remembered forever as the man whose goal made the helicopter change direction.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130731183619/http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-flashback-looking-back-on-rangers-1056885|archive-date=31 July 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>
===Paul Le Guen and Walter Smith's return===
] at Ibrox to welcome Paul Le Guen]]
Frenchman ] replaced ] as manager after season 2005–06.<ref name="Le guen new manager">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/4791030.stm|title=Rangers name Le Guen as manager|publisher=BBC|work=BBC Sport|date=11 March 2006|accessdate=18 August 2012|quote=Rangers have announced that Paul Le Guen will replace Alex McLeish as manager at the end of the season.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A0hnr2JV|archivedate=18 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> The season started poorly for Rangers, with an early exit from the ]<ref name="Rangers lose to st johnstone">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_cups/6123792.stm|title=Rangers 0–2 St Johnstone|publisher=BBC|work=BBC Sport Scotland|date=8 November 2006|quote=St Johnstone recorded one of their finest results to stun Rangers at Ibrox and reach the CIS Cup semi-finals.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D53RshVM|archivedate=21 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> whilst rivals Celtic built a commanding lead at the top of the table.<ref name="Celtic pile pressure on le guen">{{cite news|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2006/sep/24/match.celtic?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487|title=Gravesen piles pressure on Le Guen|publisher=Guardian Media Group|work=]|date=24 September 2006|author=Glenn, Patrick|quote=Until Gravesen gave the home side the lead there was a wariness about both sides, which betrayed the number of players on each side who were making their first appearance in the conflict. If Celtic were expected to be dominant – with Rangers reliant on the absorption of pressure and the counter-thrust – Gordon Strachan and his players would also be mindful of the four-point advantage they held over their great rivals and the need not to risk having it damaged.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D53ZiG4Y|archivedate=21 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> In the ] 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.<ref name="Rangers quailfy from group stages">{{cite news|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2006/dec/15/match.rangers|title=Hutton sends Rangers clean through to Old Firm match|work=]|publisher=Guardian Media Group|date=15 December 2006|accessdate=22 April 2011|author=Murray, Ewan|quote=Paul Le Guen is satisfied his Rangers players will enter Sunday's Old Firm match in as positive a frame of mind as possible after they sealed the top qualifying position from Group A and secured a second consecutive clean sheet.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D53j222l|archivedate=21 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> However, amid claims of disharmony between the manager and captain Barry Ferguson,<ref name="Disharmony">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/6233959.stm|publisher=BBC|work=BBC Sport|title=Clash of cultures|date=5 January 2007|author=Austin, Simon|quote=Paul Le Guen's relationship with Barry Ferguson was never likely to be a marriage made in heaven.{{break}}On one side was an authoritarian French manager used to having the final word and working with clean-living, tee-total players.{{break}}On the other was a passionate Scottish captain who enjoyed talismanic status with the fans and liked to work hard and play hard.{{break}}There were reported to be differences between the duo soon after Le Guen took over at Ibrox seven months ago. And they came to the surface at a news conference before the last Old Firm derby on 17 December.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D53uMiHx|archivedate=21 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> it was announced on 4 January 2007 that Le Guen had left Rangers by mutual consent.<ref name="Le guen departures">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/6231489.stm|publisher=BBC|work=BBC Sport|title=Le Guen and Rangers part company|date = 4 January 2007|quote=Rangers manager Paul Le Guen has left the club by mutual consent.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D54AdFJG|archivedate=21 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> On 10 January 2007, former boss ] ] from his post as Scotland manager to return to the Ibrox helm, with Ally McCoist as ].<ref name="Smith return">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/6233237.stm|publisher=BBC|work=BBC Sport|title=Smith installed as Rangers boss|date=10 January 2007|quote=Walter Smith has quit as Scotland coach to become boss of Rangers for a second time after agreeing a three-year deal.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D54JPA8t|archivedate=21 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref>


Despite beginning as favourites to retain the championship, Rangers suffered an unprecedented run of poor results between September and November, a club-record run of ten games without a win. Included within this period, a 1–1 draw with ] took Rangers into the last 16 of the Champions League, the first Scottish team to achieve the feat since 1993,<ref name="Rangers through to last 16">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/4494912.stm|title=Rangers 1–1 Inter Milan|date=6 December 2005|access-date=16 October 2007|work=BBC Sport|quote=Peter Lovenkrands was the goalscoring hero as Rangers became the first Scottish club to qualify from the group stages of the Champions League.<br />...<br />Criticised by some for his tactics during a run without a win now stretching to 10 games, McLeish got it right on the European stage with the surprise inclusion of Lovenkrands as a lone striker.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104040430/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/europe/4494912.stm|archive-date=4 November 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> the club eventually exiting on the ] to ].<ref name="Rangers go out to villarreal">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/4778246.stm|title=Villarreal 1–1 Rangers (agg 3–3)|date=7 March 2006|access-date=16 October 2007|work=BBC Sport|quote=Rangers' dream of becoming the first Scottish side in the quarter-finals of the Champions League ended as they lost on the away-goals rule to Villarreal.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104040636/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/europe/4778246.stm|archive-date=4 November 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> On 9 February 2006, it was announced by David Murray that McLeish would be standing down as manager at the end of that season.<ref name="McLeish to leave rangers in may">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/4697444.stm|title=McLeish to leave Rangers in May|date=9 February 2006|access-date=16 October 2007|work=BBC Sport|quote=Alex McLeish will leave his position as Rangers manager at the end of the season, the club has confirmed|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104040026/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/4697444.stm|archive-date=4 November 2012|url-status=live}}</ref>
] which Rangers contested.]]


]
The following season Rangers contested the ] after dropping into the competition from the ].<ref name="Rangers lose to lyon">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/7134114.stm|title=Rangers 0–3 Lyon|publisher=BBC|work=BBC Sport|date=12 December 2007|author=Moffat, Colin|quote=Rangers crashed out of the Champions League and into the Uefa Cup with a disappointing home defeat to Lyon.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D54PCOZ2|archivedate=21 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> The club reached the final, defeating ], ], ] and Fiorentina along the way.<ref name="Rangers reach uefa cup final">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/7398449.stm|title=Rangers & Zenit chase Uefa glory|publisher=BBC|work=BBC Sport|date=14 May 2008|quote=Panathinaikos, Werder Bremen and Fiorentina have been dispatched, along with Sporting since Rangers qualified via their position in the Champions League group stage.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D55LCO06|archivedate=21 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> The final in ] against ], who were managed by former Rangers manager Dick Advocaat,<ref name="Advocaat says rangers shouldnt change for final">{{cite news|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-565977/Zenit-coach-Advocaat-insists-Rangers-change-style-play-UEFA-Cup-final.html|title=Zenit coach Advocaat insists Rangers should not change style of play for UEFA Cup final|publisher=Daily mail and General Trust|work=Daily Mail|date=12 May 2008|quote=Rangers may have been criticised for their cautious approach in European games this season – but Zenit St Petersburg boss Dick Advocaat insists Walter Smith should not change his style of play when the sides clash in the UEFA Cup final.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D54XSB6D|archivedate=21 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> ended in a 2–0 defeat.<ref name="Rangers lose uefa cup final">{{cite news|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/columnists/henrywinter/2300507/Rangers-run-out-of-steam-as-Zenit-lift-Uefa-Cup.html|title=Rangers run out of steam as Zenit lift Uefa Cup|publisher=]|work=]|date=15 May 2008|author=Winter, Henry|authorlink=Henry Winter|quote=Zenit St Petersburg (0) 2 Rangers (0) 0{{break}} It is not only Scottish fuel stations that have been running on empty recently. The warning light began flashing on Rangers' tank midway through the second half last night, their exhausting schedule finally catching up with them, allowing a superior and fresher Zenit side to lift the Uefa Cup.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D54daWpD|archivedate=21 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref>
Frenchman ] replaced ] as manager after season 2005–06.<ref name="Le guen new manager">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/4791030.stm|title=Rangers name Le Guen as manager|work=BBC Sport|date=11 March 2006|access-date=18 August 2012|quote=Rangers have announced that Paul Le Guen will replace Alex McLeish as manager at the end of the season.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110403020540/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/4791030.stm|archive-date=3 April 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> The season started with an early exit from the ]<ref name="Rangers lose to st johnstone">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_cups/6123792.stm|title=Rangers 0–2 St Johnstone|work=BBC Sport|date=8 November 2006|quote=St Johnstone recorded one of their finest results to stun Rangers at Ibrox and reach the CIS Cup semi-finals.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107172623/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/scot_cups/6123792.stm|archive-date=7 November 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> whilst Celtic built a commanding lead at the top of the table.<ref name="Celtic pile pressure on le guen">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2006/sep/24/match.celtic?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487|title=Gravesen piles pressure on Le Guen|work=The Observer|date=24 September 2006|author=Glenn, Patrick|quote=Until Gravesen gave the home side the lead there was a wariness about both sides, which betrayed the number of players on each side who were making their first appearance in the conflict. If Celtic were expected to be dominant – with Rangers reliant on the absorption of pressure and the counter-thrust – Gordon Strachan and his players would also be mindful of the four-point advantage they held over their great rivals and the need not to risk having it damaged.|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120804055309/http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2006/sep/24/match.celtic?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487|archive-date=4 August 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> In the ], 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.<ref name="Rangers quailfy from group stages">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2006/dec/15/match.rangers|title=Hutton sends Rangers clean through to Old Firm match|work=The Guardian|date=15 December 2006|access-date=22 April 2011|author=Murray, Ewan|quote=Paul Le Guen is satisfied his Rangers players will enter Sunday's Old Firm match in as positive a frame of mind as possible after they sealed the top qualifying position from Group A and secured a second consecutive clean sheet.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110203154839/http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2006/dec/15/match.rangers|archive-date=3 February 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> However, amid claims of disharmony between the manager and captain Barry Ferguson,<ref name="Disharmony">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/6233959.stm|work=BBC Sport|title=Clash of cultures|date=5 January 2007|author=Austin, Simon|quote=Paul Le Guen's relationship with Barry Ferguson was never likely to be a marriage made in heaven.<br />On one side was an authoritarian French manager used to having the final word and working with clean-living, tee-total players.<br />On the other was a passionate Scottish captain who enjoyed talisman status with the fans and liked to work hard and play hard.<br />There were reported to be differences between the duo soon after Le Guen took over at Ibrox seven months ago. And they came to the surface at a news conference before the last Old Firm derby on 17 December.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131010103720/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/6233959.stm|archive-date=10 October 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> it was announced on 4 January 2007 that Le Guen had left Rangers by mutual consent.<ref name="Le guen departures">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/6231489.stm|work=BBC Sport|title=Le Guen and Rangers part company|date=4 January 2007|quote=Rangers manager Paul Le Guen has left the club by mutual consent.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130101011420/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/6231489.stm|archive-date=1 January 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>


=== Walter Smith's return and Ally McCoist ===
The 2008–09 season saw Rangers recover from an early exit from the ] to ] of ].<ref name="Rangers lose to fc kanuas">{{cite news|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2008/SPORT/football/08/05/champions.rangers/index.html|title=Rangers exit Champions League in Lithuania|publisher=]|work=]|date=5 August 2008|quote=Scottish giants Rangers slumped to a shock European exit when Linas Pilibaitis gave FBK Kaunas 2–1 a aggregate win in their Champions League second qualifying round tie in Lithuania.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D55gU83i|archivedate=21 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> The club secured their 52nd league championship on the last day of the season with a 3–0 victory of Dundee United at Tannadice.<ref name="Rejuvenated rangers win title">{{cite news|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/rangers/5379355/Rejuvenated-Rangers-take-SPL-title-in-style-with-victory-at-Dundee-United.html|title=Rejuvenated Rangers take SPL title in style with victory at Dundee United|date=24 May 2009|publisher=Telegraph Media Group|work=The Daily Telegraph|accessdate=20 August 2010|author=Forsyth, Roddy|quote=With the boundless relief and joie de vivre of a man who has been reprieved on the steps of the gallows and installed in a palace, Rangers produced a climactic performance to snatch their first championship since 2005 at sun-drenched Tannadice.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D55pLf13|archivedate=21 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> Rangers also successfully defended the Scottish Cup, a 33rd competition triumph, defeating Falkirk 1–0 in the ].<ref name="Rangers beat falkirk">{{cite news|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/rangers/5413108/Rangers-1-Falkirk-0-Scottish-Cup-Final-2009-match-report.html|title=Rangers 1 Falkirk 0: Match report|date=30 May 2009|publisher=Telegraph Media Group|work=The Daily Telegraph|accessdate=20 August 2010|author=Forsyth, Roddy|quote=Rangers completed the second stage of their Scottish league and cup double in the baking heat of Hampden Park on Saturday thanks to a glorious goal from Nacho Novo, with his first touch of the ball only seconds after arriving as a half-time substitute for Kris Boyd. But the favourites were made to sweat throughout – and not simply because of the sweltering conditions.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D55y1gIv|archivedate=21 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref>
On 10 January 2007, former boss ] resigned from his post as Scotland manager to return to the Ibrox helm, with Ally McCoist as ].<ref name="Smith return">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/6233237.stm|work=BBC Sport|title=Smith installed as Rangers boss|date=10 January 2007|quote=Walter Smith has quit as Scotland coach to become boss of Rangers for a second time after agreeing a three-year deal.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120323053841/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/6233237.stm|archive-date=23 March 2012|url-status=live}}</ref>


], which Rangers contested]]
Despite financial problems preventing new signings and curtailing squad size, the ] saw Rangers reach their fifth consecutive domestic final. Against ] in the Scottish League Cup, the club overcame a two-men ] from ], a late deciding goal from ] securing a record 27th ] ].<ref name="Rangers win cup with nine men">{{cite news|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/mar/21/st-mirren-rangers-scottish-cup-final|title=Kenny Miller sees nine-man Rangers through to victory|date=21 March 2010|work=The Guardian|publisher=Guardian Media Group|accessdate=20 August 2010|author=Murray, Ewan|quote=It would, of course, be churlish not to recognise the winning mentality of a team who have lost just a single domestic fixture since Celtic lifted this trophy at their expense a year ago. Yet this win arrived in the most unlikely of circumstances, sealing the League Cup despite being down to nine men.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D569cX4O|archivedate=21 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> The league championship title was retained with three matches remaining at ], defeating Hibernian 1–0 with a ] goal. Smith's final season in charge saw Rangers retain the League Cup, defeating Celtic at Hampden with a ] goal in extra time.<ref name="Rangers prove doubters wrong">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/9429677.stm|title=Rangers happy to prove doubters wrong after Cup win|publisher=BBC|work=BBC Sport|date=20 March 2011|quote=Rangers manager Walter Smith described the Co-operative Insurance Cup final win over Celtic as one of his "best ever" victories.{{break}}Smith, coming to the end of his second spell in charge at Ibrox, clinched a 20th trophy as Rangers boss after the 2–1 extra-time win at Hampden.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D56IjQZt|archivedate=21 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> A third consecutive title was won by beating ] 5–1 on the last day of the season, Smith's final match in charge of the club.<ref name="Smith's final match">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/scot_prem/9484609.stm|title=Kilmarnock 1 – 5 Rangers|date=16 May 2011|publisher=BBC|work=BBC Sport|accessdate=16 May 2011|author=Moffat, Colin|quote=Rangers gave departing manager Walter Smith the perfect send-off as they wrapped up a third consecutive Scottish Premier League title in style.{{break}}A blistering opening saw Kyle Lafferty net twice inside seven minutes, either side of a Steven Naismith strike.{{break}}Early in the second half, Nikica Jelavic smashed in a free kick and Lafferty completed his hat-trick with a composed finish.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D5Obw6xU|archivedate=21 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref>


The following season Rangers contested the ] after dropping into the competition from the ].<ref name="Rangers lose to lyon">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/7134114.stm|title=Rangers 0–3 Lyon|work=BBC Sport|date=12 December 2007|author=Moffat, Colin|quote=Rangers crashed out of the Champions League and into the Uefa Cup with a disappointing home defeat to Lyon.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120408184641/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/europe/7134114.stm|archive-date=8 April 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> The club reached the final, defeating ], ], ] and Fiorentina along the way.<ref name="Rangers reach uefa cup final">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/7398449.stm|title=Rangers & Zenit chase Uefa glory|work=BBC Sport|date=14 May 2008|quote=Panathinaikos, Werder Bremen and Fiorentina have been dispatched, along with Sporting since Rangers qualified via their position in the Champions League group stage.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151017002004/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/europe/7398449.stm|archive-date=17 October 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> The final in ] against ], who were managed by former Rangers manager Dick Advocaat,<ref name="Advocaat says rangers shouldnt change for final">{{Cite web|title=Succescoach Advocaat wordt in Sint-Petersburg nooit vergeten|url=https://nos.nl/l/2236584|access-date=2021-02-10|website=nos.nl|date=15 June 2018 |language=nl}}</ref> ended in a 2–0 defeat.<ref name="Rangers lose uefa cup final">{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/columnists/henrywinter/2300507/Rangers-run-out-of-steam-as-Zenit-lift-Uefa-Cup.html|title=Rangers run out of steam as Zenit lift Uefa Cup|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=15 May 2008|author=Winter, Henry|author-link=Henry Winter|quote=Zenit St Petersburg (0) 2 Rangers (0) 0<br /> It is not only Scottish fuel stations that have been running on empty recently. The warning light began flashing on Rangers' tank midway through the second half last night, their exhausting schedule finally catching up with them, allowing a superior and fresher Zenit side to lift the Uefa Cup.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212035332/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/columnists/henrywinter/2300507/Rangers-run-out-of-steam-as-Zenit-lift-Uefa-Cup.html|archive-date=12 December 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> An estimated 200,000 supporters travelled to ] for the event,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/battle-of-piccadilly-953792|title=Battle of Piccadilly|publisher=Manchester Evening News|date=19 April 2010|work=men|access-date=21 May 2018}}</ref> and the ] occurred.
===Ally McCoist and insolvency===
As announced the previous year,<ref name="McCoist takes charge">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/8705050.stm|title=McCoist thrilled with future role as Rangers boss|publisher=BBC|work=BBC Sport|date=26 May 2010|quote="It will be a privilege and an honour to take over from Walter next year and that is a challenge I shall certainly relish," McCoist told the club website.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D5PJWXFA|archivedate=21 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> Ally McCoist took over from Walter Smith in June 2011 with his first competitive match in charge against Hearts in July, ending in a 1–1 draw.<ref name="McCoist first competive match a draw">{{cite news|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/jul/23/rangers-hearts-spl|title=Rangers frustrated despite Naismith equaliser as Hearts claim point|work=]|publisher=]|date=23 July 2011|author=Murray, Ewan|quote=Hearts arrived in Glasgow with the aim of giving Ally McCoist a bloody nose in his first competitive match in charge of Rangers. Amid an opening half in which Hearts passed up opportunities to extend the lead handed to them by David Obua, that looked a viable prospect.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D5PSbg7V|archivedate=21 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> Rangers lost 2–1 on aggregate to Swedish side ] in the Champions League third round qualifying match,<ref name="Rangers lose to malmo">{{cite news|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/aug/03/malmo-rangers-champions-league-qualifying|title=Rangers crash out of Champions League after seeing red twice at Malmo|work=]|publisher=Guardian Media Group|date=3 August 2011|quote=Rangers' Champions League hopes were shattered as they crashed out of the competition at the hands of Malmo after being reduced to nine men in the qualifier in Sweden. Steven Whittaker and Madjid Bougherra were both shown straight red cards, before Malmo's Ricardinho was also dismissed by the referee Vladislav Bezborodov at the Swedbank stadium|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D5PYFp9D|archivedate=21 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> and were then knocked out of Europe after losing 3–2 on aggregate in the ] qualifying match against Slovenian side ].<ref name="Rangers lose to maribor">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/14569511.stm|title=Rangers 1 – 1 NK Maribor (agg 2 – 3)|publisher=BBC|work=BBC Sport Scotland|date=25 August 2011|author=Campbell, Andy|quote=Rangers exited the Europa League as Maribor claimed an aggregate victory to progress to the group stages.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D5PdUrcz|archivedate=21 December 2012=|deadurl=no}}</ref> 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.<ref name="McCoist wins first old firm match as manager">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/14869908.stm|title=Rangers 4–2 Celtic|publisher=BBC|work=BBC Sport Scotland|author=Campbell, Andy|date=18 September 2011|quote=League leaders Rangers prevailed in the season's first Old Firm derby to move four points clear of Celtic.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D5Pjvudd|archivedate=21 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> Good league form saw Rangers maintain top spot in the SPL and were unbeaten after 11 games. They were knocked out of the ] by ]<ref name="Rangers go out of cup to falkirk">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/15016733.stm|title=Ally McCoist fuming as Falkirk kids dump Rangers out of cup|publisher=BBC|work=BBC Sport|date=22 September 2011|quote=Manager Ally McCoist believes his Rangers players have only themselves to blame for their shock League Cup defeat by a very youthful Falkirk line-up.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D5Pp4OVV|archivedate=21 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> and the ] by ] at Ibrox.<ref name="Rangers lose to dundee utd in scottish cup">{{cite news|author=Campbell, Andy|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/16778861|title=Rangers 0–2 Dundee Utd|publisher=BBC|work=BBC Sport Scotland|date=5 February 2012|accessdate=12 April 2012|quote=Dundee United knocked Rangers out of the Scottish Cup with a deserved fifth-round victory at Ibrox.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D5PuQ6MM|archivedate=21 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref>


The 2008–09 season saw Rangers recover from an early exit from the ] to ] of ].<ref name="Rangers lose to fc kanuas">{{cite news|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2008/SPORT/football/08/05/champions.rangers/index.html|title=Rangers exit Champions League in Lithuania|work=CNN World Sport|publisher=CNN|date=5 August 2008|quote=Scottish giants Rangers slumped to a shock European exit when Linas Pilibaitis gave FBK Kaunas 2–1 an aggregate win in their Champions League second qualifying round tie in Lithuania.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024065004/http://edition.cnn.com/2008/SPORT/football/08/05/champions.rangers/index.html|archive-date=24 October 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> The club secured its 52nd league championship on the last day of the season with a 3–0 victory at Dundee United.<ref name="Rejuvenated rangers win title">{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/rangers/5379355/Rejuvenated-Rangers-take-SPL-title-in-style-with-victory-at-Dundee-United.html|title=Rejuvenated Rangers take SPL title in style with victory at Dundee United|date=24 May 2009|work=The Daily Telegraph|access-date=20 August 2010|author=Forsyth, Roddy|quote=With the boundless relief and joie de vivre of a man who has been reprieved on the steps of the gallows and installed in a palace, Rangers produced a climactic performance to snatch their first championship since 2005 at sun-drenched Tannadice.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212035328/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/rangers/5379355/Rejuvenated-Rangers-take-SPL-title-in-style-with-victory-at-Dundee-United.html|archive-date=12 December 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> Rangers also successfully defended the Scottish Cup, defeating Falkirk 1–0 in the final.<ref name="Rangers beat falkirk">{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/rangers/5413108/Rangers-1-Falkirk-0-Scottish-Cup-Final-2009-match-report.html|title=Rangers 1 Falkirk 0: Match report|date=30 May 2009|work=The Daily Telegraph|access-date=20 August 2010|author=Forsyth, Roddy|quote=Rangers completed the second stage of their Scottish league and cup double in the baking heat of Hampden Park on Saturday thanks to a glorious goal from Nacho Novo, with his first touch of the ball only seconds after arriving as a half-time substitute for Kris Boyd. But the favourites were made to sweat throughout – and not simply because of the sweltering conditions.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212035335/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/rangers/5413108/Rangers-1-Falkirk-0-Scottish-Cup-Final-2009-match-report.html|archive-date=12 December 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>
Rangers was placed into administration on 14 February 2012 as a result of financial problems and a dispute with ]. This resulted in the club being deducted 10 points, as per SPL rules, which extended Celtic's lead at the top of the league to 14 points.<ref name="Rangers enter administration">{{cite news|title=Rangers' 10-point deduction confirmed by SPL|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17032099|date=14 February 2012|publisher=BBC|work=BBC Sport|quote=Rangers have been deducted 10 points after entering administration.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D5R1dEuI|archivedate=21 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> Rangers' first game in administration was played in front of a sell-out ] at Ibrox though they lost 1–0 to Kilmarnock,<ref name="Rangers lose first game in administration to sell out crowd">{{cite news|title=Rangers 0 Kilmarnock 1: Shiels strikes early to compound misery for crisis club at Ibrox|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2103049/Rangers-0-Kilmarnock-1.html|date=18 February 2012|publisher=Daily Mail and General trust|work=Daily Mail|quote=A turbulent week for Rangers ended in further disappointment as they crashed to defeat to Kilmarnock in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League in their first match since being forced into administration.{{break}}The official attendance confirmed that 50,268 fans packed into Ibrox to show their backing for manager Ally McCoist and his players during the club's darkest hour.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D5R8bvXG|archivedate=21 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> and poor form continued with defeats to Hearts<ref name="Rangers poor form contunies">{{cite news|title=Rangers 1–2 Hearts|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17162927|date=1 March 2012|publisher=BBC|work=BBC Sport|quote=Hearts came from behind to beat Rangers at Ibrox as the home side's players awaited news of their futures from the club's administrators.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D5REUMLP|archivedate=21 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> and Dundee United.<ref name="Rangers lose to dundee utd again">{{cite news|title=Dundee United 2–1 Rangers|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17323889|date=17 March 2012|publisher=BBC|work=BBC Sport Scotland|author=Gibson, Fraser|quote=Dundee United saw off the challenge of a spirited Rangers side to set up a scenario whereby Celtic could win the Scottish Premier League title at Ibrox.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D5RJt58S|archivedate=21 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> The last significant game for Rangers in the 2011–12 season was the Old Firm game on 25 March where a win for Celtic would see their rivals win the championship at Ibrox. Rangers won 3–2 however and ultimately finished the season in second place behind Celtic.<ref name="Rangers deny celtic title win at parkhead">{{cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17419735|publisher=BBC|work=BBC Sport Scotland|date=25 March 2012|title=Rangers 3–2 Celtic|author=Lindsay, Clive|quote=Reigning champions Rangers prevented the Scottish title being won on their own patch despite a dramatic late rally from nine-man runaway leaders Celtic.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D5RON66J|archivedate=21 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref>


The ] saw Rangers reach their fifth consecutive domestic final: against ] in the Scottish League Cup, the club overcame a two-men ] from ], a late deciding goal from ] securing the victory.<ref name="Rangers win cup with nine men">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2010/mar/21/st-mirren-rangers-scottish-cup-final|title=Kenny Miller sees nine-man Rangers through to victory|date=21 March 2010|work=The Guardian|access-date=20 August 2010|last=Murray|first=Ewan|quote=It would, of course, be churlish not to recognise the winning mentality of a team who have lost just a single domestic fixture since Celtic lifted this trophy at their expense a year ago. Yet this win arrived in the most unlikely of circumstances, sealing the League Cup despite being down to nine men.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100325102023/http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/mar/21/st-mirren-rangers-scottish-cup-final|archive-date=25 March 2010|url-status=live}}</ref> The league championship title was retained, with three matches remaining, at ], defeating Hibernian 1–0 with a ] goal. The ], Smith's final season in charge, saw Rangers retain the League Cup, defeating Celtic at Hampden with a ] goal in extra time.<ref name="Rangers prove doubters wrong">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/9429677.stm|title=Rangers happy to prove doubters wrong after Cup win|work=BBC Sport|date=20 March 2011|quote=Rangers manager Walter Smith described the Co-operative Insurance Cup final win over Celtic as one of his "best ever" victories.<br />Smith, coming to the end of his second spell in charge at Ibrox, clinched a 20th trophy as Rangers boss after the 2–1 extra-time win at Hampden.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131010083901/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/9429677.stm|archive-date=10 October 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> A third consecutive title was won by beating ] 5–1 on the last day of the season, Smith's final match in charge of the club.<ref name="Smith's final match">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/scot_prem/9484609.stm|title=Kilmarnock 1 – 5 Rangers|date=16 May 2011|work=BBC Sport|access-date=16 May 2011|author=Moffat, Colin|quote=Rangers gave departing manager Walter Smith the perfect send-off as they wrapped up a third-consecutive Scottish Premier League title in style.<br />A blistering opening saw Kyle Lafferty net twice inside seven minutes, either side of a Steven Naismith strike.<br />Early in the second half, Nikica Jelavic smashed in a free kick and Lafferty completed his hat-trick with a composed finish.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120713113455/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/scot_prem/9484609.stm|archive-date=13 July 2012|url-status=live}}</ref>
A failure to reach agreement with ]s on 14 June 2012 led to The Rangers Football Club Plc (since renamed <nowiki>RFC 2012</nowiki> Plc)<ref name="RFC 2012 PLC">{{cite web|url=http://data.companieshouse.gov.uk/doc/company/SC004276|title=RFC 2012 P.L.C.|publisher=]|work=]|accessdate=22 December 2012|quote=IncorporationDate 27/05/1899{{break}}PreviousNames{{break}}CONDate 31/07/2012{{break}}CompanyName THE RANGERS FOOTBALL CLUB P.L.C.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D6TL4raL|archivedate=22 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> entering the process of liquidation.<ref> www.telegraph.co.uk, accessed 26 March 2013</ref> Its business, assets and history were sold to a new company, Sevco Scotland Ltd, which was later renamed The Rangers Football Club Ltd.<ref name="Rangers company enters liquidation">{{cite web|url=http://www.rangers.co.uk/index.php/club/administrators-information/item/download/28_7fc3a3f0da9d1df61b3d05625e9468ef|title=Interim Report to Creditors|publisher=Rangers FC|work=]|format=pdf|date=10 July 2012|quote=The continuation of trading operations enabled the Joint Administrators to put the CVA Proposal to the creditors of the Company and after the CVA Proposal was rejected by creditors, the Joint Administrators were able to secure a going concern sale of the business, history and assets of the Company to Sevco|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D5SUWrQQ|archivedate=21 December 2012|deadurl=no|accessdate=31 August 2012}}</ref> This company then applied for the transfer of Rangers' SFA membership which was agreed by the SFA upon acceptance of a number of conditions, including a one-year transfer ban (taking effect from the end of that summer's transfer window). Though an application for membership of the Scottish Premier League was rejected,<ref name="Newco refused spl admission">{{cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18703183|title=Rangers newco refused SPL entry after chairmen vote|publisher=BBC|work=BBC Sport|date=4 July 2012|accessdate=20 December 2012|quote=BBC Scotland has learned that 10 of the 12 clubs were in opposition, with Kilmarnock abstaining and Rangers voting in favour.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D6qdOUxw|archivedate=22 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> an application to the Scottish Football League was accepted, with member clubs deciding to place Rangers in the lowest division, the Third, for the start of the 2012–13 season rather than the First Division as SPL and SFA had sought.<ref name="Rangers relegated to 3rd division">{{cite news|title=Get out of here! Rangers thrown down to third division after clubs vote against stricken club|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2173130/Rangers-voted-Third-Division.html|publisher=Daily Mail and General Trust|work=Daily Mail|date=13 July 2012|author=Marjoribanks, Brain|accessdate=14 September 2012|quote=On a historic day for the national game, 25 out of the 30 lower-league clubs ruled that the fallen Ibrox giants should start life in the bottom tier and not in the First Division.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D6BsigTG|archivedate=22 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref>


Ally McCoist took over from Walter Smith in June 2011 but ] started with Rangers eliminated from two European competitions before the end of August: losing to Swedish side ] in the ] third round qualifying match,<ref name="Rangers lose to malmo">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2011/aug/03/malmo-rangers-champions-league-qualifying|title=Rangers crash out of Champions League after seeing red twice at Malmo|work=The Guardian|date=3 August 2011|quote=Rangers' Champions League hopes were shattered as they crashed out of the competition at the hands of Malmo after being reduced to nine men in the qualifier in Sweden. Steven Whittaker and Madjid Bougherra were both shown straight red cards, before Malmo's Ricardinho was also dismissed by the referee Vladislav Bezborodov at the Swedbank stadium|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110804214249/http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/aug/03/malmo-rangers-champions-league-qualifying|archive-date=4 August 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> and to Slovenian side ] in a ] qualifying match.<ref name="Rangers lose to maribor">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/14569511.stm|title=Rangers 1 – 1 NK Maribor (agg 2 – 3)|work=BBC Sport|date=25 August 2011|author=Campbell, Andy|quote=Rangers exited the Europa League as Maribor claimed an aggregate victory to progress to the group stages.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120713115510/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/14569511|archive-date=13 July 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> While good league form saw Rangers in top spot after being unbeaten for the first 15 games, they were knocked out of the ] by ]<ref name="Rangers go out of cup to falkirk">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/15016733.stm|title=Ally McCoist fuming as Falkirk kids dump Rangers out of cup|work=BBC Sport|date=22 September 2011|quote=Manager Ally McCoist believes his Rangers players have only themselves to blame for their shock League Cup defeat by a very youthful Falkirk line-up.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120614004930/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/15016733|archive-date=14 June 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> and the ] by ] at Ibrox.<ref name="Rangers lose to dundee utd in scottish cup">{{cite news|author=Campbell, Andy|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/16778861|title=Rangers 0–2 Dundee Utd|work=BBC Sport|date=5 February 2012|access-date=12 April 2012|quote=Dundee United knocked Rangers out of the Scottish Cup with a deserved fifth-round victory at Ibrox.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120302042219/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/16778861|archive-date=2 March 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> Rangers were placed into administration on 14 February 2012 resulting in the club being deducted 10 points as per SPL rules.<ref name="Rangers enter administration">{{cite news|title=Rangers' 10-point deduction confirmed by SPL|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17032099|date=14 February 2012|work=BBC Sport|quote=Rangers have been deducted 10 points after entering administration.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120218103449/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17032099|archive-date=18 February 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> Though Rangers avoided having Celtic win the championship at Ibrox on 25 March by winning the game 3–2, Rangers ultimately finished 20 points behind Celtic in second place.<ref name="Rangers deny celtic title win at parkhead">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17419735|work=BBC Sport|date=25 March 2012|title=Rangers 3–2 Celtic|author=Lindsay, Clive|quote=Reigning champions Rangers prevented the Scottish title being won on their own patch despite a dramatic late rally from nine-man runaway leaders Celtic.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121115133803/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17419735|archive-date=15 November 2012|url-status=live}}</ref>
Rangers' first home match in Division 3 was a 5–1 victory over ] in front of a crowd of 49,118 at Ibrox, a ] for a football match in a fourth tier league.<ref name="World record fourth tier attendance">{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/fourthtier-rangers-shatter-world-record-20120819-24gfv.html|title=Fourth-tier Rangers shatter world record|publisher=]|work=]|date=19 August 2012|accessdate=19 August 2012|quote=Rangers manager Ally McCoist paid tribute to the troubled club's fans after 49,118 packed into Ibrox to watch Saturday's 5–1 thrashing of East Stirling, a world record attendance for fourth-tier football.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A2Tjk8wq|archivedate=19 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref>{{#tag:ref|However this attendance was unofficially exceeded prior to this match with 59,966. But this attendance was not officially recorded<ref name="Unoffical record">{{cite web|url=http://www.rsssfbrasil.com/miscellaneous/attbrasd.htm|title=Best attendances of Brazilian Championship of 4th Level|publisher=RSSSF Brasil|accessdate=22 August 2012|quote=1 Santa Cruz (PE) 0 x 0 Treze (PB), 59.966, 16/10/2011, Estádio do Arruda|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A9Ra1VaQ|archivedate=24 August 2012|deadurl=no|language=Portuguese}}</ref>|group="n"}} However, away from home, Rangers started their league campaign with three successive draws before losing 1–0 to ], at the time the bottom club.<ref name="Rangers away form poor in 3rd division">{{cite news|title=Stirling Albion 1–0 Rangers|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19857024|date=6 October 2012|publisher=BBC|work=BBC Sport|quote=Rangers suffered a shock first loss in the Third Division after crashing to defeat against bottom side Stirling Albion.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D6CEvxYJ|archivedate=22 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> Rangers reached the third round of the ] where they were defeated by ] at Ibrox,<ref name="Rangers beat by queen of south in cup">{{cite news|title=Ramsdens Cup: Rangers 2–2 Queen of the South (3–4 pens)|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19629218|author=Lindsay, Clive|publisher=BBC|work=BBC Sport Scotland|date=18 September 2012|accessdate=18 September 2012|quote=Rangers made a shock exit in the Ramsdens Cup after a penalty shoot-out defeat by Queen of the South at Ibrox.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D6CNxj8Q|archivedate=22 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> the quarter finals of the ] where they lost 3–0 at home to ]<ref name="Rangers out of cup to inverness caley">{{cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20053656|title=Rangers 0–3 Inverness Caley Thistle|publisher=BBC|work=BBC Sport Scotland|author=Lamont, Alasdair|authorlink=Alasdair Lamont|date=31 October 2012|quote=Inverness Caledonian Thistle advanced to the semi-finals of the Scottish Communities League Cup for the first time with an ultimately comfortable defeat of Rangers.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D6CaJH7a|archivedate=22 December 2012|deadurl=no|accessdate=4 November 2012}}</ref> and the fifth round of the Scottish Cup where they were defeated 3-0 by Dundee United.<ref> www.bbc.co.uk, 2 February 2013</ref> Rangers beat their own new record against ] with an attendance of 49,463.<ref name="Rangers beat there own 4th tier world record">{{cite news|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/match/2012/oct/20/rangers-v-queenspark|title=Rangers v Queen's Park Match facts|work=]|publisher=Gaurdian Media Group|date=20 October 2012|accessdate=22 December 2012|quote=Attendance 49,463|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D6CwzPRi|archivedate=22 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> and again against Stirling Albion with an attendance of 49,913.<ref name="Rangers beat there record again">{{cite web|url=http://www1.skysports.com/football/live/match/272760/form|title=THE IRN-BRU SCOTTISH THIRD DIVISION|publisher=]|work=]|date=8 December 2012|accessdate=22 December 2012|quote=IBROX STADIUM (ATT 49,913)|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D6DS68Ht|archivedate=22 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref>

Rangers clinched the Division 3 title on 30 March after a goalless draw at Montrose.
===Insolvency and the lower leagues===
On 1 June 2012, after four months in administration, a failure to reach a ] agreement with ]s led to The Rangers Football Club plc (since renamed <nowiki>RFC 2012</nowiki> plc)<ref name="RFC 2012 PLC">{{cite web|url=http://data.companieshouse.gov.uk/doc/company/SC004276|title=RFC 2012 P.L.C.|work=Companies House|publisher=UK Government|access-date=22 December 2012|quote=IncorporationDate 27/05/1899<br />PreviousNames<br />CONDate 31 July 2012<br />CompanyName THE RANGERS FOOTBALL CLUB P.L.C.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131101174610/http://data.companieshouse.gov.uk/doc/company/SC004276|archive-date=1 November 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> entering the process of liquidation.<ref> ''The Daily Telegraph''. Retrieved 26 March 2013.</ref> The administrators completed a sale of the business and assets to ], Sevco Scotland Ltd (which later renamed itself The Rangers Football Club Ltd), though most first-team players refused to transfer across.<ref name="Rangers company enters liquidation">{{cite web|url=http://www.rangers.co.uk/index.php/club/administrators-information/item/download/28_7fc3a3f0da9d1df61b3d05625e9468ef|title=Interim Report to Creditors|work=Duff and Phelps|publisher=Rangers F.C.|format=pdf|date=10 July 2012|quote=The continuation of trading operations enabled the Joint Administrators to put the CVA Proposal to the creditors of the Company and after the CVA Proposal was rejected by creditors, the Joint Administrators were able to secure a going concern sale of the business, history and assets of the Company to Sevco|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120827020746/http://www.rangers.co.uk/index.php/club/administrators-information/item/download/28_7fc3a3f0da9d1df61b3d05625e9468ef|archive-date=27 August 2012|url-status=dead|access-date=31 August 2012}}</ref><ref name="Lord Nimmo Smith Commission">{{cite web|url=http://spfl.co.uk/news/article/commission-decision-2013-02-28/mediaassets/doc/Commission%20Decision%2028%2002%202013.pdf|title=Lord Nimmo Smith Commission|publisher=Scottish Professional Football League|date=28 February 2013|quote=On 14 June 2012 a newly incorporated company, Sevco Scotland Limited, purchased substantially all the business and assets of Oldco, including Rangers FC, by entering into an asset sale and purchase agreement with the joint administrators.|access-date=25 November 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141219023336/http://spfl.co.uk/news/article/commission-decision-2013-02-28/mediaassets/doc/Commission%20Decision%2028%2002%202013.pdf|archive-date=19 December 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> The new company failed to secure the transfer of Rangers' previous place in the Scottish Premier League,<ref name="Newco refused spl admission">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18703183|title=Rangers newco refused SPL entry after chairmen vote|work=BBC Sport|date=4 July 2012|access-date=20 December 2012|quote=BBC Scotland has learned that 10 of the 12 clubs were in opposition, with Kilmarnock abstaining and Rangers voting in favour.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121114102205/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18703183|archive-date=14 November 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> but were later accepted into the ]. Rangers were awarded associate membership and placed in the lowest division, the Third, rather than the First Division as the SPL and SFA had sought.<ref> Daily Record, 13 July 2012.</ref> The transfer of Rangers' SFA membership was agreed by the SFA upon acceptance of a number of conditions, including a one-year transfer ban, in time for the club to begin the ].<ref name="SFA membership transferred">{{cite web|title=Agreement on Transfer of Membership|url=http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/scottish_fa_news.cfm?page=2986&newsID=10252&newsCategoryID=1|date=27 July 2012|publisher=Scottish Football Association|access-date=30 July 2012|quote=We are pleased to confirm that agreement has been reached on all outstanding points relating to the transfer of the Scottish FA membership between Rangers FC (In Administration), and Sevco Scotland Ltd, who will be the new owners of The Rangers Football Club.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120802012743/http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/scottish_fa_news.cfm?page=2986&newsID=10252&newsCategoryID=1|archive-date=2 August 2012|url-status=live}}</ref>

With most key Rangers players having refused to transfer to the new company, a very different Rangers team lined up for the first league match in the ] though it secured a comfortable 5–1 victory over ] in front of a crowd of 49,118, a ] for a football match in a fourth tier league.<ref name="World record fourth tier attendance">{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/fourthtier-rangers-shatter-world-record-20120819-24gfv.html|title=Fourth-tier Rangers shatter world record|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=19 August 2012|access-date=19 August 2012|quote=Rangers manager Ally McCoist paid tribute to the troubled club's fans after 49,118 packed into Ibrox to watch Saturday's 5–1 thrashing of East Stirling, a world record attendance for fourth-tier football.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131207051918/http://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/fourthtier-rangers-shatter-world-record-20120819-24gfv.html|archive-date=7 December 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>{{#tag:ref|However this attendance was unofficially exceeded prior to this match in Brazil. But this attendance was not officially recorded.<ref name="Unofficial record">{{cite web|url=http://www.rsssfbrasil.com/miscellaneous/attbrasd.htm|title=Best attendances of Brazilian Championship of 4th Level|publisher=RSSSF Brasil|access-date=22 August 2012|quote=1 Santa Cruz (PE) 0&nbsp;×&nbsp;0 Treze (PB), 59.966, 16/10/2011, Estádio do Arruda|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120802222417/http://www.rsssfbrasil.com/miscellaneous/attbrasd.htm|archive-date=2 August 2012|url-status=live|language=pt}}</ref>|group="n"}} Away from home, Rangers started their league campaign with three successive draws before losing 1–0 to ], at the time the bottom club in the country.<ref name="Rangers away form poor in 3rd division">{{cite news|title=Stirling Albion 1–0 Rangers|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19857024|date=6 October 2012|work=BBC Sport|quote=Rangers suffered a shock first loss in the Third Division after crashing to defeat against bottom side Stirling Albion.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121116003707/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19857024|archive-date=16 November 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> Rangers were defeated in the third round of the ] by ] at Ibrox,<ref name="Rangers beat by queen of south in cup">{{cite news|title=Ramsdens Cup: Rangers 2–2 Queen of the South (3–4 pens)|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19629218|author=Lindsay, Clive|work=BBC Sport|date=18 September 2012|access-date=18 September 2012|quote=Rangers made a shock exit in the Ramsdens Cup after a penalty shoot-out defeat by Queen of the South at Ibrox.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121109014656/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19629218|archive-date=9 November 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> in the quarter-finals of the ] at home to ]<ref name="Rangers out of cup to inverness caley">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20053656|title=Rangers 0–3 Inverness Caley Thistle|work=BBC Sport|author=Lamont, Alasdair|author-link=Alasdair Lamont|date=31 October 2012|quote=Inverness Caledonian Thistle advanced to the semi-finals of the Scottish Communities League Cup for the first time with an ultimately comfortable defeat of Rangers.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121123063304/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20053656|archive-date=23 November 2012|url-status=live|access-date=4 November 2012}}</ref> and in the fifth round of the ] by Dundee United.<ref> BBC, 2 February 2013.</ref> Rangers beat their own new record against ] with an attendance of 49,463<ref name="Rangers beat there own 4th tier world record">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/match/2012/oct/20/rangers-v-queenspark|title=Rangers v Queen's Park Match facts|work=The Guardian|date=20 October 2012|access-date=22 December 2012|quote=Attendance 49,463|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130420210303/http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/match/2012/oct/20/rangers-v-queenspark|archive-date=20 April 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> and again against Stirling Albion with an attendance of 49,913.<ref name="Rangers beat their record again">{{cite news|url=http://www1.skysports.com/football/live/match/272760/form|title=THE IRN-BRU SCOTTISH THIRD DIVISION|publisher=Sky Sports|date=8 December 2012|access-date=22 December 2012|quote=IBROX STADIUM (ATT 49,913)|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104172538/http://www1.skysports.com/football/live/match/272760/form|archive-date=4 November 2012|url-status=live}}</ref>
Rangers clinched the ] title on 30 March after a goalless draw at ].

