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:'''''Rangers''' redirects here. For other teams called Rangers, see ]. See ] for other meanings.''
Crap football team.
{{Football club infobox |
clubname = Rangers F.C. |
image = ] |
fullname = Rangers Football Club |
nickname = ''The Gers, Teddy Bears, Light Blues.'' |
founded = 1873 |
ground = ]<br/>]<br/>] |
capacity = 51,082 |
record attendance = 118,567 Vs ], ], ] |
chairman = {{flagicon|Scotland}} ] |
manager = {{flagicon|France}} ]|
league = ] |
season = 2005-2006 |
position = ], 3rd |
shirtsupplier= ] |
shirtsponsors= ] |
pattern_la1=|pattern_b1=|pattern_ra1=|
leftarm1=0050e0|body1=0050e0|rightarm1=0050e0|shorts1=FFFFFF|socks1=000000|
pattern_la2=|pattern_b2=_red_white_diagonal_block|pattern_ra2=|
leftarm2=FFFFFF|body2=FFFFFF|rightarm2=FF0000|shorts2=FF0000|socks2=FFFFFF|
}}

'''Rangers Football Club '''is a ] club from ], ], which plays in the ].

The club's home is one of 29 ] stadia, the all-seated ] in south west ], with a capacity of 51,082.

Rangers players and fans today are multi-national and of various religions, although the club has traditionally been identified with the ] ] community of Scotland. For most of their history, Rangers have enjoyed a fierce rivalry with their cross-city opponents ] <ref name="Unionist">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/5289202.stm|publisher=BBC Website|title=A rivalry tied up in religion|date=26 August 2006}}</ref>

The club's correct name is simply ''Rangers F.C.'' although it is sometimes incorrectly called ''Glasgow Rangers''. This frequently happens with ] commentators seeking to distinguish between them and other similarly-named clubs, particularly ]

The club is nicknamed ''The Teddy Bears'', from the ] for ''Gers'' (short for ''Rangers''), and the fans are known to each other as 'Bluenoses'.

==History==
{{main|History of Rangers F.C.}}

==The Old Firm and Sectarianism==
The term ] refers to a group belonging to a religious and cultural ], displaying contempt, hatred or dislike of all others not belonging to their sect.

In the context of ], sectarianism is beyond the control of any individual club - it is a much wider issue, rooted in ], ], ] and ] circumstances.

The sectarianism which exists between the Old Firm is between ]s and ]s. During the late 19th century, many immigrants came to Glasgow from Ireland. This was around the same time that both Old Firm clubs were founded (Rangers in 1873 and Celtic in 1888). Celtic grew out of the Irish Catholic community and Rangers came to be identified with the Protestant community.

Both Rangers and Celtic now accept that they have a problem with sectarianism. Both clubs admit that a proportion of their supporters have been, and continue to be, guilty of perpetuating sectarian and partisan beliefs as well as cultural intolerance.

In recent times, both Rangers and Celtic have taken measures to combat sectarianism. Working alongside the ], ] groups, schools and community organisations, the Old Firm has made efforts to clamp down on sectarian songs, inflammatory flag-waving, and troublesome supporters, using increased levels of policing and surveillance.<ref name="Who's getting cuffed today?">{{cite news|url=http://www.sundayherald.com/49302|publisher=Sunday Herald|title=Who's getting cuffed today?|date=24 April 2005}}</ref>

On ] ], following an investigation into the conduct of Rangers supporters at both legs of their ] tie against ], the Control and Disciplinary Body of ] declared the Rangers fans not guilty of alleged discriminatory chants.<ref name="fine">{{cite news|url=http://www.uefa.com/uefa/Keytopics/kind=512/newsId=413276.html|publisher=UEFA Website|title=Rangers handed fine|date=12 April 2006}}</ref> UEFA challenged the ruling, and their Appeals Body partially upheld the appeal<ref name="appeal">{{cite news|url=http://www.uefa.com/uefa/Keytopics/kind=512/newsId=424237.html|publisher=UEFA Website|title=Rangers appeal upheld|date=24 May 2006}}</ref>, fining the Ibrox club £13,500, and warning the club as to their responsibility for any future misconduct by their fans in relation to sectarian and discriminatory behaviour.

On ] ], Rangers, in conjunction with representatives from several supporters clubs, announced that they would comply with three UEFA directives:

*The club is "ordered to announce measurable targets in order to reduce sectarian behaviour amongst its supporters".
*The club is "to control their anti-sectarian activities by producing comprehensive statistics that are communicated to the public".
*The club is "to make a public address announcement at every official fixture, be it international or domestic, stating that any sectarian chanting and any form of the song '']'' is strictly prohibited".<ref name="club statement">{{cite news|url=http://www.rangers.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/NewsDetail/0,,5~838110,00.html|publisher=Rangers FC Website|title=Joint Supporter/Club Statement|date=}}</ref>

UEFA have previously stated that bigotry, which could apply to songs like ''Billy Boys'' is not to be permitted at football grounds.

==Under Alex McLeish (2001-2006)==
''For full article about ] at Rangers, click'' ].

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

His appointment in December 2001<ref name="McLeish appointment">{{cite news|url=http://newswww.bbc.net.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/1701609.stm|publisher=BBC Sport website|title=Rangers unveil McLeish|date=11 December, 2001}}</ref> was met with a lukewarm reaction amongst many Rangers supporters. Some viewed it as symptomatic of the downsizing of the club's ambitions, while others saw in McLeish a manager whose mixed fortunes at ] and ] left him ill-equipped to cope with the demands of managing Rangers.<ref name="McLeish appointment - downsizing">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/sports_talk/1701594.stm|publisher=BBC Sport website|title=What will McLeish bring to Rangers?|date=11 December, 2001}}</ref>

Some of the honours that Rangers attained while under McLeish include two League Championships, including the fabled 'Helicopter Sunday'<ref name="Title 05">{{cite news|url=http://www.followfollow.com/news/loadfeat.asp?cid=ED21&id=283696|publisher=Follow Follow Fanzine|title=Helicopter Sunday|date=}}</ref>, two Scottish Cups and three League Cups. During this time, the club became the first Scottish side to qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League, yet there was still significant pressure on McLeish from fans due to the club's poor position in the domestic league table.

It was widely felt - and publicised - that chairman ] would let McLeish go after the European campaign had finished,<ref name="McLeish under pressure">{{cite news|url=http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20051207/ai_n15900483|publisher=The Independent|title=Rangers go through but McLeish may miss party|date=7 December, 2005}}</ref> and a press conference arranged two days after the final group match seemed to confirm this. After signs that supporter unrest was turning on Murray, on ], ], two days before the crucial Old Firm match, it was announced that Alex McLeish would leave his position as manager at the end of the 2005-06 season<ref name="McLeish depart">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/4697444.stm|publisher=BBC Sport website|title=McLeish to leave Rangers in May|date=9 February 2006}}</ref>, and on ], it was confirmed that former ] manager Paul Le Guen would indeed succeed him at the end of the season.<ref name="Le Guen appointment">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/4791030.stm|publisher=BBC Sport website|title=Rangers name Le Guen as manager |date=11 March 2006}}</ref>

==A new era==
{{dab current|Rangers F.C. season 2006-07}}
]
<b>]</b> replaced Alex McLeish as manager after season 2005-06. Known for unearthing and nurturing young talent, Le Guen made an immediate splash in the transfer market signing South African Under-19 player ] from ], and youngsters ] and ] from ]. While allowing Ibrox favourite Alex Rae to move to a new career as player-manager of ], ] to go to ] and ] to ]. Other notable signings include ] from ] in addition to Czech national ] and Slovakian striker ] both signed in early August from ], where they had been part of the previous season's double-winning side. Rangers had been strongly linked with a host of other players and signed midfielder ] from Lyon and goalkeeper ] from ] as a replacement for the departing ]. Senegalese midfield player ] signed a one-year contract after a short trial period with the club. Also in August, Rangers signed the 19-year-old winger ] and defender ] on loan from ] for a season. On ], ], Rangers agreed terms with Austria Vienna's ] defender ].

Since taking over, Le Guen has told a number of players that they are surplus to requirements, including ], ], ], ], ] and ]. Namouchi was the first of these to leave, completing a £450,000 move to ] on ]. Andrews, Bernard, Fanfan and Malcolm were all released from their player contracts at the close of the summer ], effectively making them free agents to sign anywhere without having to adhere transfer dates or receiving any compensation from their new prospective clubs.