Apart from being defeated 2–1 by ] in the first round of the ] on 3 August, ] got off to an excellent start with Rangers winning maximum league points in their first 15 games in ], before being held to a draw at home by ] on Boxing Day 2013. Rangers secured the ] title and promotion to ] on 12 March 2014 and went on to end the season unbeaten in league football.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413141212/http://sport.stv.tv/football/clubs/rangers/268342-rangers-clinch-scottish-league-1-title-after-3-0-win-over-airdrieonians/ |date=13 April 2014 }} stv.tv. Retrieved 10 April 2014.</ref> Rangers also reached the final of the ], in which they lost to ]<ref> BBC. Retrieved 10 April 2014.</ref> and the semi-final of the ], in which they lost 3–1 at Ibrox to Dundee United.

Playing in the ] in ] provided Rangers with a more difficult challenge, with the club losing home and away to both Hibernian<ref> BBC, 29 September 2014.</ref><ref> BBC.co.uk 27 December 2014.</ref> and Hearts<ref> BBC, 10 August 2014.</ref><ref> BBC, 22 November 2014.</ref> and also losing away to Queen of the South<ref> BBC, 12 December 2014.</ref> in the first half of the season. Rangers also failed to beat Alloa either home or away in the league before losing 3–2 to Alloa in the semi-final of the ].<ref> BBC 9 December 2014.</ref> Amid mounting criticism,<ref> Skysports, 17 December 2014.</ref> McCoist submitted his resignation intending to honour his 12 months notice period but was placed on ] and replaced by ] on a caretaker basis.<ref> BBC News 21 December 2014.</ref> McDowall remained in charge for just three months before resigning in March 2015. During his time in charge, Rangers won just three matches. Rangers then named former player ] as their third manager of the season for the remaining fixtures.<ref>{{cite news|url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/31839589|title = Rangers: Stuart McCall appointed manager until summer|date = 12 March 2015|access-date = 9 May 2015|work=BBC Sport}}</ref> Under McCall, Rangers finished third in the league and then reached the Premiership play-off final, which they lost 6–1 on aggregate to Motherwell.<ref> – BBC Sport, 31 May 2015.</ref>

===Warburton, Premiership return, Caixinha and Murty===
In June 2015, it was announced that ] had been appointed as manager on a three-year deal.<ref>{{ cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/jun/15/rangers-appoint-mark-warburton-manager | title=Rangers appoint Mark Warburton as manager on three-year contract | location=London| work=The Guardian| date=15 June 2015}}</ref> Rangers went on to win the ] and automatic promotion to the ], ending their four-year stint in the lower divisions. The club also reached the ], beating Old Firm rivals ] in the semi-final at Hampden,<ref>{{cite news|title=Rangers in Scottish Cup Final |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36008631 |work=BBC Sport |access-date=17 April 2016}}</ref> before losing to Hibernian in the final.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36292302|title=Scottish Cup final: Rangers 2–3 Hibernian|work=BBC Sport|first=Richard|last=Wilson}}</ref> After a poor first half of the 2016–17 season, ] and ] left Rangers on 10 February 2017, and ] was placed in caretaker control of the Rangers first team.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/club-statement-74/ |title=Club Statement |publisher=Rangers F.C. |date=10 February 2017 |access-date=10 February 2017 |archive-date=16 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170216223001/https://rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/club-statement-74/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Rangers: Mark Warburton replaced as manager ahead of Scottish Cup tie|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38939432|work=BBC Sport |access-date=11 February 2017|date=10 February 2017}}</ref> ] eventually took over as permanent manager.

Caixinha's first full season started with Rangers suffering one of the worst results in their history. After winning 1–0 at Ibrox, Rangers ] to ] minnows ], resulting in Rangers being knocked out 2–1 on aggregate in the ] of the ]. Progrès had never before won a tie and had only ever scored once before in European competition.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40475647 |title=Progres Niederkorn 2–0 Rangers (agg 2–1) |work=BBC Sport |access-date=4 July 2017 |date=4 July 2017}}</ref> After that disappointing start to the season the form did not improve, with notable results including a 2–0 reverse to Celtic at home in the league<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/41290216|title=Rangers 0–2 Celtic|work=BBC Sport|date=23 September 2017|access-date=22 December 2017}}</ref> and defeat to Motherwell in the Scottish League Cup semi-final by the same scoreline.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/41683732|title=Rangers 0–2 Motherwell|work=BBC Sport|date=22 October 2017|access-date=22 December 2017}}</ref> On 26 October, a day after a 95th-minute equaliser at Ibrox by last-placed Kilmarnock saw Rangers draw 1–1, Caixinha was sacked and ] took over as caretaker manager again. The Portuguese manager's reign was described as "a desperate mess from start to finish".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/41762385|title=Rangers: Pedro Caixinha sacked as manager after board meeting|work=BBC Sport|date=26 October 2017|access-date=22 December 2017}}</ref>

In late December, after a search for a more experienced manager proved unsuccessful, including a failed attempt to appoint Aberdeen manager ], Murty (who had won back-to-back games over Aberdeen<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.espn.co.uk/football/report?gameId=485845 |title=Rangers back to winning ways with comfortable victory over Aberdeen |website=ESPN|date=29 November 2017 |access-date=22 December 2017 }}</ref><ref name=rehearsal>{{cite news|title=Aberdeen 1 Rangers 2: Derek McInnes remains favourite for Ibrox job despite losing dress rehearsal at Pittodrie|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2017/12/03/aberdeen-1-rangers-2derek-mcinnes-remains-favourite-ibrox-job/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2017/12/03/aberdeen-1-rangers-2derek-mcinnes-remains-favourite-ibrox-job/ |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|last=Forsyth|first=Roddy|newspaper=Daily Telegraph|date=3 December 2017|access-date=22 December 2017}}{{cbignore}}</ref> and also defeated Hibernian away from home<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/42244866|title=Hibernian 1–2 Rangers|work=BBC Sport|date=13 December 2017|access-date=22 December 2017}}</ref> during his interim spell) was appointed to the role until the end of the season.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/42457229|title=Graeme Murty: Rangers appoint interim boss as manager for rest of season|work=BBC Sport|date=22 December 2017|access-date=22 December 2017}}</ref> On 1 May 2018, Murty's second spell in charge ended prematurely when he was sacked as manager following a 5–0 defeat to Celtic which resulted in Celtic winning their 7th consecutive league title.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/43961178|title=Rangers: Graeme Murty sacked as manager|work=BBC Sport|date=1 May 2018|access-date=4 May 2018}}</ref> Rangers again ended the season in 3rd place, behind Celtic and Aberdeen for the second year in a row.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://int.soccerway.com/national/scotland/premier-league/20172018/2nd-phase/r41507/|title=Scottish Premiership 2nd Phase|work=Soccerway|access-date=15 May 2018}}</ref>

===The Gerrard era===
On 4 May 2018, former ] and ] captain ] was confirmed as the new manager of Rangers on a four-year contract.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/steven-gerrard-confirmed-as-manager/|title=Steven Gerrard Confirmed As Manager|publisher=Rangers.co.uk|date=4 May 2018|access-date=4 May 2018}}</ref> Gerrard's era started successfully with Rangers remaining unbeaten in their first 12 games, clinching a place in the UEFA Europa League group stage in the process.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/45342102|title=FC Ufa 1 : 1 Rangers|publisher=BBC|date=30 August 2018|access-date=10 November 2018}}</ref> However, Rangers were then defeated by Celtic in the first Old Firm match of the season,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/45312088|title=Celtic 1 : 0 Rangers|publisher=BBC|date=2 September 2018|access-date=10 November 2018}}</ref> and the following month were eliminated from the League Cup by Aberdeen.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/45934006|title=Aberdeen 1: 0 Rangers|publisher=BBC|date=28 October 2018|access-date=10 November 2018}}</ref> On 29 December, Rangers defeated Celtic at Ibrox to inflict ]' first defeat in 13 Old Firm games; Rangers first win over Celtic since a Scottish Cup victory in April 2016 and their first league win over Celtic since March 2012.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/46656785|title=Rangers 1-0 Celtic|publisher=BBC|date=29 December 2018|access-date=30 December 2018}}</ref> Aberdeen knocked Rangers out of a cup for the second time in the season after securing a 2–0 victory in the Scottish Cup at Ibrox on 12 March 2019.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/47450648|title=Rangers 0-2 Aberdeen|publisher=BBC|date=12 March 2019|access-date=12 March 2019}}</ref>

The 2019–20 season began with Rangers again qualifying for the UEFA Europa League group stage before losing 2–0 to Celtic at Ibrox in the first Old Firm match of the season on 1 September. The following day, the club signed ] from Liverpool for £7 million. Rangers reached the final of the League Cup, but despite a dominant performance, were beaten 1–0 by Celtic.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/50672183 |title=Rangers 0:1 Celtic |publisher=BBC |date=8 December 2019 |access-date=8 December 2019}}</ref> On 12 December, Rangers progressed to the UEFA Europa League Round of 32 as group runners-up after a 1–1 draw with ] which secured European football beyond Christmas for the first time since the 2010–11 season.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/50672304 |title=Rangers 1-1 Young Boys |publisher=BBC |date=12 December 2019 |access-date=12 December 2019}}</ref> On 29 December, Rangers beat Celtic 2–1 at Celtic Park, their first win at their arch rival's stadium since October 2010.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/50882543 |title=Celtic 1-2 Rangers |publisher=BBC |date=29 December 2019 |access-date=29 December 2019}}</ref> However, a slump in form thereafter, including losing to Hearts in the Scottish Cup and Hamilton in the league within five days, left Rangers 13 points adrift of Celtic a week into March.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/51772454 |title=Rangers: Steven Gerrard aims to arrest form slump and quell fans' anger |publisher=BBC |date=7 December 2019 |access-date=7 December 2019}}</ref> However, all professional football in Scotland was suspended later that month due to the ].<ref>{{cite news |title=Coronavirus in Scotland: Which Scottish events have been cancelled due to COVID-19? |url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/18304715.coronavirus-scotland-scottish-events-cancelled-due-covid-19/ |access-date=16 March 2020 |work=Herald Scotland |date=14 March 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=McDermott |first=Scott |title=Celtic and Rangers title spat shows SPFL must consider the null and void elephant in the room |url=https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/celtic-rangers-title-spat-shows-21852483 |access-date=13 April 2020 |work=Daily Record |date=12 April 2020}}</ref> On 18 May 2020, the SPFL officially ended the season, and Celtic were awarded the league title which was determined by points per game.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://spfl.co.uk/news/ladbrokes-premiership-and-spfl-season-201920-cur |title=Ladbrokes Premiership and SPFL Season 2019/20 curtailed {{!}} SPFL |access-date=2021-02-10|website=spfl.co.uk}}</ref>

On 7 March 2021, Rangers won the league title for the first time in ten years,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/soccer/rangers/story/4331641/steven-gerrard-steers-rangers-to-first-scottish-title-in-10-years |title=Steven Gerrard steers Rangers to first Scottish title in 10 years |website=ESPN |date=7 March 2021 }}</ref> going on to end the league campaign undefeated, with a club record 102 points.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://talksport.com/football/881323/rangers-lift-scottish-premiership-title-gerrard-fans-celebrate-ibrox/ |title=INVINCIBLES Rangers finally lift Scottish Premiership title and THOUSANDS of fans celebrate outside Ibrox as Steven Gerrard's side complete unbeaten season |website=talksport.com |date=15 May 2021 }}</ref>

=== Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Europa League Final and Michael Beale return ===
Midway through the 2021–22 season, Steven Gerrard left Rangers for ], and was replaced by former Rangers midfielder ] on 11 November 2021. He led Rangers to their first European final in fourteen years, beating ], ], ] and ] on the way to facing ] in the ]. He also took the club to their first ] final in six years, in which they beat ].<ref>{{Cite news |title=Rangers beat Hearts in extra time to win Scottish Cup |language=en-GB |work=BBC Sport |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/61447048 |access-date=2022-05-23}}</ref>

In the 2022–23 season, Rangers qualified for the ] for the first time since the ]. They went on to lose all six group matches against ], ], and ] with only two goals scored and a −20 goal difference overall, setting the worst performance in a Champions League group stage, surpassing ]'s −19 goal difference in the ].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Church |first1=Ben |title=Six losses and 22 goals conceded: Glasgow Rangers suffers worst Champions League group stage campaign in tournament history |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2022/11/02/football/rangers-champions-league-worst-record-spt-intl/index.html |access-date=3 November 2022 |work=CNN |date=2 November 2022}}</ref> Giovanni van Bronckhorst was sacked on 21 November 2022, after also falling nine points behind Celtic in the Scottish Premiership.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Van Bronckhorst sacked as Rangers manager |language=en-GB |work=BBC Sport |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/63535011 |access-date=2023-10-08}}</ref> Michael Beale, a coach under previous manager Steven Gerrard, succeeded van Bronckhorst on 28 November 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Rangers Confirm Michael Beale as Manager |url=https://www.rangers.co.uk/Article/rangers-confirm-michael-beale-as-manager/78EvJ6oEQDnXMpW19wJApY |access-date=2023-12-20 |website=www.rangers.co.uk |language=en-gb}}</ref> After a winning start, Beale had turned around results quickly; however, they lost out in both cup competitions against Celtic and finished the ] seven points behind their rivals. After a summer rebuild, Rangers lost on the opening day of the ] to Kilmarnock; their hopes of qualifying for that seasons Champions League was also crushed after losing to ]. Beale was sacked as manager on 1 October 2023, the defeat to Aberdeen at Ibrox the culmination of a very poor run of results.


==Crest and colours== ==Crest and colours==


===Crest=== ===Crest===
Unusually for a football club, Rangers have two different official ]. Today the original scroll crest appears on the club's strips whereas the ] club crest is used by the media, on club merchandise and on official club documents. Both crests have undergone minor variations since their introduction. It is believed that the scroll crest, representing the letters ''RFC'' overlapping, has been used since the club's formation in 1872, although the oldest remaining piece of memorabilia containing this crest is from the 1881–82 season. The scroll crest was replaced in 1959 with the lion rampant club crest which featured a lion rampant, an old-style football and the club's motto ''Ready'', which was shortened from ''Aye Ready'' (meaning ''Always Ready'' in ]), all surrounded by the team name, ''Rangers Football Club''. The lion rampant club crest was modernised in 1968; the lion rampant, team name, club motto and old style football all remained. It was again updated ever so slightly in the early 1990s to the current version. The modern circular crest is regularly used on club merchandise and by the media; it has never featured prominently on the club strip. Since 1968 Rangers have had two crests, the scroll crest made a return appearing on the chest of the club shirt for the first time while the modernised club crest was still the club's official logo. The scroll crest first appeared on the teams shorts for the start of the 1978–79 season.<ref name="Rangers Crest Badges">{{cite web|url=http://www.danburymint.co.uk/index.php?act=product&product_id=4250&cat_id=&mediacode=&kiks_code=|title=The Badges of Rangers Football Club|publisher=]|accessdate=21 January 2013|quote=The earliest badge featured the celebrated RFC scroll crest believed to have been used since 1872. Then there’s the lion rampant and the club motto ‘READY’, which have appeared on Rangers’ badges since 1959. Finally, see the evolution into the current badge, with the famous blue, white and red colours.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A9zFHSQa|archivedate=21 January 2013|deadurl=no}}</ref><ref name="Rangers Crest History">{{cite web|url=http://www.rangers.co.uk/club/history/crest|title=The Rangers Crest|publisher=]|accessdate=21 January 2013|quote=Although the 'RFC' Scroll Crest was omitted in 1959 it made a welcome return in 1968 when it was placed on the club's home jersey for the very first time. It was later added to the shorts a decade later for the start of the 1978–79 season.}}</ref> Unusually for a football club, Rangers have two different official ]. Today the original scroll crest appears on the club's strips whereas the ] club crest is used by the media, on club merchandise and on official club documents. Both crests have undergone minor variations since their introduction. It is believed that the scroll crest, representing the letters ''RFC'' overlapping, has been used since the club's formation in 1872, although the oldest remaining piece of memorabilia containing this crest is from the 1881–82 season. The scroll crest was replaced in 1959 with the lion rampant club crest which featured a lion rampant, an old-style football and the club's motto ''Ready'', which was shortened from ''Aye Ready'' (meaning ''Always Ready'' in ]), all surrounded by the team name, ''Rangers Football Club''. The lion rampant club crest was modernised in 1968; the lion rampant, team name, club motto and old style football all remained. It was again updated slightly in the early 1990s and then once more in 2020 to the current version. The modern circular crest is regularly used on club merchandise and by the media; it has never featured prominently on the club strip. In 1968 the scroll crest made a return appearing on the chest of the club shirt for the first time while the modernised club crest was still the club's official logo. The scroll crest first appeared on the teams shorts for the start of the 1978–79 season.<ref name="Rangers Crest Badges">{{cite web|url=http://www.danburymint.co.uk/index.php?act=product&product_id=4250&cat_id=&mediacode=&kiks_code=|title=The Badges of Rangers Football Club|publisher=Danbury Mint|access-date=21 January 2013|quote=The earliest badge featured the celebrated RFC scroll crest believed to have been used since 1872. Then there's the lion rampant and the club motto 'READY', which have appeared on Rangers' badges since 1959. Finally, see the evolution into the current badge, with the famous blue, white and red colours.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130731205721/http://www.danburymint.co.uk/index.php?act=product&product_id=4250&cat_id=&mediacode=&kiks_code=|archive-date=31 July 2013|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Rangers Crest History">{{cite web|url=http://www.rangers.co.uk/club/history/crest|title=The Rangers Crest|publisher=Rangers F.C.|access-date=21 January 2013|quote=Although the 'RFC' Scroll Crest was omitted in 1959 it made a welcome return in 1968 when it was placed on the club's home jersey for the very first time. It was later added to the shorts a decade later for the start of the 1978–79 season.|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130123011856/http://www.rangers.co.uk/club/history/crest|archive-date=23 January 2013}}</ref>


<gallery widths="180" heights="180" class="center">
The way the scroll crest has appeared on the club shirt has varied slightly through the years. Between 1990 and 1994 'Rangers Football Club' and the 'Ready' motto appeared above and below the Crest respectively. Between 1997 and 1999 the scroll crest featured within a shield. After a successful end to the ], which delivered Rangers a ] and their 50th league title; ] were added to the top of the scroll crest, one for every ten titles won by the club. The team wore a special crest on 8 December 2012 in a home league match against Stirling Albion, to commemorate the 140th anniversary of their formation. '1872–2012' appeared above the scroll crest with the words '140 years' featuring below.<ref name="Rangers Crest Gersnet">{{cite web|url=http://www.therangersarchive.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=261&Itemid=326|title=The Rangers Crest|publisher=Gersnet Online|accessdate=21 January 2013|quote=From 1990 to 1994 'Rangers Football Club' and the 'Ready' motto were placed above and below the Crest respectively. In 1997–98 the Crest was placed in a shield but perhaps the most significant change was before the start of the 2003/04 campaign. Having clinched their 50th League Championship, a year in which Rangers secured a domestic Treble, the Club decided to add five stars above the Scoll Crest, one for every ten titles won.}}</ref><ref name="Rangers home historical kits" />
File:Rangers FC logo (since 2020).png|alt=The current lion rampant club crest. Never appeared on the shirt|The current lion rampant club crest. Never appeared on the shirt.
</gallery>

The way the scroll crest has appeared on the club shirt has varied slightly through the years. Between 1990 and 1994 'Rangers Football Club' and the 'Ready' motto appeared above and below the Crest respectively. Between 1997 and 1999 the scroll crest featured within a shield. After a successful end to the ], which delivered Rangers a ] and their 50th league title; ] were added to the top of the scroll crest, one for every ten titles won by the club. The team wore a special crest on 8 December 2012 in a home league match against Stirling Albion, to commemorate the 140th anniversary of their formation. '1872–2012' appeared above the scroll crest with the words '140 years' featuring below.<ref name="Rangers Crest Gersnet">{{cite web|url=http://www.therangersarchive.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=261&Itemid=326|title=The Rangers Crest|publisher=Gersnet Online|access-date=21 January 2013|quote=From 1990 to 1994 'Rangers Football Club' and the 'Ready' motto were placed above and below the Crest respectively. In 1997–98 the Crest was placed in a shield but perhaps the most significant change was before the start of the 2003/04 campaign. Having clinched their 50th League Championship, a year in which Rangers secured a domestic Treble, the Club decided to add five stars above the Scoll Crest, one for every ten titles won.}}</ref><ref name="Rangers home historical kits" />


<gallery widths=180px heights=180px align=center> <gallery widths="180" heights="180" class="center" caption="Kit crest history">
File:RangersFCLogo1959.png|alt=Lion rampant club crest before modernisation 1959-1968. Never appeared on the shirt.|<div align="center">Lion rampant club crest 1959-1968. Never appeared on the shirt.</div> File:ScrollCrestRangersF.C.svg|alt=Scroll crest, appeared on the chest of the Rangers shirt 1968–present.|<div style="text-align:center;">Scroll crest, appeared on the chest of the Rangers shirt since 1968</div>
File:Rangers FC logo 1990's.png|alt=Lion rampant club crest 1968-1991. Never appeared on the shirt.|<div align="center">Lion rampant club crest 1968-1991. Never appeared on the shirt.</div> File:Rangers FC scroll crest 1990-95.png|<div style="text-align:center;">Scroll crest version with banner and 'Ready' motto, worn on shirts between 1990 and 1995</div>
File:ScrollCrestRangersF.C.svg|alt=Scroll crest. Appeared on the chest of the Rangers shirt 1968-Present.|<div align="center">Scroll crest. Appeared on the chest of the Rangers shirt 1968-Present.</div> File:StarScrollCrestRangersFC.svg|alt=Scroll crest with five stars, worn on the Rangers shirt 2003–present.|<div style="text-align:center;">Scroll crest with five stars, worn on the Rangers shirt since 2003</div>
File:StarScrollCrestRangersFC.svg|alt=Scroll crest with 5 stars. Worn on the Rangers shirt 2003-Present.|<div align="center">Scroll crest with 5 stars. Worn on the Rangers shirt 2003-Present.</div>
</gallery> </gallery>


===Colours=== ===Colours===
The club ] of Rangers F.C. are ], white and red. However, for the majority of the first forty-eight years of Rangers existence the club played in a plain lighter blue home shirt. The only deviation from this was a four season period from 1879 when the side wore the lighter shade of blue and white in a hooped style. Traditionally this is accompanied by white shorts (often with royal blue and/or red trim) and black socks with red turn-downs. Rangers moved from the lighter shade of blue to royal blue in 1921, and have had a royal blue home shirt every year since. Black socks were first included in 1883 for five seasons before disappearing for eight years but became a more 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.<ref name="Rangers home historical kits">{{cite web|url=http://www.historicalkits.co.uk/Scottish_Football_League/Rangers/Rangers.htm|title=Rangers|publisher=Historical Football Kits|accessdate=17 August 2012|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A9yqRFgb|archivedate=24 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> The club ] 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 lighter blue home shirt. The only deviation from this was a four-season period from 1879 when the side wore the lighter shade of blue and white in a hooped style. Traditionally this is accompanied by white shorts (often with royal blue and/or red trim) and black socks with red turn-downs. Rangers moved from the lighter shade of blue to royal blue in 1921, and have had a royal blue home shirt every year since. Black socks were first included in 1883 for five seasons before disappearing for eight years but became a more 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.<ref name="Rangers home historical kits">{{cite web|url=http://www.historicalkits.co.uk/Scottish_Football_League/Rangers/Rangers.htm|title=Rangers|work=Historical Football Kits|publisher=Dave Moor|access-date=17 August 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120624074927/http://www.historicalkits.co.uk/Scottish_Football_League/Rangers/Rangers.htm|archive-date=24 June 2012|url-status=live}}</ref>


The basic design of Rangers away strips has changed far more than the traditional home strip. Rangers original change strip, used between 1876 and 1879, was all white featuring blue and white hooped socks and a light blue ] on the chest. White and red have been the most common colours for Rangers alternate strips, though dark and light blue have also featured highly. In 1994 Rangers introduced a third kit. 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.<ref name="Rangers away historical kits">{{cite web|url=http://www.historicalkits.co.uk/Scottish_Football_League/Rangers/Rangers-change-kits.html|title=Rangers Change Kits|publisher=Historical Football Kits|accessdate=24 August 2012|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A9ytIGuU|archivedate=24 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> The basic design of Rangers away strips has changed far more than the traditional home strip. Rangers original change strip, used between 1876 and 1879, was all white featuring blue and white hooped socks and a light blue ] on the chest. White and red have been the most common colours for Rangers alternate strips, though dark and light blue have also featured highly. In 1994 Rangers introduced a ]. 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.<ref name="Rangers away historical kits">{{cite web|url=http://www.historicalkits.co.uk/Scottish_Football_League/Rangers/Rangers-change-kits.html|title=Rangers Change Kits|work=Historical Football Kits|publisher=Dave Moor|access-date=24 August 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120913081516/http://www.historicalkits.co.uk/Scottish_Football_League/Rangers/Rangers-change-kits.html|archive-date=13 September 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> Orange and blue change strips, first seen in 1993–94,<ref name="Rangers away historical kits" /> worn once in 2002–03<ref name = "2018–19 kits">{{cite news|title=Ladbrokes Scottish Premiership 2018–2019|url=http://historicalkits.co.uk/Scottish_Football_League/season/2018-2019/premiership.html|access-date=12 July 2018|work=Historical Football Kits|publisher=Dave Moor}}</ref> and reintroduced in 2018–19<ref name="2018–19 kits" /> and 2022–23,<ref name="Rangers 22-23 Third Kit Released">{{cite news|title=Rangers 22-23 Third Kit Released|work=footyheadlines.com|publisher=Footy Headlines|accessdate=19 May 2022|url=https://www.footyheadlines.com/2022/05/rangers-22-23-third-kit-released.html|date=10 May 2022}}</ref> have caused controversy because the colours were seen as referencing the ].<ref name="2018–19 kits" />


{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto;" {| class="wikitable" style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto;"
Line 149: Line 185:
! colspan="7"|Selection of Rangers kits through history<ref name="Rangers home historical kits" /> ! colspan="7"|Selection of Rangers kits through history<ref name="Rangers home historical kits" />
|- |-
|{{Football kit box|pattern_la=|pattern_b=|pattern_ra=|pattern_so=_hoops_white|leftarm=0033FF|body=0033FF|rightarm=0033FF|shorts=FFFFFF|socks=0033FF|alt=The blue shirt, white shorts and blue & white hooped socks. Worn 1873–1879|title=<div align="center">The blue shirt, white shorts and blue & white hooped socks. Worn 1873–1879</div>}} |{{Football kit box|pattern_la=|pattern_b=|pattern_ra=|pattern_so=_hoops_white|leftarm=0033FF|body=0033FF|rightarm=0033FF|shorts=FFFFFF|socks=0033FF|alt=The blue shirt, white shorts and blue & white hooped socks. Worn 1873–1879.|title=<div style="text-align:center;">The blue shirt, white shorts and blue & white hooped socks. Worn 1873–1879.</div>}}
|{{Football kit box|pattern_la=|pattern_b=|pattern_ra=|pattern_so=_redtop|leftarm=FFFFFF|body=FFFFFF|rightarm=FFFFFF|shorts=000000|socks=000000|alt=A change kit featuring a white top. Worn 1916–1918, 1921-1932 and 1933-1934|title=<div align="center">A change kit featuring a white top. Worn 1916–1918, 1921-1932 and 1933-1934</div>}} |{{Football kit box|pattern_la=|pattern_b=|pattern_ra=|pattern_so=_redtop|leftarm=FFFFFF|body=FFFFFF|rightarm=FFFFFF|shorts=000000|socks=000000|alt=A change kit featuring a white top. Worn 1916–1918, 1921–1932 and 1933–1934.|title=<div style="text-align:center;">A change kit featuring a white top. Worn 1916–1918, 1921–1932 and 1933–1934.</div>}}
|{{Football kit box|pattern_la=|pattern_b=|pattern_ra=|pattern_so=|leftarm=0033FF|body=0033FF|rightarm=0033FF|shorts=FFFFFF|socks=000000|alt=The blue shirt, white shorts and black socks. Worn 1883–1888 and 1896–1904|title=<div align="center">The blue shirt, white shorts and black socks. Worn 1883–1888 and 1896–1904</div>}} |{{Football kit box|pattern_la=|pattern_b=|pattern_ra=|pattern_so=|leftarm=0033FF|body=0033FF|rightarm=0033FF|shorts=FFFFFF|socks=000000|alt=The blue shirt, white shorts and black socks. Worn 1883–1888 and 1896–1904.|title=<div style="text-align:center;">The blue shirt, white shorts and black socks. Worn 1883–1888 and 1896–1904.</div>}}
|{{Football kit box|pattern_la=|pattern_b=_collarwhite|pattern_ra=|pattern_so=_redtop|leftarm=0000FF|body=0000FF|rightarm=0000FF|shorts=FFFFFF|socks=000000|alt=The royal blue shirt with white collar and black socks with red tops. Worn 1921–1957|title=<div align="center">The royal blue shirt with white collar and black socks with red tops. Worn 1921–1957</div>}} |{{Football kit box|pattern_la=|pattern_b=_collarwhite|pattern_ra=|pattern_so=_redtop|leftarm=0000FF|body=0000FF|rightarm=0000FF|shorts=FFFFFF|socks=000000|alt=The royal blue shirt with white collar and black socks with red tops. Worn 1921–1957.|title=<div style="text-align:center;">The royal blue shirt with white collar and black socks with red tops. Worn 1921–1957.</div>}}
|{{Football kit box|pattern_la=|pattern_b=|pattern_ra=|pattern_so=_whitetop|leftarm=0000FF|body=0000FF|rightarm=0000FF|shorts=FFFFFF|socks=FF0000|alt=The royal blue shirt and red socks with white tops. Worn 1968–1973.|title=<div align="center">The royal blue shirt and red socks with white tops. Worn 1968–1973 and 2012-2013</div>}} |{{Football kit box|pattern_la=|pattern_b=|pattern_ra=|pattern_so=_whitetop|leftarm=0000FF|body=0000FF|rightarm=0000FF|shorts=FFFFFF|socks=FF0000|alt=The royal blue shirt and red socks with white tops. Worn 1968–1973.|title=<div style="text-align:center;">The royal blue shirt and red socks with white tops. Worn 1968–1973 and 2012–2013.</div>}}
|{{Football kit box|pattern_la=|pattern_b=|pattern_ra=|pattern_so=_redtop|leftarm=0000FF|body=0000FF|rightarm=0000FF|shorts=FFFFFF|socks=000000|alt=The royal blue shirt and black socks with red tops. Worn 1958–1968 and 1973-1978|title=<div align="center">The royal blue shirt and black socks with red tops. Worn 1958–1968 and 1973-1978</div>}} |{{Football kit box|pattern_la=|pattern_b=|pattern_ra=|pattern_so=_redtop|leftarm=0000FF|body=0000FF|rightarm=0000FF|shorts=FFFFFF|socks=000000|alt=The royal blue shirt and black socks with red tops. Worn 1958–1968 and 1973–1978.|title=<div style="text-align:center;">The royal blue shirt and black socks with red tops. Worn 1958–1968 and 1973–1978.</div>}}
|} |}


===Sponsors and manufacturers=== ===Kit suppliers and shirt sponsors===
Since 1978 when Rangers signed a deal with ] they have had a specific kit manufacturer and since 1984 have had a kit sponsor. The following tables detail Rangers' shirt sponsors and kit suppliers by year:
Since 1978 when Rangers signed a deal with ] they have had a specific kit manufacturer and since 1984 have had a kit sponsor. When Rangers played French sides ] and ] in the ] and the ] respectively, due to a French ban on ] the team wore the logo of ] instead of ].<ref name="Alternative to alchoal">{{cite web|url=http://www.truecoloursfootballkits.com/articles/an-alternative-to-alcohol|title=An alternative to alcohol|publisher=True Colours|date=3 July 2009|author=Devlin, John|accessdate=18 August 2012|quote=Rangers have actually sported the Center Parcs logo during the course of two seasons. It was first worn in the 1996–97 Champions League match at Auxerre that the French side won 2–1. Then in 97–98 a new style Center Parcs logo was worn in the UEFA Cup first round first leg game in Strasbourg where again the 'Gers lost 2–1 (also wearing their change blue shorts)|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A0w8Q8nG|archivedate=18 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> The following tables detail the shirt sponsors and kit suppliers of Rangers by year:<ref name="Rangers home historical kits" />

{{clear right}} {{clear right}}
{| class="wikitable collapsible collapsed plainrowheaders" style="width: 25%; text-align: center; margin-left:1em; float: left" {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="width: 25%; text-align: centr; margin-left:1em; float: left"
|- |-
! colspan=3 | Kit suppliers<ref name="Rangers home historical kits" /> ! colspan=3 | Kit suppliers<ref name="Rangers home historical kits" />
|- |-
! scope="col" |Dates ! scope="col" |Period
! scope="col" |Supplier ! scope="col" |Supplier
|- |-
Line 180: Line 217:
|- |-
| scope="row" |2002–2005 | scope="row" |2002–2005
| ]<ref>{{ cite news | url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Football%3A+Diadora+in+Gers+kit+deal.-a083572595| title=Diadora in Gers kit deal| work=The Mirror | first=Kenny |last=Ross| date=8 March 2002}}</ref>
| ]
|- |-
| scope="row" |2005–2013 | scope="row" |2005–2013
| ]<ref>{{ cite news | url=http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/latest/rangers-secure-new-163-6-5m-kit-deal-1-738260| title=Rangers secure new £6.5m kit deal| work=The Scotsman| date=4 March 2005}}</ref>
| ]
|- |-
| scope="row" |2013–2018 | scope="row" |2013–2018
| ]<ref>{{ cite news| url=http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/item/3459-rangers-announce-new-kit-deal| title=Rangers Announce New Kit Deal| publisher=Rangers F.C.| date=28 February 2013| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150214151755/http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/item/3459-rangers-announce-new-kit-deal| archive-date=14 February 2015| df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-21621106| title=Rangers Football Club sign kit deal with Puma|work=BBC News | date=28 February 2013}}</ref>
| ]
|-
| scope="row" |2018–2020
| ]<ref>{{ cite news| url=https://rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/rangers-announce-new-kit-deal-with-hummel/| title=Rangers Announce New Kit Deal With Hummel| publisher=Rangers F.C.| date=20 April 2018}}</ref>
|-
| scope="row" |2020–present
| ]<ref>{{cite news| url=https://castore.com/uk/castore-x-rangers-partnership/| title=CASTORE X RANGERS PARTNERSHIP| publisher=Castore| date=15 May 2020}}{{Dead link|date=December 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
|} |}
{| class="wikitable collapsible collapsed plainrowheaders" style="width: 25%; text-align: center; margin-left:1em; float: left" {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="width: 25%; text-align: centr; margin-left:1em; float: left"
|- |-
! colspan=2 | Shirt sponsors<ref name="Rangers home historical kits" /> ! colspan=2 | Front of shirt sponsors<ref name="Rangers home historical kits" />
|- |-
! scope="col" |Dates ! scope="col" |Period
! scope="col" |Sponsor ! scope="col" |Sponsor
|- |-
| scope="row" |1984–1987 | scope="row" |1984–1987
| CR Smith<ref name=share>{{ cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/1999/feb/25/newsstory.sport1| title=Old Firm pair to share sponsor| work=The Guardian| date=25 February 1999|access-date=16 September 2017}}</ref><ref name=double>{{ cite news |url=http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/competitions/premiership/magners-shirt-cash-for-celtic-ends-old-firm-double-deals-1-2727282| title=Magners shirt cash for Celtic ends Old Firm double deals| work=The Scotsman| date=9 January 2013|access-date=16 September 2017}}</ref>
| ]
|- |-
| scope="row" |1987–1999 | scope="row" |1987–1999
| ] | ]<ref name=share/><ref name=double/>
|- |-
| scope="row" |1999–2003 | scope="row" |1999–2003
| ]<ref>{{ cite news | url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-23732888.html| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150329175146/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-23732888.html| url-status=dead| archive-date=29 March 2015| title=Old Firm are united in £13m shirt deal| work=The Herald |first=Rob |last=Robertson| date=20 March 1999}}</ref><ref name=share/>
| ]
|- |-
| scope="row" |2003–2010 | scope="row" |2003–2010
| ]<ref>{{ cite news | url=http://www.thegrocer.co.uk/fmcg/carling-to-sponsor-old-firm/82408.article| title=Carling to sponsor Old Firm| publisher=thegrocer.co.uk| date=3 January 2003}}</ref>
| ]
|- |-
| scope="row" |2010–2013 | scope="row" |2010–2013
| ]<ref>{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_prem/8495426.stm| title=Celtic & Rangers sign sponsorship deal with Tennent's| work=BBC Sport| date=3 February 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=http://sport.stv.tv/football/clubs/celtic/209075-celtic-announce-shirt-sponsorship-deal-with-magners/| title=Celtic and Rangers confirm end of joint sponsorship deals after 14 years| publisher=STV Sport| date=9 January 2013| access-date=14 February 2015| archive-date=4 March 2016| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304025516/http://sport.stv.tv/football/clubs/celtic/209075-celtic-announce-shirt-sponsorship-deal-with-magners/| url-status=dead}}</ref>
| ]
|- |-
| scope="row" |2013–2014 | scope="row" |2013–2014
| ]<ref>{{ cite web| url=http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/item/3467-blackthorn-deal-announced| title=Blackthorn Deal Announced| publisher=Rangers F.C.| date=1 March 2013| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141007175513/http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/item/3467-blackthorn-deal-announced| archive-date=7 October 2014| df=dmy-all}}</ref>
| ]
|-
| scope="row" |2014–2023
| ]<ref>{{ cite web| url=http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/item/6754-gers-agree-shirt-deal-with-32red| title=Gers Agree Shirt Deal With 32Red| publisher=Rangers F.C.| date=14 April 2014| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140415020359/http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/item/6754-gers-agree-shirt-deal-with-32red| archive-date=15 April 2014| df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{ cite web | url=https://rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/32red-shirt-sponsorship-confirmed/| title=32Red Shirt Sponsorship Confirmed| publisher=Rangers F.C. | date=14 June 2017}}</ref>
|-
| scope="row" |2023–present
| ]<ref>{{ cite web| url=https://www.rangers.co.uk/article/kindred-highlights-its-zero-mission-with-new-rangers-kit-branding/6csTmgbTi6qu0y5qaMnCNq| title=KINDRED HIGHLIGHTS ITS ZERO % MISSION WITH NEW RANGERS KIT BRANDING| publisher=Rangers F.C.| date=9 June 2023 }}</ref><ref>phttps://www.kindredgroup.com/media/press-releases/2017/kindred-group-completes-the-acquisition-of-32red/ In June 2017, 32Red was purchased by ] for £175.6 million, Unibet was already a subsidiary of the Group, having been purchased a year earlier.</ref>
|-
|} |}


{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="width: 25%; text-align: centr; margin-left:1em; float: left"
|-
! colspan=3 | Back of shirt sponsors<ref name="Rangers home historical kits" />
|-
! scope="col" |Period
! scope="col" |Sponsor
! scope="col" |Position
|-
| scope="row" |2017–2020
| ]<ref>{{ cite news | url=https://rangers.co.uk/news/club/utilita-re-energises-rangers/ | title=Utilita Re-Energises Rangers | publisher=Rangers F.C. | date=5 August 2017}}</ref>
| Top
|-
| scope="row" |2020–2021
| The Energy Check<ref>{{ cite news | url=https://rangers.co.uk/news/club/rangers-announce-the-energy-check-as-new-official-club-partner | title=Rangers announce The Energy Check as new official club partner | publisher=Rangers F.C. | date=21 June 2020}}</ref>
| Bottom
|-
| scope="row" |2020–present
| SEKO Logistics<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.rangers.co.uk/Article/seko-logistics-announced-as-official-logistics-partner/ | title=Seko Logistics Announced As Official Logistics Partner | publisher=Rangers F.C. | date=27 July 2020 }}{{Dead link|date=April 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
| Top
|-
| scope="row" |2021–2022
| Sportemon Go<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sportbusiness.com/news/nft-platform-is-rangers-new-back-of-shirt-sponsor-as-energy-firm-checks-out/|title=NFT platform is Rangers' new back-of-shirt sponsor as energy firm checks out
|date=21 June 2022|website=Sportbusiness}}</ref>
| Bottom
|-
| scope="row" |2022–2023
| Socomec<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rangers.co.uk/article/rangers-announce-partnership-with-socomec/69jGAfPcxWlVaamsaHn47|title=Rangerz Announce partnership with Socomec|date=21 June 2022|website=Rangers Football Club, Official Website}}</ref>
| Bottom
|}

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="width: 25%; text-align: centr; margin-left:1em; float: left"
|-
! colspan=3 | Sleeve sponsors<ref name="Rangers home historical kits" />
|-
! scope="col" |Period
! scope="col" |Sponsor
|-
| scope="row" |2020–2022
| Tomket Tires<ref name="ReferenceA">{{Cite web|url=https://www.rangers.co.uk/article/tomket-tires-announced-as-new-sleeve-partner/K4takbE8FZVoOMCJ0mcQH|title=Tomket Tires announced as new sleeve partner|date=28 July 2020|website=Rangers Football Club, Official Website|access-date=28 July 2020|archive-date=28 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728185943/https://www.rangers.co.uk/article/tomket-tires-announced-as-new-sleeve-partner/K4takbE8FZVoOMCJ0mcQH|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
| scope="row" |2022–present
| BOXT<ref name="ReferenceB">{{Cite web|url=https://www.rangers.co.uk/article/rangers-confirm-boxt-as-official-sleeve-partner/2F1je7mpLKRZRQPeCdBHpn|title=Rangers Confirm BOXT As Official Sleeve Partner|date=9 May 2022|website=Rangers Football Club, Official Website}}</ref>
|}

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="width: 25%; text-align: centr; margin-left:1em; float: left"
|-
! colspan=3 | Shorts sponsors<ref name="Rangers home historical kits" />
|-
! scope="col" |Period
! scope="col" |Sponsor
|-
| scope="row" |2023–present
| AIM Building & Maintenance Services<ref name="ReferenceC">{{Cite web|url=https://www.rangers.co.uk/article/rangers-announce-enhanced-partnership-with-aim-building-and-maintenance/4YWsolEWkwVOTG3DXKgssv|title=Rangers announce enhanced partnership with AIM Building and Maintenance|date=2 December 2023|website=Rangers Football Club, Official Website}}</ref>
|}
{{clear}} {{clear}}


When Rangers played French sides in 1996–97 and 1997–98, they wore the logo of ] instead of ], due to a French ban on ].<ref name="Alternative to alcohol">{{cite web|url=http://www.truecoloursfootballkits.com/articles/an-alternative-to-alcohol|title=An alternative to alcohol|publisher=True Colours|date=3 July 2009|last=Devlin|first=John|access-date=18 August 2012|quote=Rangers have actually sported the Center Parcs logo during the course of two seasons. It was first worn in the 1996–97 Champions League match at Auxerre. In 1997–98 another Center Parcs logo was worn in the UEFA Cup first round first leg game in Strasbourg where again the 'Gers lost 2–1 (also wearing their change blue shorts)|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120629041811/http://www.truecoloursfootballkits.com/articles/an-alternative-to-alcohol|archive-date=29 June 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> Later matches in France (when the club was sponsored by ]) saw the club play with no shirt sponsor, in 2006<ref>{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/6161154.stm | title=Auxerre 2–2 Rangers |work=BBC Sport | date=23 November 2006 |first=Clive |last=Lindsay}}</ref> and 2007.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/7019587.stm| title=Lyon 0–3 Rangers |work=BBC Sport | date=2 October 2007|first=Colin|last=Moffat}}</ref>
== Stadium and training facility ==
{{Main|Ibrox Stadium|Murray Park}}
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 ], followed by ] in the ] area of the city, and then ] 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 ] area of south-west Glasgow, was inaugurated for the following season. Ibrox Stadium in its current incarnation was originally designed by the architect ], a Rangers fan who also played a part in the design of, among others, ] in Manchester and ] in ]. The stadium was inaugurated on 30 December 1899, and Rangers defeated ] 3–1 in the first match held there.<ref name="Archibald leitch">{{cite web|url=http://www.friendsofscotland.gov.uk/culture/football.html|title=Scottish football|date=June 2006|work=Global Friends of Scotland|publisher=]|accessdate=24 August 2012|quote=Scotland’s contributions to the development of the game were equally impressive in other areas. Glaswegian born architect Archibald Leitch was the pioneering football stadium designer of his day – by the 1920’s 16 out of 22 of England’s First Division stadiums were Leitch designs. The most famous example of his work still in existence is probably Ibrox. (This would undoubtedly please Leitch, who was a devout Rangers fan.)|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20061004113451/http://www.friendsofscotland.gov.uk/culture/football.html|archivedate=4 October 2006|deadurl=yes}}</ref><ref name="Rangers consider ibrox expansion">{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/7173756.stm|title=Rangers consider Ibrox expansion|publisher=BBC|work=BBC Sport|date=6 January 2008|accessdate=24 August 2012|quote=The plans, one of three options being considered by the club, could see the stadium in Glasgow completely rebuilt with a new capacity of 70,000. Rangers would retain the Bill Struth main stand, which is designated as as a Category B listed building. Ibrox currently holds 51,082 fans, behind Hampden Park and Celtic Park.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6AA0T4jIx|archivedate=24 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref>


During ]'s sponsorship, Rangers faced ] in 2018–19 wearing unsponsored training gear due to Croatia's ban on gambling advertising.<ref name="2018–19 kits" /> Team Talk, an arm of the ], appeared on the shirts on two occasions in 2021–22: away in ], as Unibet hold no licence for Germany; and in the 2021–22 UEFA Europa League final against Eintracht Frankfurt, as gambling advertisements are banned in Spain.<ref name = "Team Talk">{{cite news|title=Rangers Forced to Have Different Sponsor in Europa League Final|work=footyheadlines.om|publisher=Footy Headlines|date=18 May 2022|accessdate=19 May 2022|url=https://www.footyheadlines.com/2022/05/rangers-forced-to-have-different-sponsor-in-europa-league-final.html}}</ref>
{{wide image|Glasgow Rangers vs Hearts, Ibrox Stadium, 23 July 2011.jpg|1000px|alt=A panorama of Ibrox Stadium from the Broomloan Road End. This picture was taken the first match of the 2011/12 season, against Hearts of Midlothian.|A panorama of Ibrox Stadium from the Broomloan Road End. This picture was taken during the first match of the 2011/12 SPL season, Rangers vs Heart of Midlothian.}}


===Mascot===
Rangers' training facility is located in ], Glasgow. The facility is known as ] after former chairman and owner Sir David Murray. It was proposed by then-manager Dick Advocaat upon his arrival at the club in 1998.<ref name="First foreign manager" /> It was completed in 2001 at a cost of £14&nbsp;million. Murray Park was the first purpose-built facility of its kind in Scotland, and incorporates features including nine football ], a state of the art ], a ] 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. Various first-team players have come through the ranks at Murray Park, including ], ], ], ] and ]. International club teams playing in Scotland, as well as national sides, have previously used Murray Park for training, and Advocaat's ] used it for training prior to the ].<ref name="Working with kids at murray park">{{cite news|url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/football/working-with-kids-is-its-own-reward-for-the-man-in-charge-at-murray-park.17144559?_=343ae8e26ca054cfcc1f6cbfe5781dddc9059adc|title=Working with kids is its own reward for the man in charge at Murray Park|work=Herald Scotland|publisher=Newsquest|date=26 March 2012|accessdate=4 January 2013|author=MacDonald, Hugh|quote=Ally McCoist, the manager, normally leaves Sinclair and his staff to choose the youngsters but sometimes will stipulate who he and the first-team staff want. "That daily exposure is priceless," says Sinclair. "The boys become comfortable with the staff and first-team players. If they were round there once every six months, it would be a trial but it is a regular process. Wilson, Fleck and Little were all steeped in that."|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6DitfeHhJ|archivedate=16 January 2013|deadurl=no}}</ref><ref name="Murray Park">{{cite book|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=kH8jMcBSqUIC&pg=PT84&lpg=PT83&ots=f9posqgFx5&dq=rangers+player+graduated+from+murray+park|title=For Richer, for Poorer: The Murray Years|publisher=]|author=Smith, Paul|year=2012|isbn=1780572824, 9781780572826|quote=add quote}}</ref>
Broxi Bear is the official ] of Rangers. Its name is derived from Rangers' home stadium, Broxi being an anagram of Ibrox. Broxi is a brown ] with blue inner ears and nose, wearing a Rangers strip.<ref name="bear">{{cite web|title=Sports mascots|url=http://www.mibepa.info/bv/bv508.htm|website=Minka's Bear Passion|access-date=13 March 2016}}</ref> He made his first appearance in a 2–2 draw against ] on 13 November 1993.<ref>{{cite web|title=Rangers Facts|url=https://twitter.com/rangersfacts/status/344220670760194049|website=Twitter|access-date=13 March 2016}}</ref> Broxi was later accompanied by his "wife" Roxi and their "son" Boris<ref name="bear" /> although from 2001 Roxi and Boris no longer made any on-field appearances at Ibrox.<ref>{{cite news|last1=McGivern|first1=Mark|title=Broxi's family put on bench|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Broxi's+family+put+on+bench.-a076012887|access-date=13 March 2016|work=Daily Record|date=29 June 2001}}</ref> Roxi and Boris did continue to appear on some club merchandise.<ref name="bear" /> On 9 September 2017, Roxi and Boris were re-introduced before a 4–1 win against ].