The season started poorly for Le Guen and Rangers though. With a variety of losses and draws to SPL teams, followed by a 2-0 loss to ], who play one division lower, in the ], which lead some Rangers fans to protest outside of Ibrox against chairman David Murray. A 2-0 loss in the only Old Firm match of the season to this point has also done Rangers no favours and at one point in November they were 18 points below leaders Celtic in an SPL race seemingly all but lost. Rangers have taken some consolation in their UEFA Cup form, which has seen them defeat ] of Italy and ] of Israel, and draw against ] to become the first Scottish club to progress from the UEFA Cup group stages.

==Stadium==
Ibrox was inaugurated on ], ], Rangers defeated ] 3-1 in the first match held there.

The stands in the ground are: The ] Main Stand (Front and Rear), Govan Stand (Front and Rear), and the Copland and Broomloan Stands (both Front and Rear) which are behind the goals. In addition to these, there are also the East and West Enclosures (between Copland and Govan and Broomloan and Govan Stands respectively), the Club Deck (above the Main Stand Rear) and the new Bar 72 area, situated in the Govan Stand. After work in summer 2006, the total capacity of Ibrox is 51,044. On ] ], Rangers announced that the Main Stand would be renamed The Bill Struth Main Stand in September 2006 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the death of their former manager Bill Struth who served as manager of Rangers for 34 years.

==Famous players==
Famous past and present players at Ibrox include:

{{col-begin-small}}
{{col-4}}

;{{flagicon|Scotland}} Scotland
* ]¹
* ]¹
* ]¹
* ]
* ]¹
* ]¹
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]¹ ²
* ]
* ]
* ]¹
* ]¹
* ]¹
* ]¹
* ]¹
* ]¹
* ]
* ]¹
* ]
* ]¹
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]¹
* ]¹
* ]¹
* ]¹
* ]
* ]¹
* ]
* ]¹
* ]¹
* ]¹

{{col-3}}

;{{flagicon|Argentina}} Argentina
* ]

;{{flagicon|Australia}} Australia
* ]
* ]

;{{flagicon|Belgium}} Belgium
* ]²

;{{flagicon|Croatia}} Croatia
* ]²

;{{flagicon|Denmark}} Denmark
* ]
* ]
* ]¹
* ]

;{{flagicon|England}} England
* ]¹
* ]¹
* ]¹
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]¹
* ]

;{{flagicon|Finland}} Finland
* ]
* ]

;{{flagicon|France}} France
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]²
{{col-3}}

;{{flagicon|Georgia}} Georgia
* ]
* ]

;{{flagicon|Germany}} Germany
* ]¹
* ]²

;{{flagicon|Italy}} Italy
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]

;{{flagicon|Netherlands}} Netherlands
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]

;{{flagicon|Northern Ireland}} Northern Ireland
* ]

;{{flagicon|Norway}} Norway
* ]
* ]

;{{flagicon|Russia}} Russia
* ]
* ]

;{{flagicon|Spain}} Spain
* ]
* ]
{{col-3}}

;{{flagicon|Sweden}} Sweden
* ]
* ]
* ]

;{{flagicon|Turkey}} Turkey
* ]

;{{flagicon|Ukraine}} Ukraine
* ]

;{{flagicon|United States}} United States
* ]

{{col-end}}
'''¹''' - Player is included in the ].

'''²''' - Player is currently playing for the club.

==Team managers==
{| class="wikitable"
!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}} ]
|1983–1986
|-
|{{flagicon|Scotland}} ]
|1986–1991
|-
|{{flagicon|Scotland}} ]
|1991–1998
|-
|{{flagicon|Netherlands}} ]
|1998–2001
|-
|{{flagicon|Scotland}} ]
|2001–2006
|-
|{{flagicon|France}} ]
|2006–Present
|-
|}

==Current squad==
===2006-07 Transfers===
''For a list of Rangers' 2006-07 transfers, see ]''

===First-team squad===
{{Fs start}}
{{Fs player|no=1|nat=Germany|name=]|pos=GK}}
{{Fs player|no=4|nat=Belgium|name=]|pos=FW}}
{{Fs player|no=5|nat=Bosnia_and_Herzegovina|name=]|pos=DF}}
{{Fs player|no=6|nat=Scotland|name=]|pos=MF|other=]}}
{{Fs player|no=7|nat=France|name=]|pos=MF}}
{{Fs player|no=8|nat=France|name=]|pos=MF}}
{{Fs player|no=9|nat=Croatia|name=]|pos=FW}}
{{Fs player|no=10|nat=Spain|name=]|pos=FW}}
{{Fs player|no=11|nat=Scotland|name=]|pos=MF}}
{{Fs player|no=14|nat=Czech Republic|name=]|pos=MF}}
{{Fs player|no=15|nat=Scotland|name=]|pos=FW}}
{{Fs player|no=16|nat=England|name=]|pos=DF|other=on loan from ]}}
{{Fs player|no=17|nat=Scotland|name=]|pos=MF}}
{{Fs mid}}
{{Fs player|no=18|nat=Scotland|name=]|pos=DF}}
{{Fs player|no=19|nat=Sweden|name=]|pos=DF}}
{{Fs player|no=20|nat=Scotland|name=]|pos=DF}}
{{Fs player|no=21|nat=France|name=]|pos=GK}}
{{Fs player|no=22|nat=Scotland|name=]|pos=GK}}
{{Fs player|no=23|nat=Slovakia|name=]|pos=FW}}
{{Fs player|no=25|nat=Scotland|name=]|pos=MF}}
{{Fs player|no=26|nat=Scotland|name=]|pos=DF}}
{{Fs player|no=27|nat=France|name=]|pos=DF}}
{{Fs player|no=28|nat=France|name=]|pos=DF}}
{{Fs player|no=29|nat=France|name=]|pos=FW}}
{{Fs player|no=30|nat=Senegal|name=]|pos=MF}}
{{Fs player|no=32|nat=England|name=]|pos=MF|other=on loan from ]}}
{{Fs end}}



===Reserve & Youth Squad===
<!-- Does anyone have confirmation of these numbers? As they are listed differently on the RFC official site, perhaps there are the numbers listed for players eligible to play in the UEFA Cup?-->

{{Fs start}}
{{Fs player|no=34|nat=England|name=]|pos=GK}}
{{Fs player|no=35|nat=Scotland|name=]|pos=FW}}
{{Fs player|no=37|nat=Scotland|name=]|pos=MF}}
{{Fs player|no=39|nat=England|name=]|pos=FW}}
{{Fs player|no=41|nat=Scotland|name=]|pos=DF}}
{{Fs player|no=42|nat=Scotland|name=]|pos=MF}}
{{Fs player|no=43|nat=Scotland|name=]|pos=MF}}
{{Fs player|no=44|nat=Scotland|name=]|pos=MF}}
{{Fs player|no=45|nat=Scotland|name=]|pos=FW}}
{{Fs player|no=46|nat=Scotland|name=]|pos=DF}}
{{Fs player|no=47|nat=South Africa|name=]|pos=MF}}
{{Fs player|no=49|nat=Scotland|name=]|pos=DF}}
{{Fs player|no=--|nat=Scotland|name=]|pos=GK}}
{{Fs player|no=50|nat=Scotland|name=]|pos=DF}}
{{Fs mid}}
{{Fs player|no=53|nat=Scotland|name=]|pos=MF}}
{{Fs player|no=54|nat=Scotland|name=]|pos=DF}}
{{Fs player|no=55|nat=Scotland|name=]|pos=DF}}
{{Fs player|no=56|nat=Scotland|name=]|pos=FW}}
{{Fs player|no=57|nat=Scotland|name=]|pos=MF}}
{{Fs player|no=58|nat=Scotland|name=]|pos=GK}}
{{Fs player|no=59|nat=Scotland|name=]|pos=DF}}
{{Fs player|no=66|nat=Cote d'Ivoire|name=]|pos=FW}}
{{Fs player|no=68|nat=Scotland|name=]|pos=DF}}
{{Fs player|no=70|nat=Scotland|name=]|pos=FW}}
{{Fs player|no=--|nat=Belgium|name=]|pos=FW}}
{{Fs player|no=--|nat=Northern Ireland|name=]|pos=FW}}
{{Fs player|no=--|nat=Scotland|name=]|pos=FW}}
{{Fs end}}
<b>Players out on loan:</b>
* {{flagicon|Scotland}} ] - ''to ]''
* {{flagicon|Scotland}} ] - ''to ]''
* {{flagicon|France}} ] - ''to ]''
* {{flagicon|Scotland}} Calum Reidford - ''to ]''