==Stadium and training facility==
==Supporters==
{{Main|Ibrox Stadium|Rangers Training Centre}}

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 Fleshers' Haugh, situated on ], followed by ] in the ] area of the city, and then ] for ten years from the mid-1870s to the mid-1880s. From February of the 1886–87 season, Cathkin Park was used until the ], in the ] area of south-west Glasgow, was inaugurated for the following season. Ibrox Stadium in its current incarnation was originally designed by the architect ], a Rangers fan who also played a part in the design of, among others, ] in Manchester and ] in London. The stadium was inaugurated on 30 December 1899, and Rangers defeated ] 3–1 in the first match held there.<ref name="Archibald leitch">{{cite web|url=http://www.friendsofscotland.gov.uk/culture/football.html|title=Scottish football|date=June 2006|work=Global Friends of Scotland|publisher=Scottish Government|access-date=24 August 2012|quote=Scotland's contributions to the development of the game were equally impressive in other areas. Glaswegian born architect Archibald Leitch was the pioneering football stadium designer of his day – by the 1920s 16 out of 22 of England's First Division stadiums were Leitch designs. The most famous example of his work still in existence is probably Ibrox. (This would undoubtedly please Leitch, who was a devout Rangers fan.)|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061004113451/http://www.friendsofscotland.gov.uk/culture/football.html|archive-date=4 October 2006|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Rangers consider ibrox expansion">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/7173756.stm|title=Rangers consider Ibrox expansion|work=BBC Sport|date=6 January 2008|access-date=24 August 2012|quote=The plans, one of three options being considered by the club, could see the stadium in Glasgow completely rebuilt with a new capacity of 70,000. Rangers would retain the Bill Struth main stand, which is designated as a Category B listed building. Ibrox currently holds 51,082 fans, behind Hampden Park and Celtic Park.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110127125719/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/7173756.stm|archive-date=27 January 2011|url-status=live}}</ref>

{{wide image|Glasgow Rangers vs Hearts, Ibrox Stadium, 23 July 2011.jpg|1000px|alt=A panorama of Ibrox Stadium from the Broomloan Road End. This picture was taken the first match of the 2011–12 season, against Heart of Midlothian.|A panorama of Ibrox Stadium from the Broomloan Road End. This picture was taken during the first match of the 2011–12 SPL season, Rangers vs Heart of Midlothian.}}

Rangers' training facility is located in the Auchenhowie area of ], Glasgow; it was initially named Murray Park after former chairman and owner Sir David Murray, but has since been ]. It was proposed by then-manager Dick Advocaat upon his arrival at the club in 1998.<ref name="First foreign manager" /> It was completed in 2001 at a cost of £14&nbsp;million. The training centre was the first purpose-built facility of its kind in Scotland, and incorporates features including nine football ], a gym, a ] pool, and a video-editing suite. Rangers' youth teams are also accommodated at the centre, with around 140 players between under-10 and under-19 age groups using the facilities. International club teams playing in Scotland, as well as national sides, have previously used the centre for training, and Advocaat's ] used it for training prior to the ].<ref name="Working with kids at murray park">{{cite news|url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/football/working-with-kids-is-its-own-reward-for-the-man-in-charge-at-murray-park.17144559?_=343ae8e26ca054cfcc1f6cbfe5781dddc9059adc|title=Working with kids is its own reward for the man in charge at Murray Park|work=The Herald|location=Glasgow|date=26 March 2012|access-date=4 January 2013|author=MacDonald, Hugh|quote=Ally McCoist, the manager, normally leaves Sinclair and his staff to choose the youngsters but sometimes will stipulate who he and the first-team staff want. "That daily exposure is priceless," says Sinclair. "The boys become comfortable with the staff and first-team players. If they were round there once every six months, it would be a trial but it is a regular process. Wilson, Fleck and Little were all steeped in that."|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130604221715/http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/football/working-with-kids-is-its-own-reward-for-the-man-in-charge-at-murray-park.17144559?_=343ae8e26ca054cfcc1f6cbfe5781dddc9059adc|archive-date=4 June 2013|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Murray Park">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kH8jMcBSqUIC&q=rangers+player+graduated+from+murray+park&pg=PT84|title=For Richer, for Poorer: The Murray Years|publisher=Random House|author=Smith, Paul|year=2012|isbn=9781780572826|quote=add quote}}</ref>

==Supporters and rivalries==
{{main|Rangers F.C. supporters}} {{main|Rangers F.C. supporters}}
{{see also|Rangers Supporters' Trust|Follow Follow (fanzine)|2008 UEFA Cup Final riots}} {{see also|Club 1872|Rangers Fans Fighting Fund|2008 UEFA Cup final riots}}
Rangers are one of the best supported clubs in Europe, the figure for the ] being in the 20 largest home league attendances in Europe.<ref name="Average home attendance">{{cite web|url=http://www.fitbastats.com/rangers/club_records_league_attendance.php|title=Average Home League Game Attendances|publisher=fitbastats|author1=Bobby Sinnet|author2=Thomas Jamieson|access-date=14 July 2014|quote=2013/2014 42,938|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120911123438/http://www.fitbastats.com/rangers/club_records_league_attendance.php|archive-date=11 September 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> A study of stadium attendance figures from 2013 to 2018 by the '']'' ranked Rangers at 18th in the world during that period, with Rangers' accounting for 27.4% of total Scottish attendance, placing them 8th overall for national attendance share.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/47929074|title=Celtic & Rangers among top 20 most watched clubs|work=BBC Sport|date=16 April 2019|access-date=17 April 2019}}</ref>
Rangers FC are one of the best supported clubs in Europe, with an average attendance that is consistently one of the highest on the continent, the figure for the ] being the ] home league attendance.<ref name="Average home attendance">{{cite web|url=http://www.fitbastats.com/rangers/club_records_league_attendance.php|title=Average Home League Game Attendances|publisher=fitbastats|author1=Bobby Sinnet|author2=Thomas Jamieson|accessdate=24 August 2012|quote=2011/2012 46,324|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A9uNcG79|archivedate=24 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> The club's website lists over 150 supporters' clubs in Great Britain and Northern Ireland,<ref name="UK supporters clubs">{{cite web|url=http://www.rangers.co.uk/fans/uk-supporters-clubs|title=UK Supporters Clubs|publisher=Rangers FC|accessdate=24 August 2012|quote=There are more than 600 registered supporters clubs with over 30,000 registered members and these continue to grow, in keeping with the vision the club initially had.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A9uZatik|archivedate=24 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> with 95 further clubs spread across over 20 countries around the world.<ref name="World support clubs">{{cite web|url=http://www.rangers.co.uk/fans/global-supporters-clubs|title=Global Supporters Clubs|publisher=Rangers FC|accessdate=24 August 2012|quote=It includes representatives from all over the globe – including North America, Australasia and the Middle East – as well as closer to home in the United Kingdom. There are also clubs registered in far-flung locations such as Azerbaijan, Nigeria, Hong Kong and Peru.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A9unnUds|archivedate=24 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> Rangers fans have contributed to several records for high attendances,<ref name="End to end stuff">{{cite book|title=End to End Stuff|publisher=]|author=Scott, Les|year=2008|page=17|isbn=0593060687, 9780593060681|url=http://books.google.com/?id=cqhm26eVPYMC&printsec=frontcover&dq=end+to+end+stuff#v=onepage&q=end%20to%20end%20stuff&f=false|quote=The Record attendance for a friendly match in the United Kingdom is 104,493, who saw Rangers lose 3–2 to Eintracht Frankfurt at Hampden Park on 17 October 1961.|accessdate=24 August 2012}}</ref> including the highest home attendance for a league fixture, 118,567 on 2 January 1939.<ref name="Record attendance"/> Rangers record highest attendance was against ] on 27 March 1948 in the ] semi-final at ]. Rangers beat ] 1-0 in front of a packed 143,570 crowd.


The Rangers Worldwide Alliance is a network of supporters clubs that was set up for the benefit of the club and the fans. There are more than 600 registered supporters clubs with over 30,000 registered members and these continue to grow, in keeping with the vision the club initially had. There are also many unregistered supporters clubs currently active. The official club website lists over 100 supporters' clubs in Great Britain and Northern Ireland,<ref name="UK supporters clubs">{{cite web|url=http://www.rangers.co.uk/fans/uk-supporters-clubs|title=UK Supporters Clubs|publisher=Rangers F.C.|access-date=24 August 2012|quote=There are more than 600 registered supporters clubs with over 30,000 registered members and these continue to grow, in keeping with the vision the club initially had.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121006051133/http://www.rangers.co.uk/fans/uk-supporters-clubs|archive-date=6 October 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> with over 100 further clubs spread across over 35 countries around the world.<ref name="World support clubs">{{cite web|url=http://www.rangers.co.uk/fans/global-supporters-clubs|title=Global Supporters Clubs|publisher=Rangers F.C.|access-date=24 August 2012|archive-date=17 November 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121117010901/http://www.rangers.co.uk/fans/global-supporters-clubs|url-status=dead}}</ref> It includes representatives from all over the globe – including Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, South America and Australia – as well as closer to home in the United Kingdom. Beyond Europe, there are supporters clubs registered in far-flung locations such as Nigeria, South Africa, Cameroon, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Israel, Qatar, Bahrain, China, India, Japan, Thailand, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, United States of America, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and Antarctica. One of Hong Kong's most popular football clubs ] was set up by an expatriate fan.
In 2008, an estimated 150,000 Rangers supporters, many without match tickets, travelled to Manchester for the ].<ref name="Fans pile into manchester">{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/police-to-boost-security-for-rangers-manchester-visit-2063388.html|title=150,000 Rangers fans descended on the city for the Uefa Cup final in 2008|publisher=The Independent Group|work=]|date=27 August 2010|author=Nisbet, John|accessdate=24 August 2012|quote=But the chief executive at Rangers, Martin Bain, insists there will be no repeat of the scenes of crowd misbehaviour which marred the club's last visit to Manchester. Some 150,000 Rangers fans descended on the city for the Uefa Cup final in 2008 and trouble started when a giant screen failed to work.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A9uxeOCA|archivedate=24 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> Despite most supporters behaving "impeccably",<ref name="Fans riot in manchester">{{cite news|url=http://www.metro.co.uk/sport/football/147730-rangers-fans-clash-with-riot-police-after-uefa-cup-final-defeat|title=Rangers fans clash with riot police after Uefa Cup final defeat|work=]|publisher=]|date=14 May 2008|accessdate=24 August 2012|quote=GMP would like to stress that the vast majority of supporters have behaved impeccably and came to Manchester clearly intent on enjoying the carnival atmosphere.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A9vGX3mk|archivedate=24 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> a minority of fans ]ed in the city centre, clashing ] with police and damaging property.<ref name="Majority fans well behaved">{{cite news|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/may/15/ukcrime1|title=Rangers fans clashed with riot police|date=15 May 2008|accessdate=24 August 2012|quote=A full inquiry was under way today after Rangers fans clashed with riot police in Manchester last night after their team's defeat by Zenit St Petersburg in the Uefa Cup final.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A9vUCGh6|archivedate=24 August 2012|deadurl=no|work=The Guardian|publisher=Guardian Media Group|author1=Carter, Helen|author2=Orr, James}}</ref><ref name="Minority of supporter riot">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/7400641.stm|title=Rangers fans take long road home|date=15 May 2008|accessdate=24 August 2012|quote=A number of supporters clashed with riot police after a big screen in Manchester broke down. Officers later confirmed 42 people had been arrested.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A9vfpOny|archivedate=24 August 2012|deadurl=no|publisher=BBC|work=BBC News}}</ref><ref name="Fans chase police">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/manchester/7402858.stm|title=CCTV shows fans chasing police|publisher=BBC|work=BBC News|date=15 May 2008|accessdate=24 August 2012|quote=Police in Manchester have released CCTV images showing up to 200 football fans chasing officers and attacking one of them after the Uefa Cup final.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A9vnxTh9|archivedate=24 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref>


Rangers fans have contributed to several records for high attendances,<ref name="End to end stuff">{{cite book|title=End to End Stuff|publisher=Random House|author=Scott, Les|year=2008|page=17|isbn=9780593060681|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cqhm26eVPYMC&q=end+to+end+stuff|quote=The Record attendance for a friendly match in the United Kingdom is 104,493, who saw Rangers lose 3–2 to Eintracht Frankfurt at Hampden Park on 17 October 1961.|access-date=24 August 2012}}</ref> including the highest home attendance for a league fixture, 118,567 on 2 January 1939.<ref name="Record attendance"/> Rangers record highest attendance was against ] on 27 March 1948 in the ] semi-final at ]. Rangers beat ] 1–0 in front of a packed 143,570 crowd.
{{wide image|2008_UEFA_Cup_Final_-_Piccadilly_Gardens_-_Rangers.jpg|1000px|alt=A panorama of Rangers supporters at the 2008 UEFA Cup final, in the Piccadilly Gardens fan zone. This picture was taken during the day before the match against Zenit Saint Petersburg on 14 May 2008.|A panorama of Rangers supporters at the 2008 UEFA Cup final, in the Piccadilly Gardens fan zone. This picture was taken during the day before the match against Zenit Saint Petersburg on 14 May 2008.}}


In 2008, up to 200,000 Rangers supporters, many without match tickets, travelled to Manchester for the ].<ref name="Rangers invasion: your views">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/manchester/content/articles/2008/05/15/150508_rangers_invasion_feature.shtml|title=Rangers invasion: your views
===Rivalries===
|date=15 May 2008|access-date=15 May 2008|quote=It was always going to put a massive strain on the city. An invasion of up to 200,000 Rangers supporters for the UEFA Cup Final in Manchester swamped the city's pubs and bars and the dedicated fan zones.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925071448/http://www.bbc.co.uk/manchester/content/articles/2008/05/15/150508_rangers_invasion_feature.shtml|archive-date=25 September 2015|url-status=live|publisher=BBC Manchester}}</ref><ref name="Fans pile into manchester">{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/police-to-boost-security-for-rangers-manchester-visit-2063388.html|title=150,000 Rangers fans descended on the city for the Uefa Cup final in 2008|work=The Independent|date=27 August 2010|author=Nisbet, John|access-date=24 August 2012|quote=But the chief executive at Rangers, Martin Bain, insists there will be no repeat of the scenes of crowd misbehaviour which marred the club's last visit to Manchester. Some 200,000 Rangers fans descended on the city for the Uefa Cup final in 2008 and trouble started when a giant screen failed to work.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121111225325/http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/police-to-boost-security-for-rangers-manchester-visit-2063388.html|archive-date=11 November 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> Despite most supporters behaving "impeccably",<ref name="Fans riot in manchester">{{cite news|url=http://www.metro.co.uk/sport/football/147730-rangers-fans-clash-with-riot-police-after-uefa-cup-final-defeat|title=Rangers fans clash with riot police after Uefa Cup final defeat|work=Metro|date=14 May 2008|access-date=24 August 2012|quote=GMP would like to stress that the vast majority of supporters have behaved impeccably and came to Manchester clearly intent on enjoying the carnival atmosphere.|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130114031330/http://www.metro.co.uk/sport/football/147730-rangers-fans-clash-with-riot-police-after-uefa-cup-final-defeat|archive-date=14 January 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> Rangers fans were involved in ]. A minority of fans rioted in the city centre, clashing ] with police and damaging property, resulting in 42 being arrested for a variety of offences.<ref name="Majority fans well behaved">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2008/may/15/ukcrime1|title=Rangers fans clashed with riot police|date=15 May 2008|access-date=24 August 2012|quote=A full inquiry was under way today after Rangers fans clashed with riot police in Manchester last night after their team's defeat by Zenit St Petersburg in the Uefa Cup final.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120727045212/http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/may/15/ukcrime1|archive-date=27 July 2012|url-status=live|work=The Guardian|author1=Carter, Helen|author2=Orr, James}}</ref><ref name="Minority of supporter riot">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/7400641.stm|title=Rangers fans take long road home|date=15 May 2008|access-date=24 August 2012|quote=A number of supporters clashed with riot police after a big screen in Manchester broke down. Officers later confirmed 42 people had been arrested.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131104072130/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/glasgow_and_west/7400641.stm|archive-date=4 November 2013|url-status=live|work=BBC News}}</ref><ref name="Fans chase police">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/manchester/7402858.stm|title=CCTV shows fans chasing police|work=BBC News|date=15 May 2008|access-date=24 August 2012|quote=Police in Manchester have released CCTV images showing up to 200 football fans chasing officers and attacking one of them after the Uefa Cup final.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120320134311/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/manchester/7402858.stm|archive-date=20 March 2012|url-status=live}}</ref>
The club's most distinct rivalry is with Glasgow neighbours ]; the two clubs are collectively known as the Old Firm, though they are not currently playing in the same league. Rangers' traditional support is largely drawn from the ] ] community, whilst Celtic's traditional support is largely drawn from the ] community. 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, sometimes leading to ], on Old Firm derby days; an activist group that monitors ] activity in Glasgow has reported that on Old Firm weekends, admissions to ] emergency rooms have increased over normal levels and journalist ] 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.<ref name="101 places not to see before you die">{{cite book|title=101 Places Not to See Before You Die|publisher=]|author=Price, Catherine|year=2010|isbn=0061787760, 9780061787768|url=http://books.google.com/?id=by3ZJt2TI2YC&printsec=frontcover&dq=101+Places+Not+to+See+Before+You+Die#v=onepage&q=101%20Places%20Not%20to%20See%20Before%20You%20Die&f=false|quote=On Old Firm weekends, admission rates for local hospitals increase ninefold, and the cumulative total for arrests at Old Firm games is the highest in the world.|accessdate=24 August 2012|pages=174, 175}}</ref><ref name="old firm dnt need big stars">{{cite news|url=http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/old-firm-dont-need-a-messi-1089843|title=Old Firm don't need a Messi or Ronaldo to be biggest derby in world, says Ali Russell|work=Daily Record|publisher=Trinity Mirror|date=18 December 2011|accessdate=24 August 2012|author=Haggerty, Anthony|quote=RANGERS operations chief Ali Russell insists the Old Firm rivalry is the biggest in the world – because a billion fans tune in to watch two teams devoid of world stars.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A9yEwKNP|archivedate=24 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref>


In 2022, Rangers also took the largest ever travelling support abroad when an estimated 100,000 fans arrived in Seville for the ].<ref name="bbc.co.uk"/> No arrests were made in Seville as Rangers supporters impressed the Spanish police with their good behaviour.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/rangers-in-seville-no-arrests-as-gers-fans-impress-spanish-police-with-their-good-behaviour-3701690|title=Rangers in Seville: No arrests as Gers fans impress Spanish police with their good behaviour|work=The Scotsman|author=Wilkie, Stephen|date=19 May 2022|access-date=5 July 2022}}</ref>
The rivalry with ] began in the late 1970s when the two clubs were among the strongest in Scotland. Relations between fans were further soured during a league match on 8 October 1988, when Aberdeen player ]'s tackle on Rangers' Ian Durrant resulted in Durrant being injured for two years.<ref name="Rangers aberdeen rivalary">{{cite news|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1161748/Millwall-v-West-Ham-Brighton-v-Palace-Aberdeen-v-Rangers--Sportsmails-guide-illogical-footballing-rivalries.html|title=Sportsmail's guide to illogical footballing rivalries|work=]|publisher=Daily Mail and General Trust|date=13 March 2009|author=Lawford, Mark|quote=Dons supporters chant 'We hate Rangers more than you' when they play Celtic and a lot of this can be traced back to a challenge made by Neil Simpson on Ian Durrant in 1988 that kept the Rangers midfielder out of the game for nearly three years.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A9x6kzEM|archivedate=24 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> Resentment continued and in 1998 an article in Rangers match programme branded Aberdeen fans "scum", although Rangers later issued a "full and unreserved apology" to Aberdeen and their supporters, which was accepted by Aberdeen.<ref name="Rangers issue apogoly to aberdeen">{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-rangers-apologise-to-aberdeen-1185731.html|title=Rangers apologise to Aberdeen|accessdate=28 January 2010|publisher=The Independent Group|work=The Independent|date=18 November 1998|quote=RANGERS ISSUED a full public apology to Aberdeen last night for labelling a section of the Pittodrie club's support "scum" in last Saturday's Ibrox matchday programme. Stewart Milne, the Aberdeen chairman, protested to Bob Brannan, the Rangers chief executive, yesterday about the anonymous article which also branded the Dons' team as "under-achievers and money-grabbers"|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A9xOQFSR|archivedate=24 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref><ref name="History of bad blood">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/scotland/1770821.stm|title=A history of bad blood|date=19 January 2002|accessdate=28 January 2010|publisher=BBC|work=BBC Sport|quote=The catalyst for the recent venom between the two sets of supporters was the 1988 incident involving Neil Simpson and Iain Durrant.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A9yLYwOE|archivedate=24 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> Fixtures have been described as "even more of a powderkeg than Old Firm games".<ref name="Police cordons to stop clash of fans">{{cite news|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-566702/A-football-match-Manchester-Uefa-Cup-Final-felt-like-war-zone.html|title=A football match? Manchester during the Uefa Cup Final felt more like a war zone|publisher=DAily Mail and General Trust|work=Daily Mail|author=Harris, Paul|date=15 May 2008|accessdate=22 December 2012|quote=In the heat of the night: A masked thug in the middle of other Rangers fans confronts a police cordon in Manchester city centre|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D6JRTr69|archivedate=22 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref>


Supporters group ] are the ninth-largest shareholder of the club.
Rangers' fall to the Third Division has led to the club's original rivalry with ] being renewed for the first time since 1958 in the league. Rangers and Queen's Park first played each other in March 1879 some nine years before the start of the Old Firm rivalry.<ref name="Old rivalry 1">{{cite news|url=http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/sfl-division-three/rangers-v-queen-s-park-renewing-an-age-old-rivalry-1-2575574|title=Rangers v Queen's Park: Renewing an age-old rivalry|publisher=Johnston Press|work=The Scotsman|author=Smith, Andrew|date=14 October 2012|accessdate=14 October 2012|quote=IT HAS been billed by the Ibrox club as the “original Glasgow derby”. It might equally be argued that their hosting of Queen’s Park in the Third Division on Saturday is the newest Glasgow derby.{{break}}...{{break}}Although the teams last met in a League Cup tie 21 years ago and regularly jousted in the Glasgow Cup in the two decades before that, there has not been a league meeting since 1958, the year Queen’s Park last played top-flight football. The fact the confrontation has returned to the calendar in a wholly different form was best encapsulated by Rangers ambassador Sandy Jardine.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D6JV1QLV|archivedate=22 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref><ref name="Old rivalry 2">{{cite news|url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/football/old-rivalry-renewed.19134396?|title=Old rivalry renewed|publisher=Newsquest|work=Herald Scotland|date=14 October 2012|accessdate=14 October 2012|author=Fisher, Stewart|quote=Queen's Park and Rangers, two teams that first met competitively in a Scottish Cup tie in March 1879, some nine years before Celtic were formed, meet in an Irn-Bru Third division encounter at Ibrox.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D6Jh8Uas|archivedate=22 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> Matches with Queen's Park were advertised as the "Original Glasgow Derby" by Rangers and the Scottish media; and as the "Oldest Derby in the World" by Queen's Park.<ref name="Oldist derby in the world">{{cite news|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/rangers/9621143/Rangers-and-Queens-Park-ready-to-resurrect-worlds-oldest-derby.html|title=Rangers and Queen's Park ready to resurrect world's oldest derby|publisher=Telegraph Media Group|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=19 October 2012|accessdate=16 January 2013|author=Forsyth, Roddy|quote=The Old Firm collision it most certainly is not – to the relief of Glasgow’s constabulary and A&E departments – but Saturday afternoon’s visit of Queen’s Park to Ibrox will draw the UK’s second biggest crowd and resurrect a fixture that first appeared in the records in 1875 when the pair played a charity match in aid of fire victims.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6DiurwzA8|archivedate=16 January 2013|deadurl=no}}</ref>


{{wide image|2008_UEFA_Cup_Final_-_Piccadilly_Gardens_-_Rangers.jpg|1000px|alt=A panorama of Rangers supporters at the 2008 UEFA Cup final, in the Piccadilly Gardens fan zone. This picture was taken during the day before the match against Zenit Saint Petersburg on 14 May 2008.|A panorama of Rangers supporters at the 2008 UEFA Cup final, in the Piccadilly Gardens fan zone. This picture was taken during the day, before the match against Zenit Saint Petersburg on 14 May 2008.}}
===Sectarian chanting===
Sectarian chanting by supporters has incurred criticism and sanctions upon the club as well as convictions against individuals identified. In 1999, the vice chairman of The Rangers Football Club Ltd, ], resigned after being filmed singing sectarian songs during a supporters club event.<ref name="Findley songs inquiry">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sport/football/scottish_premier/357392.stm|title=Findlay songs inquiry launched|date=9 June 1999|publisher=BBC|work=BBC News|accessdate=18 August 2012|quote=The Faculty of Advocates is to investigate complaints against the leading Scottish lawyer Donald Findlay QC after he was captured on camera singing sectarian songs.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A1F4BiK3|archivedate=18 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref><ref name="Findley caught singing songs">{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/im-catholic-in-a-football-sense-1097932.html|title=I'm Catholic in a football sense|publisher=Independent Print limited|work=The Independent|date=4 June 1999|accessdate=18 August 2012|author=O'Sullivan, Jack|quote=Findlay, Scotland's leading criminal lawyer, is a Protestant and proud of it. But he was embarrassed to be caught on video singing sectarian songs. They included "The Billy Boys", a verse of which goes: "We're up to our knees in Fenian blood, Surrender or you die, We are the Billy Boys."|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A1CiY5XG|archivedate=18 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref><ref name="Findley interview">{{cite press_release|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2002/07_july/01/donald_findlay.shtml|title=On the Ropes – Donald Findlay QC|publisher=BBC Press Office|author=Humphrys, John|authorlink=John Humphrys|date=2 July 2002|accessdate=18 August 2012|quote=Donald Findlay QC tells John Humphrys about the effect singing sectarian, anti-Catholic songs at a party for Glasgow Rangers had on his life, and how he, at one stage, even contemplated suicide.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A1D6X3Tx|archivedate=18 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> UEFA's Control and Disciplinary Body have punished Rangers for incidents during European ties, most notably ] in 2006,<ref name="Fans singing 1">{{cite web|url=http://www.uefa.com/uefa/footballfirst/matchorganisation/disciplinary/news/newsid=424237.html|title=Rangers appeal upheld|publisher=UEFA|work=UEFA.com|date=25 May 2006|accessdate=18 August 2012|quote=UEFA appealed against the decision on 12 April by the Control and Disciplinary Body to find Rangers not guilty of alleged discriminatory chants by the club's supporters at both legs of the tie, on 22 February at Ibrox and 7 March at El Madrigal. Rangers have been fined €19,500 and severely warned about their responsibility for any future misconduct by their fans in relation to sectarian and discriminatory behaviour.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A1DVIz35|archivedate=18 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> ] in 2007,<ref name="Uefa fine rangers and osasuna">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/6564745.stm|title=Uefa fine for Rangers and Osasuna|publisher=BBC|work=BBC Sport|date=3 May 2007|accessdate=18 August 2012|quote=Rangers have been fined £8,280 by Uefa for the behaviour of their fans during their match against Osasuna – but the Spanish club must pay £31,000.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A1DjzXqt|archivedate=18 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> and ] in 2011.<ref name="Fans singing 2">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/12996888.stm|title=Rangers to contest Uefa sectarian singing charge|publisher=BBC|work=BBC Sport|date=7 April 2011|accessdate=18 August 2012|quote=Rangers are to face a Uefa disciplinary hearing over allegations of sectarian singing during last month's Europa Lague match away to PSV Eindhoven. The club's chief executive Martin Bain says they are "utterly dismayed" by the decision and that they will defend the club's position "vigorously".|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A1DxEk98|archivedate=18 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref><ref name="Fans singing 3">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/13218273.stm|title=Uefa fines Rangers and bans fans for one away game|publisher=BBC|work=BBC Sport|date=28 April 2011|accessdate=28 April 2011|quote=Uefa has fined Rangers 40,000 euros (£35,652) and banned its fans from the next away European game for sectarian singing in a match at PSV Eindhoven.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A1EB7VF1|archivedate=18 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref>


==Sectarianism== ===Rivalries===
]
The club's most distinct rivalry is with Glasgow neighbours ]; the two clubs are collectively known as the ]. Rangers' traditional support is largely drawn from the ] ] community, whilst Celtic's traditional support is largely drawn from the ] community. The first Old Firm match was won by Celtic and there have been over four hundred matches played to date. The Old Firm rivalry has fuelled many assaults, sometimes leading to deaths, on Old Firm derby days; an activist group that monitors ] activity in Glasgow has reported that on Old Firm weekends, admissions to hospital emergency rooms have increased over normal levels and journalist ] 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.<ref name="101 places not to see before you die">{{cite book|title=101 Places Not to See Before You Die|publisher=Harper Collins|author=Price, Catherine|year=2010|isbn=9780061787768|url=https://archive.org/details/101placesnottose00cath|url-access=registration|quote=On Old Firm weekends, admission rates for local hospitals increase ninefold, and the cumulative total for arrests at Old Firm games is the highest in the world.|access-date=24 August 2012|pages=, 175}}</ref><ref name="old firm dnt need big stars">{{cite news|url=http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/old-firm-dont-need-a-messi-1089843|title=Old Firm don't need a Messi or Ronaldo to be biggest derby in world, says Ali Russell|work=Daily Record|date=18 December 2011|access-date=24 August 2012|author=Haggerty, Anthony|quote=RANGERS operations chief Ali Russell insists the Old Firm rivalry is the biggest in the world – because a billion fans tune in to watch two teams devoid of world stars.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130731184909/http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/old-firm-dont-need-a-messi-1089843|archive-date=31 July 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>

The ] with ] developed following an incident in the 1979 League Cup final when Rangers' ] provoked the fury of the Dons support with what they believed was a blatant dive but which resulted in the dismissal of Aberdeen's ] and a Rangers victory.<ref name="When two tribes go to war"> ''The Herald'' (Glasgow). Retrieved 30 November 2013.</ref> Then, the following season, Aberdeen's ] had to be given the ] at Ibrox after a stamp on his throat by ].<ref name="When two tribes go to war"/> Relations between fans were further soured during a league match on 8 October 1988, when Aberdeen player ]'s tackle on Rangers' Ian Durrant resulted in Durrant being injured for two years.<ref name="Rangers aberdeen rivalry">{{Cite web|date=2019-02-06|title=Aberdeen v Rangers: a rivalry inflamed by a terrible tackle|url=http://www.theguardian.com/football/that-1980s-sports-blog/2019/feb/06/aberdeen-rangers-horrific-tackle-changed-rivalry-durrant-souness|access-date=2021-02-10|website=The Guardian|language=en}}</ref> Resentment continued and in 1998 an article in a Rangers match programme branded Aberdeen fans "scum", although Rangers later issued a "full and unreserved apology" to Aberdeen and their supporters, which was accepted by Aberdeen.<ref name="Rangers issue apology to Aberdeen">{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-rangers-apologise-to-aberdeen-1185731.html|title=Rangers apologise to Aberdeen|access-date=28 January 2010|work=The Independent|date=18 November 1998|quote=RANGERS ISSUED a full public apology to Aberdeen last night for labelling a section of the Pittodrie club's support "scum" in last Saturday's Ibrox matchday programme. Stewart Milne, the Aberdeen chairman, protested to Bob Brannan, the Rangers chief executive, yesterday about the anonymous article which also branded the Dons' team as "under-achievers and money-grabbers"|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121108223605/http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-rangers-apologise-to-aberdeen-1185731.html|archive-date=8 November 2012|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="History of bad blood">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/scotland/1770821.stm|title=A history of bad blood|date=19 January 2002|access-date=28 January 2010|work=BBC Sport|quote=The catalyst for the recent venom between the two sets of supporters was the 1988 incident involving Neil Simpson and Ian Durrant.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120709164336/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/scotland/1770821.stm|archive-date=9 July 2012|url-status=live}}</ref>

Rangers' relaunch in the Third Division in the 2012–13 season led to the club's original rivalry with ] being renewed for the first time since 1958 in the league. Rangers and Queen's Park first played each other in March 1879, some nine years before the start of the Old Firm rivalry.<ref name="Old rivalry 1">{{cite news|url=http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/sfl-division-three/rangers-v-queen-s-park-renewing-an-age-old-rivalry-1-2575574|title=Rangers v Queen's Park: Renewing an age-old rivalry|work=The Scotsman|author=Smith, Andrew|date=14 October 2012|access-date=14 October 2012|quote=IT HAS been billed by the Ibrox club as the "original Glasgow derby". It might equally be argued that their hosting of Queen's Park in the Third Division on Saturday is the newest Glasgow derby.<br />...<br />Although the teams last met in a League Cup tie 21 years ago and regularly jousted in the Glasgow Cup in the two decades before that, there has not been a league meeting since 1958, the year Queen's Park last played top-flight football. The fact the confrontation has returned to the calendar in a wholly different form was best encapsulated by Rangers ambassador Sandy Jardine.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121118161221/http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/sfl-division-three/rangers-v-queen-s-park-renewing-an-age-old-rivalry-1-2575574|archive-date=18 November 2012|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Old rivalry 2">{{cite news|url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/football/old-rivalry-renewed.19134396?|title=Old rivalry renewed|work=The Herald|location=Glasgow|date=14 October 2012|access-date=14 October 2012|author=Fisher, Stewart|quote=Queen's Park and Rangers, two teams that first met competitively in a Scottish Cup tie in March 1879, some nine years before Celtic were formed, meet in an Irn-Bru Third division encounter at Ibrox.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121016233432/http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/football/old-rivalry-renewed.19134396|archive-date=16 October 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> Matches with Queen's Park were advertised as the "]" by Rangers and the Scottish media; and as the "Oldest Derby in the World" by Queen's Park.<ref name="Oldist derby in the world">{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/rangers/9621143/Rangers-and-Queens-Park-ready-to-resurrect-worlds-oldest-derby.html|title=Rangers and Queen's Park ready to resurrect world's oldest derby|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=19 October 2012|access-date=16 January 2013|author=Forsyth, Roddy|quote=The Old Firm collision it most certainly is not – to the relief of Glasgow's constabulary and A&E departments – but Saturday afternoon's visit of Queen's Park to Ibrox will draw the UK's second biggest crowd and resurrect a fixture that first appeared in the records in 1875 when the pair played a charity match in aid of fire victims.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130112104214/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/rangers/9621143/Rangers-and-Queens-Park-ready-to-resurrect-worlds-oldest-derby.html|archive-date=12 January 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Sectarianism===
{{main|Sectarianism in Glasgow}} {{main|Sectarianism in Glasgow}}
During the 19th century, many ] came to Glasgow from Ireland – this was a time of considerable anti-Catholic and ] in Scotland. The early success of Celtic, a club associated with the Irish and Catholic community, has been described as sharpening Rangers' Protestant Unionist identity, contributing to the eventual absence of openly Catholic players from the team.<ref name="Protestant">{{cite book|title=Fear and loathing in world football|publisher=]|author1=Armstrong, Gary|author2=Giulianotti, Richard|year=2001|pages=25, 26|isbn=1 85973 463 4|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=CJxIbXQfE1IC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false|accessdate=15 August 2012|quote=Primrose with associated with the most virulent anti-Catholic and anti-Irish sentiment, and was openly allied with the orange order.}}</ref> From the early 20th century onwards, Catholics were not knowingly signed by the club, nor employed in other prominent roles as an ']'.<ref name="Non catholic signing policy">{{cite book|title=The Old Firm: Sectarianism, Sport and Society in Scotland|publisher=John Donald Publishers|author=Murray, William J.|year=2000|pages=60,64,65,189|isbn=0859765423, 9780859765428}}</ref><ref name="Non catholic signing policy 2">{{cite book|title=Football: A Sociology of the Global Game|publisher=]|author=Giulianotti, Richard|year=1999|page=18|isbn=0745617697, 9780745617695|quote=Historically Rangers have maintained a staunch Protestant and anti-Catholic tradition which includes a ban on signing Catholic players.}}</ref><ref name="Non catholic signing policy 3">{{cite book|title=Glasgow, the Uneasy Peace: Religious Tension in Modern Scotland, 1819–1914|publisher=]|author=Gallagher, Tom|year=1987|page=300|isbn=0719023963, 9780719023965|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Xxy8AAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false|accessdate=18 August 2012|quote=The conflict in Ireland failed to be the catalyst which swept the religious cobwebs from the Ibrox-based club's terraces and boardroom. One of its managers even had no qualms in the 1970s about urging his players to roar out the loyalist battle-cry 'No Surrender' as they ran up the tunnel at Ibrox.}}</ref><ref name="Non catholic signing policy 4">{{cite book|title=Graeme Souness: A Manager's Diary|publisher=]|author1=Souness, Graeme|author2=Gallacher, Ken|authorlink1=Graeme Souness|year=1989|page=17|isbn=185158224X, 9781851582242|quote=For years Rangers have been pilloried for what the majority of people saw as discrimination against one section of the population. Now we have shown that this unwritten policy at Ibrox is over. It's finished. Done with.}}</ref> ], chairman of Rangers from 1912 to 1923, has been described as sharpening Rangers' Protestant Unionist identity and anti-Catholic identity, contributing to the absence of openly Catholic players from the team.<ref name="Protestant">{{cite book|title=Fear and loathing in world football|publisher=Berg Publishers|author1=Armstrong, Gary|author2=Giulianotti, Richard|year=2001|pages=25, 26|isbn=1-85973-463-4|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CJxIbXQfE1IC|access-date=15 August 2012|quote=Primrose was associated with the most virulent anti-Catholic and anti-Irish sentiment, and was openly allied with the orange order.}}</ref> From the early 20th century onwards, ], or employing Catholics in other prominent roles.<ref name="Non catholic signing policy">{{cite book|title=The Old Firm: Sectarianism, Sport and Society in Scotland|publisher=John Donald Publishers|author=Murray, William J.|year=2000|pages=60,64,65,189|isbn=9780859765428}}</ref><ref name="Non catholic signing policy 2">{{cite book|title=Football: A Sociology of the Global Game|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|author=Giulianotti, Richard|year=1999|page=18|isbn=9780745617695|quote=Historically Rangers have maintained a staunch Protestant and anti-Catholic tradition which includes a ban on signing Catholic players.}}</ref><ref name="Non catholic signing policy 3">{{cite book|title=Glasgow, the Uneasy Peace: Religious Tension in Modern Scotland, 1819–1914|publisher=Manchester University Press ND|author=Gallagher, Tom|year=1987|page=|isbn=9780719023965|url=https://archive.org/details/glasgowuneasypea00gall|url-access=registration|access-date=18 August 2012|quote=The conflict in Ireland failed to be the catalyst which swept the religious cobwebs from the Ibrox-based club's terraces and boardroom. One of its managers even had no qualms in the 1970s about urging his players to roar out the loyalist battle-cry 'No Surrender' as they ran up the tunnel at Ibrox.}}</ref><ref name="Non catholic signing policy 4">{{cite book|title=Graeme Souness: A Manager's Diary|publisher=Mainstream Publishing|author1=Souness, Graeme|author2=Gallacher, Ken|author-link1=Graeme Souness|year=1989|page=17|isbn=9781851582242|quote=For years Rangers have been pilloried for what the majority of people saw as discrimination against one section of the population. Now we have shown that this unwritten policy at Ibrox is over. It's finished. Done with.}}</ref>


In 1989, Rangers signed ], "their first major Roman Catholic signing".<ref name="First roman catholic">{{cite news|url=http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2507&dat=19890711&id=Qw01AAAAIBAJ&sjid=oKULAAAAIBAJ&pg=5286,2680408|title=Ibrox lands double coup with Johnston|work=Herald Scotland|date=11 July 1989|accessdate=18 August 2012|author=Laing, Allan|page=1|quote=Rangers yesterday paraded their latest, and most controversial signing, Maurice Johnston, in the process demolishing any remaining they were sectarian, and upstaging their arch-rivals Celtic.}}</ref> Johnston was the highest-profile Catholic to sign for the club since the ] era, though other Catholics had signed for Rangers before.<ref name="Non catholic signing policy" /><ref name="Other catholics had signed before">{{cite book|title=Football Against the Enemy|publisher=]|author=Kuper, Simon|authorlink=Simon Kuper|year=2006|isbn=0-7528-4877-1}}</ref> Since Johnston's signing, an influx of overseas footballers has contributed to Catholic players becoming common place at Rangers.<ref name="Influx of foreign unwritten rule abolished" >{{cite web|url=http://www.newstatesman.com/books/2012/03/celtic-firm-rangers-football|title=Decline and fall of the Old Firm|publisher=]|date=18 March 2012|accessdate=18 August 2012|author=Kuper, Simon|quote=In the past 15 years, both clubs have tried to stamp out bigotry, largely for pragmatic reasons. The IRA guff puts off sponsors and when the market in foreign footballers opened up in the 1990s, the old prohibition on signing Catholics became irksome for Rangers. Many of the foreign players who have since come to Glasgow must have struggled to remember whether they were playing for the Protestant team or the Catholic one.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A1BLbl4U|archivedate=18 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> In 1999 ] became the first Catholic captain of the club.<ref name="First catholic captain">{{cite news|url=http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/former-old-firm-italians-give-1038540|title=Former Old Firm Italians give their take on derby clash|date=7 October 2009|accessdate=18 August 2012|work=]|publisher=]|quote=I've been Rangers' first Catholic captain |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A1BfgTVn|archivedate=18 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> In 1989, Rangers signed ], "their first major Roman Catholic signing".<ref name="First roman catholic">{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2507&dat=19890711&id=Qw01AAAAIBAJ&pg=5286,2680408|title=Ibrox lands double coup with Johnston|work=The Herald|location=Glasgow|date=11 July 1989|access-date=18 August 2012|author=Laing, Allan|page=1|quote=Rangers yesterday paraded their latest, and most controversial signing, Maurice Johnston, in the process demolishing any remaining they were sectarian, and upstaging their arch-rivals Celtic.}}</ref> Johnston was the first high-profile Catholic to sign for the club since the ] era, though other Catholics had signed for Rangers before.<ref name="Non catholic signing policy" /><ref name="Other catholics had signed before">{{cite book|title=Football Against the Enemy|publisher=Orion|author=Kuper, Simon|author-link=Simon Kuper|year=2006|isbn=0-7528-4877-1}}</ref> Since Johnston's signing, an influx of overseas footballers has contributed to Catholic players becoming commonplace at Rangers.<ref name="Influx of foreign unwritten rule abolished">{{cite web|url=http://www.newstatesman.com/books/2012/03/celtic-firm-rangers-football|title=Decline and fall of the Old Firm|work=New Statesman|date=18 March 2012|access-date=18 August 2012|author=Kuper, Simon|quote=In the past 15 years, both clubs have tried to stamp out bigotry, largely for pragmatic reasons. The IRA guff puts off sponsors and when the market in foreign footballers opened up in the 1990s, the old prohibition on signing Catholics became irksome for Rangers. Many of the foreign players who have since come to Glasgow must have struggled to remember whether they were playing for the Protestant team or the Catholic one.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121111063511/http://www.newstatesman.com/books/2012/03/celtic-firm-rangers-football|archive-date=11 November 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1999, ] became the first Catholic captain of the club.<ref name="First catholic captain">{{cite news|url=http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/former-old-firm-italians-give-1038540|title=Former Old Firm Italians give their take on derby clash|date=7 October 2009|access-date=18 August 2012|work=Daily Record|quote=I've been Rangers' first Catholic captain|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130731181321/http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/former-old-firm-italians-give-1038540|archive-date=31 July 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>


Rangers 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.<ref name="Rangers and celtic team together to tackle sectarianism">{{cite news|url=http://www.scotsman.com/sport/spl-remains-tight-lipped-over-report-on-parkhead-chanting-1-830134|title=SPL Remains tight-lipped over report on Parkhead chanting|work=The Scotsman|publisher=]|author=Rumsby, Ben|date=18 February 2009|accessdate=18 August 2012|quote=THE Scottish Premier League has confirmed it has received the match delegate's report from the Old Firm derby but refused to divulge if alleged sectarian chanting from Rangers fans was mentioned within it.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A14Ytaoh|archivedate=18 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref>{{#tag:ref|Racism has been directed at players on the pitch at Rangers games, including at former Celtic player Bobo Balde.<ref name="Root out racism">{{cite news|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2003/mar/10/newsstory.sport6|title=Rangers to root out racists|work=]|publisher=]|date=10 March 2003|accessdate=19 August 2012|quote=Rangers chairman John McClelland has vowed to root out the racist fans who booed whenever Celtic's Bobo Balde and Momo Sylla had possession during his club's Old Firm derby defeat on Saturday.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A9yCusaJ|archivedate=24 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref>|group="n"}} ], UEFA's Director of Communications, commended the SFA and Scottish clubs, including Rangers, for their actions in fighting discrimination.<ref name="UEFA applaud rangers for fighting sectarianism">{{cite news|url=http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/top-football-stories/sfa-praised-for-stance-on-bigotry-1-725107|title=SFA praised for stance on bigotry|work=]|publisher=]|accessdate=24 August 2012|date=13 November 2006|author=Wright, Angus|quote="Education and prevention is what we are really looking at and Scotland is a great example of somewhere where that has done a tremendous amount in practically eradicating the worst features of discrimination."|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A14by7MJ|archivedate=18 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> In September 2007, UEFA praised Rangers for the measures the club has taken against sectarianism.<ref name="UEFA praise rangers for there work">{{cite news|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/scotland/article2501036.ece|title=Uefa praises Rangers for action on bigotry|publisher=]|work=]|date= 21 September 2007|accessdate=22 March 2009|author=Spiers, Graham|authorlink=Graham Spiers}}{{subscription}}</ref><ref name="Uefa praise rangers work 2">{{cite web|url=http://empower-sport.com/focus/scottish-premier-league/43-no-surrender-to-bigotry-.html|title=No Surrender to Bigotry|publisher=Empower-Sport|work=Empower-Sport British Supplement|date=20 February 2009|accessdate=18 August 2012|author=Sekar, Satish|authorlink=Satish Sekar|quote=Both UEFA and FIFA hold Rangers up as a positive example of a club determined to tackle the problem that threatens its future. And the SFA joins in that praise. “On the sectarianism front Rangers have tried to develop a policy across the Protestant/Catholic divide, says Mr Mitchell. “They have imposed a large number of life bans on supporters who have been identified and found guilty of sectarian behaviour. And Rangers is not alone in taking such action. “Generally speaking it is by the clubs, he says. “If there is a criminal prosecution that has an effect as well, but the clubs themselves have taken that action off their own back, because they have the right to decide who can come into the stadium or not.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A0kjyFpz|archivedate=18 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> Rangers 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-sectarian and anti-racist campaigns.<ref name="Rangers and celtic team together to tackle sectarianism">{{cite news|url=http://www.scotsman.com/sport/spl-remains-tight-lipped-over-report-on-parkhead-chanting-1-830134|title=SPL Remains tight-lipped over report on Parkhead chanting|work=The Scotsman|author=Rumsby, Ben|date=18 February 2009|access-date=18 August 2012|quote=THE Scottish Premier League has confirmed it has received the match delegate's report from the Old Firm derby but refused to divulge if alleged sectarian chanting from Rangers fans was mentioned within it.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121021134034/http://www.scotsman.com/sport/spl-remains-tight-lipped-over-report-on-parkhead-chanting-1-830134|archive-date=21 October 2012|url-status=live}}</ref>{{#tag:ref|Racism has been directed at players on the pitch at Rangers games, including at former Celtic player Bobo Balde.<ref name="Root out racism">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2003/mar/10/newsstory.sport6|title=Rangers to root out racists|work=The Guardian|date=10 March 2003|access-date=19 August 2012|quote=Rangers chairman John McClelland has vowed to root out the racist fans who booed whenever Celtic's Bobo Balde and Momo Sylla had possession during his club's Old Firm derby defeat on Saturday.|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130114025212/http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2003/mar/10/newsstory.sport6|archive-date=14 January 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>|group="n"}} ], UEFA's Director of Communications, commended the SFA and Scottish clubs, including Rangers, for their actions in fighting discrimination.<ref name="UEFA applaud rangers for fighting sectarianism">{{cite news|url=http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/top-football-stories/sfa-praised-for-stance-on-bigotry-1-725107|title=SFA praised for stance on bigotry|work=The Scotsman|access-date=24 August 2012|date=13 November 2006|author=Wright, Angus|quote="Education and prevention is what we are really looking at and Scotland is a great example of somewhere where that has done a tremendous amount in practically eradicating the worst features of discrimination."|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121019032211/http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/top-football-stories/sfa-praised-for-stance-on-bigotry-1-725107|archive-date=19 October 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> In September 2007, UEFA praised Rangers for the measures the club has taken against sectarianism.<ref name="UEFA praise rangers for there work">{{cite news|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/scotland/article2501036.ece|title=Uefa praises Rangers for action on bigotry|work=The Times|date= 21 September 2007|access-date=22 March 2009|author=Spiers, Graham|author-link=Graham Spiers}}{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}{{subscription required}}</ref><ref name="Uefa praise rangers work 2">{{cite web|url=http://empower-sport.com/focus/scottish-premier-league/43-no-surrender-to-bigotry-.html|title=No Surrender to Bigotry|work=Empower-Sport British Supplement|publisher=Empower-Sport|date=20 February 2009|access-date=18 August 2012|author=Sekar, Satish|author-link=Satish Sekar|quote=Both UEFA and FIFA hold Rangers up as a positive example of a club determined to tackle the problem that threatens its future. And the SFA joins in that praise. "On the sectarianism front Rangers have tried to develop a policy across the Protestant/Catholic divide," says Mr Mitchell. "They have imposed a large number of life bans on supporters who have been identified and found guilty of sectarian behaviour." And Rangers is not alone in taking such action. "Generally speaking it is by the clubs," he says. "If there is a criminal prosecution that has an effect as well, but the clubs themselves have taken that action off their own back, because they have the right to decide who can come into the stadium or not."|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110815161655/http://empower-sport.com/focus/scottish-premier-league/43-no-surrender-to-bigotry-.html|archive-date=15 August 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>

However, sectarian chanting by supporters has continued to incur criticism and sanctions upon the club as well as convictions against individuals identified.<ref> ''The Herald'' (Glasgow), 29 December 2015.</ref><ref> ''Daily Record'' (Scotland), 26 October 2012.</ref> In 1999, the vice-chairman of The Rangers Football Club Ltd, ], resigned after being filmed singing sectarian songs during a supporters club event.<ref name="Findley songs inquiry">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sport/football/scottish_premier/357392.stm|title=Findlay songs inquiry launched|date=9 June 1999|work=BBC News|access-date=18 August 2012|quote=The Faculty of Advocates is to investigate complaints against the leading Scottish lawyer Donald Findlay QC after he was captured on camera singing sectarian songs.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120124044538/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/sport/football/scottish_premier/357392.stm|archive-date=24 January 2012|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Findley caught singing songs">{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/im-catholic-in-a-football-sense-1097932.html|title=I'm Catholic in a football sense|work=The Independent|date=4 June 1999|access-date=18 August 2012|author=O'Sullivan, Jack|quote=Findlay, Scotland's leading criminal lawyer, is a Protestant and proud of it. But he was embarrassed to be caught on video singing sectarian songs. They included "The Billy Boys", a verse of which goes: "We're up to our knees in Fenian blood, Surrender or you die, We are the Billy Boys."|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131216081910/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/im-catholic-in-a-football-sense-1097932.html|archive-date=16 December 2013|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Findley interview">{{cite press release|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2002/07_july/01/donald_findlay.shtml|title=On the Ropes – Donald Findlay QC|publisher=BBC Press Office|author=Humphrys, John|author-link=John Humphrys|date=2 July 2002|access-date=18 August 2012|quote=Donald Findlay QC tells John Humphrys about the effect singing sectarian, anti-Catholic songs at a party for Glasgow Rangers had on his life, and how he, at one stage, even contemplated suicide.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181104062632/http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2002/07_july/01/donald_findlay.shtml|archive-date=4 November 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> UEFA's Control and Disciplinary Body has punished Rangers for incidents during European ties, most notably ] in 2006,<ref name="Fans singing 1">{{cite web|url=http://www.uefa.com/uefa/footballfirst/matchorganisation/disciplinary/news/newsid=424237.html|title=Rangers appeal upheld|publisher=UEFA|date=25 May 2006|access-date=18 August 2012|quote=UEFA appealed against the decision on 12 April by the Control and Disciplinary Body to find Rangers not guilty of alleged discriminatory chants by the club's supporters at both legs of the tie, on 22 February at Ibrox and 7 March at El Madrigal. Rangers have been fined €19,500 and severely warned about their responsibility for any future misconduct by their fans in relation to sectarian and discriminatory behaviour.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130604131843/http://www.uefa.com/uefa/footballfirst/matchorganisation/disciplinary/news/newsid=424237.html|archive-date=4 June 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> ] in 2007,<ref name="Uefa fine rangers and osasuna">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/6564745.stm|title=Uefa fine for Rangers and Osasuna|work=BBC Sport|date=3 May 2007|access-date=18 August 2012|quote=Rangers have been fined £8,280 by Uefa for the behaviour of their fans during their match against Osasuna – but the Spanish club must pay £31,000.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130114143525/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/6564745.stm|archive-date=14 January 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> ] in 2011,<ref name="Fans singing 2">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/12996888.stm|title=Rangers to contest Uefa sectarian singing charge|work=BBC Sport|date=7 April 2011|access-date=18 August 2012|quote=Rangers are to face a Uefa disciplinary hearing over allegations of sectarian singing during last month's Europa League match away to PSV Eindhoven. The club's chief executive Martin Bain says they are "utterly dismayed" by the decision and that they will defend the club's position "vigorously".|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314141118/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/12996888|archive-date=14 March 2012|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Fans singing 3">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/13218273.stm|title=Uefa fines Rangers and bans fans for one away game|work=BBC Sport|date=28 April 2011|access-date=28 April 2011|quote=Uefa has fined Rangers 40,000 euros (£35,652) and banned its fans from the next away European game for sectarian singing in a match at PSV Eindhoven.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120507084751/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/13218273|archive-date=7 May 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> and at Ibrox in 2019.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49449628|title=Rangers: Uefa orders Ibrox section to close after 'sectarian singing'|publisher=BBC|date=23 August 2019|access-date=23 August 2019}}</ref> In February 2015, following sectarian singing from Rangers fans at a match at Raith Rovers, the ] came in for criticism for their failure or inability to deal with the issue.<ref> BBC, 28 February 2015.</ref> However, there have been cases of the police and courts taking action, with Rangers fans having been charged, convicted and jailed for sectarian behaviour.<ref> ''The Scotsman'', 22 April 2015.</ref>

Rangers' use of orange and blue change strips, first worn in 1993–94,<ref name="Rangers away historical kits" /> once in 2002–03<ref name = "2018–19 kits"/> and reintroduced in 2018–19<ref name="2018–19 kits" /> and 2022–23,<ref name="Rangers 22-23 Third Kit Released"/> has caused controversy because the colours are seen as referencing the ].<ref name="2018–19 kits" />

===Friendships===
Supporters of Rangers have a fan friendship with the Northern Irish club ], dating back to 1920. Two of the founders of the club Moses and Peter McNeil have a Northern Irish connection through the County Down birth of their mother Jean Bain, who after moving to Scotland for work in the mid-19th century married a Scotsman, John McNeil. From Rangers formation to the present day, the club have had 32 players who were born in either Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and previously Ireland (from 1882 to 1950). A number were former Linfield players, and they have contributed much to the success of Rangers Football Club. Three former Northern Irish players have captained Rangers – Bert Manderson, John McClelland and Steven Davis; six from a Northern Irish connection have been elevated to the Rangers 'Hall of Fame' and one – Jimmy Nicholl – was the club's assistant manager in 2018.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Little |first1=Ivan |title=Ulster's strong influence in the formation and history of Rangers FC is brought to book |url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/ulsters-strong-influence-in-the-formation-and-history-of-rangers-fc-is-brought-to-book-38010580.html |access-date=13 April 2019 |publisher=Belfast Telegraph |date=10 November 2019}}</ref>

The fans of Rangers also have a fan-friendship with the German club ], dating from the 1970s when Scots moved to the German port in search of work and reinforced by their shared affection for the midfielder ].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Magee |first1=Will |title=Old Firm, New Bonds: The Politics Tying Big European Clubs to Celtic and Rangers |url=https://www.vice.com/en_uk/article/ywnm8j/old-firm-new-bonds-the-politics-tying-big-european-clubs-to-celtic-and-rangers |access-date=12 June 2018 |publisher=Vice News |date=30 November 2017}}</ref>
This link was formalised in February 2021 with the formation of an official club partnership between the two sides.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.rangers.co.uk/article/rangers-and-hsv-enter-club-partnership/68dtIhjgBv7ljtzkffl5qD
|title=Rangers and HSV enter club partnership |publisher=Rangers FC |date=10 February 2021 |access-date=10 February 2021}}</ref> Conversely, Celtic fans have a long-standing friendship with Hamburger SV's ]s, ]. The friendship exists due to both the Rangers-HSV affinity and the shared left-wing politics of Celtic and St. Pauli fans.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.espnfc.com/story/967760/the-enemy-of-my-enemy-is-my-friend|title=The enemy of the enemy is my friend |last=Hesse |first=Uli |date=11 October 2011 |website=ESPN FC |access-date=19 April 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=McDougall |first=William |year=2013 |title=Kicking from the Left: The Friendship of Celtic and FC St. Pauli supporters |journal=Soccer and Society | volume=14 |issue=2 |pages=230–245 |doi= 10.1080/14660970.2013.776470|s2cid=144966781 | issn = 1466-0970}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Magee |first1=Will |title=Old Firm, New Bonds: The Politics Tying Big European Clubs to Celtic and Rangers |url=https://www.vice.com/en_uk/article/ywnm8j/old-firm-new-bonds-the-politics-tying-big-european-clubs-to-celtic-and-rangers |access-date=12 June 2018 |publisher=Vice News |date=30 November 2017}}</ref>


==Ownership and finances== ==Ownership and finances==
{{main|Ownership of Rangers F.C.|Administration and liquidation of The Rangers Football Club Plc}} {{main|Ownership of Rangers F.C.|Administration and liquidation of the Rangers Football Club plc}}

===From incorporation to liquidation===
On 27 May 1899, Rangers Football Club ], forming The Rangers Football Club Ltd.<ref name="RFC 2012 PLC" /> No single shareholding exceeded 50% until 1985 when the Lawrence Group increased its shareholding in Rangers to a 52% majority, following a deal with then club vice-chairman Jack Gillespie. In November 1988, head of the Lawrence Group Lawrence Marlborough sold out to ] for £6&nbsp;million. In 2000, ] decided to list the company on the ] (making it a public limited company), with the name of the company being changed to The Rangers Football Club plc.<ref name="Rangers float on the stock market">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2000/mar/31/newsstory.sport6|title=Rangers to float as it chases global glory|work=The Guardian|date=31 March 2000|access-date=23 August 2012|author=Teather, David|quote=Rangers football club, on track for its 49th Scottish premier league title, announced plans yesterday to float the business on the stock market and disclosed that talks are under way with a number of potential media investors.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120910005050/http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2000/mar/31/newsstory.sport6|archive-date=10 September 2012|url-status=live}}</ref>

On 6 May 2011, ] bought David Murray's shares for £1.<ref name="Craig whyte buys rangers for £1">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/13292829.stm|title=Craig Whyte completes takeover of Rangers for £1|work=BBC Sport|date=6 May 2011|author1=Currie, David|author2=Lamont, Alasdair|author3=McLaughlin, Chris|author-link1=David Currie (broadcaster)|author-link2=Alisdair Lamont|access-date=18 August 2012|quote=Craig Whyte has completed his takeover of Rangers for £1 but amid continuing concerns by board members about his ability to invest sufficient funds.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120713113540/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/13292829|archive-date=13 July 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> On 13 February 2012, Whyte filed legal papers at the ] giving notice of his intention to appoint administrators.<ref name="Rangers go into administration">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-17015966|title=Rangers FC signals intent to go into administration|work=BBC News|access-date=18 August 2012|quote=Rangers Football Club has confirmed it has filed legal papers at the Court of Session to appoint administrators.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120427081038/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-17015966|archive-date=27 April 2012|url-status=live|date=13 February 2012}}</ref> The next day, The Rangers Football Club plc – which was subsequently renamed <nowiki>RFC 2012</nowiki> plc – entered administration over non-payment of £9&nbsp;million in ] and ] taxes to ].<ref name="BBC news administration">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-17026172|title=Rangers Football Club enters administration|date=14 February 2012|work=BBC News|access-date=24 August 2012|quote=HMRC lodged its petition over alleged non-payment of about £9m in PAYE and VAT following Craig Whyte's takeover.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121114180024/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-17026172|archive-date=14 November 2012|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Record rangers in adminstration">{{cite news|url=http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/football/spl/rangers/2012/02/14/rangers-in-crisis-administration-was-sparked-by-9m-unpaid-vat-and-paye-bill-taxman-reveals-86908-23748868/|title=Rangers in crisis: Administration was sparked by £9million bill for unpaid VAT and PAYE|date=14 February 2012|work=Daily Record|access-date=24 August 2012|quote=RANGERS went into administration today – as it was revealed they had failed to pay £9million in VAT and PAYE from the current financial year.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120818224407/http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/rangers-in-crisis-administration-was-sparked-by-9million-1116762|archive-date=18 August 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> In April the administrators estimated that the club's total debts could top £134m which was largely dependent on the outcome of a ] concerning a disputed tax bill in relation to an Employee Benefit Trust ("EBT") scheme employed by the club since 2001.<ref name="Debts could top 134m">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-17628749|title=Rangers' estimated debts could top £134m|date=5 April 2012|work=BBC News|access-date=13 September 2012|quote=Rangers' administrators estimate that the club's total debts could top £134m.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120408075827/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-17628749|archive-date=8 April 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> However, on 20 November 2012, the Tribunal ruled in favour of Rangers. Had that decision been upheld the tax bill could have been significantly reduced from an estimated £74m to under £2m.<ref name="Rangers Win 'Big Tax Case'">{{cite news|title=Rangers win 'Big Tax Case' appeal over use of Employee Benefit Trusts|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/rangers/9691141/Rangers-win-Big-Tax-Case-appeal-over-use-of-Employee-Benefit-Trusts.html|work=The Daily Telegraph|author=Grahams, Ewing|date=21 November 2012|access-date=20 December 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121201070920/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/rangers/9691141/Rangers-win-Big-Tax-Case-appeal-over-use-of-Employee-Benefit-Trusts.html|archive-date=1 December 2012|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="EBT Decision">{{cite web|title=ANONYMISED FORM OF THE DECISION|url=http://www.financeandtaxtribunals.gov.uk/judgmentfiles/j6851/TC02372.pdf|work=Finance and Tax Tribunals|publisher=UK Government|access-date=27 November 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130124143158/http://www.financeandtaxtribunals.gov.uk/judgmentfiles/j6851/TC02372.pdf|archive-date=24 January 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> An ] upheld the decision in 2014.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pkfcooperparry.com/news/tax/rangers-case-%E2%80%93-upper-tribunal-decision |title=The Rangers Case – Upper Tribunal Decision |publisher=pkfcooperparry.com |first=Philip |last=Rogers |access-date=10 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160116050027/http://www.pkfcooperparry.com/news/tax/rangers-case-%E2%80%93-upper-tribunal-decision |archive-date=16 January 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> HMRC then appealed to the ], which ruled in November 2015 that Rangers should have paid tax and national insurance on the EBT payments.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-34720850 |title=HMRC wins Rangers tax case appeal |work=BBC News |date=4 November 2015 |access-date=10 November 2015}}</ref>

On 25 June 2012, the ] asked ] to investigate the purchase of Rangers and the club's subsequent financial management during Whyte's tenure.<ref name="Police probe whyte">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-18582965|title=Rangers in crisis: Police asked to probe Craig Whyte takeover|work=BBC News|date=25 June 2012|access-date=24 August 2012|quote=A criminal investigation is to be launched into Craig Whyte's takeover of Rangers Football Club in May last year.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120722231507/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-18582965|archive-date=22 July 2012|url-status=live}}</ref>

] agreed a deal with the administrators of The Rangers Football Club plc to purchase the company for £8.5&nbsp;million if a proposed ] was agreed or to purchase its business and assets for a £5.5million if the proposed CVA were to be rejected. On 14 June 2012, the formal rejection of the proposed CVA<ref name="CVA rejected">{{cite news|title=Rangers liquidation now inevitable after CVA bid rejected by HMRC|url=http://local.stv.tv/glasgow/105837-rangers-liquidation-now-inevitable-after-cva-bid-rejected-by-hmrc/|access-date=22 December 2012|work=STV Glasgow|publisher=STV|date=12 June 2012|author=Farrell, Mike|quote=Mr Green has previously stated that should the CVA fail his offer goes into an "automatic mode" to carry out a 'newco' switch at the Ibrox club, where all assets are sold to a new business entity for £5.5m and Rangers FC Plc, incorporated in 1899, is liquidated.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120617112145/http://local.stv.tv/glasgow/105837-rangers-liquidation-now-inevitable-after-cva-bid-rejected-by-hmrc/|archive-date=17 June 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> meant that the company would enter the ] process.<ref name="Murray makes criminal complaint">{{cite news|url=http://local.stv.tv/glasgow/202988-rangers-tax-case-leaks-sir-david-murray-makes-criminal-complaint/|title=Rangers tax case leaks: Sir David Murray makes 'criminal complaint'|work=STV Glasgow|publisher=STV|date=27 November 2012|access-date=22 December 2012|quote=In June administrators Duff and Phelps confirmed it had failed to secure a route out of the insolvency event and the club's assets were sold to a newco owned by a Charles Green-led consortium in a £5.5m deal. The oldco, now {{#tag:nowiki|RFC 2012}} Plc, formerly The Rangers Football Club Plc, has been placed into liquidation.|archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/6D6foWaI0?url=http://local.stv.tv/glasgow/202988-rangers-tax-case-leaks-sir-david-murray-makes-criminal-complaint/|archive-date=22 December 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Old company in liquidation">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/scotland/20830558|title=Rangers chief Charles Green criticises Tannadice ticket plan|work=BBC Sport|date=23 December 2012|access-date=23 December 2012|quote=And Green, who bought Rangers' assets after the company that formerly ran the club could not be saved from liquidation, believes the decision to sell tickets directly to visiting fans could spark trouble at the match.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121223213827/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/scotland/20830558|archive-date=23 December 2012|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="SPL EBT Investigation comittee">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21242267|title=SPL independent commission into Rangers player payments begins |date=29 January 2013|access-date=29 January 2013|author=McLaughlin, Chris|work=BBC Sport|quote=The three-man commission will decide if the company that formerly ran Rangers broke Scottish Premier League rules.<br />...<br />The commission will study the financial arrangements made by the Employee Benefit Trust scheme run by former Rangers owner Sir David Murray's company, Murray International Holdings.<br />...<br />The probe was launched before the company that ran Rangers – The Rangers Football Club Plc – was consigned to liquidation.<br />The consortium now running the club, led by chief executive Charles Green, has refused to recognise or co-operate with the investigation.}}</ref> The ] firm ] was appointed to investigate the years of financial mismanagement at the club.<ref name="BDO appointed to find out why plc failed">{{cite news|title=Rangers in Crisis|url=http://news.stv.tv/scotland/105870-rangers-crisis-hmrc-look-to-investigate-those-responsible-for-meltdown/|access-date=24 August 2012|work=STV News|publisher=STV|date=12 June 2012|author=Farrell, Mike|quote=The Ibrox club confirmed its planned company voluntary arrangement (CVA) escape from administration would now fail as the tax authorities revealed they felt it was in the "public interest" to liquidate Rangers FC plc, incorporated in 1899.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131002104449/http://news.stv.tv/scotland/105870-rangers-crisis-hmrc-look-to-investigate-those-responsible-for-meltdown/|archive-date=2 October 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Rangers plc liquidation">{{cite news|url=http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/spl/rangers-liquidated-as-cva-formally-rejected-1-2353211|work=The Scotsman|title=Rangers liquidated as CVA formally rejected|date=14 June 2012|access-date=30 July 2012|quote=GLASGOW RANGERS were today forced into liquidation after major creditor Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) formally rejected an offer of a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) from the club's administrators.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120727043212/http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/sfl-division-three/rangers-liquidated-as-cva-formally-rejected-1-2353211|archive-date=27 July 2012|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Current corporate identity===
On 14 June 2012, hours after the CVA's rejection, Sevco Scotland Ltd, a new company formed by Charles Green's consortium for this eventuality,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/sevco-statement/|title=Sevco Statement|publisher=rangers.co.uk|date=27 June 2012|access-date=18 December 2018}}</ref> completed the purchase of the business and assets of The Rangers Football Club Plc<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/football/little-black-and-white-as-green-faces-closer-scrutiny.20769831 | title=Little black and white as Green faces closer scrutiny | work=The Herald | date=16 April 2013 | access-date=17 April 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.scotprem.com/content/mediaassets/doc/Commission%20Decision%2028%2002%202013.pdf | title=Commission Decision | publisher=Scottish Premier League | access-date=17 April 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130319044800/http://www.scotprem.com/content/mediaassets/doc/Commission%20Decision%2028%2002%202013.pdf | archive-date=19 March 2013 | url-status=dead | df=dmy-all }}</ref> and then, on 18 June 2012, formally applied to acquire the SPL share of The Rangers Football Club plc. On 4 July, SPL clubs voted by 10–1 to reject the application with ] abstaining and the old Rangers company voting in favour.<ref name="Newco refused spl admission" /> Thereafter, an application to the Scottish Football League was successful with Rangers securing associate membership on 13 July 2012 at an SFL meeting by a vote of 29–1. The SFL member clubs voted that Rangers should enter the fourth tier of Scottish Football, ] for the 2012–13 season, rather than the ].<ref name="Reformed and relaunched">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19225698|title=Rangers: Newcastle's Mike Ashley ready to buy Ibrox share|work=BBC Sport|date=11 August 2012|access-date=24 August 2012|quote=Businessman Charles Green led a consortium to buy Rangers' assets for £5.5m and reformed the club as a new company. But the 'newco' did not get the required votes for re-admittance to the SPL and instead, Rangers were relaunched in Division Three, drawing 2–2 with Peterhead in their opening game.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120811140921/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19225698|archive-date=11 August 2012|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Division one plan">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18656012|title=Raith & Clyde criticise Rangers newco Division One plan|work=BBC Sport|date=30 June 2012|access-date=30 July 2012|quote=Raith Rovers and Clyde insist plans to place the Rangers newco in Scottish Division One should not be forced upon Scottish Football League clubs.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120828135513/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18656012|archive-date=28 August 2012|url-status=live}}</ref>

An application was made for a transfer of ] membership on 29 June 2012, with the new company applying for the transfer of the membership of The Rangers Football Club plc.<ref name="Scottish FA issues Rangers update">{{cite web|url=http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/scottish_fa_news.cfm?page=1961&newsCategoryID=3&newsID=10204|title=Scottish FA issues Rangers update|publisher=Scottish Football Association |date=17 July 2012|access-date=28 January 2013}}</ref><ref name="Rangers sfa membership bid">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18641075|title=Charles Green gives SFA details for membership bid|work=BBC Sport|date=13 July 2012|access-date=20 December 2012|quote="We have received an information pack from Sevco Scotland relevant to their membership application," said the SFA.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120902030335/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18641075|archive-date=2 September 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> Agreement was reached on the transfer with the new company accepting a number of conditions relating to the old company.<ref name="SFA membership transferred"/>

At the end of 2012, Rangers International Football Club plc became the holding company for the group, having acquired The Rangers Football Club Ltd on the basis of a one for one share exchange.<ref> londonstockexchange.com. Retrieved 27 January 2013.</ref> In 2013, after its first 13 months, the company reported operating losses of £14.4m.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/oct/01/rangers-announce-loss-annual-accounts |title=Rangers announce £14.4m operating loss in annual accounts |work=The Guardian |date=1 October 2018 |access-date=21 December 2018}}</ref> Thereafter it continued to post annual operating losses, variously £9.8m in 2014 and £9.9m in 2015,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://media.rangers.co.uk/uploads/2015/11/Rangers-Reports-and-Accounts-2015.pdf|title=Annual Report 2015|publisher=rangers.co.uk|access-date=21 December 2018}}{{Dead link|date=April 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> £2.5m in 2016,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://media.rangers.co.uk/uploads/2016/10/Rangers-Reports-and-Accounts-2017.pdf|title=Annual Report 2016|publisher=rangers.co.uk|access-date=21 December 2018}}{{Dead link|date=April 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> £6.3m in 2017<ref>{{cite web|url=https://media.rangers.co.uk/uploads/2017/11/Rangers-Reports-and-Accounts-2017.pdf|title=Annual Report 2017|publisher=rangers.co.uk|access-date=21 December 2018}}</ref> and £13.2m in 2018,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://media.rangers.co.uk/uploads/2018/10/RIFC-30th-June-2018_09_FINAL.pdf|title=Annual Report 2018|publisher=rangers.co.uk|access-date=21 December 2018}}</ref> until returning to profit in 2022.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11788/12742440/rangers-reveal-record-turnover-of-86-8m-and-operating-profit-of-5-9m|title=Rangers reveal record turnover of 86.8m and operating profit of 5.9m|publisher=skysports.com|access-date=9 November 2022}}</ref>

===Major shareholders===
{{updated|July 2024}}<ref name="Shareholders">{{cite news | url=https://rangers.co.uk/club/investor-centre/share-information/ | title=SHARE INFORMATION | publisher=Rangers Football Club | work=Rangers.co.uk | access-date=29 September 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180924201307/https://rangers.co.uk/club/investor-centre/share-information/ | archive-date=24 September 2018 | url-status=live }}</ref>
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Stakeholder
! No of Ordinary Shares held
! % of issued share capital
|-
|]<ref>t/a New Oasis Asset Limited</ref> || 63,172,893 || 14.12%
|-
|] || 52,550,000 || 11.74%
|-
|George Alexander Taylor || 44,074,998 || 9.85%
|-
|Stuart Gibson || 44,000,000 || 9.84%
|-
|Borita Investments Limited || 27,611,955 || 6.17%
|-
|] || 24,647,059 || 5.51%
|-
|Perron Investments LLC || 24,250,000 || 5.42%
|-
|George Letham || 22,274,516 || 4.98%
|-
|] Shares ] || 22,202,838 || 4.96%
|-
|Tifosy Investment Nominees Limited || 17,610,000 || 3.94%
|}

==Social responsibility==

===Support for charities===
{{Main|Rangers Charity Foundation}}


The Rangers Charity Foundation was created in 2002 and participates in a wide range of ], regularly involving Rangers staff and star players. The foundation also has partnerships with ], The Prostate Cancer Charity and ], and is responsible for over £2.3&nbsp;million in donations. As well as ], the Rangers Charity Foundation regularly bring ], ] and disadvantaged children to attend matches and tours at Ibrox, with the chance to meet the players.<ref name="Rangers charity foundation">{{cite web|url=http://www.rangerscharity.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=25&Itemid=43|title=Introducing The Foundation|publisher=Rangerscharity.org.uk|access-date=25 August 2012|quote=Being a champion of charitable giving is our goal, and since our creation in 2002 we have donated over £1&nbsp;million in cash awards and over £1,550,000 of in-kind support to hundreds of groups and individuals, making a combined total of over £2,500,000|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130116232818/http://www.rangerscharity.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=25&Itemid=43|archive-date=16 January 2013|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Rangers charity foundation to be investigated">{{cite news|url=http://local.stv.tv/glasgow/299946-inquiry-into-rangers-charity-over-match-against-ac-milan/|title=Inquiry into Rangers charity match against AC Milan|work=STV Glasgow|publisher=STV|date=6 March 2012|access-date=22 December 2012|author=Farrell, Mike|quote=The charity, which has donated more than £2.3m to various causes since it was set up in 2002, has reduced the amount it will take from the game to 10%, meaning the majority of the money raised will go to the club, which is currently in administration.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120513132400/http://local.stv.tv/glasgow/299946-inquiry-into-rangers-charity-over-match-against-ac-milan/|archive-date=13 May 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>
===Incorporation to limited company and then to a PLC===
Rangers Football Club became a ] on 27 May 1899<ref name="RFC 2012 PLC" /> when it was incorporated as The Rangers Football Club Ltd. It continued in this form until, in 2000, ] decided to list the company on the ], making it a public limited company. The name of the company was therefore changed to The Rangers Football Club Plc.<ref name="Rangers float on the stock market">{{cite news|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2000/mar/31/newsstory.sport6|title=Rangers to float as it chases global glory|work=The Guardian|publisher=Guardian Media Group|date=31 March 2000|accessdate=23 August 2012|author=Teather, David|quote=Rangers football club, on track for its 49th Scottish premier league title, announced plans yesterday to float the business on the stock market and disclosed that talks are under way with a number of potential media investors.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A9STfbBf|archivedate=24 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref>


Through its support of the Rangers Charity Foundation, the club has helped a number of charities with support and financial donations. In 2008, the club became the first Scottish side to be selected as a partner club of ].<ref name="UNICEF">{{ cite news | url=http://www.unicef.org.uk/UNICEFs-Work/Our-supporters/Organisations/Corporate-partners/Rangers/ | title=RANGERS | publisher=UNICEF | access-date=18 September 2012 }}</ref> The club's Charity Foundation has backed initiatives in Togo and India<ref name="UNICEF"/> as well as funding one million vaccinations for a children's vaccination programme.<ref>{{ cite news | url=http://rangers.co.uk/news/club/foundation-funds-1m-vaccines-unicef/ | title=Foundation Funds 1m Vaccines For Unicef| date=13 May 2016 | publisher=Rangers F.C.}}</ref> The club has been a firm supporter of ], a charity which provides long-term medical care for veterans of the ], and in 2012, donated £25,000 to fund projects within their care homes.<ref>{{ cite news | url=http://rangers.co.uk/news/club/25k-donation-to-erskine/ | title=£25k Donation To Erskine | date=18 September 2012 | publisher=Rangers Charity Foundation }}</ref> In January 2015, Rangers hosted a charity match for the benefit of former player ] who had been diagnosed with ]; this raised £320,000 for him and ].<ref>{{ cite news | url=http://rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/320k-raised-from-ricksen-match/ | title=320k Raised From Ricksen Match| date=27 March 2015 |publisher=Rangers F.C.}}</ref>
===Craig Whyte and administration===
On 6 May 2011, ] bought David Murray's shares for £1.<ref name="Craig whyte buys rangers for £1">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/13292829.stm|title=Craig Whyte completes takeover of Rangers for £1|publisher=BBC|work=BBC Sport Scotland|date=6 May 2011|author1=Currie, David|author2=Lamont, Alasdair|author3=McLaughlin, Chris|authorlink1=David Currie (broadcaster)|authorlink2=Alisdair Lamont|accessdate=18 August 2012|quote=Craig Whyte has completed his takeover of Rangers for £1 but amid continuing concerns by board members about his ability to invest sufficient funds.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A11wg0v5|archivedate=18 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> On 13 February 2012. Whyte filed legal papers at the ] giving notice of their intention to appoint administrators.<ref name="Rangers go into administration">{{cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-17015966|title=Rangers FC signals intent to go into administration|publisher=BBC|work=BBC News|accessdate=18 August 2012|quote=Rangers Football Club has confirmed it has filed legal papers at the Court of Session to appoint administrators.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A12EeRIK|archivedate=18 August 2012|deadurl=no|date=13 February 2012}}</ref> The next day, The Rangers Football Club Plc – which was subsequently renamed <nowiki>RFC 2012</nowiki> Plc – entered administration over non-payment of £9 million in ] and ] taxes to HM Revenue and Customs.<ref name="BBC news administration">{{cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-17026172|title=Rangers Football Club enters administration|date=14 February 2012|publisher=BBC|work=BBC News|accessdate=24 August 2012|quote=HMRC lodged its petition over alleged non-payment of about £9m in PAYE and VAT following Craig Whyte's takeover.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A9hkk8eN|archivedate=24 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref><ref name="Record rangers in adminstration">{{cite news|url=http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/football/spl/rangers/2012/02/14/rangers-in-crisis-administration-was-sparked-by-9m-unpaid-vat-and-paye-bill-taxman-reveals-86908-23748868/|title=Rangers in crisis: Administration was sparked by £9million bill for unpaid VAT and PAYE|date=14 February 2012|publisher=Trinity Mirror|work=]|accessdate=24 August 2012|quote=RANGERS went into administration today – as it was revealed they had failed to pay £9million in VAT and PAYE from the current financial year.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A9hwF9BH|archivedate=24 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> In April the administrators estimated that the club's total debts could top £134m which was largely dependent on the outcome of a ] concerning a disputed tax bill in relation to an ] scheme employed by the club since 2001.<ref name="Debts could top 134m">{{cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-17628749|title=Rangers' estimated debts could top £134m|date=5 April 2012|publisher=BBC|work=BBC News|accessdate=13 September 2012|quote=Rangers' administrators estimate that the club's total debts could top £134m.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D6RdNcwI|archivedate=22 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> However, on 20 November 2012, the Tribunal ruled in favour of Rangers. If that decision is upheld the tax bill could be significantly reduced from an estimated £74m to under £2m.<ref name="Rangers Win 'Big Tax Case'">{{cite news|title=Rangers win 'Big Tax Case' appeal over use of Employee Benefit Trusts|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/rangers/9691141/Rangers-win-Big-Tax-Case-appeal-over-use-of-Employee-Benefit-Trusts.html|work=The Daily Telegraph|publisher=Telegraph Media Group|author=Grahams, Ewing|date=21 November 2012|accessdate=20 December 2012|quote=|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D6RiMutT|archivedate=22 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref><ref name="EBT Decision">{{cite web|title=ANONYMISED FORM OF THE DECISION|url=http://www.financeandtaxtribunals.gov.uk/judgmentfiles/j6851/TC02372.pdf|publisher=UK Government|work=]|format=pdf|accessdate=27 November 2012|quote=|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D6SDHIpx|archivedate=22 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> On 4 February 2103, HMRC lodged an appeal of the FFT decision and a further hearing will be carried out by a Second Tier Tribunal.<ref>http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-21326039</ref>


===Work in the community===
On 25 June 2012, the ] asked ] to investigate the purchase of Rangers and the club's subsequent financial management during Whytes tenure.<ref name="Police probe whyte">{{cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-18582965|title=Rangers in crisis: Police asked to probe Craig Whyte takeover|publisher=BBC|work=BBC News|date=25 June 2012|accessdate=24 August 2012|quote=A criminal investigation is to be launched into Craig Whyte's takeover of Rangers Football Club in May last year.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A9mAhL3e|archivedate=24 August 2004|deadurl=no}}</ref>
Alongside its work with numerous charities, the club and its Charity Foundation operate various initiatives within the community including courses to help Armed Forces veterans overcome addictions,<ref>{{ cite news | url=http://rangers.co.uk/news/club/glasgow-veterans-united/ | title=Glasgow Veterans United |publisher=Rangers F.C. | date=8 June 2016 }}</ref> to raise awareness of social issues and help unemployed people back into work. In October 2015, the club launched its ''Ready2Succeed'' programme which was a ten-week course designed to develop participants confidence and employability skills by engaging with football and fitness.<ref>{{ cite news | url=http://www.thescottishfootballpartnership.com/sfp-community-initiative-rangers-f-c-launch-new-employability-project-ready2succeed/ | title=Rangers F.C. launch new employability project 'Ready2Succeed' | work=Scottish Football Partnership | publisher=Thescottishfootballpartnership.com| date=21 October 2015 }}</ref> Rangers first-team players also visit the ] in Glasgow every year during the festive period where they hand out presents to the children and donate money to the hospital activity fund.<ref>{{ cite news | url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/14145377.Rangers_stars_spread_festive_cheer_to_sick_kids/ | title=Rangers stars spread festive cheer to sick kids | author=Watson, Linzi | newspaper=The Herald | date=15 December 2015}}</ref>