==Non-playing staff==
===Boardroom===
*'''Chairman:''' ]
*'''Chief Executive:''' ]
*'''Football Administrator:''' Andrew Dickson
*'''Director of Finance:''' Donald McIntyre
*'''Operations Executive:''' Laurence MacIntyre
*'''Director:''' ]
*'''Non-Executive Director:''' John McClelland
*'''Non-Executive Director:''' Alastair Johnston
*'''Non-Executive Director:''' David Cunningham King
*'''Non-Executive Director:''' Donald Wilson

===Management===
*'''Manager:''' ]
*'''Assistant Manager:''' ]
*'''Reserve Coach:''' ]
*'''Under-19 Coach:''' Billy Kirkwood
*'''Coach:''' Tommy Wilson
*'''Head of Youth Football:''' Jim Sinclair
*'''Goalkeeping Coach:''' ]
*'''Community Coach:''' Craig Mulholland
*'''Club Doctor:''' Dr Ian McGuiness
*'''Physiotherapist:''' Joel Le Hir
*'''Physiotherapist:''' Davie Henderson
*'''Fitness Coach:''' Stephane Wiertelak
*'''Video Analysis:''' Steve Harvey
*'''Kit Controller:''' Jimmy Bell

==Club records==
'''Record home attendance''':
118,567 .v. ], January 1939

'''Record victory''':
13-0 .v. Possilpark, ], October 1877

'''Record league victory''':
10-0 .v. ], December 1898

'''Record defeat''':
2-10 .v. ], 1886

'''Record league defeat''':
0-6 ], May 1892

'''Record appearances''':
], 755, 1960-1978

'''Record league appearances''':
], 513, 1917-1934

'''Record Scottish Cup appearances''':
], 74

'''Record league cup appearances''':
], 121

'''Record European appearances''':
], 64

'''Record goalscorer''':
], 355 goals, 1983-1998

'''Most goals in one season''':
], 44 goals, 1931/1932

'''Most league goals''':
], 251 goals

'''Most Scottish Cup goals''':
], 44 goals

'''Most League Cup goals''':
], 54 goals

'''Most European goals''':
], 21 goals

'''Shutout record''':
], 1196 minutes, 1986/87 (British record)

'''Most capped player''':
], 112 caps for ]

'''Highest transfer fee received''':
], £8.5m, ], 2001

'''Highest transfer fee paid''':
], £12.5m, ], 2000

==Greatest team==
<table style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; width: 180px; border: #99B3FF solid 1px">
<tr><td><div style="position: relative;">
]
{{Image label|x=0.22|y=0.05|scale=350|text=<font size=1 color="Yellow">Goram</font>}}
{{Image label|x=0.04|y=0.22|scale=350|text=<font size=1 color="Blue">Jardine</font>}}
{{Image label|x=0.12|y=0.15|scale=350|text=<font size=1 color="Blue">Gough</font>}}
{{Image label|x=0.28|y=0.15|scale=350|text=<font size=1 color="Blue">Butcher</font>}}
{{Image label|x=0.37|y=0.22|scale=350|text=<font size=1 color="Blue">Greig</font>}}
{{Image label|x=0.37|y=0.45|scale=350|text=<font size=1 color="Blue">Cooper</font>}}
{{Image label|x=0.13|y=0.35|scale=350|text=<font size=1 color="Blue">Gascoigne</font>}}
{{Image label|x=0.28|y=0.35|scale=350|text=<font size=1 color="Blue">Baxter</font>}}
{{Image label|x=0.04|y=0.45|scale=350|text=<font size=1 color="Blue">Laudrup</font>}}
{{Image label|x=0.13|y=0.52|scale=350|text=<font size=1 color="Blue">Hateley</font>}}
{{Image label|x=0.28|y=0.52|scale=350|text=<font size=1 color="Blue">McCoist</font>}}
</div></td></tr>
<tr><td><small>Rangers' Greatest Ever Team</small></td></tr>
</table>

The following team was voted as the greatest-ever Rangers team at an awards ceremony in 1999. Thousands of Rangers fans voted:

#{{flagicon|Scotland}} ]
#{{flagicon|Scotland}} ]
#{{flagicon|Scotland}} ]
#{{flagicon|Scotland}} ]
#{{flagicon|England}} ]
#{{flagicon|Scotland}} ]
#{{flagicon|Scotland}} ]
#{{flagicon|England}} ]
#{{flagicon|Scotland}} ]
#{{flagicon|England}} ]
#{{flagicon|Denmark}} ]