==Popular culture==
===Liquidation of PLC and current ownership===
In 2002, former Rangers striker Ally McCoist starred in ]'s film '']'' as Jackie McQuillan where he would play against Rangers in the Scottish Cup Final for "Kilnockie F.C.", a fictional side.
Charles Green agreed a deal with the administrators of The Rangers Football Club Plc to purchase its business and assets, including Rangers FC, for a £5.5million fee if the proposed ] was to be rejected. On 14 June 2012, the formal rejection of the proposed CVA<ref name="CVA rejected">{{cite news|title=Rangers liquidation now inevitable after CVA bid rejected by HMRC|url=http://local.stv.tv/glasgow/105837-rangers-liquidation-now-inevitable-after-cva-bid-rejected-by-hmrc/|accessdate=22 December 2012|publisher=]|work=STV Glasgow|date=12 June 2012|author=Farrell, Mike|quote=Mr Green has previously stated that should the CVA fail his offer goes into an "automatic mode" to carry out a 'newco' switch at the Ibrox club, where all assets are sold to a new business entity for £5.5m and Rangers FC Plc, incorporated in 1899, is liquidated.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D6fvFxiT|archivedate=22 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> meant that the old company would enter the ] process.<ref name="Murray makes criminal complaint">{{cite news|url=http://local.stv.tv/glasgow/202988-rangers-tax-case-leaks-sir-david-murray-makes-criminal-complaint/|title=Rangers tax case leaks: Sir David Murray makes 'criminal complaint'|publisher=STV|work=STV Glasgow|date=27 November 2012|accessdate=22 December 2012|quote=In June administrators Duff and Phelps confirmed it had failed to secure a route out of the insolvency event and the club's assets were sold to a newco owned by a Charles Green-led consortium in a £5.5m deal. The oldco, now {{#tag:nowiki|RFC 2012}} Plc, formerly The Rangers Football Club Plc, has been placed into liquidation.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D6foWaI0|archivedate=22 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref><ref name="Old company in liquidation">{{cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/scotland/20830558|title=Rangers chief Charles Green criticises Tannadice ticket plan|publisher=BBC|work=BBC Sport Scotland|date=23 December 2012|accessdate=23 December 2012|quote=And Green, who bought Rangers' assets after the company that formerly ran the club could not be saved from liquidation, believes the decision to sell tickets directly to visiting fans could spark trouble at the match.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D7x4XKBS|archivedate=23 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref><ref name="SPL EBT Investigation comittee">{{cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21242267|title=SPL independent commission into Rangers player payments begins|work=]|date=29 January 2013|accessdate=29 January 2013|author=McLaughlin, Chris|publisher=BBC|quote=The three-man commission will decide if the company that formerly ran Rangers broke Scottish Premier League rules.{{break}}...{{break}}The commission will study the financial arrangements made by the Employee Benefit Trust scheme run by former Rangers owner Sir David Murray's company, Murray International Holdings.{{break}}...{{break}}The probe was launched before the company that ran Rangers - The Rangers Football Club Plc - was consigned to liquidation.{{break}}The consortium now running the club, led by chief executive Charles Green, has refused to recognise or co-operate with the investigation.|archiveurl=|archivedate=|deadurl=no}}</ref> The ] firm ] were appointed to reveal why the company running the club failed.<ref name="BDO appointed to find out why plc failed">{{cite news|title=Rangers in Crisis|url=http://news.stv.tv/scotland/105870-rangers-crisis-hmrc-look-to-investigate-those-responsible-for-meltdown/|accessdate=24 August 2012|publisher=STV|work=STV News|date=12 June 2012|author=Farrell, Mike|quote=The Ibrox club confirmed its planned company voluntary arrangement (CVA) escape from administration would now fail as the tax authorities revealed they felt it was in the "public interest" to liquidate Rangers FC plc, incorporated in 1899.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A9j4ROZg|archivedate=24 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref><ref name="Rangers plc liquidation">{{cite news|url=http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/spl/rangers-liquidated-as-cva-formally-rejected-1-2353211|work=The Scotsman|publisher=Johnston Press|title=Rangers liquidated as CVA formally rejected|date=14 June 2012|accessdate=30 July 2012|quote=GLASGOW RANGERS were today forced into liquidation after major creditor Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) formally rejected an offer of a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) from the club’s administrators.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A9qnvPOT|archivedate=24 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref>


In 2003, a Scottish television documentary series filmed by ], '']'', followed aspiring young footballers at Rangers as they tried to forge a career in football.<ref>{{ cite news | url=http://sport.scotsman.com/rangersfc/Rangers-homegrown-hopefuls-make-for.2474119.jp | title=Rangers' homegrown hopefuls make for engaging talent show | location=Edinburgh|work=The Scotsman|publisher=Johnston Press | date=29 October 2003}}</ref> The series was originally broadcast in the winter of 2003 with a follow-up episode in 2011.<ref>{{ cite news | url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/13030260.Heavenly_beginnings_show_how_Rangers_starlets_have_fallen_from_grace/ | title=Heavenly beginnings show how Rangers starlets have fallen from grace| location=Edinburgh|work=The Scotsman|publisher=Johnston Press | date=19 May 2011}}</ref>
Hours after the CVA's rejection, Charles Green completed the purchase of the business and assets, including Rangers FC, of the old company through the company Sevco Scotland Ltd.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/football/little-black-and-white-as-green-faces-closer-scrutiny.20769831 | title=Little black and white as Green faces closer scrutiny | publisher=The Herald | accessdate=2013-04-17}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.scotprem.com/content/mediaassets/doc/Commission%20Decision%2028%2002%202013.pdf | title=Commission Decision | publisher=SPL | accessdate=2013-04-17}}</ref>


In 2008, celebrity chef and former Rangers youth player ] returned to the club to teach them how to cook in Series 4, Episode 12 of '']''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.channel4.com/programmes/gordon-ramsays-f-word/on-demand/44977-012|title=Gordon Ramsay's F Word – On Demand – All 4|website=www.channel4.com}}</ref>
The new company acquired Ibrox Stadium and Murray Park along with various other assets including ], ] and various contracts.<ref name="Green completes asset buy">{{cite news|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2159368/The-Rangers-Football-Club-bought-Charles-Green.html|title=Welcome to 'The Rangers Football Club'... new name for crisis club as Green beats late Smith bid to seal deal|date=14 June 2012|accessdate=14 August 2012|quote=Green completed his £5.5million newco acquisition after his Company Voluntary Arrangement was formally rejected.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A9rSRCZQ|archivedate=24 August 2012|deadurl=no|work=Daily Mail|publisher=Daily Mail and General Trust}}</ref><ref name="Green buys rangers">{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/scottish/charles-green-completes-purchase-of-rangers-assets-7851528.html|title=Charles Green completes purchase of Rangers assets|work=The Independent|publisher=Independent Print Ltd|date=14 June 2012|quote=Green completed his £5.5million newco acquisition after his Company Voluntary Arrangement was formally rejected.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A9rXUfRb|archivedate=24 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref><ref name="History and titles transferred">{{cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18417120|title=Rangers players must join newco – Charles Green|publisher=BBC|work=BBC Sport|date=12 June 2012|accessdate=23 December 2012|quote="The position of Duff & Phelps is that we will remain as administrators probably for some more weeks. We will then get release from that position and the company will be passed into liquidation. But just to stress the club will have been sold and moved out of the company by then.{{break}}"The history of the club remains with the club, so the club moves from Rangers Plc into the new company and all of the titles and 140-year history will remain with the club. That was part of the two-stage process we set up with Charles Green all those weeks ago."|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D8XP6ARy|archivedate=23 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> Sevco Scotland Ltd subsequently changed its name to 'The Rangers Football Club Ltd' at the end of July 2012.<ref name="Sevco scotland ltd">{{cite web|url=http://data.companieshouse.gov.uk/doc/company/SC425159|title=THE RANGERS FOOTBALL CLUB LIMITED|publisher=UK Government|work=Companies House|date=29 May 2012|accessdate=22 December 2012|quote=Registration Date: 29/05/2012{{break}}PreviousNames{{break}}CONDate 31/07/2012{{break}}CompanyName SEVCO SCOTLAND LIMITED|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D6hrq9dg|archivedate=22 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref>


Owing to the notoriety of the "Rangers Inter City Firm", a ] associated with the club, Rangers have also featured in television documentaries and books about football hooliganism, including Series 1, Episode 5 of '']'' presented by English actor ] on ] in 2006, during which he visits his first Old Firm match and meets football casuals from Rangers, Celtic, Aberdeen, Hibernian, Dundee United and Dundee.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/kicking-off-934116|title=Kicking off|work=Daily Record|date=6 May 2006|access-date=21 April 2018}}</ref>
As a result of Rangers' "]s, business and ]" being sold to a new company when The Rangers Football Club Plc (subsequently renamed as {{#tag:nowiki|RFC 2012}} Plc) entered the liquidation process, the extent to which Rangers can be regarded as a continuation of the club officially founded in 1872 has been interpreted differently. Rangers Football Club has been described by some in the mainstream media as a "new club",<ref name="Club liquidated">{{cite news|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/jul/28/rangers-uncharted-waters-fears|title=Rangers sail into uncharted waters amid myriad fears and flaws|work=The Guardian|publisher=Guardian Media Group|date=28 July 2012|author=Murray, Ewan|quote=Summer of schisms and machinations sparked by the Ibrox club's liquidation has left Scottish football facing the unknown|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A9rgvkVd|archivedate=24 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref><ref name="Rangers liquidated 2">{{cite news |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19040706|title=Rangers newco owner Charles Green make bigotry claim over SPL rejection|publisher=BBC|work=BBC Sport|date=29 July 2012|quote=Charles Green has claimed that bigotry was among the motives for punishing the new Rangers for the misdemeanours of the old Ibrox club.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A9ro1wjk|archivedate=24 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref><ref name="Rangers liquidated 3">{{cite news|url=http://sport.stv.tv/football/clubs/aberdeen/107877-aberdeen-are-the-fifth-spl-club-to-confirm-they-will-vote-against-newco/|title=Newco Rangers to be refused SPL entry as six clubs say they will vote no|publisher=STV|work=STV Sport|date=25 June 2012|accessdate=6 August 2012|quote=Newco Rangers look certain to be refused SPL membership after Aberdeen and St Johnstone revealed they will vote against a new company taking the crisis-hit club's place.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A9rscbUs|archivedate=24 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> whilst the then ], Charles Green, maintained "this is still Rangers".<ref name="same club 1">{{cite web|url=http://www.scotzine.com/2012/07/in-full-rangers-newco-statement-on-sfa-membership/|title=In full: Rangers newco statement on SFA membership|publisher=Scotzine|work=Scotzine.com|date=27 July 2012|author=Muirhead, Andy|quote=This is still Rangers and the next chapter of our history has the potential to be one of the greatest stories in the history of sport. The Rangers revival begins now and I, for one, am looking forward to the journey|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A9sDdJL7|archivedate=24 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref><ref name="Same club 2">{{cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19120224|title=Rangers' SFA membership rubber-stamped|publisher=BBC|work=BBC Sport|date=3 August 2012|accessdate=13 August 2012|quote=Rangers have received full membership of the Scottish Football Association, the governing body has confirmed.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A9sGx5RZ|archivedate=24 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref><ref name="UEFA scottish cup squad">{{cite web|url=http://uk.uefa.com/teamsandplayers/teams/club=50121/domestic/index.html|title=
Rangers FC|date=8 December 2012|accessdate=31 December 2012|work=uefa.com|publisher=UEFA|quote=Click on scottish cup squad and it displays the squad from 2012/2013 and the league squad of SPL the season before|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6DK9NB3aq|archivedate=31 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> Though the SPL chairman Neil Doncaster said "it is an existing club, even though it's a new company",<ref name="SPL say its a existing club">{{cite video|url=http://sport.stv.tv/football/clubs/rangers/111130-full-video-interview-spl-chief-neil-doncaster-on-rangers-and-his-future/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitte|title=Full video interview: SPL chief Neil Doncaster on Rangers and his future|publisher=STV|work=STV Sport|date=18 July 2012|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A9sMbGFwe|archivedate=24 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref><ref name="Government recongise work of the club">{{cite web|url=http://www.parliament.uk/edm/2012-13/374|title=Early day motion 374|publisher=UK Government|date=11 July 2012|accessdate=18 August 2012|quote=That this House acknowledges the strenuous efforts being made by the current management, playing and backroom staff at Rangers Football Club to set the Club on a sound financial footing; commends the sacrificial financial moves made by many at Rangers in recent months to help alleviate the problems caused by previous owners; and calls on the Scottish football authorities, if they believe in integrity, to move quickly so that both Rangers with their worldwide fan base and all other clubs can prepare for the new season, allowing genuine football fans to enjoy the game and the clubs they love.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A0gz94uq|archivedate=18 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> SFA chief executive Stewart Regan has described Rangers as having moved from being "a club in administration trying to do a company voluntary arrangement, to a club facing liquidation and becoming a newco."<ref> bbc.co.uk, accessed 2 February 2013</ref>


The club featured on BBC Scotland comedy '']'' in 1979 in a scene where Manager (]) and Chief Scout (]) unknowingly sign a young Catholic footballer (]) but then try to void his contract to avoid publicly breaking the club's ] after finding out.<ref name = "scotch n wry">{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/proginfo/nations/scotland/scpiwk51.pdf |title=This Week's Highlights. Scotland: BBC weeks 51 and 52 |publisher=BBC |date=2010-12-31 |access-date=2016-08-10}}</ref><ref>, Glasgow Live, 6 April 2018.</ref>
The new company formally applied to acquire the SPL share of The Rangers Football Club Plc on 18 June 2012. The SPL agreed to consider the request to transfer the share, but on 4 July, voted by 10–1 to reject the application. ] abstained and the old Rangers company voted in favour.<ref name="Newco refused spl admission" /> The Rangers Football Club Plc's share in the SPL was subsequently transferred to The Dundee Football Club Ltd.<ref name="Rangers Nimmo Smith" /> Thereafter, an application to the Scottish Football League was successful with Rangers securing associate membership on 13 July 2012 at an SFL meeting by a vote of 29–1. On the same day a place in the fourth tier of Scottish Football, ] for the 2012–13 season, rather than the ] from the two options presented to the SFL member clubs with 25 of the 30 clubs voting that the club should be placed in Division Three.<ref name="Rangers relegated to 3rd division" /><ref name="Reformed and relaunched">{{cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19225698|title=Rangers: Newcastle's Mike Ashley ready to buy Ibrox share|publisher=BBC|work=BBC Sport|date=11 August 2012|accessdate=24 August 2012|quote=Businessman Charles Green led a consortium to buy Rangers' assets for £5.5m and reformed the club as a new company. But the 'newco' did not get the required votes for re-admittance to the SPL and instead, Rangers were relaunched in Division Three, drawing 2–2 with Peterhead in their opening game.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A9ona0sN|archivedate=24 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref><ref name="Division one plan">{{cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18656012|title=Raith & Clyde criticise Rangers newco Division One plan|publisher=BBC|work=BBC Sport|date=30 June 2012|accessdate=30 July 2012|quote=Raith Rovers and Clyde insist plans to place the Rangers newco in Scottish Division One should not be forced upon Scottish Football League clubs.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A9qxZN9C|archivedate=24 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref>


Rangers have appeared in theatre a number of times in shows such as ''Follow Follow: The Rangers Story'' at the ] in 1994 starring Scottish actors ], ], ], ], ] and ]; ''Singin' I'm No A Billy He's A Tim'' at the Pavilion Theatre in 2009;<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2009/jun/09/im-no-a-billy-hes-review|title=Singin' I'm No a Billy He's a Tim|work=The Guardian|date=9 June 2009|access-date=21 April 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.culturenorthernireland.org/features/performing-arts/singin%E2%80%99-i%E2%80%99m-no-billy-he%E2%80%99s-tim|title=Singin' I'm No a Billy, He's a Tim|publisher=]|date=16 September 2009|access-date=21 April 2018|archive-date=21 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180421163354/http://www.culturenorthernireland.org/features/performing-arts/singin%E2%80%99-i%E2%80%99m-no-billy-he%E2%80%99s-tim|url-status=dead}}</ref> '']'' at the ] in 2011; and, more recently, ''Billy and Tim and the Wee Glesga Ghost'' in 2015, and ''Rally Roon the Rangers'' in 2019 and 2022, both at the Pavilion Theatre in Glasgow.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/17792697.pavilion-s-rally-roon-rangers-opens-spectacular-start/|title=The Pavilion's Rally Roon the Rangers opens with a spectacular start |work=Evening Times|date=24 July 2019}}</ref>
An application was made for a transfer of ] membership on 29 June 2012, with the new company applying for the transfer of the membership of The Rangers Football Club Plc.<ref name="Scottish FA issues Rangers update">{{cite web|url=http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/scottish_fa_news.cfm?page=1961&newsCategoryID=3&newsID=10204|title=Scottish FA issues Rangers update|publisher=SFA|work=scottishfa.co.uk|date=17 July 2012|accessdate=28 January 2013}}</ref><ref name="Rangers sfa membership bid">{{cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18641075|title=Charles Green gives SFA details for membership bid|publisher=BBC|work=BBC Sport|date=13 July 2012|accessdate=20 December 2012|quote="We have received an information pack from Sevco Scotland relevant to their membership application," said the SFA.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D6rkzkd3|archivedate=22 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> Agreement was reached on the transfer with the new company accepting a number of conditions relating to the old company.<ref name="SFA membership transferred">{{cite web|title=Agreement on Transfer of Membership|url=http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/scottish_fa_news.cfm?page=2986&newsID=10252&newsCategoryID=1|date=27 July 2012|publisher=Scottish Football Association|work=scottishfa.co.uk|accessdate=30 July 2012|quote=We are pleased to confirm that agreement has been reached on all outstanding points relating to the transfer of the Scottish FA membership between Rangers FC (In Administration), and Sevco Scotland Ltd, who will be the new owners of The Rangers Football Club. |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A9r14crB|archivedate=24 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref>


]'s ] "]", also known as "Down in the Valley with My Saviour I Would Go" or "I Will Follow Jesus", has been adopted as the anthem of Rangers in their club song "]". The club has also played the ] song "]" when the teams exit the tunnel before kick off.<ref name="thebest">{{cite news|url=http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/2010/04/21/rangers-fans-launch-bid-to-get-tina-turner-hit-simply-the-best-to-no-1-as-team-close-in-on-spl-title-86908-22201242/ |title=Rangers fans launch bid to get Tina Turner hit Simply The Best to No.1 |newspaper=The Daily Record |date=21 April 2010 |access-date=21 April 2018}}</ref>
At the end of 2012, Rangers International Football Club Plc became the holding company for the group, having acquired The Rangers Football Club Ltd on the basis of a one for one share exchange.<ref> londonstockexchange.com, accessed 27 January 2013</ref>


In October 2023, ] girl group ] went viral when during a concert in Dallas, Texas, US, they wore cropped 1996–97 season Rangers shirts instead of uniforms from the local ] team, the ].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Cox |first1=Auryn |title=STAYC - K-pop group in Rangers top 'mix-up' at Texas gig |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-67204915 |website=BBC Scotland |publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation |access-date=16 January 2024 |date=24 October 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first1=Ally |last1=McCoist |author-link1=Ally McCoist |first2=Alan |last2=Brazil |author-link2=Alan Brazil |first3=Phil |last3=Spencer |title=McCoist in stitches at K-Pop band's Rangers wardrobe malfunction: 'They wore it better' |url=https://talksport.com/football/1615626/ally-mccoist-rangers-k-pop-stayc-wardrobe-malfunction/ |publisher=] |access-date=16 January 2024 |language=en-gb |date=25 October 2023}}</ref> A club spokesman said that the moment had "triggered nostalgia for the Light Blues". When the group traveled to the UK the following month for the Korea On Stage show at Wembley, the club welcomed them to Ibrox Stadium and their adjoining event facility, Edmiston House.<ref>{{cite AV media |author1=Rangers Football Club |author2=STAYC |author-link2=STAYC |title=K-Pop Group STAYC Visit Ibrox And Edmiston House |type=Video |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfqBSlUmFdo |publisher=Rangers Football Club |access-date=16 January 2024 |date=8 November 2023 |language=en |via=]}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media |format=Short video |author=STAYC |author-link=STAYC|title=Rangers FC Broxy Bear 와 함께한 #TeddyBear_Challenge |url=https://www.youtube.com/shorts/yEaU_kCJFeU |publisher=High Up Entertainment |access-date=16 January 2024 |date=6 November 2023 |location=Ibrox Stadium |language=en |via=]}} Also shared by the group on Instagram and TikTok.</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=K-Pop group STAYC tell Ibrox crowds 'we love Rangers' after top 'mix-up' |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-67340158 |work=BBC Scotland |publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation |access-date=16 January 2024 |date=6 November 2023}}</ref>
==Rangers Charity Foundation==
The Rangers ] was created in 2002 and participates in a wide range of ], regularly involving Rangers staff and star players. The foundation also has partnerships with ], The Prostate Cancer Charity and ], and is responsible for over £2.3 million in donations. As well as ], the Rangers Charity Foundation regularly bring ], ] and disadvantaged children to attend matches and tours at Ibrox, with the chance to meet the players.<ref name="Rangers charity foundation">{{cite web|url=http://www.rangerscharity.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=25&Itemid=43|title=Introducing The Foundation|publisher=Rangers Charity Foundation|work=Rangerscharity.org.uk|accessdate=25 August 2012|quote=Being a champion of charitable giving is our goal, and since our creation in 2002 we have donated over £1 million in cash awards and over £1,550,000 of in-kind support to hundreds of groups and individuals, making a combined total of over £2,500,000|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D6sOYqWh|archivedate=22 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref><ref name="Rangers charity foundation to be investigated">{{cite news|url=http://local.stv.tv/glasgow/299946-inquiry-into-rangers-charity-over-match-against-ac-milan/|title=Inquiry into Rangers charity match against AC Milan|publisher=STV|work=STV Glasgow|date=6 March 2012|accessdate=22 December 2012|author=Farrell, Mike|quote=The charity, which has donated more than £2.3m to various causes since it was set up in 2002, has reduced the amount it will take from the game to 10%, meaning the majority of the money raised will go to the club, which is currently in administration.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D6sFmy2F|archivedate=22 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref>


==Records== ==Records==
Line 285: Line 462:


===Club=== ===Club===
{{Col-begin}} {{div col}}
;Highest attendance
{{col-2}}
:143,570 vs ], 27 March 1948<ref name="Rangers the complete record">{{cite book|title=Rangers: The Complete Record|publisher=Breedon Books|last1=Ferrier|first1=Bob|last2=McElroy|first2=Robert|year=2005|isbn=1-85983-481-7}}</ref><ref name="Glasgow rangers player by player 1990">{{cite book|title=Glasgow Rangers: Player by Player|publisher=The Crowood Press|last1=Ferrier|first1=Bob|last2=McElroy|first2=Robert|year=1990|isbn=1-85223-404-0}}</ref><ref name="Glasgow rangers player by player 1998">{{cite book|title=Glasgow Rangers: Player by Player|publisher=The Crowood Press|last1=Ferrier|first1=Bob|last2=McElroy|first2=Robert|year=1998|isbn=0-600-59495-5}}</ref>
;Record league percentage win
;UK record home ]
100% 1898–99<ref name="Record 100% league win">{{cite book|title=Great Sporting Rivals (Large Print 16pt)|publisher=ReadHowYouWant.com|author=Romanos, Joseph|year=2010|page=139|isbn=1458779661, 9781458779663|url=http://books.google.com/?id=KHf9vFXIOLEC&pg=PA139&lpg=PA139&dq=rangers+football+club+records#v=onepage&q=rangers%20football%20club%20records&f=false|accessdate=2012-12-25}}</ref>{{#tag:ref|Rangers are the only team in history to ever have accomplished this.<ref name="Rangers the complete record" />|group="n"}}
:118,567 vs ], 2 January 1939<ref name="Founded 1872" /><ref name="Record attendance" /><ref name="records">{{cite book|title=The Encyclopedia of Scottish Football|last1=Potter|first1=David|last2=Jones|first2=Phil|author-link1=David W. Potter|year=2011|publisher=Pitch Publishing|isbn=978-1908051103|pages=95–103, 294}}</ref><ref name="records 2">{{cite book|title=Sky Sports Football Yearbook 2011–12|last1=Rollin|first1=Glenda|last2=Rollin|first2=Jack|publisher=Headline|isbn=978-0755362325|pages=758–759|date=4 August 2011}}</ref>
;Highest Ever Attendance
;Highest European attendance
143,570 vs ], 27 March 1948<ref name="Rangers the complete record">{{cite book|title=Rangers: The Complete Record|publisher=Breedon Books|author1=Ferrier, Bob|author2=McElroy, Robert|year=2005|isbn=1-85983-481-7}}</ref><ref name="Glasgow rangers player by player 1990">{{cite book|title=Glasgow Rangers: Player by Player|publisher=The Crowood Press|author1=Ferrier, Bob|author2=McElroy, Robert|year=1990|isbn=1-85223-404-0}}</ref><ref name="Glasgow rangers player by player 1998">{{cite book|title=Glasgow Rangers: Player by Player|publisher=The Crowood Press|author1=Ferrier, Bob|author2=McElroy, Robert|year=1998|isbn=0-600-59495-5}}</ref>
:100,000 vs ], 16 September 1987<ref name="Glasgow rangers player by player 1990"/>
;British record home ]
;World record fourth-tier attendance
118,567 vs ], 2 January 1939<ref name="Founded 1872" /><ref name="Record attendance" /><ref name="records">{{cite book|title=The Encyclopedia of Scottish Football|author1=Potter, David|author2=Jones, Phil|authorlink1=David W. Potter|year=2011|publisher=Pitch Publishing|isbn=1908051108|pages=95–103, 294|accessdate=19 August 2012}}</ref><ref name="records 2">{{cite book|title=Sky Sports Football Yearbook 2011–12|author1=Rollin, Glenda|author2=Rollin, Jack|publisher=]|isbn=0755362322|pages=758–759|date=4 August 2011|accessdate=19 August 2012}}</ref>
:50,048 vs ], 4 May 2013<ref name="World record fourth tier attendance" /><ref name="Rangers beat there own 4th tier world record" /><ref name="Rangers beat their record again" />
;World record fourth tier Attendance
;Unbeaten league seasons
50,048 vs ], 4 May 2013<ref name="World record fourth tier attendance" /><ref name="Rangers beat there own 4th tier world record" /><ref name="Rangers beat there record again" />
:] (Rangers won all of their 18 league matches)<ref name="Record 100% league win">{{cite book|title=Great Sporting Rivals |publisher=ReadHowYouWant.com|last=Romanos |first=Joseph|year=2010|page=139|isbn=9781458779663|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KHf9vFXIOLEC&q=rangers+football+club+records&pg=PA139|access-date=25 December 2012}}</ref> and ]<ref name="independent.co.uk">{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/rangers-aberdeen-result-unbeaten-season-b1848080.html|title=Rangers beat Aberdeen to seal unbeaten league season before lifting Scottish Premiership trophy|website=The Independent|date=15 May 2021}}</ref>
;Highest European Attendance
100,000 vs ], 16 September 1987<ref name="Highest European Attendance">{{cite book|title=Glasgow Rangers: Player by Player|publisher=]|author=Ferrier, Bob and McElroy, Robert|authorlink=]|year=1990|isbn=1-85223-404-0}}</ref>
{{col-2}}
;Highest scoring match ;Highest scoring match
:14–2 vs Whitehill, 29 September 1883<ref name="fitbastats.com">{{Cite web|url=http://www.fitbastats.com/rangers/club_records_overall.php|title=Rangers Club Records|website=Fitba Stats}}</ref>
14–2 vs ], 20 January 1934<ref name="records" /><ref name="records 2" />
:14–2 vs Blairgowrie, 20 January 1934<ref name="records" /><ref name="records 2" /><ref name="fitbastats.com"/>
;Record league victory ;Record league victory
10–0 vs ], 24 December 1898<ref name="Founded 1872" /><ref name="Rangers the complete record" /> :10–0 vs ], 24 December 1898<ref name="Founded 1872" /><ref name="Rangers the complete record" /><ref name="fitbastats.com"/>
{{div col end}}
;World record league titles won
54<ref name="Most league titles in the world">{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/football-titles-world-league-rangers-top-but-who-is-most-dominant-6939583.html|title=Football titles world league: Rangers top, but who is most dominant?|publisher=Independent Print Ltd|work=The Independent|date=16 February 2012|accessdate=18 August 2012|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A0iR7kOt|archivedate=18 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref>
;World record trebles won
7<ref name="Number of treble wins">{{cite web|url=http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/doublerec.html#treb|title=Number of Treble Wins|publisher=]|work=rssf.com|accessdate=18 August 2012|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A0iGhBuR|archivedate=18 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref>
;World record trophies won
116<ref name="World record number of trophies">{{cite web|url=http://www.last.fm/group/Rangers+F.C.|title=Rangers F.C|publisher=]|work=]|date=21 May 2011|accessdate=23 December 2012|quote=Total number of recognised trophies – 115 *WORLD RECORD*|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D88pA5RI|archivedate=23 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref>
{{Col-end}}


===Player=== ===Player===
{{Col-begin}} {{div col}}
{{col-2}}
; Record appearances ; Record appearances
:], 940 appearances, 1925–1947<ref>{{cite web|url=https://rangers.co.uk/club/history/hall-of-fame/dougie-gray/|title=Dougie Gray |website=Rangers Football Club Official Website|access-date=24 February 2017|archive-date=24 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170224132051/https://rangers.co.uk/club/history/hall-of-fame/dougie-gray/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
], 755, 1960–1978<ref name="Founded 1872" /><ref name="Rangers uefa page" />
; Most league appearances
:], 513 appearances, 1917–1934<ref>{{cite web|url=https://rangers.co.uk/club/history/hall-of-fame/sandy-archibald/|title=Sandy Archibald |website=Rangers Football Club Official Website}}</ref>
; Record goalscorer ; Record goalscorer
:], 381 goals, 1929–1946<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12425007.Football_mourns_the_loss_of_Rangers_legend_Jimmy_Smith/|title=Football mourns the loss of Rangers legend Jimmy Smith|website=The Herald|date=6 December 2003 }}</ref>
], 355 goals, 1983–1998<ref name="Rangers uefa page" /><ref name="records 2" />
{{col-2}}
; Most league goals ; Most league goals
:], 300 goals, 1929–1946<ref>{{cite web|url=https://rangers.co.uk/club/history/hall-of-fame/jimmy-smith/|title=Jimmy Smith |website=Rangers Football Club Official Website}}</ref>
], 251 goals<ref name="Rangers the complete record" />
; Most Scotland caps whilst playing at Rangers ; Most Scotland caps whilst playing at Rangers
:], 61 caps, 1983–1998<ref name="rangers.co.uk">{{cite web|url=https://rangers.co.uk/club/history/hall-of-fame/ally-mccoist/|title=Ally McCoist |website=Rangers Football Club Official Website}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/scotland_fixture_archive.cfm?page=2886|title=Scottish Football Association|publisher=Scottish Football Association|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170227150934/http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/scotland_fixture_archive.cfm?page=2886|archive-date=27 February 2017}}</ref>{{failed verification|reason=Archived copy does not contain the information necessary to verify|date=May 2024}}
], 60 caps 61 in total<ref name="records 2" /><ref name="McCoist playing history">{{cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19677677|title=Rangers manager Ally McCoist not trading on legend status|publisher=BBC|work=BBC Sport|date=21 September 2012|accessdate=24 September 2012|quote=International honours: 61 caps and 19 goals for Scotland|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D6wNYUVY|archivedate=22 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref>
{{Col-end}} {{div col end}}


==Players== ==Players==


===First team squad=== ===First-team squad===
''As of April 2013''<ref name="first team squad">{{cite web|url=http://www.rangers.co.uk/teams/first-team|title=First Team|publisher=Rangers FC|date=August 2012|accessdate=18 August 2012|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A0eO7j9H|archivedate=18 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref><ref name="first team squad 2">{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/teams/rangers|title=Rangers|publisher=BBC|work=BBC Sport|date=August 2012|accessdate=18 August 2012|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A0ebhSWG|archivedate=18 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> {{updated|30 August 2024|<ref name="first team squad">{{cite web|url=http://www.rangers.co.uk/team/mens-team/1zagW2Yj9Dys5huB1Uq6DF|title=First Team Squad|website=Rangers F.C. |access-date=27 January 2022}}</ref>}}
<!-- Since SFL rules means no squad numbers when adding players first order them by position, going from GK, DF, MF, FW then order by second name --> <!--Since SPFL rules permit squad numbers for Premiership and Championship teams, when adding players first order them by position, going from GK, DF, MF, FW then order by second name-->
{{Fs start}} {{Fs start}}
{{Fs player|no=|nat=SCO|pos=GK|name=]}} {{Fs player|no=1|nat=ENG|pos=GK|name=]|other=]|}}
{{Fs player|no=|nat=SCO|pos=GK|name=]}} {{Fs player|no=2|nat=ENG|pos=DF|name=]|other=]}}
{{Fs player|no=|nat=SCO|pos=GK|name=Scott Gallacher}} {{Fs player|no=3|nat=TUR|pos=DF|name=]}}
{{Fs player|no=|nat=IRL|pos=GK|name=Alan Smith}} {{Fs player|no=4|nat=NED|pos=DF|name=]}}
{{Fs player|no=|nat=GRE|pos=DF|name=]}} {{Fs player|no=5|nat=SCO|pos=DF|name=]}}
{{Fs player|no=|nat=SCO|pos=DF|name=]}} {{Fs player|no=7|nat=COL|pos=FW|name=]|other=on loan from ]}}
{{Fs player|no=|nat=BRA|pos=DF|name=]}} {{Fs player|no=8|nat=SCO|pos=MF|name=]}}
{{Fs player|no=|nat=FRA|pos=DF|name=]}} {{Fs player|no=9|nat=NGA|pos=FW|name=]}}
{{Fs player|no=|nat=CAN|pos=DF|name=Luca Gasparotto}} {{Fs player|no=10|nat=CIV|pos=MF|name=]}}
{{Fs player|no=|nat=NIR|pos=DF|name=Chris Hegarty}} {{Fs player|no=11|nat=WAL|pos=FW|name=]}}
{{Fs player|no=|nat=SCO|pos=DF|name=]}} {{Fs player|no=14|nat=ALB|pos=MF|name=]}}
{{Fs player|no=|nat=SCO|pos=DF|name=]|other=]}} {{Fs player|no=17|nat=WAL|pos=FW|name=]}}
{{Fs player|no=|nat=SCO|pos=MF|name=Fraser Aird}} {{Fs player|no=18|nat=CZE|pos=FW|name=]|other=on loan from ]}}
{{Fs player|no=|nat=SCO|pos=MF|name=]}} {{Fs player|no=19|nat=FRA|pos=DF|name=]}}
{{Fs player|no=20|nat=ENG|pos=MF|name=]}}
{{Fs player|no=21|nat=ENG|pos=DF|name=]}}
{{Fs mid}} {{Fs mid}}
{{Fs player|no=|nat=SCO|pos=MF|name=Robbie Crawford}} {{Fs player|no=22|nat=BRA|pos=DF|name=]}}
{{Fs player|no=|nat=SCO|pos=MF|name=]}} {{Fs player|no=24|nat=NED|pos=DF|name=]|other=on loan from ]}}
{{Fs player|no=|nat=SCO|pos=MF|name=]}} {{Fs player|no=27|nat=NGA|pos=DF|name=]}}
{{Fs player|no=|nat=SCO|pos=MF|name=]|other=]}} {{Fs player|no=29|nat=MAR|pos=FW|name=]}}
{{Fs player|no=|nat=NIR|pos=MF|name=]}} {{Fs player|no=30|nat=ROU|pos=MF|name=]}}
{{Fs player|no=|nat=SCO|pos=MF|name=Andrew Murdoch}} {{Fs player|no=31|nat=SCO|pos=GK|name=]}}
{{Fs player|no=|nat=NIR|pos=MF|name=]}} {{Fs player|no=38|nat=SCO|pos=DF|name=]}}
{{Fs player|no=|nat=SCO|pos=MF|name=Danny Stoney}} {{Fs player|no=43|nat=BEL|pos=MF|name=]}}
{{Fs player|no=|nat=SCO|pos=MF|name=]}} {{Fs player|no=44|nat=SCO|pos=DF|name=]}}
{{Fs player|no=|nat=SCO|pos=MF|name=Tom Walsh}} {{Fs player|no=45|nat=NIR|pos=FW|name=]}}
{{Fs player|no=|nat=ENG|pos=FW|name=]}} {{Fs player|no=47|nat=SCO|pos=DF|name=]}}
{{Fs player|no=|nat=NIR|pos=FW|name=]}} {{Fs player|no=48|nat=SCO|pos=MF|name=]}}
{{Fs player|no=|nat=SCO|pos=FW|name=]}} {{Fs player|no=49|nat=SCO|pos=MF|name=]}}
{{Fs player|no=|nat=SCO|pos=FW|name=]}} {{Fs player|no=50|nat=ENG|pos=FW|name=]}}
{{Fs player|no=51|nat=SCO|pos=MF|name=]}}
{{Fs player|no=99|nat=BRA|pos=FW|name=]}}
{{Fs end}} {{Fs end}}


====Out on loan==== ===On loan===
{{Fs start}} {{Fs start}}
{{Fs player|no=15|nat=ECU|pos=MF|name=]|other=on loan at ]}}
{{Fs player|no=|nat=Romania|pos=DF|name=]|other=at ] until the end of the 2012–13 season}}<ref name="goian leaves on loan for the season">{{cite news|title=Rangers: Dorin Goian leaves as Maurice Edu is linked with Stoke|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19338654|publisher=BBC|work=BBC Sport|date=21 August 2012|accessdate=21 August 2012|quote=Defender Dorin Goian has left Rangers to join Italian Serie B club Spezia on a season-long loan.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A9RCJMgE|archivedate=24 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref>
{{Fs player|no=26|nat=ENG|pos=DF|name=]|other=on loan at ]}}
{{Fs player|no=|nat=USA|pos=DF|name=]|other=at ] until the end of the 2012–13 season}}<ref name="Bocanegra leaves on loan">{{cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19446772|title=Rangers: Carlos Bocanegra joins Racing Santander on loan|publisher=BBC|work=BBC Sport|date=31 August 2012|accessdate=6 September 2012|quote=Racing Santander have announced that they have signed defender Carlos Bocanegra on loan from Rangers.{{break}}The Spanish second division club said the 33-year-old United States captain had joined until June.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D6wgrvTR|archivedate=22 December 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref>
{{Fs player|no=32|nat=SCO|pos=GK|name=]|other=on loan at ]}}
{{Fs player|no=46|nat=ENG|pos=DF|name=]|other=on loan at ]}}
{{Fs player|no=56|nat=SCO|pos=DF|name=Connor Allan|other=on loan at ]}}
{{Fs mid}}
{{Fs player|no=57|nat=SCO|pos=DF|name=Greig Allen|other=on loan at ]}}
{{Fs player|no=69|nat=SCO|pos=GK|name=Jacob Pazikas|other=on loan at ]}}
{{Fs player|no=|nat=SCO|pos=GK|name=Jay Hogarth|other=on loan at ]}}
{{Fs player|no=|nat=SCO|pos=DF|name=]|other=on loan at ]}}
{{Fs end}} {{Fs end}}


===Academy squads===
==Board of Directors==
''For more details on the academy squads, see ].''
''As of April 2013''<ref name="Rangers board of directors">{{cite web|url=http://www.rangers.co.uk/club/information/chairman-board|title=Board Of Directors |publisher=Rangers FC|work=Rangers.co.uk|date=December 2012|accessdate=21 January 2013}}</ref>

===Retired and reserved numbers===
{{main|List_of_retired_numbers_in_association_football#Special_cases|l1=Retired numbers in football}}
*Number '''12''' is reserved for the ] (often referred to as ])<ref>{{cite web |url=http://rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/gers-dedicate-no-12-jersey-to-fans/ |title=Gers Dedicate No 12 Jersey To Fans |publisher=Rangers F.C. |access-date=30 January 2016 |date=3 May 2012 |archive-date=5 February 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160205052145/http://rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/gers-dedicate-no-12-jersey-to-fans/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Staff==

===Board of directors===
Rangers F.C. is owned and operated by The Rangers Football Club Limited ("TRFCL"), which, in turn, is a subsidiary of the holding company Rangers International Football Club Plc ("RIFC"). The latter company, RIFC, also owns other corporations related to Rangers including Rangers Retail Ltd, Rangers Media Ltd and Garrion Security Services Ltd who are responsible for providing match day security at ].

;Rangers International Football Club Plc
''As of 16 December 2024''<ref name="Rangers PLC Board">{{cite web|url=https://rangers.co.uk/club/investor-centre/board/board-of-directors/|title=RIFC Board of Directors|website=Rangers F.C.|access-date=1 July 2020|archive-date=12 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412065346/https://rangers.co.uk/club/investor-centre/board/board-of-directors/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" {| class="wikitable"
|- |-
Line 374: Line 568:
! Name ! Name
|- |-
|Non-Executive Chairman |Chairman
|Fraser Thornton
|]
|- |-
|Non-executive director
|Interim Chief Executive
|John Halsted
|]
|-
|Non-executive director
|]
|-
|Non-executive director
|Graeme Park
|-
|Non-executive director
|George Taylor
|-
|Non-executive director
|Julian Wolhardt
|}

;Corporate staff
''As of 20 December 2024''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Position
! Name
|- |-
|Chief executive officer
|Finance Director
|Patrick Stewart
|Brian Stockbridge
|- |-
|Technical director
|Non-Executive Director
|Nils Koppen
|]
|- |-
|Interm chief commercial officer
|Non-Executive Director
|Sean Jefferson
|Ian Hart
|- |-
|Chief financial officer
|Non-Executive Director
|James Taylor
|Bryan Smart
|- |-
|Company secretary and legal director
|Non-Executive Director
|Graham Horsman
|Philip Cartmell
|} |}


==Backroom staff== ===First-team staff===
''As of August 2012''<ref name="Rangers backroom staff">{{cite web|url=http://www.rangers.co.uk/teams/backroom-staff|title=Backroom Staff|publisher=Rangers FC|work=Rangers.co.uk|date=August 2012|accessdate=18 August 2012|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A0g0lBpZ|archivedate=18 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> ''As of 16 December 2024''<ref name="Rangers backroom staff">{{cite web|url=https://rangers.co.uk/teams/staff/|title=Staff|website=Rangers F.C.|access-date=1 July 2020|archive-date=30 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200630182531/https://rangers.co.uk/teams/staff/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" {| class="wikitable"
|- |-
Line 404: Line 618:
|- |-
|Manager |Manager
|{{flagicon|BEL}} ]
|]
|- |-
|Assistant Manager |Assistant managers
|{{flagicon|BEL}} ]<br/>{{flagicon|NED}} ]
|]
|- |-
|First Team Coach |First team coaches
|{{flagicon|SCO}} ]<br/>{{flagicon|SCO}} ]
|]
|- |-
|Goalkeeping Coach |Goalkeeping coach
|] |{{flagicon|SCO}} ]
|- |-
|Head of first team operations
|Fitness Coach
|Hannah MacLean
|]
|- |-
|Head of Youth Development |Head of scouting operations
|Fraser Murray
|Jim Sinclair<ref name="Jim sinclair">{{cite web|url=http://www.rangers.co.uk/teams/academy-information/key-staff/item/2526-jim-sinclair|title=Jim Sinclair|publisher=Rangers FC|work=Rangers.co.uk|accessdate=5 January 2013|quote=RANGERS appointed Jim Sinclair as Youth Academy Director at Murray Park in August 2006.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6DkGh41a9|archivedate=17 January 2013|deadurl=no}}</ref><ref name="SFA man heads up rangers youth setup">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/5089146.stm|title=SFA man to head Gers youth set-up|publisher=BBC|work=BBC Sport|date=16 June 2006|accessdate=5 January 2013|quote=Rangers have announced the appointment of Jim Sinclair from the Scottish Football Association as director of their youth academy.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6DkGpnUaN|archivedate=17 January 2013|deadurl=no}}</ref>
|- |-
|Lead UK scout
|Head of Football Administration
|]
|Andrew Dickson<ref name="Andrew Dickson">{{cite web|url=http://rangers.co.uk/teams/backroom-staff/item/462-andrew-dickson|title=Andrew Dickson|publisher=Rangers FC|work=Rangers.co.uk|accessdate=5 January 2013|quote=AS Rangers' head of football administration, Andrew Dickson is a key member of the executive team on the business side of the club.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6DkGwajBo|archivedate=17 January 2013|deadurl=no}}</ref><ref name="Rangers reshuffle top executives">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/4262186.stm|title=Rangers reshuffle top executives |publisher=BBC|work=BBC Sport|date=19 September 2005|accessdate=5 January 2013|quote=Andrew Dickson, who had been working with Ogilvie, takes responsibility for football administration and Craig Mulholland for youth administration.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6DkH5dGtS|archivedate=17 January 2013|deadurl=no}}</ref>
|- |-
|Lead Scotland scout
|Director of Sports Development
|Ian Murdoch
|]<ref name="New RFC Appointments">{{Cite web|url=http://rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/item/2427-new-rfc-appointments|title=New RFC Appointments|publisher=Rangers FC|work=Rangers.co.uk|date=17 October 2012|accessdate=5 January 2013|quote=Imran Ahmad has joined the Club as Commercial Director and will be responsible for generating and developing new business and investment opportunities.{{break}}
Craig Mather has been appointed as Director of Sports Development and will assist the Club in reviewing the overall organisational structure and assume financial responsibilities for Murray Park.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6DkHGxMkn|archivedate=17 January 2013|deadurl=no}}</ref><ref name="Rangers new appointments">{{cite news|url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/football/rangers-announce-new-director-roles.1350497458|title=Rangers announce new director roles|work=Herald Scotland|date=17 October 2012|accessdate=17 January 2013|quote=Existing director Imran Ahmad has been named as commercial director, with responsibility for developing new business and investment opportunities, and Craig Mather has been appointed as director of sports development.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6DkICuH9M|archivedate=17 January 2013|deadurl=no|publisher=Newsquest}}</ref>
|- |-
|Lead international scout
|Director of Communications
|Anthony Galinski
|]<ref name="Jim Traynor">{{cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20652118|title=Rangers: Jim Traynor appointed Ibrox director of communication|publisher=BBC|work=BBC Sport|date=8 December 2012|accessdate=5 January 2013|quote=Rangers: Jim Traynor appointed Ibrox director of communication|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6DkHREXie|archivedate=17 January 2013|deadurl=no}}</ref>
|- |-
|Lead technical scout
|Physiotherapist
|James Morgan-Snowley
|Steve Walker
|- |-
|Head of performance
|Doctor
|Thomas Taylor
|Dr Paul Jackson
|- |-
|Head of nutrition and performance coach
|Kit Controller
|Craig Flannigan
|Jimmy Bell
|- |-
|Physical performance and reconditioning coach
|Masseur
|Mitchel White
|David Lavery
|- |-
|Physical performance coach
|Team Analyst
|Calum MacMaster
|Steve Harvey
|-
|Head of rehabilitation
|Russell Parker
|-
|Head of performance physiotherapy
|Kevin Bain
|-
|Head of physiotherapy
|Jonathon Skinner
|-
|Director of medical and performance
|]
|-
|Masseurs
|David Lavery<br/>]
|-
|Head of analysis
|Graeme Stevenson
|-
|Performance analysts
|Adam Berry<br/>Euan Fotheringham
|-
|Kit operations manager
|Luke Murphy
|-
|Kit logistics coordinator
|]
|} |}


===Team managers=== ==Managers==
{{For|a list of team managers|List of Rangers F.C. managers}} {{For|a list of team managers|List of Rangers F.C. managers}}


Only 13 men have been manager of Rangers during their 141-year history.<ref name="Smith return" /><ref name="McCoist in Smith out">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/9404913.stm|title=McCoist confirmed as Smith's successor|publisher=BBC|work=BBC Sport|date=22 February 2011|accessdate=18 August 2012|quote=Rangers have confirmed for the first time that Ally McCoist will take over as manager when Walter Smith steps down at the end of the season.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A0i1xyWj|archivedate=18 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref><ref name="Durrant takes charge">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/6231965.stm|title=Rangers reel as Le Guen departs|publisher=BBC|work=BBC Sport|date=4 January 2007|accessdate=18 August 2012|author1=Taylor, Julian|quote=The club's reserve-team coach, Ian Durrant, will take charge of training on Friday ahead of the club's next match, a Tennent's Scottish Cup tie, against Dunfermline Athletic on Sunday.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6A0hu0Dzk|archivedate=18 August 2012|deadurl=no}}</ref> The longest serving manager is Bill Struth who served for 34 years and 26 days. Rangers have had two foreign managers during their history; Dick Advocaat (1 June 1998 to 12 December 2001)<ref name="First foreign manager" /><ref name="McLeish appointment" /> and Paul Le Guen (9 May 2006 to 4 January 2007) who is the manager with the shortest time at the club.<ref name="Le guen departures" /><ref name="Le guen new manager "/> Graeme Souness is the only ] during Rangers' history.<ref name="Paying for over spending" /> Eighteen men (including two repeat appointments) have been manager of Rangers during the club's history.<ref name="Smith return" /><ref name="McCoist in Smith out">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/9404913.stm|title=McCoist confirmed as Smith's successor|work=BBC Sport|date=22 February 2011|access-date=18 August 2012|quote=Rangers have confirmed for the first time that Ally McCoist will take over as manager when Walter Smith steps down at the end of the season.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120713113527/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/9404913.stm|archive-date=13 July 2012|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Durrant takes charge">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/6231965.stm|title=Rangers reel as Le Guen departs|work=BBC Sport|date=4 January 2007|access-date=18 August 2012|author1=Taylor, Julian|quote=The club's reserve-team coach, Ian Durrant, will take charge of training on Friday ahead of the club's next match, a Tennent's Scottish Cup tie, against Dunfermline Athletic on Sunday.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140428174258/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/6231965.stm|archive-date=28 April 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> In addition, ten men have taken charge of the side on a caretaker basis, while five served as secretaries choosing the team, prior to the appointment of the club's first full-time manager, ], in 1899.


The longest-serving manager was ], who served for 34 years and 26 days. Rangers have had four foreign managers during their history: Dick Advocaat,<ref name="First foreign manager" /><ref name="McLeish appointment" /> Paul Le Guen, Pedro Caixinha and Giovanni van Bronckhorst. Graeme Souness is the only ] during Rangers' history.<ref name="Paying for over spending" /> There have been two repeat appointments: ] and ].
The most successful manager in terms of the number of trophies won is Bill Struth with 18 League titles, 10 Scottish Cups and 2 League Cups, but the most successful manager in terms of trophies to time served is Walter Smith with 7 League titles, 3 Scottish Cups and 3 League Cups in 7 years 42 days. During Smiths second spell which was he managed during financial constraints he won 3 League titles, 2 Scottish Cups and 3 League Cups in 4 years 126 days. Rangers' other manager with notable success was William Waddell who won the European Cup Winner's Cup during his 2 years and 175 day stint. ] is the present manager of Rangers F.C.

The most successful manager, in terms of the number of trophies won, is Bill Struth, with eighteen League titles, ten Scottish Cups and two League Cups. Rangers' other manager with notable success was William Waddell, who won the European Cup Winners' Cup.

{|
|- valign="top"
|
{| class="wikitable alternance"
|+Rangers F.C. managers<ref>{{cite web|title=Former Managers|url=https://rangers.co.uk/club/history/former-managers/|publisher=Rangers F.C.|access-date=17 April 2017|archive-date=24 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180924201246/https://rangers.co.uk/club/history/former-managers/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
!|Name
!|Period
|-
|{{flagicon|Scotland}} ] || 1899–1920
|-
|{{flagicon|Scotland}} ] || 1920–1954
|-
|{{flagicon|Scotland}} ] || 1954–1967
|-
|{{flagicon|Scotland}} ] || 1967–1969
|-
|{{flagicon|Scotland}} ] || 1969–1972
|-
|{{flagicon|Scotland}} ] || 1972–1978
|-
|{{flagicon|Scotland}} ] || 1978–1983
|-
|{{flagicon|Scotland}} Jock Wallace || 1983–1986
|-
|{{flagicon|Scotland}} ] || 1986–1991
|-
|{{flagicon|Scotland}} ] || 1991–1998
|-
|{{flagicon|Netherlands}} ] || 1998–2001
|-
|{{flagicon|Scotland}} ] || 2001–2006
|-
|{{flagicon|France}} ] || 2006–2007
|-
|{{flagicon|Scotland}} Walter Smith || 2007–2011
|-
|{{flagicon|Scotland}} ] || 2011–2014
|-
|{{flagicon|England}} ] || 2015–2017
|-
|{{flagicon|Portugal}} ] || 2017
|-
|{{flagicon|England}} ] || 2018–2021
|-
|{{flagicon|Netherlands}} ] || 2021–2022
|-
|{{flagicon|England}} ] || 2022–2023
|-
|{{flagicon|Belgium}} ] || 2023–
|}
|}


==Honours== ==Honours==
{{see also|Rangers F.C. Reserve and Youth squads#Honours|label 1=Reserve Honours|Rangers F.C. Reserve and Youth squads#Honours 2|label 2=Youth Honours|List of Rangers F.C. records and statistics#Honours|label 3=Rangers Honours}} {{see also|Rangers F.C. Under-20s and Academy#Honours|label 1=Reserves and Academy honours|List of Rangers F.C. records and statistics#Honours|label 2=Rangers F.C. honours in full}}
''As of August 2012''<ref name="Rangers honours" /> {{Updated|17 December 2023}}<ref name="Rangers honours" />


{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="font-size:95%; text-align:center;"
===Domestic honours===
!style="width: 10%;"|Type
* ''']: 54'''
!style="width: 10%;"|Competition
:: 1891,{{#tag:ref|Shared with Dumbarton F.C. after both clubs ended the season on 29 points. A play-off game at Cathkin Park on 21 May 1891 finished 2–2, so the clubs were declared joint champions<ref name="Rangers honours" />|group="n"}} 1899, 1900, 1901, 1902, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1918, 1920, 1921, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1937, 1939, 1947, 1949, 1950, 1953, 1956, 1957, 1959, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1987, 1989, 1990, ], 1992, 1993, ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ]<ref name="Rangers honours" /><ref name="records" /><ref name="records 2" />
!style="width: 5%;"|Titles
*''']: 1'''
!style="width: 30%;"|Seasons
:: ]
|-
* ''']: 33'''
| rowspan="7" |'''Domestic'''
:: 1894, 1897, 1898, 1903, 1928, 1930, 1932, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1953, 1960, ], 1963, 1964, 1966, ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ]<ref name="Rangers honours" /><ref name="records" /><ref name="records 2" />
* ''']: 27''' ! scope=col| ]
|style="background-color:gold"|'''55'''
:: 1947, 1949, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1971, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1997, 1999, ], ], ], ], ], ]<ref name="Rangers honours" /><ref name="records" /><ref name="records 2" />
|
* ''']'''
],{{#tag:ref|Shared with Dumbarton F.C. after both clubs ended the season on 29 points. A play-off game at Cathkin Park on 21 May 1891 finished 2–2, so the clubs were declared joint champions.<ref name="Rangers honours" />|group="n"}} ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ]<ref name="Rangers honours" /><ref name="records" /><ref name="records 2" />
:: 1979<ref name="Rangers honours" />
|-
! scope=col| ]
|'''1'''
|]
|-
! scope=col| ]
|'''1'''
|]
|-
! scope=col| ]
|'''1'''
|]
|-
! scope=col| ]
|'''34'''
|
], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ]<ref name="Rangers honours" /><ref name="records" /><ref name="records 2" />
|-
! scope=col |]
|style="background-color:gold"|'''28'''
|
], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ]<ref name="Rangers honours" /><ref name="records" /><ref name="records 2" />
|-
! scope=col| ]
|'''1'''
|]
|-
| rowspan="1" |'''Continental'''
! scope=col|]
|'''1'''
|]
|}
* {{legend|gold|record}}
* {{smallsup|s}} shared record


===European honours=== ===Other honours===
{{Main|Rangers F.C. in European football}} {{Main|Rangers F.C. in European football}}
* ''']: 1''' * ''']''':
:: ]<ref name="Rangers honours" /> ** ''Runners-up (2):'' ], ]
* ''']''':
** ''Runners-up (2):'' ], ]
* ''']''':
** ''Runners-up (1):'' ]


===Doubles and trebles=== ===Doubles and trebles===
*Scottish Cup, League Cup, League Title: '''7''' *League Title, Scottish Cup, League Cup: '''7'''
::], 1963–64, 1975–76, 1977–78, 1992–93, 1998–99, 2002–03 :: ], 1963–64, ], ], ], ], ]
*League Title and Scottish Cup: '''11'''
:: 1927–28, 1929–30, 1933–34, 1934–35, ], ], 1962–63, ], ], ], ]
*League Title and League Cup: '''10'''
:: 1946–47, 1960–61, ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ]
*Scottish Cup and League Cup: '''4''' *Scottish Cup and League Cup: '''4'''
:: 1961–62, ], ], ]
::1962, 1979, 2002, 2008
*Scottish Cup and League Title: '''9'''
::1927–28, 1929–30, 1933–34, 1934–35, 1962–63, 1991–92, 1995–96, 1999–2000, 2008–09
*League Cup and League Title: '''10'''
::1947, 1961, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1994, 1997, 2005, 2010, 2011


===Notable statistics=== ===Notable statistics===
Rangers became the first British side to reach a European final in 1961.<ref name="Rangers first british side in european final" /> Rangers became the first British side to reach a UEFA-sanctioned European final in 1961.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rangers.co.uk/club/history/club-history/item/328-a-classic-team |title=A Classic Team |access-date=13 March 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140313212955/http://www.rangers.co.uk/club/history/club-history/item/328-a-classic-team |archive-date=13 March 2014}}</ref>


==UEFA rankings== ==UEFA club coefficient rankings==
{{updated|16 March 2024}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.uefa.com/memberassociations/uefarankings/club/ |title=UEFA Club Co-efficient Rankings |publisher=UEFA |access-date=10 July 2017}}</ref>
===Club coefficient===
{{see also|UEFA coefficient}}

{{updated|21 April 2013}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.uefa.com/memberassociations/uefarankings/club/index.html |title=UEFA coefficients |work=].com |publisher=] |21 April 2013}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" {| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|- |-
! Ranking !! Club !! Country !! {{nowrap|2023/24}} Points !! Total Points !! National Association Points
! Rank !! Team !! Coefficient
|- |-
|22
|88||align=left|{{flagicon|POL}} ]|| 23.650
|]
|{{flagicon|ENG}}
|21.000
|71.000
|20.635
|- |-
|23
|89||align=left|{{flagicon|ENG}} ]|| 23.392
|]
|{{flagicon|ENG}}
|18.000
|68.000
|20.635
|- |-
|24
|90||align=left|{{flagicon|ESP}} ]|| 22.547
|]
|{{flagicon|NED}}
|5.000
|67.000
|12.260
|- |-
|'''25'''
|'''91'''||align=left|{{flagicon|SCO}} ''']'''|| '''22.538'''
|'''Rangers'''
|{{flagicon|SCO}}
|14.000
|63.000
|7.210
|- |-
|26
|92||align=left|{{flagicon|ENG}} ]|| 22.392
|]
|{{flagicon|UKR}}
|10.000
|63.000
|5.600
|- |-
|27
|93||align=left|{{flagicon|TUR}} ]|| 21.320
|]
|{{flagicon|GER}}
|7.000
|60.000
|16.724
|-
|28
|]
|{{flagicon|ITA}}
|16.000
|59.000
|17.399
|- |-
|94||align=left|{{flagicon|RUS}} ]|| 20.766
|} |}


==Notable former players== ==Notable former players==
{{Main|List of Rangers F.C. players}}
{| table class="infobox" width="200px"
{{see also|List of Rangers F.C. international footballers|Rangers F.C. Hall of Fame}}

===Club captains===
For further information, see ].

{|
|- valign="top"
|
{| class="wikitable alternance"
|+Rangers F.C. captains
|- |-
!|Name
|<div style="position: relative;">
!|Period
]
{{Image label|x=0.24|y=0.09|scale=350|text=<span style="font-size:120%;">]</span>}}
{{Image label|x=0.06|y=0.23|scale=350|text=<span style="font-size:120%;">]</span>}}
{{Image label|x=0.17|y=0.18|scale=350|text=<span style="font-size:120%;">]</span>}}
{{Image label|x=0.31|y=0.18|scale=350|text=<span style="font-size:120%;">]</span>}}
{{Image label|x=0.43|y=0.23|scale=350|text=<span style="font-size:120%;">]</span>}}
{{Image label|x=0.05|y=0.48|scale=350|text=<span style="font-size:120%;">]</span>}}
{{Image label|x=0.11|y=0.40|scale=350|text=<span style="font-size:120%;">]</span>}}
{{Image label|x=0.34|y=0.40|scale=350|text=<span style="font-size:120%;">]</span>}}
{{Image label|x=0.41|y=0.48|scale=350|text=<span style="font-size:120%;">]</span>}}
{{Image label|x=0.11|y=0.60|scale=350|text=<span style="font-size:120%;">]</span>}}
{{Image label|x=0.33|y=0.60|scale=350|text=<span style="font-size:120%;">]</span>}}
</div>
|- |-
|{{flagicon|Scotland}} ] || 1876–1882
| <small><center>The "Greatest Ever" Rangers 11 chosen by fans, in 1999. The coach chosen was ].{{#tag:ref|Choices were limited to post World War II era players only.|group="n"}}<ref>{{cite web | title = Rangers Greatest 11 | accessdate =20 January 2013 | year = 2011 | publisher = The official Rangers FC Website | url = http://www.rangerspics.com/rangers_greatest_11_pin_badge_framed_set/print/5372821.html}}</ref></small></center>
|-
|{{flagicon|Scotland}} ] || 1882–1894
|-
|{{flagicon|Scotland}} ] || 1894–1898
|-
|{{flagicon|Scotland}} ] || 1898–1906
|-
|{{flagicon|Scotland}} ] || 1906–1916
|-
|{{flagicon|Scotland}} ] || 1916–1926
|-
|{{flagicon|Ireland|1783}} ] || 1926–1927
|-
|{{flagicon|Scotland}} ] || 1927–1930
|-
|{{flagicon|Scotland}} ] || 1930–1938
|-
|{{flagicon|Scotland}} ] || 1938–1940
|-
|{{flagicon|Scotland}} ] || 1940–1957
|-
|{{flagicon|Scotland}} ] || 1953–1957
|-
|{{flagicon|Scotland}} ] || 1957–1960
|-
|{{flagicon|Scotland}} ] || 1960–1962
|-
|{{flagicon|Scotland}} ] || 1962–1965
|-
|{{flagicon|Scotland}} ] || 1965–1978
|-
|{{flagicon|Scotland}} ] || 1978–1983
|-
|{{flagicon|Northern Ireland}} ] || 1983–1984
|}
|
{| class="wikitable alternance"
|+&nbsp;<ref>]</ref>
|-
!|Name
!|Period
|-
|{{flagicon|Scotland}} ] || 1984–1986
|-
|{{flagicon|England}} ] || 1986–1990
|-
|rowspan="2"|{{flagicon|Scotland}} ] || 1990–1997
|-
|1997–1998
|-
|{{flagicon|Denmark}} ] || 1997
|-
|{{flagicon|Italy}} ] || 1998–2000
|-
|rowspan="3"|{{flagicon|Scotland}} ] || 2000–2003
|-
|2005–2007
|-
|2007–2009
|-
|{{flagicon|Australia}} ] || 2003–2004
|-
|{{flagicon|Germany}} ] || 2004–2005
|-
|{{flagicon|Scotland}} ] || 2007
|-
|{{flagicon|Scotland}} ] || 2009–2012
|-
|{{flagicon|Northern Ireland}} ] || 2012
|-
|{{flagicon|USA}} ] || 2012
|-
|{{flagicon|Scotland}} ] || 2012–2015
|-
|{{flagicon|Scotland}} ] || 2015–2018
|-
|{{flagicon|England}} ] || 2018–
|}
|} |}


{{football squad on pitch|align=right|font-size=95%
{{Main|List of Rangers F.C. players}}
| GK = ]
{{see also|List of Rangers F.C. international footballers|Rangers F.C. Hall of Fame}}
| RB = ]
| RCB = ]
| LCB = ]
| LB = ]
| RM = ]
| RCM = ]
| LCM = ]
| LM = ]
| RCF = ]
| LCF = ]
| caption = The "Greatest Ever" Rangers 11 chosen by fans in 1999. The manager chosen was ].{{#tag:ref|Choices were limited to post World War II era players only.|group="n"}}<ref>{{cite web | title = Rangers Greatest 11 | access-date = 20 January 2013 | year = 2011 | publisher = The official Rangers FC Website | url = http://www.rangerspics.com/rangers_greatest_11_pin_badge_framed_set/print/5372821.html | url-status=dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130101144206/http://www.rangerspics.com/rangers_greatest_11_pin_badge_framed_set/print/5372821.html | archive-date = 1 January 2013 | df = dmy-all }}</ref>}}


===Greatest ever team=== ===Greatest-ever team===
The following team was voted the greatest ever Rangers team by supporters in 1999. When the vote was launched it was feared that younger voters would ignore the great service of many of the pre-war stars (notably the most successful captain and most successful manager the club has ever had, ] and ] respectively). When the ballot was launched ] stated it would be limited to post Second World War players because "few can recall players of these earlier eras":<ref> The Free Library, 1999</ref> The following team was voted the greatest ever Rangers team by supporters in 1999. When the vote was launched it was feared that younger voters would ignore the great service of many of the pre-war stars (notably the most successful captain and most successful manager the club has ever had, ] and ] respectively). When the ballot was launched ] stated it would be limited to post Second World War players because "few can recall players of these earlier eras":<ref name="Greig"> The Free Library, 1999</ref>
* {{Flag icon|Scotland}} ] * {{Flagicon|Scotland}} ]
* {{Flag icon|Scotland}} ] * {{Flagicon|Scotland}} ]
* {{Flag icon|Scotland}} ] * {{Flagicon|Scotland}} ]
* {{Flag icon|England}} ] * {{Flagicon|England}} ]
* {{Flag icon|Scotland}} ] – Voted greatest ever Ranger * {{Flagicon|Scotland}} ] – voted Rangers' greatest-ever player
* {{Flag icon|Denmark}} ] – Voted Rangers' greatest ever foreign player * {{Flagicon|Denmark}} ] – voted Rangers' greatest-ever foreign player
* {{Flag icon|England}} ] * {{Flagicon|England}} ]
* {{Flag icon|Scotland}} ] – Voted third greatest ever Ranger * {{Flagicon|Scotland}} ] – voted Rangers' third greatest-ever player
* {{Flag icon|Scotland}} ] * {{Flagicon|Scotland}} ]
* {{Flag icon|Scotland}} ] – Voted second greatest ever Ranger * {{Flagicon|Scotland}} ] – voted Rangers' second greatest-ever player
* {{Flag icon|England}} ] * {{Flagicon|England}} ]


===Scotland Football Hall of Fame=== ===Scottish Football Hall of Fame===
To 2012, 25 players and managers to have been involved with Rangers in their careers, have entered the ]:<ref> Scottish Football Museum</ref> As of 1 June 2020, 33 players and managers to have been involved with Rangers in their careers have entered the ]:<ref> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131101063107/http://www.scottishfootballmuseum.org.uk/hall-of-fame/hall-of-fame-introduction.html |date=1 November 2013 }} Scottish Football Museum</ref>
{{col-begin}} {{Div col|colwidth=13em}}
* {{flagicon|SCO}} ] – 2004 Inaugural Inductee
{{col-5}}
* {{flagicon|SCO}} ] – 2004 Inaugural Inductee
* ]
* ] * {{flagicon|SCO}} ] – 2004 Inaugural Inductee
* {{flagicon|SCO}} ] – 2004 Inaugural Inductee
* ]
* {{flagicon|SCO}} ] – 2004 Inaugural Inductee
* ]
* {{flagicon|SCO}} ] – 2005 Inductee
* ]
* {{flagicon|SCO}} ] – 2005 Inductee
{{col-5}}
* {{flagicon|SCO}} ] – 2005 Inductee
* ]
* ] * {{flagicon|SCO}} ] – 2005 Inductee
* {{flagicon|SCO}} ] – 2006 Inductee
* ]
* {{flagicon|DEN}} ] – 2006 Inductee
* ]
* {{flagicon|SCO}} ] – 2006 Inductee
* ]
* {{flagicon|SCO}} ] – 2006 Inductee
{{col-5}}
* ] * {{flagicon|SCO}} ] – 2006 Inductee
* {{flagicon|SCO}} ] – 2007 Inductee
* ]
* {{flagicon|SCO}} ] – 2007 Inductee
* ]
* {{flagicon|SCO}} ] – 2007 Inductee
* ]
* {{flagicon|SCO}} ] – 2008 Inductee
* ]
* {{flagicon|SCO}} ] – 2008 Inductee
{{col-5}}
* {{flagicon|SCO}} ] – 2009 Inductee
* ]
* {{flagicon|SCO}} ] – 2009 Inductee
* ]
* {{flagicon|SCO}} ] – 2010 Inductee
* ]
* {{flagicon|SCO}} ] – 2011 Inductee
* ]
* {{flagicon|ENG}} ] – 2011 Inductee
* ]
* {{flagicon|SCO}} ] – 2012 Inductee
{{col-5}}
* {{flagicon|SCO}} ] – 2013 Inductee
* ]
* {{flagicon|SCO}} ] – 2014 Inductee
* ]
* {{flagicon|SCO}} ] – 2015 Inductee
* ]
* {{flagicon|SCO}} ] – 2016 Inductee
* ]
* {{flagicon|SCO}} ] – 2018 Inductee
* ]
* {{flagicon|SCO}} ] – 2018 Inductee
{{col-end}}
* {{flagicon|SCO}} ] – 2019 Inductee
* {{flagicon|SCO}} ] – 2019 Inductee
{{Div col end}}


===Scotland Roll of Honour=== ===Scottish FA International Roll of Honour===
The ] recognises players who have gained 50 or more international caps for Scotland. The 7 inductees to have played for Rangers in their career are:<ref name=SFARoll>{{cite web|url=http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/scottish_football_players.cfm?page=138 |publisher=Scottish Football Association|accessdate=20 January 2013|title=International Roll of Honour}}</ref> The ] recognises players who have gained 50 or more international caps for Scotland. As of 1 July 2021, the 10 inductees to have won caps while playing for Rangers are:<ref name=SFARoll>{{cite web|url=https://www.scottishfa.co.uk/scotland/roll-of-honour/mens-roll-of-honour/|publisher=Scottish Football Association|access-date=20 January 2013|title=International Roll of Honour}}</ref>

* ]
* {{flagicon|SCO}} ] – 2006 Inductee, 69 Caps
* ]
* ] * {{flagicon|SCO}} ] – 2010 Inductee, 69 Caps
* {{flagicon|SCO}} ] – 2003 Inductee, 67 Caps
* ]
* {{flagicon|SCO}} ] – 1990 Inductee, 61 Caps
* ]
* {{flagicon|SCO}} ] – 1996 Inductee, 61 Caps
* ]
* ] * {{flagicon|SCO}} ] – 1956 Inductee, 54 Caps
* {{flagicon|SCO}} ] – 1985 Inductee, 54 Caps
* {{flagicon|SCO}} ] – 2001 Inductee, 51 Caps
* {{flagicon|SCO}} ] – 2019 Inductee, 51 Caps
* {{flagicon|SCO}} ] – 2016 Inductee, 50 Caps


===Scottish Sports Hall of Fame=== ===Scottish Sports Hall of Fame===
In the ], 3 Rangers players have been selected, they are:<ref> Scottish Sports</ref> Three Rangers players have been selected in the ], they are:<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130524105030/http://www.sshf.co.uk/inductees |date=24 May 2013 }} Scottish Sports</ref>
* ] * {{flagicon|SCO}} ] – 2002 Inductee
* ] * {{flagicon|SCO}} ] – 2002 Inductee
* ] * {{flagicon|SCO}} ] – 2007 Inductee

===Greatest-ever Ranger===
] was voted the greatest ever Rangers player in 1999.<ref name="Greig"/>
He was announced as Honorary Life President in 2015.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/item/9324-greig-named-honorary-president |title=Greig Named Honorary President |website=Rangers F.C. |date=23 May 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150526215457/http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/item/9324-greig-named-honorary-president |archive-date=26 May 2015}}</ref>

==Sponsors==
As of 22 November 2024, Rangers are sponsored by:<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://rangers.co.uk/commercial/partnerships/|title=Our Partners|website=Rangers Football Club, Official Website}}</ref>

===Official partners===
* Official Kit Manufacturer, Retail, Merchandise and Licensing Partner – ]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/rangers-announce-historic-new-partnership-with-castore/|title=Rangers Announce Historic New Partnership With Castore|date=17 May 2020|website=Rangers Football Club, Official Website|access-date=17 May 2020|archive-date=24 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200524234528/https://rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/rangers-announce-historic-new-partnership-with-castore/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* Principal Club Sponsor – ]<ref name="Kindred">{{Cite web|url=https://www.rangers.co.uk/article/kindred-highlights-its-zero-mission-with-new-rangers-kit-branding/6csTmgbTi6qu0y5qaMnCNq|title=Kindred Highlights It's Zero Mission With New Rangers Kit Branding|date=9 June 2023|website=Rangers Football Club, Official Website}}</ref>
* Official Shirt Sponsor – ]<ref name="Kindred"/>
* Official Presenting Partner – ]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rangers.co.uk/article/rangers-announce-parks-motor-group-presenting-partnership/4DYOJbSX0yqf1PVIhdLSm6|title=Rangers Announce Park's Motor Group Presenting Partnership|date=27 January 2023|website=Rangers Football Club, Official Website}}</ref>
* Official Upper Back of Shirt Sponsor and Logistics Partner – Seko Logistics<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rangers.co.uk/article/seko-logistics-announced-as-official-logistics-partner/6Uz9avpDjAIrJPQTQmf6LB|title=Seko Logistics announced as official logistics partner|date=27 July 2020|website=Rangers Football Club, Official Website}}</ref>
* Official Lower Back of Shirt Sponsor and Official Ibrox Stadium Payment Processing Partner – Guavapay<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rangers.co.uk/article/rangers-announce-guavapay-as-new-back-of-shirt-partner/6VwCMknpMg1KV0MxXvCHxT|title=Rangers Announce Guavapay As New Back Of Shirt Partner|date=22 November 2024|website=Rangers Football Club, Official Website}}</ref>
* Official Sleeve Partner – BOXT<ref name="ReferenceB"/>
* Official Shorts Sponsor – AIM Building & Maintenance Services<ref name="ReferenceC"/>
* Official Training Kit Partner – ]<ref name="Kindred"/>
* Official Women's Principal Partner and Official Women's Front Of Shirt Partner – Sportsbreaks.com<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rangers.co.uk/article/rangers-announce-expanded-partnership-with-destination-sport-group/5r9iuoFmJc3SHRKQ9S2h3o/|title=Rangers Announce Expanded Partnership With Destination Sport Group|date=6 July 2023|website=Rangers Football Club, Official Website}}</ref>
* Official Women's Sleeve Partner – ]
* Official Academy Partner – Carrick Packaging<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://rangers.co.uk/news/academy-news/carrick-packaging-to-sponsor-academy-squads/|title=Carrick Packaging To Sponsor Academy Squads|date=15 July 2019|website=Rangers Football Club, Official Website}}</ref>
* Official B Team Front of Shirt Training Wear Partner and Building and Maintenance Partner – AIM Building & Maintenance Services
* Official Academy Front of Shirt Training Wear Partner and Air Conditioning Partner – CSD Air Conditioning<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rangers.co.uk/article/rangers-announce-new-associate-partnership-with-csd-air-conditioning-ltd/6bP5XGvBynYUnTDYiy6Ucp|title=Rangers Announce New Associate Partnership With CSD Air Conditioning LTD|date=15 July 2022|website=Rangers Football Club, Official Website}}</ref>
* Official Destination Partner – Experience ]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rangers.co.uk/article/rangers-announce-partnership-with-experience-kissimmee/4xKMcFPZZQr7xJoTybXcnT|title=Rangers Announce Partnership With Experience Kissimmee|date=4 August 2023|website=Rangers Football Club, Official Website}}</ref>
* Official Lager Partner – ]
* Official Breakfast Cereals Partner – ]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rangers.co.uk/article/rangers-announce-partnership-with-kelloggs/6v5J7RpM74FJCjULPS6Rm5|title=Rangers Announce Partnership With Kellogg's|date=29 January 2024|website=Rangers Football Club, Official Website}}</ref>
* Official Video Gaming Partner – ]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rangers.co.uk/article/rangers-announce-multi-year-partnership-with-ea-sports/4SxTb4WGGCUIc1AJ1P6KDv|title=Rangers Announce Multi-Year Partnership With EA Sports|date=23 August 2022|website=Rangers Football Club, Official Website}}</ref>
* Official Digital Auction Supplier – MatchWornShirt<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rangers.co.uk/article/rangers-announce-partnership-with-matchwornshirt/3mmIYzuxriwCfnKIpXnY4d|title=Rangers Announce Partnership With MatchWornShirt|date=5 August 2022|website=Rangers Football Club, Official Website}}</ref>
* Official FX Transfer Partner – Ebury<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rangers.co.uk/article/rangers-announce-partnership-with-ebury/5d40HCSuHO7VkYrgmxTolw|title=Rangers Announce Partnership With Ebury|date=18 January 2024|website=Rangers Football Club, Official Website}}</ref>

===Associate partners===
* Official Snacking Partner – ]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rangers.co.uk/article/rangers-football-club-announce-new-cadbury-partnership/5KmSdU0vhEhbLu93oDhZKx|title=Rangers Football Club Announce New Cadbury Partnership|date=2 November 2020|website=Rangers Football Club, Official Website}}</ref>
* Official Scotch Whisky Partner – ]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rangers.co.uk/article/rangers-partner-with-douglas-laing/1thXdrMMXhKeCARMmGXJ7E|title=Rangers Partner With Douglas Laing|date=9 November 2021|website=Rangers Football Club, Official Website}}</ref>
* Official Restaurant Partner – Black Rooster<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rangers.co.uk/article/rangers-announce-partnership-with-black-rooster/3MeDg9lBZR8WHS7FLSDIHm|title=Rangers Announce Partnership With Black Rooster|date=27 August 2021|website=Rangers Football Club, Official Website}}</ref>
* Official Engineering Partner – Forrest Precision Engineering<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rangers.co.uk/article/rangers-announce-new-associate-partnership-with-forrest-precision/20EFsNI8Rf1fBKwvNCj7jk|title=Rangers Announce New Associate Partnership With Forrest Precision Engineering|date=27 July 2021|website=Rangers Football Club, Official Website}}</ref>
* Official Cyber Security Partner – ]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rangers.co.uk/article/rangers-partner-with-nordvpn/41tatnC4AHyi7Hj1jgHhqW|title=Rangers Partner With NordVPN|date=12 February 2021|website=Rangers Football Club, Official Website}}</ref>
* Official Electrical and Security Partner – JC Electrical & Security Solutions
* Official Gas Mains and Suppliers Replacement Specialist Partner – Pipeline Energy Solutions
* Official Ground Engineering Partner – Northern Piling

===Official suppliers===
* Official Business Travel Supplier – Destination Sport Travel
* Official Match Breaks Supplier – Sportsbreaks.com
* Official Title Sponsorship Partner - ]
* Official Television Supplier – ]
* Official Food and Beverage Partner – ]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rangers.co.uk/article/rangers-announces-elior-as-food-and-beverage-partner/2IBChMH7IC9QAQFU16yMbv|title=Rangers Announces Elior As Food And Beverage Partner|date=2 September 2024|website=Rangers Football Club, Official Website}}</ref>
* Official Soft Drink Supplier – ]
* Official Hydration Partner – ]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rangers.co.uk/article/lucozade-sport-teams-up-with-Rangers-to-become-clubs-official-hydration/1fkCHJ4ITqNGOXNKH3z7C7|title=Lucozade Sport Teams Up With Rangers To Become Club's Official Hydration Partner|date=11 December 2020|website=Rangers Football Club, Official Website|access-date=11 December 2020|archive-date=11 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201211151117/https://www.rangers.co.uk/Article/lucozade-sport-teams-up-with-rangers-to-become-clubs-official-hydration/1fkCHJ4ITqNGOXNKH3z7C7|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* Official Personal Care Supplier – ]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://rangers.co.uk/news/club/rangers-partner-with-molton-brown/|title=Rangers Partner With Molton Brown|date=16 January 2020|website=Rangers Football Club, Official Website}}</ref>
* Official Rangers Legends Events Supplier – 5 Stars<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rangers.co.uk/article/rangers-appoint-5-stars-limited-as-rangers-legends-events-supplier/6S5Rd3b5yjvhNCd6U1bqgJ|title=Rangers Appoint 5 Stars Limited As Rangers Legends Events Supplier|date=25 September 2020|website=Rangers Football Club, Official Website}}</ref>
* Official Sports Nutrition Partner – Applied Nutrition<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rangers.co.uk/article/rangers-announce-applied-nutrition-as-official-associate-partner/20hMAKBFg07GQvYqZW6mE2|title=Rangers Announce Applied Nutrition As Official Associate Partner|date=19 August 2021|website=Rangers Football Club, Official Website}}</ref>
* Official Events Partner – ]
* Official Clothing Partner – Suited & Booted

===Club & Federation partners===
* Official Club Partners – ],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rangers.co.uk/article/rangers-partner-with-all-india-football-federation/6mretBwPC3p9X7LqKrMX2Q|title=Rangers Partner With All India Football Federation|date=1 June 2022|website=Rangers Football Club, Official Website}}</ref> ],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rangers.co.uk/Article/rangers-and-hsv-enter-club-partnership/68dtIhjgBv7ljtzkffl5qD|title=Rangers and HSV Enter Club Partnership|date=10 February 2021|website=Rangers Football Club, Official Website}}</ref> ],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/rangers-partner-with-bengaluru-fc/|title=Rangers Partner With Bengaluru FC|date=27 September 2019|website=Rangers Football Club, Official Website}}</ref> and ].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/rangers-orange-county-sc-announcement/|title=Rangers & Orange County SC Announcement|date=23 December 2019|website=Rangers Football Club, Official Website}}</ref>

A full list of Rangers commercial partners and sponsors can be found on the official club website and in the Rangers matchday programme, available at every home game.


==See also== ==See also==
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*]
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{{Misplaced Pages books}}
*] *]

*]
==Notes==
*]
{{reflist|group=n}}
*]
{{col-end}}


==References== ==References==
{{reflist}}
Notes;

{{Reflist|group=n}}
==Further reading==
General;
{{reflist|2}}
Specific;
{{Refbegin}} {{Refbegin}}
*{{cite book|title=Glasgow, the Uneasy Peace: Religious Tension in Modern Scotland, 1819–1914|publisher=Manchester University Press ND|author=Gallagher, Tom|year=1987|isbn=0719023963, 9780719023965|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Xxy8AAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false|accessdate=18 August 2012}} *{{cite book|title=Fear and loathing in world football|publisher=Berg Publishers|author1=Armstrong, Gary|author2=Giulianotti, Richard|year=2001|isbn=1-85973-463-4|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CJxIbXQfE1IC|access-date=15 August 2012}}
*{{cite book|title=News of the World Football Annual 2006/2007|publisher=HarperCollins UK|author=Barnes, Stuart|year=2010|isbn=9780007234233|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6E3PDBauGkEC&q=rangers+win+scottish+cup+in+1975&pg=PA404|access-date=20 December 2012}}
*{{cite book|title=Graeme Souness: A Manager's Diary|publisher=Mainstream Publishing|author1=Souness, Graeme|author2=Gallacher, Ken|year=1989|isbn=185158224X, 9781851582242}}
*{{cite book|title=The Old Firm: Sectarianism, Sport and Society in Scotland|publisher=John Donald Publishers|author=Murray, William J.|year=2000|isbn=0859765423, 9780859765428}}
*{{cite book|title=Glasgow Rangers: Player by Player|publisher=Crowood Press|author1=Ferrier, Bob|author2=McElroy, Robert|year=1990|isbn=1-85223-404-0}} *{{cite book|title=Glasgow Rangers: Player by Player|publisher=Crowood Press|author1=Ferrier, Bob|author2=McElroy, Robert|year=1990|isbn=1-85223-404-0}}
*{{cite book|title=Glasgow Rangers: Player by Player|publisher=Crowood Press|author1=Ferrier, Bob|author2=McElroy, Robert|year=1998|isbn=0-600-59495-5}} *{{cite book|title=Glasgow Rangers: Player by Player|publisher=Crowood Press|author1=Ferrier, Bob|author2=McElroy, Robert|year=1998|isbn=0-600-59495-5}}
*{{cite book|title=Rangers: The Complete Record|publisher=Breedon Books|author1=Ferrier, Bob|author2=McElroy, Robert|year=2005|isbn=1-85983-481-7}} *{{cite book|title=Rangers: The Complete Record|publisher=Breedon Books|author1=Ferrier, Bob|author2=McElroy, Robert|year=2005|isbn=1-85983-481-7}}
*{{cite book|title=For Richer, for Poorer: The Murray Years|publisher=Random House|author=Smith, Paul|year=2012|isbn=1780572824, 9781780572826|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=kH8jMcBSqUIC&pg=PT84&lpg=PT83&ots=f9posqgFx5&dq=rangers+player+graduated+from+murray+park|accessdate=4 January 2013}} *{{cite book|title=Glasgow, the Uneasy Peace: Religious Tension in Modern Scotland, 1819–1914|publisher=Manchester University Press ND|author=Gallagher, Tom|year=1987|isbn=9780719023965|url=https://archive.org/details/glasgowuneasypea00gall|url-access=registration|access-date=18 August 2012}}
*{{cite book|title=Football: A Sociology of the Global Game|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|author=Giulianotti, Richard|year=1999|isbn=9780745617695}}
{{Refend}}
*{{cite book|title=Football Against the Enemy|publisher=Orion|author=Kuper, Simon|year=1994|isbn=0-7528-4877-1}}

*{{cite book|title=The Old Firm: Sectarianism, Sport and Society in Scotland|publisher=John Donald Publishers|author=Murray, William J.|year=2000|isbn=9780859765428}}
==Further reading==
*{{cite book|title=The Encyclopedia of Scottish Football|author1=Potter, David|author2=Jones, Phil|year=2011|publisher=Pitch Publishing|isbn=978-1908051103}}
{{Refbegin}}
*{{cite book|title=Scottish Football Clubs Statistics|publisher=General Books LLC|author=General Books LLC|year=2010|isbn=1156866057, 9781156866054}} *{{cite book|title=Sky Sports Football Yearbook 2011–12|author1=Rollin, Glenda|author2=Rollin, Jack|publisher=Headline|isbn=978-0755362325|date=4 August 2011}}
*{{cite book|title=Great Sporting Rivals (Large Print 16pt)|publisher=ReadHowYouWant.com|author=Romanos, Joseph|year=2010|isbn=9781458779663|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KHf9vFXIOLEC&q=rangers+football+club+records&pg=PA139|access-date=25 December 2012}}
*{{cite book|title=Football Against the Enemy|publisher=Orion|author=Kuper, Simon|isbn=0-7528-4877-1}}
*{{cite book|title=Football: A Sociology of the Global Game|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|author=Giulianotti, Richard|year=1999|isbn=0745617697, 9780745617695}} *{{cite book|title=End to End Stuff|publisher=Random House|author=Scott, Les|year=2008|isbn=9780593060681|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cqhm26eVPYMC&q=end+to+end+stuff|access-date=24 August 2012}}
*{{cite book|title=Fear and loathing in world football|publisher=Berg Publishers|author1=Armstrong, Gary|author2=Giulianotti, Richard|year=2001|isbn=1 85973 463 4|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=CJxIbXQfE1IC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false|accessdate=15 August 2012}} *{{cite book|title=For Richer, for Poorer: The Murray Years|publisher=Random House|author=Smith, Paul|year=2012|isbn=9781780572826|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kH8jMcBSqUIC&q=rangers+player+graduated+from+murray+park&pg=PT84|access-date=4 January 2013}}
*{{cite book|title=The Encyclopedia of Scottish Football|author1=Potter, David|author2=Jones, Phil|year=2011|publisher=Pitch Publishing|isbn=1908051108|accessdate=19 August 2012}} *{{cite book|title=Graeme Souness: A Manager's Diary|publisher=Mainstream Publishing|author1=Souness, Graeme|author2=Gallacher, Ken|year=1989|isbn=9781851582242}}
*{{cite book|title=Sky Sports Football Yearbook 2011–12|author1=Rollin, Glenda|author2=Rollin, Jack|publisher=Headline|isbn=0755362322|date=4 August 2011|accessdate=19 August 2012}}
*{{cite book|title=Great Sporting Rivals (Large Print 16pt)|publisher=ReadHowYouWant.com|author=Romanos, Joseph|year=2010|isbn=1458779661, 9781458779663|url=http://books.google.com/?id=KHf9vFXIOLEC&pg=PA139&lpg=PA139&dq=rangers+football+club+records#v=onepage&q=rangers%20football%20club%20records&f=false|accessdate=2012-12-25}}
*{{cite book|title=End to End Stuff|publisher=Random House|author=Scott, Les|year=2008|isbn=0593060687, 9780593060681|url=http://books.google.com/?id=cqhm26eVPYMC&printsec=frontcover&dq=end+to+end+stuff#v=onepage&q=end%20to%20end%20stuff&f=false|accessdate=24 August 2012}}
*{{cite book|title=News of the World Football Annual 2006/2007|publisher=HarperCollins UK|author=Barnes, Stuart|year=2010|isbn=0007234236, 9780007234233|url=http://books.google.com/?id=6E3PDBauGkEC&pg=PA404&lpg=PA404&dq=rangers+win+scottish+cup+in+1975#v=onepage&q=rangers%20win%20scottish%20cup%20in%201975&f=false|accessdate=20 December 2012}}
{{Refend}} {{Refend}}


==External links== ==External links==
{{Commons category|Rangers F.C.}} {{commons category|Rangers F.C.}}
{{toomanylinks|date=June 2024}}
;Official
*{{Official website}}
{{Refbegin}}
*
*{{cite web|url=http://www.rangers.co.uk/|title=Offical website|work=Rangers.co.uk|accessdate=25 August 2012|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D6xzksGS|archivedate=22 December 2012|deadurl=no}}
*
*{{cite web|url=http://www.scottishfootballleague.com/club/rangers/|title=Rangers|publisher=Scottish Football League|date=August 2012|accessdate=26 August 2012|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D6y6xvco|archivedate=22 December 2012|deadurl=no}}
* at FIFA
*{{cite web|url=http://www.scotprem.com/content/default.asp?page=s13_2|title=Rangers Football Club: Team Profile|publisher=Scottish Premier League|date=May 2012|accessdate=26 August 2012|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D6yChqtr|archivedate=22 December 2012|deadurl=no}}
* at UEFA
*{{cite web|url=http://www.fifa.com/classicfootball/clubs/club=31067/index.html|title=Rangers |publisher=FIFA|work=FIFA.com|year=2011|accessdate=26 August 2012|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D6yGWWtr|archivedate=22 December 2012|deadurl=no}}
*
*{{cite web|url=http://www.uefa.com/teamsandplayers/teams/club=50121/profile/index.html|title=Rangers FC|publisher=UEFA|date=31 December 2010|accessdate=24 September 2012|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D6yKxjPa|archivedate=22 December 2012|deadurl=no}}
{{BBC football info|rangers}}
*{{cite news|url=http://www.rangerssupporterstrust.co.uk|title=Rangers Supporters Trust|work=Rangers Supporters Trust|accessdate=26 August 2012|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D6yQ87IP|archivedate=22 December 2012|deadurl=no}}
* at ''Fitbastats.com''
{{Refend}}
;News
{{Refbegin}}
{{BBC football info|/r/rangers}}
*{{cite news|url=http://www1.skysports.com/football/teams/rangers|title=Rangers|work=Sky Sports|accessdate=26 August 2012|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6D6ySntAM|archivedate=22 December 2012|deadurl=no}}
{{Refend}}


{{Rangers F.C.|state=uncollapsed}} {{Rangers F.C.|state=expanded}}
{{Rangers F.C. seasons}} {{Rangers F.C. seasons}}
{{Scottish Third Division}} {{Rangers F.C. matches}}
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{{Scottish Premier League}} {{Scottish Premier League}}
{{Scottish Football League}}
{{Football in Scotland}}
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Latest revision as of 18:06, 23 December 2024

Association football club in Glasgow, Scotland This article is about the men's football club. For the women's team, see Rangers W.F.C.