== Honours ==

* Rangers hold the world record for number of domestic league championships won<ref name="Number of league wins">{{cite news|url=http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/kamprec.html#tnc|publisher=Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation|title=Total Number of Championships|date=23 November 2006}}</ref>, racking up 51 titles.
* They hold the record for ]<ref name="Number of trebles">{{cite news|url=http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/doublerec.html#treb|publisher=Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation|title=Domestic Trebles|date=23 November 2006}}</ref>, with seven so far.
* Rangers won their 100th major trophy in 2000, the first club in the world to reach that milestone<ref name="100 trophies">{{cite news|url=http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/rangers-100trophies.html|publisher=Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation|title=Glasgow Rangers - 100 Trophies|date=21 October 2001}}</ref>.
* Have competed in European competitions in more seasons than any other British club, 46 times as of and including 2006-07.
* First Scottish club to qualify from both the ] group stage (2005-06)
<ref name="Rangers 1-1 Inter">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/4494912.stm|publisher=BBC Sport website|title=Rangers 1-1 Inter Milan|date= 6 December 2005}}</ref> and the ] group stage (2006-07)
<ref name="Auxerre 2-2 Rangers">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/6161154.stm|publisher=BBC Sport website|title=Auxerre 2-2 Rangers|date=23 November 2006}}</ref>

=== Major honours ===

* '''] Champions''': 1972; Runners-up 1961, 1967
* '''Scottish League Champions (51)''':
{| class="wikitable"
| 1891
| 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
| 1991
| 1992
| 1993
| 1994
| 1995
| 1996
| 1997
| 1999
| 2000
| 2003
| 2005
|}
* '''Scottish Cup Winners (31)''':
{| class="wikitable"
| 1894
| 1897
| 1898
| 1903
| 1928
| 1930
| 1932
| 1934
| 1935
| 1936
| 1948
| 1949
| 1950
| 1953
| 1960
| 1962
|-
| 1963
| 1964
| 1966
| 1973
| 1976
| 1978
| 1979
| 1981
| 1992
| 1993
| 1996
| 1999
| 2000
| 2002
| 2003
|}

* '''Scottish League Cup Winners (24)''':
{| class="wikitable"
| 1947
| 1949
| 1961
| 1962
| 1964
| 1965
| 1971
| 1976
| 1978
| 1979
| 1982
| 1984
|-
| 1985
| 1987
| 1988
| 1989
| 1991
| 1993
| 1994
| 1997
| 1999
| 2002
| 2003
| 2005
|}
----

=== Other honours ===
* '''Emergency War League (1)''': 1940
* '''Southern League (6)''': 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1946
*'''] (3)''': (Premier) 1984, 1992; (Junior) 1985
* '''] (1)''': 1979
* '''] (2)''': 1984, 1989
* '''] (44)''': 1893, 1894, 1897, 1898, 1900, 1901, 1902, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1914, 1918, 1919, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1930, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1940, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1948, 1950, 1954, 1957, 1958, 1960, 1969, 1971, 1975*, 1976, 1979, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987 <br>*1975 trophy shared with Celtic after 2-2 draw
* '''Glasgow Merchants and Charity Cup (32)''': 1878-79, 1896-97, 1899-1900, 1903-04, 1905-06, 1906-07, 1908-09, 1910-11, 1918-19, 1921-22, 1922-23, 1924-25, 1927-28, 1928-29, 1929-30, 1930-31, 1931-32, 1932-33, 1933-34, 1938-39, 1939-40, 1940-41, 1941-42, 1943-44, 1944-45, 1945-46, 1946-47, 1947-48, 1950-51, 1954-55, 1956-57, 1959-60
* '''Glasgow League (2)''': 1895/96, 1897/98

==UEFA ranking==
'''Current Club Ranking'''
* 43 {{flagicon|Turkey}} ]
* 44 {{flagicon|Spain}} ]
* '''45''' {{flagicon|Scotland}} '''Rangers'''
* 46 {{flagicon|Greece}} ]
* 47 {{flagicon|Belgium}} ]
*


'''Current National League ranking'''
* 09 {{flagicon|Russia}} ]
* 10 {{flagicon|Belgium}} ]
* '''11''' {{flagicon|Scotland}} ''']'''
* 12 {{flagicon|Ukraine}} ]
* 13 {{flagicon|Czech Republic}} ]
*