Football club
Rangers
Full nameRangers Football Club
Nickname(s)The Gers
The Light Blues
The Teddy Bears
FoundedMarch 1872 (152 years ago) (1872-03)
GroundIbrox Stadium
Capacity51,700
OwnerThe Rangers Football Club Ltd
ChairmanFraser Thornton
ManagerPhilippe Clement
LeagueScottish Premiership
2023–24Scottish Premiership, 2nd of 12
Websiterangers.co.uk
Home colours Away colours Third colours
Current season

Rangers Football Club is a professional football club in Glasgow, Scotland. The team competes in the Scottish Premiership, the top division of Scottish football. The club is often referred to as Glasgow Rangers, though this has never been its official name. The fourth-oldest football club in Scotland, Rangers was founded by four teenage boys as they walked through West End Park (now Kelvingrove Park), in March 1872, where they discussed the idea of forming a football club, and played its first match against the now-defunct Callander at the Fleshers' Haugh area of Glasgow Green in May of the same year. Rangers' home ground, Ibrox Stadium, designed by stadium architect Archibald Leitch and opened in 1929, is a Category B listed building and the third-largest football stadium in Scotland. The club has always played in royal blue shirts.

Rangers have won the Scottish League title a record 55 times, the Scottish Cup 34 times, the Scottish League Cup a record 28 times and the domestic treble on seven occasions. Rangers won the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1972 after being losing finalists twice, in 1961 (the first British club to reach a UEFA tournament final) and 1967. The club has lost a further two European finals; they reached the UEFA Cup Final in 2008 and a fourth runners-up finish in European competition came in the UEFA Europa League Final in 2022. By number of trophies won, Rangers are one of the most successful clubs in the world.

Rangers has a long-standing rivalry with Celtic, the two Glasgow clubs being collectively known as the Old Firm, which is considered one of the world's biggest football derbies. With more than 600 Rangers supporters' clubs in 35 countries worldwide, Rangers has one of the largest fanbases in world football. The club holds the record for the largest travelling support in football history, when an estimated 200,000 Rangers fans arrived in the city of Manchester for the 2008 UEFA Cup final. Rangers also took the largest ever travelling support abroad when an estimated 100,000 fans arrived in Seville for the 2022 UEFA Europa League final.

One of the eleven original members of the Scottish Football League, Rangers remained in the top division continuously until a financial crisis during the 2011–12 season saw the club enter administration and the original company liquidated with the assets moved to a new company structure. The club was accepted as an associate member of the Scottish Football League and placed in the fourth tier of the Scottish football league system in time for the start of the following season. Rangers then won three promotions in four years, returning to the Premiership for the start of the 2016–17 season; in their climb through the Scottish lower divisions, Rangers became the only club in Scotland to have won every domestic trophy. In 2020–21 Rangers won their first Scottish championship in ten years, a then world record fifty-fifth league win which also stopped rivals Celtic's quest to break the domestic record of ten titles in a row.

History

Main article: History of Rangers F.C. See also: List of Rangers F.C. seasons and Rangers F.C. Hall of Fame

Formation, early years and William Wilton

The 1877 Scottish Cup Final Rangers team
The 1877 Scottish Cup Final Rangers team

Rangers were formed by four founders – brothers Moses McNeil and Peter McNeil, Peter Campbell and William McBeath – who met at West End Park (now known as Kelvingrove Park) in March 1872. Rangers' first match, in May that year, was a goalless friendly draw with Callander on Glasgow Green. David Hill was also a founder member. In 1873, the club held its first annual meeting and staff were elected. By 1876, Rangers had its first international player, with Moses McNeil representing Scotland in a match against Wales. In 1877, Rangers reached the Scottish Cup final; after drawing the first game, Rangers refused to turn up for the replay and the cup was awarded to Vale of Leven. Rangers won the Glasgow Merchants Charity Cup the following year against Vale of Leven 2–1, their first major cup. The first-ever match against Celtic took place in 1888, the year after the East End club's establishment. Rangers lost 5–2 in a friendly to an opposition composed largely of guest players from Hibernian.

Chart of Rangers yearly table positions in League play

The 1890–91 season saw the inception of the Scottish Football League, and Rangers, by then playing at the first Ibrox Stadium, were one of ten original members. The club's first-ever league match, on 16 August 1890, resulted in a 5–2 victory over Heart of Midlothian. After finishing joint-top with Dumbarton, a play-off held at Cathkin Park finished 2–2 and the title was shared for the only time in its history. Rangers' first-ever Scottish Cup win came in 1894 after a 3–1 final victory over rivals Celtic. By the start of the 20th century, Rangers had won two league titles and three Scottish Cups. During William Wilton's time as match secretary and then team manager, Rangers won ten league titles.

Bill Struth and Scot Symon

Taking over as manager after William Wilton's death in 1920, Bill Struth was Rangers' most successful manager, guiding the club to 14 league titles before the onset of the Second World War. On 2 January 1939, a British league attendance record was broken as 118,567 fans turned out to watch Rangers beat Celtic in the traditional New Year's Day Old Firm match. Leading the club for 34 years until 1954, Struth won more trophies than any manager in Scottish Football history, amassing 18 league championships, 10 Scottish Cups, two League Cups, seven war-time championships, 19 Glasgow Cups, 17 Glasgow Merchant Charity Cups and other war-time honours. During the wartime regional league setup (in which the team won all seven seasons, along with official championships either side of the conflict in 1938–39 and 1946–47), Rangers achieved their highest score against Celtic with an 8–1 win in the Southern Football League.

Scot Symon continued Struth's success, winning six league championships, five Scottish Cups and four League Cups, becoming the second manager to win the domestic treble in 1963–64 season, the era of 'Slim' Jim Baxter, one of the club's greatest players. Rangers also lost by their biggest Old Firm margin of 7–1.

Rangers reached the semi-finals of the European Cup in 1960, losing 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 lost again in the final of the same competition in 1967, by a single goal, after extra time, to Bayern Munich.

Ibrox disaster, European success and Jock Wallace

The Ibrox Disaster memorial statue, commemorating the 1971 tragedy
The Ibrox Disaster memorial statue, commemorating the 1971 tragedy along with previous disasters

The Ibrox disaster occurred on 2 January 1971 when large-scale crushing on a stairway exit at the culmination of an Old Firm game claimed 66 lives. An enquiry concluded 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. A benefit match to raise funds for the victims' families took place after the disaster, a joint Rangers and Celtic team playing a Scotland XI at Hampden, watched by 81,405 fans.

In 1972, Rangers emerged from the tragedy of the previous year to finally achieve success on the European stage. A Colin Stein goal and a Willie Johnston double helped secure a 3–2 victory over Dynamo Moscow at the Nou Camp, Barcelona, to lift the European Cup Winners' Cup. Captain John Greig received the trophy in a small room within the Nou Camp following pitch invasions by Rangers fans reacting to the heavy handed tactics of the Spanish police, the majority of whom had been brought in from outwith Catalonia. Rangers were banned from Europe for two years for the behaviour of their fans, later reduced on appeal to one year.

The following season saw the club compete in the first ever European Super Cup, although the European ban saw it officially recognised as Rangers centenary anniversary match. The side played the European Cup holders Ajax, who had first proposed the idea, in January 1973. The Dutch side proved too strong and recorded a 6–3 aggregate win, with Rangers losing 1–3 at Ibrox and 3–2 in Amsterdam.

Emerging from the shadows of Jock Stein's Celtic side, Rangers regained ascendancy with notable domestic success under the stewardship of manager Jock Wallace. In his first season in charge – the club's centenary – Rangers won the Scottish Cup at Hampden in front of 122,714 supporters. In 1974–75, Wallace led Rangers to their first League championship triumph in 11 years, before winning the treble the following season, repeating the historic feat in 1977–78.

John Greig served as manager for five years but was unable to achieve the success as a manager that he had as a player. Unable to win the league during his reign, he was replaced by Wallace returning in 1983. Wallace was unable to repeat the success of his first period in charge with a win ratio of less than 50%, and was himself replaced by Graeme Souness in 1986.

Graeme Souness, Walter Smith and 9-in-a-row

Every year from the 1988–89 season until the 1996–97 season, Rangers won the league title. This nine-in-a-row achievement equalled Celtic's record, set prior to the forming of the Scottish Football League Premier Division, subsequent to which competing teams met four times a season. The first three of these seasons the club was managed by Graeme Souness; the latter six under the stewardship of Walter Smith.

Notable seasons included 1990–91, which culminated in a last-day finale, Rangers securing a 2–0 victory at Ibrox over Aberdeen, who needed only a draw to secure the championship. Season 1992–93 was notable for a domestic treble of trophies, as well an extended run in the inaugural UEFA Champions League, the club at one stage only one goal from securing a place in the final.

Rangers' ninth consecutive championship title was secured at Tannadice Park on 7 May 1997, with a single-goal victory over Dundee United.

Dick Advocaat, Alex McLeish and Paul Le Guen

In 1998, Dutchman Dick Advocaat became the club's first foreign manager. Nine-in-a-row era stalwarts having moved on, Advocaat invested heavily in the team with immediate results, leading the club to their sixth domestic treble. The league championship was won with a 3–0 victory at Celtic Park on 2 May 1999. A second-consecutive league title was won by a record 21-point margin, the club securing a domestic double with a 4–0 Scottish Cup final victory over Aberdeen. Rangers' campaign in the Champions League saw them defeat UEFA Cup winners Parma en route.

Advocaat's third season saw Rangers fail to compete domestically against Celtic under new manager Martin O'Neill. Despite investment in the team, including Tore Andre Flo for a club-record £12 million, European success beyond the Champions League group stages again proved elusive. After a slow start to the following season, Advocaat resigned from his post in December 2001 and was replaced by Alex McLeish.

In his first full campaign, the 2002–03 season saw McLeish become the sixth Rangers manager to deliver a domestic treble. The championship was won on goal difference during a dramatic final day 6–1 triumph over Dunfermline Athletic at Ibrox, securing Rangers' 50th league title, the first club in the world to achieve the feat. Major expenditure sanctioned by chairman David Murray had burdened Rangers with considerable debts in the region of £52m. The club's worsening financial state saw many of the team's top players leave in the summer of 2003, the following season failing to deliver any trophies, only the second such occasion since 1985–86.

The 2004–05 season restored success to Rangers, who were boosted by signings such as Jean-Alain Boumsong, Dado Pršo and Nacho Novo, along with the return of former captain Barry Ferguson after a spell in England with Blackburn Rovers. The club's league championship triumph culminated in a dramatic final-day finish. The destination of the trophy changed unexpectedly, with Celtic conceding late goals to Motherwell at Fir Park whilst Rangers led against Hibernian, requiring the helicopter carrying the SPL trophy to change direction and deliver the prize to the Easter Road ground in Leith.

Despite beginning as favourites to retain the championship, Rangers suffered an unprecedented run of poor results between September and November, a club-record run of ten games without a win. Included within this period, a 1–1 draw with Inter Milan took Rangers into the last 16 of the Champions League, the first Scottish team to achieve the feat since 1993, the club eventually exiting on the away goals rule to Villarreal. On 9 February 2006, it was announced by David Murray that McLeish would be standing down as manager at the end of that season.

Rangers F.C. showing French card display at Ibrox to welcome Paul Le Guen
Card display at Ibrox to welcome Paul Le Guen

Frenchman Paul Le Guen replaced Alex McLeish as manager after season 2005–06. The season started with an early exit from the League Cup whilst Celtic built a commanding lead at the top of the table. 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. However, amid claims of disharmony between the manager and captain Barry Ferguson, it was announced on 4 January 2007 that Le Guen had left Rangers by mutual consent.

Walter Smith's return and Ally McCoist

On 10 January 2007, former boss Walter Smith resigned from his post as Scotland manager to return to the Ibrox helm, with Ally McCoist as assistant manager.

The 2008 UEFA Cup final in Manchester which Rangers contested
The 2008 UEFA Cup final in Manchester, which Rangers contested

The following season Rangers contested the UEFA Cup after dropping into the competition from the Champions League. The club reached the final, defeating Panathinaikos, Werder Bremen, Sporting Lisbon and Fiorentina along the way. The final in Manchester against Zenit Saint Petersburg, who were managed by former Rangers manager Dick Advocaat, ended in a 2–0 defeat. An estimated 200,000 supporters travelled to Manchester for the event, and the 2008 UEFA Cup final riots occurred.

The 2008–09 season saw Rangers recover from an early exit from the UEFA Champions League to FBK Kaunas of Lithuania. The club secured its 52nd league championship on the last day of the season with a 3–0 victory at Dundee United. Rangers also successfully defended the Scottish Cup, defeating Falkirk 1–0 in the final.

The 2009–10 season saw Rangers reach their fifth consecutive domestic final: against St Mirren in the Scottish League Cup, the club overcame a two-men deficit from red cards, a late deciding goal from Kenny Miller securing the victory. The league championship title was retained, with three matches remaining, at Easter Road, defeating Hibernian 1–0 with a Kyle Lafferty goal. The 2010–11 season, Smith's final season in charge, saw Rangers retain the League Cup, defeating Celtic at Hampden with a Nikica Jelavić goal in extra time. A third consecutive title was won by beating Kilmarnock 5–1 on the last day of the season, Smith's final match in charge of the club.

Ally McCoist took over from Walter Smith in June 2011 but season 2011–12 started with Rangers eliminated from two European competitions before the end of August: losing to Swedish side Malmö in the Champions League third round qualifying match, and to Slovenian side Maribor in a Europa League qualifying match. While good league form saw Rangers in top spot after being unbeaten for the first 15 games, they were knocked out of the League Cup by Falkirk and the Scottish Cup by Dundee United at Ibrox. Rangers were placed into administration on 14 February 2012 resulting in the club being deducted 10 points as per SPL rules. Though Rangers avoided having Celtic win the championship at Ibrox on 25 March by winning the game 3–2, Rangers ultimately finished 20 points behind Celtic in second place.

Insolvency and the lower leagues

On 1 June 2012, after four months in administration, a failure to reach a CVA agreement with creditors led to The Rangers Football Club plc (since renamed RFC 2012 plc) entering the process of liquidation. The administrators completed a sale of the business and assets to a new company, Sevco Scotland Ltd (which later renamed itself The Rangers Football Club Ltd), though most first-team players refused to transfer across. The new company failed to secure the transfer of Rangers' previous place in the Scottish Premier League, but were later accepted into the Scottish Football League. Rangers were awarded associate membership and placed in the lowest division, the Third, rather than the First Division as the SPL and SFA had sought. The transfer of Rangers' SFA membership was agreed by the SFA upon acceptance of a number of conditions, including a one-year transfer ban, in time for the club to begin the 2012–13 season.

With most key Rangers players having refused to transfer to the new company, a very different Rangers team lined up for the first league match in the Third Division though it secured a comfortable 5–1 victory over East Stirlingshire in front of a crowd of 49,118, a world record for a football match in a fourth tier league. Away from home, Rangers started their league campaign with three successive draws before losing 1–0 to Stirling Albion, at the time the bottom club in the country. Rangers were defeated in the third round of the Scottish Challenge Cup by Queen of the South at Ibrox, in the quarter-finals of the Scottish League Cup at home to Inverness Caledonian Thistle and in the fifth round of the Scottish Cup by Dundee United. Rangers beat their own new record against Queens Park with an attendance of 49,463 and again against Stirling Albion with an attendance of 49,913. Rangers clinched the Third Division title on 30 March after a goalless draw at Montrose.

Apart from being defeated 2–1 by Forfar Athletic in the first round of the League Cup on 3 August, season 2013–14 got off to an excellent start with Rangers winning maximum league points in their first 15 games in League One, before being held to a draw at home by Stranraer on Boxing Day 2013. Rangers secured the League One title and promotion to Scottish football's second tier on 12 March 2014 and went on to end the season unbeaten in league football. Rangers also reached the final of the Scottish Challenge Cup, in which they lost to Raith Rovers and the semi-final of the Scottish Cup, in which they lost 3–1 at Ibrox to Dundee United.

Playing in the Scottish Championship in season 2014–15 provided Rangers with a more difficult challenge, with the club losing home and away to both Hibernian and Hearts and also losing away to Queen of the South in the first half of the season. Rangers also failed to beat Alloa either home or away in the league before losing 3–2 to Alloa in the semi-final of the Scottish Challenge Cup. Amid mounting criticism, McCoist submitted his resignation intending to honour his 12 months notice period but was placed on gardening leave and replaced by Kenny McDowall on a caretaker basis. McDowall remained in charge for just three months before resigning in March 2015. During his time in charge, Rangers won just three matches. Rangers then named former player Stuart McCall as their third manager of the season for the remaining fixtures. Under McCall, Rangers finished third in the league and then reached the Premiership play-off final, which they lost 6–1 on aggregate to Motherwell.

Warburton, Premiership return, Caixinha and Murty

In June 2015, it was announced that Mark Warburton had been appointed as manager on a three-year deal. Rangers went on to win the 2015–16 Scottish Championship and automatic promotion to the Scottish Premiership, ending their four-year stint in the lower divisions. The club also reached the 2016 Scottish Cup Final, beating Old Firm rivals Celtic in the semi-final at Hampden, before losing to Hibernian in the final. After a poor first half of the 2016–17 season, Mark Warburton and David Weir left Rangers on 10 February 2017, and Graeme Murty was placed in caretaker control of the Rangers first team. Pedro Caixinha eventually took over as permanent manager.

Caixinha's first full season started with Rangers suffering one of the worst results in their history. After winning 1–0 at Ibrox, Rangers lost 2–0 to Luxembourg minnows Progrès Niederkorn, resulting in Rangers being knocked out 2–1 on aggregate in the first qualifying round of the 2017–18 Europa League. Progrès had never before won a tie and had only ever scored once before in European competition. After that disappointing start to the season the form did not improve, with notable results including a 2–0 reverse to Celtic at home in the league and defeat to Motherwell in the Scottish League Cup semi-final by the same scoreline. On 26 October, a day after a 95th-minute equaliser at Ibrox by last-placed Kilmarnock saw Rangers draw 1–1, Caixinha was sacked and Graeme Murty took over as caretaker manager again. The Portuguese manager's reign was described as "a desperate mess from start to finish".

In late December, after a search for a more experienced manager proved unsuccessful, including a failed attempt to appoint Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes, Murty (who had won back-to-back games over Aberdeen and also defeated Hibernian away from home during his interim spell) was appointed to the role until the end of the season. On 1 May 2018, Murty's second spell in charge ended prematurely when he was sacked as manager following a 5–0 defeat to Celtic which resulted in Celtic winning their 7th consecutive league title. Rangers again ended the season in 3rd place, behind Celtic and Aberdeen for the second year in a row.

The Gerrard era

On 4 May 2018, former Liverpool and England captain Steven Gerrard was confirmed as the new manager of Rangers on a four-year contract. Gerrard's era started successfully with Rangers remaining unbeaten in their first 12 games, clinching a place in the UEFA Europa League group stage in the process. However, Rangers were then defeated by Celtic in the first Old Firm match of the season, and the following month were eliminated from the League Cup by Aberdeen. On 29 December, Rangers defeated Celtic at Ibrox to inflict Brendan Rodgers' first defeat in 13 Old Firm games; Rangers first win over Celtic since a Scottish Cup victory in April 2016 and their first league win over Celtic since March 2012. Aberdeen knocked Rangers out of a cup for the second time in the season after securing a 2–0 victory in the Scottish Cup at Ibrox on 12 March 2019.

The 2019–20 season began with Rangers again qualifying for the UEFA Europa League group stage before losing 2–0 to Celtic at Ibrox in the first Old Firm match of the season on 1 September. The following day, the club signed Ryan Kent from Liverpool for £7 million. Rangers reached the final of the League Cup, but despite a dominant performance, were beaten 1–0 by Celtic. On 12 December, Rangers progressed to the UEFA Europa League Round of 32 as group runners-up after a 1–1 draw with Young Boys which secured European football beyond Christmas for the first time since the 2010–11 season. On 29 December, Rangers beat Celtic 2–1 at Celtic Park, their first win at their arch rival's stadium since October 2010. However, a slump in form thereafter, including losing to Hearts in the Scottish Cup and Hamilton in the league within five days, left Rangers 13 points adrift of Celtic a week into March. However, all professional football in Scotland was suspended later that month due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. On 18 May 2020, the SPFL officially ended the season, and Celtic were awarded the league title which was determined by points per game.

On 7 March 2021, Rangers won the league title for the first time in ten years, going on to end the league campaign undefeated, with a club record 102 points.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Europa League Final and Michael Beale return

Midway through the 2021–22 season, Steven Gerrard left Rangers for Aston Villa, and was replaced by former Rangers midfielder Giovanni van Bronckhorst on 11 November 2021. He led Rangers to their first European final in fourteen years, beating Borussia Dortmund, Red Star Belgrade, Braga and RB Leipzig on the way to facing Eintracht Frankfurt in the 2022 UEFA Europa League Final. He also took the club to their first Scottish Cup final in six years, in which they beat Hearts.

In the 2022–23 season, Rangers qualified for the UEFA Champions League group stage for the first time since the 2010–11 season. They went on to lose all six group matches against Napoli, Liverpool, and Ajax with only two goals scored and a −20 goal difference overall, setting the worst performance in a Champions League group stage, surpassing Dinamo Zagreb's −19 goal difference in the 2011–12 season. Giovanni van Bronckhorst was sacked on 21 November 2022, after also falling nine points behind Celtic in the Scottish Premiership. Michael Beale, a coach under previous manager Steven Gerrard, succeeded van Bronckhorst on 28 November 2022. After a winning start, Beale had turned around results quickly; however, they lost out in both cup competitions against Celtic and finished the 2022–23 season seven points behind their rivals. After a summer rebuild, Rangers lost on the opening day of the 2023–24 season to Kilmarnock; their hopes of qualifying for that seasons Champions League was also crushed after losing to PSV Eindhoven. Beale was sacked as manager on 1 October 2023, the defeat to Aberdeen at Ibrox the culmination of a very poor run of results.

Crest and colours

Crest

Unusually for a football club, Rangers have two different official crests. Today the original scroll crest appears on the club's strips whereas the lion rampant club crest is used by the media, on club merchandise and on official club documents. Both crests have undergone minor variations since their introduction. It is believed that the scroll crest, representing the letters RFC overlapping, has been used since the club's formation in 1872, although the oldest remaining piece of memorabilia containing this crest is from the 1881–82 season. The scroll crest was replaced in 1959 with the lion rampant club crest which featured a lion rampant, an old-style football and the club's motto Ready, which was shortened from Aye Ready (meaning Always Ready in Scots), all surrounded by the team name, Rangers Football Club. The lion rampant club crest was modernised in 1968; the lion rampant, team name, club motto and old style football all remained. It was again updated slightly in the early 1990s and then once more in 2020 to the current version. The modern circular crest is regularly used on club merchandise and by the media; it has never featured prominently on the club strip. In 1968 the scroll crest made a return appearing on the chest of the club shirt for the first time while the modernised club crest was still the club's official logo. The scroll crest first appeared on the teams shorts for the start of the 1978–79 season.

  • The current lion rampant club crest. Never appeared on the shirt The current lion rampant club crest. Never appeared on the shirt.

The way the scroll crest has appeared on the club shirt has varied slightly through the years. Between 1990 and 1994 'Rangers Football Club' and the 'Ready' motto appeared above and below the Crest respectively. Between 1997 and 1999 the scroll crest featured within a shield. After a successful end to the season in 2003, which delivered Rangers a Domestic Treble and their 50th league title; five stars were added to the top of the scroll crest, one for every ten titles won by the club. The team wore a special crest on 8 December 2012 in a home league match against Stirling Albion, to commemorate the 140th anniversary of their formation. '1872–2012' appeared above the scroll crest with the words '140 years' featuring below.

  • Kit crest history
  • Scroll crest, appeared on the chest of the Rangers shirt 1968–present. Scroll crest, appeared on the chest of the Rangers shirt since 1968
  • Scroll crest version with banner and 'Ready' motto, worn on shirts between 1990 and 1995 Scroll crest version with banner and 'Ready' motto, worn on shirts between 1990 and 1995
  • Scroll crest with five stars, worn on the Rangers shirt 2003–present. Scroll crest with five stars, worn on the Rangers shirt since 2003

Colours

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 lighter blue home shirt. The only deviation from this was a four-season period from 1879 when the side wore the lighter shade of blue and white in a hooped style. Traditionally this is accompanied by white shorts (often with royal blue and/or red trim) and black socks with red turn-downs. Rangers moved from the lighter shade of blue to royal blue in 1921, and have had a royal blue home shirt every year since. Black socks were first included in 1883 for five seasons before disappearing for eight years but became a more 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. Rangers original change strip, used between 1876 and 1879, was all white featuring blue and white hooped socks and a light blue six pointed star on the chest. White and red have been the most common colours for Rangers alternate strips, though dark and light blue have also featured highly. In 1994 Rangers introduced a third kit. 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. Orange and blue change strips, first seen in 1993–94, worn once in 2002–03 and reintroduced in 2018–19 and 2022–23, have caused controversy because the colours were seen as referencing the Orange Order.

Selection of Rangers kits through history
The blue shirt, white shorts and blue & white hooped socks. Worn 1873–1879. The blue shirt, white shorts and blue & white hooped socks. Worn 1873–1879. A change kit featuring a white top. Worn 1916–1918, 1921–1932 and 1933–1934. A change kit featuring a white top. Worn 1916–1918, 1921–1932 and 1933–1934. The blue shirt, white shorts and black socks. Worn 1883–1888 and 1896–1904. The blue shirt, white shorts and black socks. Worn 1883–1888 and 1896–1904. The royal blue shirt with white collar and black socks with red tops. Worn 1921–1957. The royal blue shirt with white collar and black socks with red tops. Worn 1921–1957. The royal blue shirt and red socks with white tops. Worn 1968–1973. The royal blue shirt and red socks with white tops. Worn 1968–1973 and 2012–2013. The royal blue shirt and black socks with red tops. Worn 1958–1968 and 1973–1978. The royal blue shirt and black socks with red tops. Worn 1958–1968 and 1973–1978.

Kit suppliers and shirt sponsors

Since 1978 when Rangers signed a deal with Umbro they have had a specific kit manufacturer and since 1984 have had a kit sponsor. The following tables detail Rangers' shirt sponsors and kit suppliers by year:

Kit suppliers
Period Supplier
1978–1990 Umbro
1990–1992 Admiral
1992–1997 Adidas
1997–2002 Nike
2002–2005 Diadora
2005–2013 Umbro
2013–2018 Puma
2018–2020 Hummel
2020–present Castore
Front of shirt sponsors
Period Sponsor
1984–1987 CR Smith
1987–1999 McEwan's Lager
1999–2003 NTL
2003–2010 Carling
2010–2013 Tennent's
2013–2014 Blackthorn
2014–2023 32Red
2023–present Unibet
Back of shirt sponsors
Period Sponsor Position
2017–2020 Utilita Top
2020–2021 The Energy Check Bottom
2020–present SEKO Logistics Top
2021–2022 Sportemon Go Bottom
2022–2023 Socomec Bottom
Sleeve sponsors
Period Sponsor
2020–2022 Tomket Tires
2022–present BOXT
Shorts sponsors
Period Sponsor
2023–present AIM Building & Maintenance Services

When Rangers played French sides in 1996–97 and 1997–98, they wore the logo of Center Parcs instead of McEwan's Lager, due to a French ban on alcohol advertising. Later matches in France (when the club was sponsored by Carling) saw the club play with no shirt sponsor, in 2006 and 2007.

During 32Red's sponsorship, Rangers faced NK Osijek in 2018–19 wearing unsponsored training gear due to Croatia's ban on gambling advertising. Team Talk, an arm of the Rangers Charity Foundation, appeared on the shirts on two occasions in 2021–22: away in Leipzig, as Unibet hold no licence for Germany; and in the 2021–22 UEFA Europa League final against Eintracht Frankfurt, as gambling advertisements are banned in Spain.

Mascot

Broxi Bear is the official mascot of Rangers. Its name is derived from Rangers' home stadium, Broxi being an anagram of Ibrox. Broxi is a brown bear with blue inner ears and nose, wearing a Rangers strip. He made his first appearance in a 2–2 draw against Raith Rovers on 13 November 1993. Broxi was later accompanied by his "wife" Roxi and their "son" Boris although from 2001 Roxi and Boris no longer made any on-field appearances at Ibrox. Roxi and Boris did continue to appear on some club merchandise. On 9 September 2017, Roxi and Boris were re-introduced before a 4–1 win against Dundee.

Stadium and training facility

Main articles: Ibrox Stadium and Rangers Training Centre

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 Fleshers' Haugh, situated on Glasgow Green, followed by Burnbank Park 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 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.

A panorama of Ibrox Stadium from the Broomloan Road End. This picture was taken the first match of the 2011–12 season, against Heart of Midlothian. A panorama of Ibrox Stadium from the Broomloan Road End. This picture was taken during the first match of the 2011–12 SPL season, Rangers vs Heart of Midlothian.

Rangers' training facility is located in the Auchenhowie area of Milngavie, Glasgow; it was initially named Murray Park after former chairman and owner Sir David Murray, but has since been renamed. It was proposed by then-manager Dick Advocaat upon his arrival at the club in 1998. It was completed in 2001 at a cost of £14 million. The training centre was the first purpose-built facility of its kind in Scotland, and incorporates features including nine football pitches, a gym, a hydrotherapy pool, and a video-editing suite. Rangers' youth teams are also accommodated at the centre, with around 140 players between under-10 and under-19 age groups using the facilities. International club teams playing in Scotland, as well as national sides, have previously used the centre for training, and Advocaat's South Korea team used it for training prior to the 2006 World Cup.

Supporters and rivalries

Main article: Rangers F.C. supporters See also: Club 1872, Rangers Fans Fighting Fund, and 2008 UEFA Cup final riots

Rangers are one of the best supported clubs in Europe, the figure for the 2017–18 season being in the 20 largest home league attendances in Europe. A study of stadium attendance figures from 2013 to 2018 by the CIES Football Observatory ranked Rangers at 18th in the world during that period, with Rangers' accounting for 27.4% of total Scottish attendance, placing them 8th overall for national attendance share.

The Rangers Worldwide Alliance is a network of supporters clubs that was set up for the benefit of the club and the fans. There are more than 600 registered supporters clubs with over 30,000 registered members and these continue to grow, in keeping with the vision the club initially had. There are also many unregistered supporters clubs currently active. The official club website lists over 100 supporters' clubs in Great Britain and Northern Ireland, with over 100 further clubs spread across over 35 countries around the world. It includes representatives from all over the globe – including Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, South America and Australia – as well as closer to home in the United Kingdom. Beyond Europe, there are supporters clubs registered in far-flung locations such as Nigeria, South Africa, Cameroon, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Israel, Qatar, Bahrain, China, India, Japan, Thailand, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, United States of America, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and Antarctica. One of Hong Kong's most popular football clubs Hong Kong Rangers FC was set up by an expatriate fan.

Rangers fans have contributed to several records for high attendances, including the highest home attendance for a league fixture, 118,567 on 2 January 1939. Rangers record highest attendance was against Hibernian on 27 March 1948 in the Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden Park. Rangers beat Hibernian 1–0 in front of a packed 143,570 crowd.

In 2008, up to 200,000 Rangers supporters, many without match tickets, travelled to Manchester for the UEFA Cup Final. Despite most supporters behaving "impeccably", Rangers fans were involved in serious trouble and rioting. A minority of fans rioted in the city centre, clashing violently with police and damaging property, resulting in 42 being arrested for a variety of offences.

In 2022, Rangers also took the largest ever travelling support abroad when an estimated 100,000 fans arrived in Seville for the UEFA Europa League Final. No arrests were made in Seville as Rangers supporters impressed the Spanish police with their good behaviour.

Supporters group Club 1872 are the ninth-largest shareholder of the club.

A panorama of Rangers supporters at the 2008 UEFA Cup final, in the Piccadilly Gardens fan zone. This picture was taken during the day before the match against Zenit Saint Petersburg on 14 May 2008. A panorama of Rangers supporters at the 2008 UEFA Cup final, in the Piccadilly Gardens fan zone. This picture was taken during the day, before the match against Zenit Saint Petersburg on 14 May 2008.

Rivalries

Rangers fans (right) at an Old Firm match away to Celtic in 2004

The club's most distinct rivalry is with Glasgow neighbours Celtic F.C.; the two clubs are collectively known as the Old Firm. Rangers' traditional support is largely drawn from the Protestant Unionist community, whilst Celtic's traditional support is largely drawn from the Catholic community. The first Old Firm match was won by Celtic and there have been over four hundred matches played to date. The Old Firm rivalry has fuelled many assaults, sometimes leading to 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 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.

The bitter rivalry with Aberdeen developed following an incident in the 1979 League Cup final when Rangers' Derek Johnstone provoked the fury of the Dons support with what they believed was a blatant dive but which resulted in the dismissal of Aberdeen's Doug Rougvie and a Rangers victory. Then, the following season, Aberdeen's John McMaster had to be given the kiss of life at Ibrox after a stamp on his throat by Willie Johnston. Relations between fans were further 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. Resentment continued and in 1998 an article in a Rangers match programme branded Aberdeen fans "scum", although Rangers later issued a "full and unreserved apology" to Aberdeen and their supporters, which was accepted by Aberdeen.

Rangers' relaunch in the Third Division in the 2012–13 season led to the club's original rivalry with Queen's Park being renewed for the first time since 1958 in the league. Rangers and Queen's Park first played each other in March 1879, some nine years before the start of the Old Firm rivalry. Matches with Queen's Park were advertised as the "Original Glasgow derby" by Rangers and the Scottish media; and as the "Oldest Derby in the World" by Queen's Park.

Sectarianism

Main article: Sectarianism in Glasgow

John Ure Primrose, chairman of Rangers from 1912 to 1923, has been described as sharpening Rangers' Protestant Unionist identity and anti-Catholic identity, contributing to the absence of openly Catholic players from the team. From the early 20th century onwards, Rangers had a policy of not signing Catholic players, or employing Catholics in other prominent roles.

In 1989, Rangers signed Mo Johnston, "their first major Roman Catholic signing". Johnston was the first high-profile Catholic to sign for the club since the World War I era, though other Catholics had signed for Rangers before. Since Johnston's signing, an influx of overseas footballers has contributed to Catholic players becoming commonplace at Rangers. In 1999, Lorenzo Amoruso became the first Catholic captain of the club.

Rangers 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-sectarian and anti-racist campaigns. William Gaillard, UEFA's Director of Communications, commended the SFA and Scottish clubs, including Rangers, for their actions in fighting discrimination. In September 2007, UEFA praised Rangers for the measures the club has taken against sectarianism.

However, sectarian chanting by supporters has continued to incur criticism and sanctions upon the club as well as convictions against individuals identified. In 1999, the vice-chairman of The Rangers Football Club Ltd, Donald Findlay, resigned after being filmed singing sectarian songs during a supporters club event. UEFA's Control and Disciplinary Body has punished Rangers for incidents during European ties, most notably Villarreal in 2006, Osasuna in 2007, PSV Eindhoven in 2011, and at Ibrox in 2019. In February 2015, following sectarian singing from Rangers fans at a match at Raith Rovers, the SPFL came in for criticism for their failure or inability to deal with the issue. However, there have been cases of the police and courts taking action, with Rangers fans having been charged, convicted and jailed for sectarian behaviour.

Rangers' use of orange and blue change strips, first worn in 1993–94, once in 2002–03 and reintroduced in 2018–19 and 2022–23, has caused controversy because the colours are seen as referencing the Orange Order.

Friendships

Supporters of Rangers have a fan friendship with the Northern Irish club Linfield F.C., dating back to 1920. Two of the founders of the club Moses and Peter McNeil have a Northern Irish connection through the County Down birth of their mother Jean Bain, who after moving to Scotland for work in the mid-19th century married a Scotsman, John McNeil. From Rangers formation to the present day, the club have had 32 players who were born in either Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and previously Ireland (from 1882 to 1950). A number were former Linfield players, and they have contributed much to the success of Rangers Football Club. Three former Northern Irish players have captained Rangers – Bert Manderson, John McClelland and Steven Davis; six from a Northern Irish connection have been elevated to the Rangers 'Hall of Fame' and one – Jimmy Nicholl – was the club's assistant manager in 2018.

The fans of Rangers also have a fan-friendship with the German club Hamburger SV, dating from the 1970s when Scots moved to the German port in search of work and reinforced by their shared affection for the midfielder Jörg Albertz. This link was formalised in February 2021 with the formation of an official club partnership between the two sides. Conversely, Celtic fans have a long-standing friendship with Hamburger SV's city rivals, FC St. Pauli. The friendship exists due to both the Rangers-HSV affinity and the shared left-wing politics of Celtic and St. Pauli fans.

Ownership and finances

Main articles: Ownership of Rangers F.C. and Administration and liquidation of the Rangers Football Club plc

From incorporation to liquidation

On 27 May 1899, Rangers Football Club incorporated, forming The Rangers Football Club Ltd. No single shareholding exceeded 50% until 1985 when the Lawrence Group increased its shareholding in Rangers to a 52% majority, following a deal with then club vice-chairman Jack Gillespie. In November 1988, head of the Lawrence Group Lawrence Marlborough sold out to David Murray for £6 million. In 2000, David Murray decided to list the company on the stock exchange (making it a public limited company), with the name of the company being changed to The Rangers Football Club plc.

On 6 May 2011, Craig Whyte bought David Murray's shares for £1. On 13 February 2012, Whyte filed legal papers at the Court of Session giving notice of his intention to appoint administrators. The next day, The Rangers Football Club plc – which was subsequently renamed RFC 2012 plc – entered administration over non-payment of £9 million in PAYE and VAT taxes to HM Revenue and Customs. In April the administrators estimated that the club's total debts could top £134m which was largely dependent on the outcome of a First Tier Tax Tribunal concerning a disputed tax bill in relation to an Employee Benefit Trust ("EBT") scheme employed by the club since 2001. However, on 20 November 2012, the Tribunal ruled in favour of Rangers. Had that decision been upheld the tax bill could have been significantly reduced from an estimated £74m to under £2m. An Upper Tribunal upheld the decision in 2014. HMRC then appealed to the Court of Session, which ruled in November 2015 that Rangers should have paid tax and national insurance on the EBT payments.

On 25 June 2012, the Crown Office asked Strathclyde Police to investigate the purchase of Rangers and the club's subsequent financial management during Whyte's tenure.

Charles Green agreed a deal with the administrators of The Rangers Football Club plc to purchase the company for £8.5 million if a proposed CVA was agreed or to purchase its business and assets for a £5.5million if the proposed CVA were to be rejected. On 14 June 2012, the formal rejection of the proposed CVA meant that the company would enter the liquidation process. The accountancy firm BDO was appointed to investigate the years of financial mismanagement at the club.

Current corporate identity

On 14 June 2012, hours after the CVA's rejection, Sevco Scotland Ltd, a new company formed by Charles Green's consortium for this eventuality, completed the purchase of the business and assets of The Rangers Football Club Plc and then, on 18 June 2012, formally applied to acquire the SPL share of The Rangers Football Club plc. On 4 July, SPL clubs voted by 10–1 to reject the application with Kilmarnock abstaining and the old Rangers company voting in favour. Thereafter, an application to the Scottish Football League was successful with Rangers securing associate membership on 13 July 2012 at an SFL meeting by a vote of 29–1. The SFL member clubs voted that Rangers should enter the fourth tier of Scottish Football, Scottish Third Division for the 2012–13 season, rather than the Scottish First Division.

An application was made for a transfer of SFA membership on 29 June 2012, with the new company applying for the transfer of the membership of The Rangers Football Club plc. Agreement was reached on the transfer with the new company accepting a number of conditions relating to the old company.

At the end of 2012, Rangers International Football Club plc became the holding company for the group, having acquired The Rangers Football Club Ltd on the basis of a one for one share exchange. In 2013, after its first 13 months, the company reported operating losses of £14.4m. Thereafter it continued to post annual operating losses, variously £9.8m in 2014 and £9.9m in 2015, £2.5m in 2016, £6.3m in 2017 and £13.2m in 2018, until returning to profit in 2022.

Major shareholders

As of July 2024
Stakeholder No of Ordinary Shares held % of issued share capital
New Oasis Asset Limited 63,172,893 14.12%
Douglas Park 52,550,000 11.74%
George Alexander Taylor 44,074,998 9.85%
Stuart Gibson 44,000,000 9.84%
Borita Investments Limited 27,611,955 6.17%
John Bennett 24,647,059 5.51%
Perron Investments LLC 24,250,000 5.42%
George Letham 22,274,516 4.98%
Club 1872 Shares CIC 22,202,838 4.96%
Tifosy Investment Nominees Limited 17,610,000 3.94%

Social responsibility

Support for charities

Main article: Rangers Charity Foundation

The Rangers Charity Foundation was created in 2002 and participates in a wide range of charitable work, regularly involving Rangers staff and star players. The foundation also has partnerships with UNICEF, The Prostate Cancer Charity and Erskine, and is responsible for over £2.3 million in donations. As well as fundraising, the Rangers Charity Foundation regularly bring sick, disabled and disadvantaged children to attend matches and tours at Ibrox, with the chance to meet the players.

Through its support of the Rangers Charity Foundation, the club has helped a number of charities with support and financial donations. In 2008, the club became the first Scottish side to be selected as a partner club of UNICEF. The club's Charity Foundation has backed initiatives in Togo and India as well as funding one million vaccinations for a children's vaccination programme. The club has been a firm supporter of Erskine, a charity which provides long-term medical care for veterans of the British Armed Forces, and in 2012, donated £25,000 to fund projects within their care homes. In January 2015, Rangers hosted a charity match for the benefit of former player Fernando Ricksen who had been diagnosed with Motor neurone disease; this raised £320,000 for him and MND Scotland.

Work in the community

Alongside its work with numerous charities, the club and its Charity Foundation operate various initiatives within the community including courses to help Armed Forces veterans overcome addictions, to raise awareness of social issues and help unemployed people back into work. In October 2015, the club launched its Ready2Succeed programme which was a ten-week course designed to develop participants confidence and employability skills by engaging with football and fitness. Rangers first-team players also visit the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow every year during the festive period where they hand out presents to the children and donate money to the hospital activity fund.

Popular culture

In 2002, former Rangers striker Ally McCoist starred in Robert Duvall's film A Shot at Glory as Jackie McQuillan where he would play against Rangers in the Scottish Cup Final for "Kilnockie F.C.", a fictional side.

In 2003, a Scottish television documentary series filmed by BBC Scotland, Blue Heaven, followed aspiring young footballers at Rangers as they tried to forge a career in football. The series was originally broadcast in the winter of 2003 with a follow-up episode in 2011.

In 2008, celebrity chef and former Rangers youth player Gordon Ramsay returned to the club to teach them how to cook in Series 4, Episode 12 of The F Word.

Owing to the notoriety of the "Rangers Inter City Firm", a football firm associated with the club, Rangers have also featured in television documentaries and books about football hooliganism, including Series 1, Episode 5 of The Real Football Factories presented by English actor Danny Dyer on Bravo in 2006, during which he visits his first Old Firm match and meets football casuals from Rangers, Celtic, Aberdeen, Hibernian, Dundee United and Dundee.

The club featured on BBC Scotland comedy Scotch and Wry in 1979 in a scene where Manager (Rikki Fulton) and Chief Scout (Gregor Fisher) unknowingly sign a young Catholic footballer (Gerard Kelly) but then try to void his contract to avoid publicly breaking the club's "No Catholic" signing policy after finding out.

Rangers have appeared in theatre a number of times in shows such as Follow Follow: The Rangers Story at the King's Theatre in 1994 starring Scottish actors Barbara Rafferty, Alexander Morton, Jonathan Watson, Iain Robertson, Ronnie Letham and Stuart Bowman; Singin' I'm No A Billy He's A Tim at the Pavilion Theatre in 2009; Divided City at the Citizens Theatre in 2011; and, more recently, Billy and Tim and the Wee Glesga Ghost in 2015, and Rally Roon the Rangers in 2019 and 2022, both at the Pavilion Theatre in Glasgow.

William Orcutt Cushing's hymn "Follow On", also known as "Down in the Valley with My Saviour I Would Go" or "I Will Follow Jesus", has been adopted as the anthem of Rangers in their club song "Follow Follow". The club has also played the Tina Turner song "The Best" when the teams exit the tunnel before kick off.

In October 2023, K-pop girl group STAYC went viral when during a concert in Dallas, Texas, US, they wore cropped 1996–97 season Rangers shirts instead of uniforms from the local Major League Baseball team, the Texas Rangers. A club spokesman said that the moment had "triggered nostalgia for the Light Blues". When the group traveled to the UK the following month for the Korea On Stage show at Wembley, the club welcomed them to Ibrox Stadium and their adjoining event facility, Edmiston House.

Records

Main article: List of Rangers F.C. records and statistics

Club

Highest attendance
143,570 vs Hibernian, 27 March 1948
UK record home attendance
118,567 vs Celtic, 2 January 1939
Highest European attendance
100,000 vs Dynamo Kyiv, 16 September 1987
World record fourth-tier attendance
50,048 vs Berwick Rangers, 4 May 2013
Unbeaten league seasons
1898–99 (Rangers won all of their 18 league matches) and 2020–21
Highest scoring match
14–2 vs Whitehill, 29 September 1883
14–2 vs Blairgowrie, 20 January 1934
Record league victory
10–0 vs Hibernian, 24 December 1898

Player

Record appearances
Dougie Gray, 940 appearances, 1925–1947
Most league appearances
Sandy Archibald, 513 appearances, 1917–1934
Record goalscorer
Jimmy Smith, 381 goals, 1929–1946
Most league goals
Jimmy Smith, 300 goals, 1929–1946
Most Scotland caps whilst playing at Rangers
Ally McCoist, 61 caps, 1983–1998

Players

First-team squad

As of 30 August 2024

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK England ENG Jack Butland (vice-captain)
2 DF England ENG James Tavernier (captain)
3 DF Turkey TUR Rıdvan Yılmaz
4 DF Netherlands NED Robin Pröpper
5 DF Scotland SCO John Souttar
7 FW Colombia COL Óscar Cortés (on loan from RC Lens)
8 MF Scotland SCO Connor Barron
9 FW Nigeria NGA Cyriel Dessers
10 MF Ivory Coast CIV Mohamed Diomande
11 FW Wales WAL Tom Lawrence
14 MF Albania ALB Nedim Bajrami
17 FW Wales WAL Rabbi Matondo
18 FW Czech Republic CZE Václav Černý (on loan from Wolfsburg)
19 DF France FRA Clinton Nsiala
20 MF England ENG Kieran Dowell
21 DF England ENG Dujon Sterling
No. Pos. Nation Player
22 DF Brazil BRA Jefté
24 DF Netherlands NED Neraysho Kasanwirjo (on loan from Feyenoord)
27 DF Nigeria NGA Leon Balogun
29 FW Morocco MAR Hamza Igamane
30 MF Romania ROU Ianis Hagi
31 GK Scotland SCO Liam Kelly
38 DF Scotland SCO Leon King
43 MF Belgium BEL Nicolas Raskin
44 DF Scotland SCO Adam Devine
45 FW Northern Ireland NIR Ross McCausland
47 DF Scotland SCO Robbie Fraser
48 MF Scotland SCO Cole McKinnon
49 MF Scotland SCO Bailey Rice
50 FW England ENG Zak Lovelace
51 MF Scotland SCO Alex Lowry
99 FW Brazil BRA Danilo

On loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
15 MF Ecuador ECU José Cifuentes (on loan at Aris Thessaloniki)
26 DF England ENG Ben Davies (on loan at Birmingham City)
32 GK Scotland SCO Kieran Wright (on loan at Airdrieonians)
46 DF England ENG Johnly Yfeko (on loan at Exeter City)
56 DF Scotland SCO Connor Allan (on loan at Kelty Hearts)
No. Pos. Nation Player
57 DF Scotland SCO Greig Allen (on loan at Bonnyrigg Rose)
69 GK Scotland SCO Jacob Pazikas (on loan at Stranraer)
GK Scotland SCO Jay Hogarth (on loan at Queen of the South)
DF Scotland SCO Jack Harkness (on loan at Stirling Albion)

Academy squads

For more details on the academy squads, see Rangers F.C. B Team and Academy.

Retired and reserved numbers

Main article: Retired numbers in football

Staff

Board of directors

Rangers F.C. is owned and operated by The Rangers Football Club Limited ("TRFCL"), which, in turn, is a subsidiary of the holding company Rangers International Football Club Plc ("RIFC"). The latter company, RIFC, also owns other corporations related to Rangers including Rangers Retail Ltd, Rangers Media Ltd and Garrion Security Services Ltd who are responsible for providing match day security at Ibrox Stadium.

Rangers International Football Club Plc

As of 16 December 2024

Position Name
Chairman Fraser Thornton
Non-executive director John Halsted
Non-executive director Alastair Johnston
Non-executive director Graeme Park
Non-executive director George Taylor
Non-executive director Julian Wolhardt
Corporate staff

As of 20 December 2024

Position Name
Chief executive officer Patrick Stewart
Technical director Nils Koppen
Interm chief commercial officer Sean Jefferson
Chief financial officer James Taylor
Company secretary and legal director Graham Horsman

First-team staff

As of 16 December 2024

Position Name
Manager Belgium Philippe Clement
Assistant managers Belgium Stephan Van Der Heyden
Netherlands Andries Ulderink
First team coaches Scotland Alex Rae
Scotland Brian Gilmour
Goalkeeping coach Scotland Colin Stewart
Head of first team operations Hannah MacLean
Head of scouting operations Fraser Murray
Lead UK scout Mervyn Day
Lead Scotland scout Ian Murdoch
Lead international scout Anthony Galinski
Lead technical scout James Morgan-Snowley
Head of performance Thomas Taylor
Head of nutrition and performance coach Craig Flannigan
Physical performance and reconditioning coach Mitchel White
Physical performance coach Calum MacMaster
Head of rehabilitation Russell Parker
Head of performance physiotherapy Kevin Bain
Head of physiotherapy Jonathon Skinner
Director of medical and performance Dr Mark Waller
Masseurs David Lavery
Paul Shields
Head of analysis Graeme Stevenson
Performance analysts Adam Berry
Euan Fotheringham
Kit operations manager Luke Murphy
Kit logistics coordinator David MacGregor

Managers

For a list of team managers, see List of Rangers F.C. managers.

Eighteen men (including two repeat appointments) have been manager of Rangers during the club's history. In addition, ten men have taken charge of the side on a caretaker basis, while five served as secretaries choosing the team, prior to the appointment of the club's first full-time manager, William Wilton, in 1899.

The longest-serving manager was Bill Struth, who served for 34 years and 26 days. Rangers have had four foreign managers during their history: Dick Advocaat, Paul Le Guen, Pedro Caixinha and Giovanni van Bronckhorst. Graeme Souness is the only player-manager during Rangers' history. There have been two repeat appointments: Jock Wallace and Walter Smith.

The most successful manager, in terms of the number of trophies won, is Bill Struth, with eighteen League titles, ten Scottish Cups and two League Cups. Rangers' other manager with notable success was William Waddell, who won the European Cup Winners' Cup.

Rangers F.C. managers
Name Period
Scotland William Wilton 1899–1920
Scotland Bill Struth 1920–1954
Scotland Scot Symon 1954–1967
Scotland David White 1967–1969
Scotland Willie Waddell 1969–1972
Scotland Jock Wallace 1972–1978
Scotland John Greig 1978–1983
Scotland Jock Wallace 1983–1986
Scotland Graeme Souness 1986–1991
Scotland Walter Smith 1991–1998
Netherlands Dick Advocaat 1998–2001
Scotland Alex McLeish 2001–2006
France Paul Le Guen 2006–2007
Scotland Walter Smith 2007–2011
Scotland Ally McCoist 2011–2014
England Mark Warburton 2015–2017
Portugal Pedro Caixinha 2017
England Steven Gerrard 2018–2021
Netherlands Giovanni van Bronckhorst 2021–2022
England Michael Beale 2022–2023
Belgium Philippe Clement 2023–

Honours

See also: Reserves and Academy honours and Rangers F.C. honours in full
As of 17 December 2023
Type Competition Titles Seasons
Domestic Scottish League Championship 55

1890–91, 1898–99, 1899–1900, 1900–01, 1901–02, 1910–11, 1911–12, 1912–13, 1917–18, 1919–20, 1920–21, 1922–23, 1923–24, 1924–25, 1926–27, 1927–28, 1928–29, 1929–30, 1930–31, 1932–33, 1933–34, 1934–35, 1936–37, 1938–39, 1946–47, 1948–49, 1949–50, 1952–53, 1955–56, 1956–57, 1958–59, 1960–61, 1962–63, 1963–64, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1977–78, 1986–87, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2002–03, 2004–05, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2020–21

Scottish second-tier League Championships 1 2015–16
Scottish third-tier League Championships 1 2013–14
Scottish fourth-tier League Championships 1 2012–13
Scottish Cup 34

1893–94, 1896–97, 1897–98, 1902–03, 1927–28, 1929–30, 1931–32, 1933–34, 1934–35, 1935–36, 1947–48, 1948–49, 1949–50, 1952–53, 1959–60, 1961–62, 1962–63, 1963–64, 1965–66, 1972–73, 1975–76, 1977–78, 1978–79, 1980–81, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1995–96, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2021–22

Scottish League Cup 28

1946–47, 1948–49, 1960–61, 1961–62, 1963–64, 1964–65, 1970–71, 1975–76, 1977–78, 1978–79, 1981–82, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1990–91, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1996–97, 1998–99, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2004–05, 2007–08, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2023–24

Scottish Challenge Cup 1 2015–16
Continental European Cup Winners' Cup 1 1971–72
  •   record
  • shared record

Other honours

Main article: Rangers F.C. in European football

Doubles and trebles

  • League Title, Scottish Cup, League Cup: 7
1948–49, 1963–64, 1975–76, 1977–78, 1992–93, 1998–99, 2002–03
  • League Title and Scottish Cup: 11
1927–28, 1929–30, 1933–34, 1934–35, 1949–50, 1952–53, 1962–63, 1991–92, 1995–96, 1999–2000, 2008–09
  • League Title and League Cup: 10
1946–47, 1960–61, 1986–87, 1988–89, 1990–91, 1993–94, 1996–97, 2004–05, 2009–10, 2010–11
  • Scottish Cup and League Cup: 4
1961–62, 1978–79, 2001–02, 2007–08

Notable statistics

Rangers became the first British side to reach a UEFA-sanctioned European final in 1961.

UEFA club coefficient rankings

As of 16 March 2024
Ranking Club Country 2023/24 Points Total Points National Association Points
22 Arsenal England 21.000 71.000 20.635
23 West Ham United England 18.000 68.000 20.635
24 Ajax Netherlands 5.000 67.000 12.260
25 Rangers Scotland 14.000 63.000 7.210
26 Shakhtar Donetsk Ukraine 10.000 63.000 5.600
27 Eintracht Frankfurt Germany 7.000 60.000 16.724
28 AC Milan Italy 16.000 59.000 17.399

Notable former players

Main article: List of Rangers F.C. players See also: List of Rangers F.C. international footballers and Rangers F.C. Hall of Fame

Club captains

For further information, see Rangers club captains.

Rangers F.C. captains
Name Period
Scotland Tom Vallance 1876–1882
Scotland David Mitchell 1882–1894
Scotland John McPherson 1894–1898
Scotland Robert Hamilton 1898–1906
Scotland Robert Campbell 1906–1916
Scotland Tommy Cairns 1916–1926
Ireland Bert Manderson 1926–1927
Scotland Tommy Muirhead 1927–1930
Scotland David Meiklejohn 1930–1938
Scotland Jimmy Simpson 1938–1940
Scotland Jock Shaw 1940–1957
Scotland George Young 1953–1957
Scotland Ian McColl 1957–1960
Scotland Eric Caldow 1960–1962
Scotland Bobby Shearer 1962–1965
Scotland John Greig 1965–1978
Scotland Derek Johnstone 1978–1983
Northern Ireland John McClelland 1983–1984
 
Name Period
Scotland Craig Paterson 1984–1986
England Terry Butcher 1986–1990
Scotland Richard Gough 1990–1997
1997–1998
Denmark Brian Laudrup 1997
Italy Lorenzo Amoruso 1998–2000
Scotland Barry Ferguson 2000–2003
2005–2007
2007–2009
Australia Craig Moore 2003–2004
Germany Stefan Klos 2004–2005
Scotland Gavin Rae 2007
Scotland David Weir 2009–2012
Northern Ireland Steven Davis 2012
United States Carlos Bocanegra 2012
Scotland Lee McCulloch 2012–2015
Scotland Lee Wallace 2015–2018
England James Tavernier 2018–

Goram Gough Butcher Jardine Greig Gascoigne Baxter Laudrup Cooper McCoist Hateley The "Greatest Ever" Rangers 11 chosen by fans in 1999. The manager chosen was Walter Smith.

Greatest-ever team

The following team was voted the greatest ever Rangers team by supporters in 1999. When the vote was launched it was feared that younger voters would ignore the great service of many of the pre-war stars (notably the most successful captain and most successful manager the club has ever had, Davie Meiklejohn and Bill Struth respectively). When the ballot was launched Donald Findlay stated it would be limited to post Second World War players because "few can recall players of these earlier eras":

Scottish Football Hall of Fame

As of 1 June 2020, 33 players and managers to have been involved with Rangers in their careers have entered the Scottish Football Hall of Fame:

Scottish FA International Roll of Honour

The Scottish FA International Roll of Honour recognises players who have gained 50 or more international caps for Scotland. As of 1 July 2021, the 10 inductees to have won caps while playing for Rangers are:

Scottish Sports Hall of Fame

Three Rangers players have been selected in the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame, they are:

Greatest-ever Ranger

John Greig was voted the greatest ever Rangers player in 1999. He was announced as Honorary Life President in 2015.

Sponsors

As of 22 November 2024, Rangers are sponsored by:

Official partners

  • Official Kit Manufacturer, Retail, Merchandise and Licensing Partner – Castore
  • Principal Club Sponsor – Kindred Group
  • Official Shirt Sponsor – Unibet
  • Official Presenting Partner – Park's Motor Group
  • Official Upper Back of Shirt Sponsor and Logistics Partner – Seko Logistics
  • Official Lower Back of Shirt Sponsor and Official Ibrox Stadium Payment Processing Partner – Guavapay
  • Official Sleeve Partner – BOXT
  • Official Shorts Sponsor – AIM Building & Maintenance Services
  • Official Training Kit Partner – 32Red
  • Official Women's Principal Partner and Official Women's Front Of Shirt Partner – Sportsbreaks.com
  • Official Women's Sleeve Partner – DCP Capital
  • Official Academy Partner – Carrick Packaging
  • Official B Team Front of Shirt Training Wear Partner and Building and Maintenance Partner – AIM Building & Maintenance Services
  • Official Academy Front of Shirt Training Wear Partner and Air Conditioning Partner – CSD Air Conditioning
  • Official Destination Partner – Experience Kissimmee
  • Official Lager Partner – Tennent's Lager
  • Official Breakfast Cereals Partner – Kellogg's
  • Official Video Gaming Partner – EA Sports
  • Official Digital Auction Supplier – MatchWornShirt
  • Official FX Transfer Partner – Ebury

Associate partners

  • Official Snacking Partner – Cadbury
  • Official Scotch Whisky Partner – Douglas Laing & Co
  • Official Restaurant Partner – Black Rooster
  • Official Engineering Partner – Forrest Precision Engineering
  • Official Cyber Security Partner – NordVPN
  • Official Electrical and Security Partner – JC Electrical & Security Solutions
  • Official Gas Mains and Suppliers Replacement Specialist Partner – Pipeline Energy Solutions
  • Official Ground Engineering Partner – Northern Piling

Official suppliers

  • Official Business Travel Supplier – Destination Sport Travel
  • Official Match Breaks Supplier – Sportsbreaks.com
  • Official Title Sponsorship Partner - William Hill
  • Official Television Supplier – Sky Sports
  • Official Food and Beverage Partner – Elior UK
  • Official Soft Drink Supplier – Coca-Cola
  • Official Hydration Partner – Lucozade Sport
  • Official Personal Care Supplier – Molton Brown
  • Official Rangers Legends Events Supplier – 5 Stars
  • Official Sports Nutrition Partner – Applied Nutrition
  • Official Events Partner – Turnberry
  • Official Clothing Partner – Suited & Booted

Club & Federation partners

A full list of Rangers commercial partners and sponsors can be found on the official club website and in the Rangers matchday programme, available at every home game.

See also

Notes

  1. However this attendance was unofficially exceeded prior to this match in Brazil. But this attendance was not officially recorded.
  2. Racism has been directed at players on the pitch at Rangers games, including at former Celtic player Bobo Balde.
  3. Shared with Dumbarton F.C. after both clubs ended the season on 29 points. A play-off game at Cathkin Park on 21 May 1891 finished 2–2, so the clubs were declared joint champions.
  4. Choices were limited to post World War II era players only.

References

  1. "Rangers International Football Club PLC Annual Report & Accounts 2024" (PDF). Rangers.co.uk. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
  2. THE RANGERS FOOTBALL CLUB LIMITED Company No. SC425159 Companies House. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
  3. From Sporting Lisbon to Athletic Bilbao — why do we get foreign clubs’ names wrong?, Michael Cox, The Athletic, 16 March 2023.
  4. "Rangers – Historical Kits". Historicalkits.co.uk. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  5. "Passion, pride, tradition and nastiness: Why Old Firm match is greatest derby in the world". Evening Times. 11 March 2017. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
  6. "Classic Rivalries: Old Firm's enduring appeal". FIFA. 16 April 2016. Archived from the original on 26 March 2018. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  7. "Supporters Clubs". Rangers Football Club, Official Website. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  8. "Rangers invasion: your views". British Broadcasting Corporation. 15 May 2008. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
  9. McLeod, Keith (15 May 2008). "175,000-strong Rangers support the biggest in world football". Daily Record. Archived from the original on 17 December 2019. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
  10. ^ "Rangers in Seville: Police say 100,000 fans expected". BBC. 17 May 2022. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  11. Gammelsæter, Hallgeir; Senaux, Benoit (2011). The Organisation and Governance of Top Football Across Europe. Routledge. p. 48. ISBN 978-1-136-70533-5. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
  12. "Rangers Football Club enters administration". BBC. 12 February 2012. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  13. "How the mighty Glasgow Rangers have fallen". The Guardian. 18 January 2015. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  14. "Rangers to re-form after creditors' deal is rejected". BBC. 12 June 2012. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
  15. "The Rangers Football Club Limited". Companies House. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
  16. Paul Smith (2013). Scotland Who's Who: International Players 1872–2013. Pitch Publishing. p. 126.
  17. ^ "45,000 to see Rangers face blokes coming off night shift". Eurosport. Yahoo!. 17 August 2012. Archived from the original on 18 August 2012. Retrieved 18 August 2012. Founded: 1872
    Biggest win: 10–0 v Hibernian 1898
    Most appearances: John Greig 755 (1960–1978)
  18. ^ "The on-field history of Rangers Football Club 1873–2012". BBC News. 14 February 2012. Archived from the original on 2 March 2012. Retrieved 18 August 2012. The club's origins date back to 1872 when Moses McNeil, his brother Peter, Peter Campbell and William McBeath formed their own team in Glasgow.
    The name Rangers was adopted from an English rugby club and the first game, against Callander FC, ended 0–0. The club's official beginning came to be recognised as 1873, when the first annual general meeting was held.
    By the time of the first Scottish Football League season in 1890, Rangers had arrived at their current home of Ibrox, in the south east of Glasgow, via Burnbank and Kinning Park.
    Rangers finished joint top of the league with Dumbarton, and after a play-off ended 2–2, a decision was taken to share the title.
    This was the only time the league has ever been shared, and it marked the first senior honour for Rangers.
    Rangers won the Scottish Cup for the first time in 1894, beating Celtic 3–1
    Three years later, the club recorded their first ever Scottish Cup win, beating Celtic 3–1 in the 1894 final.
    Rangers won the trophy again in 1897 and 1898 with victories over Dumbarton and Kilmarnock.
  19. "Co founder of Glasgow Rangers Football Club, Rangers and Scotland Footballer – a true Footballing Pioneer". Helensburgh Heroes. helensburghheroes.com. Archived from the original on 25 January 2013. Retrieved 23 December 2012. McNeil won two caps for Scotland, the first Ranger to represent his country, the first on 25 March 1876 in a 4–0 win over Wales and the second on 13 March 1880 in a 5–4 win over England, in which he played alongside his brother, Henry. Henry McNeil won a total of 10 caps for his country and scored 5 goals.
  20. ^ "Rangers History". Evening Times. Archived from the original on 17 January 2013. Retrieved 20 January 2013. Rangers were born in March 1872, after a group of teenage rowing enthusiasts watched a game of football in Glasgow Green. Brothers Peter and Moses McNeil and Peter Campbell and William McBeath got their heads together to give rise to the club, who played just two matches in their first year.
    It is believed that Moses McNeil suggested the name 'Rangers' after seeing it in a book about English rugby. The club played their first game in May 1872 at Flecher's Haugh in Glasgow Green against Callander, a match that ended in a 0–0 draw.
    Rangers was officially founded in 1873 as that was the year they elected office bearers. The club first donned blue shirts in their second game, against Clyde (not the present-day club), and won it 11–0.
    Five years after their founding, Rangers made it to their first major cup final against Vale of Leven. The game was played at First Hampden Park and finished 1–1, so a replay beckoned. Rangers refused to turn up for the replay and Vale were awarded the cup. The teams met the following year in the Charity Cup. Rangers won 2–1 and the Glasgow Merchants' Charity Cup was the first major trophy to be won by the team.
    The 1890–91 season saw the inception of the Scottish Football League, and Rangers were one of ten original members. Rangers' first ever league match took place on 16 August 1890 and resulted in a 5–2 victory over Hearts. After finishing equal-top with Dumbarton, a play-off was held at Cathkin Park to decide the champions. The match finished 2–2 and the title was shared for the only time in its history – the first of Rangers' 54 championships.
  21. Chapter XX.—Queen's Park and Glasgow Charity cup, History of the Queen's Park Football Club 1867 – 1917, Richard Robinson (1920), via Electric Scotland
  22. "Summer Soccer & Football Camps train with the best teams in world football". football-soccer-camps.com. Archived from the original on 20 June 2013. Retrieved 20 December 2012. After joining, Rangers finally reached their first final of the Scottish Cup in 1877 but were not victorious.
    The eternal rivalry, known as the Old Firm, between the two Glaswegian city teams, Rangers and Celtic has been ongoing since the first Old Firm match in 1888, in which Rangers lost 5–2 in a friendly against the Celtic team which was largely made up of "guest players" from Hibernians.
  23. "The Founding of Celtic Football Club 1888". BBC Scotland. November 2005. Archived from the original on 14 September 2013. Retrieved 3 January 2013. It would be over six months later before the newly-constituted Celtic club played its first ever match, on 28 May 1888 which resulted in a 5–2 win over Rangers, in what was called a 'friendly match'.
  24. "The Founding Fathers". Rangers F.C. Archived from the original on 22 May 2013. Retrieved 24 August 2012. All those championships and cups would never have found their way into the Ibrox Trophy Room but for that encounter between Peter McNeil, his brother Moses, Peter Campbell and William McBeath.
    Their first match was an unlikely affair against Callander FC at Flesher's Haugh on Glasgow Green.
    ...
    The result was 0–0, but that didn't matter. Rangers had been born.
    The name Rangers was adopted from an English rugby club. By their second fixture – the only other they played that first year – they had donned the light blue. It must have done the trick – Rangers beat Clyde 11–0.
    In season 1875–76 they moved to Burnbank Park and towards the end of that season Rangers had their first international; Moses McNeil, one of the four founders, who made his Scotland debut in a 4–0 victory over Wales.
    The following year Rangers made the breakthrough reaching their first Scottish Cup Final. It took three matches to find a winner, and sadly it was their opponents Vale of Leven. After two drawn games, 0–0 and 1–1, Rangers finally succumbed 3–2 in the second replay.
  25. ^ "Rangers". Scottish Football League. July 2014. Archived from the original on 17 August 2012. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
  26. ^ "Rangers FC". UEFA. 30 December 2010. Archived from the original on 24 November 2012. Retrieved 19 August 2012. Founded by brothers Moses and Peter McNeil, Peter Campbell and William McBeath, Rangers shared their first championship with Dumbarton FC in 1890/91 then beat Celtic FC 3–1 to win their first Scottish Cup in 1894, clinching their first title outright by winning every game of the 1898/99 campaign.
    William Struth's 34 years as manager from 1920 onwards ushered in the club's first golden era; Rangers won 18 league championships, ten Scottish Cups and two Scottish League Cups under Struth, including Scotland's first domestic treble in the 1948/49 season.
    In 1961, Rangers became the first British club to reach the final of a UEFA competition when they got to the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final only to lose 4–1 on aggregate to ACF Fiorentina; they lost 1–0 to FC Bayern München in the final of the same competition six years later before finally lifting the trophy in 1972 when beating FC Dinamo Moskva 3–2 at the Camp Nou.
  27. ^ Forsyth, Roddy (22 September 2006). "A lot of bottle in Old Firm duels". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 8 December 2013. Retrieved 24 August 2012. The record Old Firm gate at a club ground was set on 2 Jan 1939 by a crowd of 118,567 at Ibrox.
  28. "The Dominant Force". Rangers F.C. Archived from the original on 22 May 2013. Sadly, Wilton was not to enjoy this extraordinary success which saw Rangers take the title 15 times in 21 seasons.
    With the Championship back at Ibrox, Wilton – the club's first manager – died the day after the last game of the season in May 1920, drowning in a boating accident.
    Struth, who was appointed his successor, lived to become a legend. He managed the club for 34 years, winning a glittering array of trophies – 18 League Championships, 10 Scottish Cups and two League Cups.
  29. ^ Murray, Scott (30 December 2011). "The Joy of Six: new year football fixtures". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 18 February 2012. Retrieved 6 January 2013. The humiliated Rangers boss that day was Scot Symon, so it is with a pleasing symmetry that Symon was a player in the other record victory in an Old Firm match. Because while Celtic's 7–1 win is the biggest win in official competition, Rangers went one better in an unofficial wartime Scottish Southern League ne'erday game between the two rivals in 1943. An Ibrox crowd of just over 30,000 watched a strong Rangers side including Symon, George Young and the legendary winger Willie Waddell rattle up an 8–1 victory.
  30. Rangers dominated wartime football but should their titles be recognised in the record books?, The Scotsman, 21 March 2020.
  31. Record Sport Online (8 August 2017). "Rangers supporters campaign for World War Two titles to be recognised by SFA and SPFL". Daily Record. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
  32. "About Scot Symon". in.com. Archived from the original on 1 November 2013. Retrieved 20 December 2012. He returned to Rangers just one year later where he would steer them to six league championships. He also took Rangers into European football for the first time reaching two Cup Winners Cup finals which was a fine achievement by losing in both finals
  33. Stone, Colin (5 January 2012). "Top 10 Glasgow Rangers Players of All Time". Bleacher Report. pp. 2–11. Archived from the original on 27 May 2013. Retrieved 23 December 2012. Regarded as one of Scotland's greatest ever players, Jim Baxter can also be counted amongst the Rangers' greats for his terrific achievements in the '60s.
    "Slim Jim" joined the club in 1960 for £17,500, a record at the time, and went on to win 10 trophies in the five years he spent in Scotland.
  34. "Hampden dazzled by white magic". The Guardian. 15 May 2002. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  35. Baird, Stuart. "'And the cry was "No Defenders"' The Museum of Scottish Football at Hampden Park, Glasgow". Culture Wars. Institute of Ideas. Archived from the original on 2 October 2013. Retrieved 23 August 2012. Rangers were the first British team to reach a European final in 1961
  36. Womersley, Tara (19 June 2001). "Thousands pay tribute to victims of Ibrox disaster". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 12 December 2013. David Murray, the chairman of Rangers, yesterday unveiled a bronze statue of John Greig, the captain who led his team against Celtic on the day of the accident. The statue lists the names of those who died in 1971 and 25 fans killed when wooden terraces collapsed during a match between Scotland and England in 1902. Mr Greig then laid a wreath at the plinth of the statue.
    ...
    An inquiry, however, later discounted the theory and said that the crush was likely to have happened 10 minutes after the final whistle and to have been triggered by someone falling on the stairs.
  37. "Scotland XI vs Rangers/Celtic Select Official Programme of the Match". celticprogrammesonline.com. 27 January 1971. Archived from the original on 20 May 2013. Retrieved 17 August 2012. Attendance: 81,405
  38. "Destiny awaits Ibrox heroes". The Scotsman. 10 May 2008. Archived from the original on 21 May 2013. Retrieved 22 March 2009. It is hard to take that after Celtic were able to celebrate as much as they liked in Lisbon, our club and supporters were denied a post-match presentation because the Spanish police completely misunderstood the fans' on-field invasion at the end.
    I played with a stress fracture in my foot. A guy jumped on it late in the final and I ended up with another fracture on the other side, but the euphoria kept the pain away until I was called down to this little room to receive the trophy.
    It all passed in a blur, but I hobbled down there in agony with our manager Willie Waddell and a UEFA delegate and, in this cramped corner covered in Barcelona memorabilia, the delegate handed me the trophy and basically said: "Here, take the cup Glasgow Rangers, now go away".
    When I got back to the dressing room all my team-mates were either in the bath or out of it. I felt sorry they didn't get to parade the trophy – ultimately what we were playing for – and even sorrier for all those people who had a paid a lot of money to travel to the Nou Camp and see that.
  39. "Rangers triumph in Europe 1972". BBC Scotland. December 2005. Archived from the original on 7 November 2012. Retrieved 20 December 2012. Rangers were handed a two-year ban by UEFA for their fans' poor behaviour. Waddell succeeded in getting this reduced to one year, meaning Rangers could not defend their trophy. Waddell argued that the police had over-reacted, that the fans were drunk but not intent on violence, and that recent European finals had witnessed rejoicing Celtic, Bayern Munich and Ajax fans running on to the park and those occasions had been deemed acceptable.
  40. "UEFA Super Cup – History". UEFA. Archived from the original on 14 October 2008. Retrieved 17 October 2008.
  41. "Scottish Cup History And Archives". Scottish Football Association. Archived from the original on 2 January 2013. Retrieved 20 December 2012. 122,714 supporters packed into Hampden on 5 May 1973 for the Scottish Cup Final between Rangers and Celtic.
  42. McKinney, David (26 July 1996). "Obituary: Jock Wallace". The Independent. Archived from the original on 5 November 2012. Retrieved 20 December 2012. Jock Wallace was a giant of Scottish football. No other description can do justice to the man who ended Celtic's domination of the game in the 1970s and who, as manager, led Rangers to two domestic trebles within three years, the Glasgow club winning the League title, the League Cup and the Scottish Cup.
  43. ^ "Rangers paying for overspending ways". The footy pie. February 2012. Archived from the original on 20 May 2013. Retrieved 31 December 2012. Graham Souness lead the side to their first two championships as player-manager before his assistant, Walter Smith, took the reign, claiming another seven titles to equal a record set by Jock Stein at Celtic in the 1960s and 70s.
  44. "UEFA Champions League 1992/93: Rangers". UEFA. 10 August 2011. Archived from the original on 18 October 2012. Retrieved 26 August 2012.
  45. "Scottish Premier Division 1996–97". Soccorbot. soccerbot.com. 27 June 2000. Archived from the original on 17 May 2013. Retrieved 17 August 2012.
  46. ^ Campbell, Andy (13 May 2008). "Advocaat's Rangers legacy". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 8 May 2012. Retrieved 6 August 2010. When Dick Advocaat became the Rangers manager in 1998, it was a brave new dawn for the Ibrox club as chairman David Murray attempted to begin a new chapter in the club's history following Walter Smith's departure.
  47. "Rangers make history out of chaos". BBC Sport. 3 May 1999. Archived from the original on 14 November 2012. Retrieved 20 December 2012. Celtic 0–3 Rangers
    Rangers created history by winning the title at Celtic Park in a stormy Old Firm game which saw referee Hugh Dallas injured by a missile thrown from the pitch.
  48. "When Rangers can win the league". The Scotsman. 28 March 2010. Archived from the original on 19 October 2012. Retrieved 6 August 2010. The biggest winning points margin in the history of the SPL was enjoyed by Rangers in 1999/00, when they finished 21 points clear of Celtic.
  49. "Champions League group tables". BBC Sport. 2 November 1999. Archived from the original on 4 November 2013.
  50. "Rangers put Parma in the shade". BBC Sport. 12 August 1999. Archived from the original on 4 November 2013. Retrieved 20 December 2012. Rangers 2–0 Parma
    Rangers secured one of their most impressive European results in years, as Italian giants Parma crashed to defeat in the first leg of their Champions League qualifier
  51. Forsyth, Roddy (12 November 2000). "Rangers' £12m Flo gamble". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 12 December 2013. Retrieved 21 December 2012. DAVID MURRAY, the Rangers chairman, moved dramatically last night to end the crisis at Ibrox by setting a new Scottish transfer record of £12 million for Chelsea's out-of-favour Norwegian international forward, Tore Andre Flo.
  52. "Kaiserslautern 3–0 Rangers". BBC Sport. 7 December 2000. Archived from the original on 4 November 2013. Retrieved 6 August 2010. Full time: Kaiserslautern 3–0 Rangers
    92 mins The Fritz Walter Stadium erupts on the referee's final whistle which brings down the curtain on Rangers' European campaign.
  53. ^ "Rangers unveil McLeish". BBC Sport. 11 December 2001. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 16 October 2007. Alex McLeish has been unveiled as Rangers' 11th manager after a dramatic day at Ibrox.
  54. "Rangers complete Treble". BBC Sport. 31 May 2003. Archived from the original on 11 November 2012. Retrieved 16 October 2007. Rangers capped a fabulous season with a hard-earned Scottish Cup win over Dundee at Hampden Park to seal the seventh domestic Treble in the club's history.
  55. "Rangers win to clinch title". BBC Sport. 25 May 2003. Archived from the original on 19 May 2012. Retrieved 9 October 2012. Rangers 6–1 Dunfermline Athletic
    An injury-time penalty by Mikel Arteta clinched the SPL title for Rangers in an amazing afternoon at Ibrox.
    Rangers were 5–1 up as the match entered the last few minutes, but with Celtic 4–0 up at Rugby Park and still playing, they knew the championship was not yet theirs.
  56. Grahame, Ewing (26 May 2003). "Six into one equals victory Rangers secure a world-record 50th championship as title showdown goes all the way to the wire". The Herald. Archived from the original on 4 June 2013. Retrieved 21 December 2012. Rangers secure a world-record 50th championship
  57. "Rangers stay cool over huge losses". The Guardian. 30 September 2002. Archived from the original on 4 August 2012. Rangers chairman John McClelland has attempted to assure shareholders the club's £52m debt is nothing to be alarmed over.
  58. Salty (29 July 2011). "Aston Villa's Alex McLeish, a look at his managerial career". Football blog. footballblog.co.uk. Archived from the original on 22 October 2012. Retrieved 21 December 2012. At this point McLeish was viewed as one of the hottest managers in the game. Success doesn't last forever and Rangers financial state cost McLeish dear in 2003. Many of his prize assets were sold and subsequently Celtic won the league comfortably. Also, Rangers failed to pick up a single trophy that season.
  59. "Magpies complete Boumsong signing". BBC Sport. 2 January 2005. Archived from the original on 14 March 2013. Retrieved 21 December 2012. Boumsong joined Rangers from Auxerre on a free transfer last summer and made just 28 appearances for them before moving to England.
  60. "Rangers get Prso". BBC Sport. 9 May 2004. Archived from the original on 22 February 2016. Retrieved 21 December 2012. Rangers have confirmed the signing of Monaco's Croatian striker Dado Prso.
  61. "Rangers sign Novo". BBC Sport. 6 July 2004. Archived from the original on 4 November 2013. Retrieved 21 December 2012. Rangers have completed the signing of Nacho Novo from Dundee but manager Alex McLeish insists his summer spending spree is not yet over.
  62. "Ferguson clinches Rangers return". BBC Sport. 1 February 2005. Retrieved 27 July 2011.
  63. "Rangers in dramatic title triumph". BBC Sport. 22 May 2005. Archived from the original on 26 March 2013. Retrieved 16 October 2007. Rangers pipped rivals Celtic to the Scottish Premier League title after a dramatic final day of the season.
    The Gers went into the final game two points behind their Glasgow rivals but a sensational late fightback by Motherwell gave them the title.
  64. Jackson, Keith (22 April 2010). "Football flashback: Looking back on Rangers' 'helicopter Sunday' triumph in 2005". Daily Record. Archived from the original on 31 July 2013. Retrieved 21 December 2012. NACHO Novo will be remembered forever as the man whose goal made the helicopter change direction.
  65. "Rangers 1–1 Inter Milan". BBC Sport. 6 December 2005. Archived from the original on 4 November 2012. Retrieved 16 October 2007. Peter Lovenkrands was the goalscoring hero as Rangers became the first Scottish club to qualify from the group stages of the Champions League.
    ...
    Criticised by some for his tactics during a run without a win now stretching to 10 games, McLeish got it right on the European stage with the surprise inclusion of Lovenkrands as a lone striker.
  66. "Villarreal 1–1 Rangers (agg 3–3)". BBC Sport. 7 March 2006. Archived from the original on 4 November 2012. Retrieved 16 October 2007. Rangers' dream of becoming the first Scottish side in the quarter-finals of the Champions League ended as they lost on the away-goals rule to Villarreal.
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    ...
    Although the teams last met in a League Cup tie 21 years ago and regularly jousted in the Glasgow Cup in the two decades before that, there has not been a league meeting since 1958, the year Queen's Park last played top-flight football. The fact the confrontation has returned to the calendar in a wholly different form was best encapsulated by Rangers ambassador Sandy Jardine.
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  217. Armstrong, Gary; Giulianotti, Richard (2001). Fear and loathing in world football. Berg Publishers. pp. 25, 26. ISBN 1-85973-463-4. Retrieved 15 August 2012. Primrose was associated with the most virulent anti-Catholic and anti-Irish sentiment, and was openly allied with the orange order.
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  219. Giulianotti, Richard (1999). Football: A Sociology of the Global Game. John Wiley & Sons. p. 18. ISBN 9780745617695. Historically Rangers have maintained a staunch Protestant and anti-Catholic tradition which includes a ban on signing Catholic players.
  220. Gallagher, Tom (1987). Glasgow, the Uneasy Peace: Religious Tension in Modern Scotland, 1819–1914. Manchester University Press ND. p. 300. ISBN 9780719023965. Retrieved 18 August 2012. The conflict in Ireland failed to be the catalyst which swept the religious cobwebs from the Ibrox-based club's terraces and boardroom. One of its managers even had no qualms in the 1970s about urging his players to roar out the loyalist battle-cry 'No Surrender' as they ran up the tunnel at Ibrox.
  221. Souness, Graeme; Gallacher, Ken (1989). Graeme Souness: A Manager's Diary. Mainstream Publishing. p. 17. ISBN 9781851582242. For years Rangers have been pilloried for what the majority of people saw as discrimination against one section of the population. Now we have shown that this unwritten policy at Ibrox is over. It's finished. Done with.
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  225. "Former Old Firm Italians give their take on derby clash". Daily Record. 7 October 2009. Archived from the original on 31 July 2013. Retrieved 18 August 2012. I've been Rangers' first Catholic captain
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  228. Wright, Angus (13 November 2006). "SFA praised for stance on bigotry". The Scotsman. Archived from the original on 19 October 2012. Retrieved 24 August 2012. Education and prevention is what we are really looking at and Scotland is a great example of somewhere where that has done a tremendous amount in practically eradicating the worst features of discrimination.
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  230. Sekar, Satish (20 February 2009). "No Surrender to Bigotry". Empower-Sport British Supplement. Empower-Sport. Archived from the original on 15 August 2011. Retrieved 18 August 2012. Both UEFA and FIFA hold Rangers up as a positive example of a club determined to tackle the problem that threatens its future. And the SFA joins in that praise. "On the sectarianism front Rangers have tried to develop a policy across the Protestant/Catholic divide," says Mr Mitchell. "They have imposed a large number of life bans on supporters who have been identified and found guilty of sectarian behaviour." And Rangers is not alone in taking such action. "Generally speaking it is by the clubs," he says. "If there is a criminal prosecution that has an effect as well, but the clubs themselves have taken that action off their own back, because they have the right to decide who can come into the stadium or not."
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  234. O'Sullivan, Jack (4 June 1999). "I'm Catholic in a football sense". The Independent. Archived from the original on 16 December 2013. Retrieved 18 August 2012. Findlay, Scotland's leading criminal lawyer, is a Protestant and proud of it. But he was embarrassed to be caught on video singing sectarian songs. They included "The Billy Boys", a verse of which goes: "We're up to our knees in Fenian blood, Surrender or you die, We are the Billy Boys."
  235. Humphrys, John (2 July 2002). "On the Ropes – Donald Findlay QC" (Press release). BBC Press Office. Archived from the original on 4 November 2018. Retrieved 18 August 2012. Donald Findlay QC tells John Humphrys about the effect singing sectarian, anti-Catholic songs at a party for Glasgow Rangers had on his life, and how he, at one stage, even contemplated suicide.
  236. "Rangers appeal upheld". UEFA. 25 May 2006. Archived from the original on 4 June 2013. Retrieved 18 August 2012. UEFA appealed against the decision on 12 April by the Control and Disciplinary Body to find Rangers not guilty of alleged discriminatory chants by the club's supporters at both legs of the tie, on 22 February at Ibrox and 7 March at El Madrigal. Rangers have been fined €19,500 and severely warned about their responsibility for any future misconduct by their fans in relation to sectarian and discriminatory behaviour.
  237. "Uefa fine for Rangers and Osasuna". BBC Sport. 3 May 2007. Archived from the original on 14 January 2013. Retrieved 18 August 2012. Rangers have been fined £8,280 by Uefa for the behaviour of their fans during their match against Osasuna – but the Spanish club must pay £31,000.
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    ...
    The commission will study the financial arrangements made by the Employee Benefit Trust scheme run by former Rangers owner Sir David Murray's company, Murray International Holdings.
    ...
    The probe was launched before the company that ran Rangers – The Rangers Football Club Plc – was consigned to liquidation.
    The consortium now running the club, led by chief executive Charles Green, has refused to recognise or co-operate with the investigation.
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