==References==
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==External links==
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{{Football in Scotland}}
{{Scottish Premier League}}
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{{UEFA Cup 2006/07}}

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Revision as of 16:58, 7 December 2006

Rangers redirects here. For other teams called Rangers, see Rangers F.C. (disambiguation). See Ranger for other meanings.
Football club
Rangers F.C.
File:Rangers.png
Full nameRangers Football Club
Nickname(s)The Gers, Teddy Bears, Light Blues.
Founded1873
GroundIbrox Stadium
Glasgow
Scotland
Capacity51,082
ChairmanScotland David Murray
ManagerFrance Paul Le Guen
LeagueScottish Premier League
2005-2006Scottish Premier League, 3rd
Home colours Away colours

Rangers Football Club is a football club from Glasgow, Scotland, which plays in the Scottish Premier League.

The club's home is one of 29 UEFA five-star stadia, the all-seated Ibrox Stadium in south west Glasgow, with a capacity of 51,082.

Rangers players and fans today are multi-national and of various religions, although the club has traditionally been identified with the Protestant Unionist community of Scotland. For most of their history, Rangers have enjoyed a fierce rivalry with their cross-city opponents Celtic F.C.

The club's correct name is simply Rangers F.C. although it is sometimes incorrectly called Glasgow Rangers. This frequently happens with English commentators seeking to distinguish between them and other similarly-named clubs, particularly Queens Park Rangers F.C.

The club is nicknamed The Teddy Bears, from the rhyming slang for Gers (short for Rangers), and the fans are known to each other as 'Bluenoses'.

History

Main article: History of Rangers F.C.

The Old Firm and Sectarianism

The term sectarian refers to a group belonging to a religious and cultural sect, displaying contempt, hatred or dislike of all others not belonging to their sect.

In the context of Scottish football, sectarianism is beyond the control of any individual club - it is a much wider issue, rooted in social, cultural, historical and religious circumstances.

The sectarianism which exists between the Old Firm is between Protestants and Roman Catholics. During the late 19th century, many immigrants came to Glasgow from Ireland. This was around the same time that both Old Firm clubs were founded (Rangers in 1873 and Celtic in 1888). Celtic grew out of the Irish Catholic community and Rangers came to be identified with the Protestant community.

Both Rangers and Celtic now accept that they have a problem with sectarianism. Both clubs admit that a proportion of their supporters have been, and continue to be, guilty of perpetuating sectarian and partisan beliefs as well as cultural intolerance.

In recent times, both Rangers and Celtic have taken measures to combat sectarianism. Working alongside the Scottish Parliament, church groups, schools and community organisations, the Old Firm has made efforts to clamp down on sectarian songs, inflammatory flag-waving, and troublesome supporters, using increased levels of policing and surveillance.

On 12 April 2006, following an investigation into the conduct of Rangers supporters at both legs of their UEFA Champions League tie against Villarreal CF, the Control and Disciplinary Body of UEFA declared the Rangers fans not guilty of alleged discriminatory chants. UEFA challenged the ruling, and their Appeals Body partially upheld the appeal, fining the Ibrox club £13,500, and warning the club as to their responsibility for any future misconduct by their fans in relation to sectarian and discriminatory behaviour.

On 9 June 2006, Rangers, in conjunction with representatives from several supporters clubs, announced that they would comply with three UEFA directives:

  • The club is "ordered to announce measurable targets in order to reduce sectarian behaviour amongst its supporters".
  • The club is "to control their anti-sectarian activities by producing comprehensive statistics that are communicated to the public".
  • The club is "to make a public address announcement at every official fixture, be it international or domestic, stating that any sectarian chanting and any form of the song Billy Boys is strictly prohibited".

UEFA have previously stated that bigotry, which could apply to songs like Billy Boys is not to be permitted at football grounds.

Under Alex McLeish (2001-2006)

For full article about Alex McLeish at Rangers, click here.

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

His appointment in December 2001 was met with a lukewarm reaction amongst many Rangers supporters. Some viewed it as symptomatic of the downsizing of the club's ambitions, while others saw in McLeish a manager whose mixed fortunes at Hibernian and Motherwell left him ill-equipped to cope with the demands of managing Rangers.

Some of the honours that Rangers attained while under McLeish include two League Championships, including the fabled 'Helicopter Sunday', two Scottish Cups and three League Cups. During this time, the club became the first Scottish side to qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League, yet there was still significant pressure on McLeish from fans due to the club's poor position in the domestic league table.

It was widely felt - and publicised - that chairman David Murray would let McLeish go after the European campaign had finished, and a press conference arranged two days after the final group match seemed to confirm this. After signs that supporter unrest was turning on Murray, on 9 February, 2006, two days before the crucial Old Firm match, it was announced that Alex McLeish would leave his position as manager at the end of the 2005-06 season, and on 11 March, it was confirmed that former Lyon manager Paul Le Guen would indeed succeed him at the end of the season.

A new era

Template:Dab current

File:Rangers2dundeeunited2carddisplay.jpg
Card display at Ibrox to welcome Paul Le Guen.

Paul Le Guen replaced Alex McLeish as manager after season 2005-06. Known for unearthing and nurturing young talent, Le Guen made an immediate splash in the transfer market signing South African Under-19 player Dean Furman from Chelsea, and youngsters William Stanger and Antoine Ponroy from Rennes. While allowing Ibrox favourite Alex Rae to move to a new career as player-manager of Dundee, Peter Løvenkrands to go to Schalke 04 and Sotirios Kyrgiakos to Eintracht Frankfurt. Other notable signings include Karl Svensson from IFK Göteborg in addition to Czech national Libor Sionko and Slovakian striker Filip Sebo both signed in early August from Austria Vienna, where they had been part of the previous season's double-winning side. Rangers had been strongly linked with a host of other players and signed midfielder Jeremy Clement from Lyon and goalkeeper Lionel Letizi from Paris St Germain as a replacement for the departing Ronald Waterreus. Senegalese midfield player Makhtar N'Diaye signed a one-year contract after a short trial period with the club. Also in August, Rangers signed the 19-year-old winger Lee Martin and defender Phil Bardsley on loan from Manchester United for a season. On August 31, 2006, Rangers agreed terms with Austria Vienna's Bosnian defender Saša Papac.

Since taking over, Le Guen has told a number of players that they are surplus to requirements, including Nacho Novo, Marvin Andrews, Olivier Bernard, Hamed Namouchi, Bob Malcolm and Jose-Karl Pierre-Fanfan. Namouchi was the first of these to leave, completing a £450,000 move to FC Lorient on August 24. Andrews, Bernard, Fanfan and Malcolm were all released from their player contracts at the close of the summer transfer window, effectively making them free agents to sign anywhere without having to adhere transfer dates or receiving any compensation from their new prospective clubs.

The season started poorly for Le Guen and Rangers though. With a variety of losses and draws to SPL teams, followed by a 2-0 loss to St Johnstone, who play one division lower, in the CIS Insurance Cup, which lead some Rangers fans to protest outside of Ibrox against chairman David Murray. A 2-0 loss in the only Old Firm match of the season to this point has also done Rangers no favours and at one point in November they were 18 points below leaders Celtic in an SPL race seemingly all but lost. Rangers have taken some consolation in their UEFA Cup form, which has seen them defeat Livorno of Italy and Maccabi Haifa of Israel, and draw against Auxerre to become the first Scottish club to progress from the UEFA Cup group stages.

Stadium

Ibrox was inaugurated on December 30, 1899, Rangers defeated Hearts 3-1 in the first match held there.

The stands in the ground are: The Bill Struth Main Stand (Front and Rear), Govan Stand (Front and Rear), and the Copland and Broomloan Stands (both Front and Rear) which are behind the goals. In addition to these, there are also the East and West Enclosures (between Copland and Govan and Broomloan and Govan Stands respectively), the Club Deck (above the Main Stand Rear) and the new Bar 72 area, situated in the Govan Stand. After work in summer 2006, the total capacity of Ibrox is 51,044. On August 22 2006, Rangers announced that the Main Stand would be renamed The Bill Struth Main Stand in September 2006 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the death of their former manager Bill Struth who served as manager of Rangers for 34 years.

Famous players

Famous past and present players at Ibrox include:

Scotland Scotland
Argentina Argentina
Australia Australia
Belgium Belgium
Croatia Croatia
Denmark Denmark
England England
Finland Finland
France France
Georgia (country) Georgia
Germany Germany
Italy Italy
Netherlands Netherlands
Northern Ireland Northern Ireland
Norway Norway
Russia Russia
Spain Spain
Sweden Sweden
Turkey Turkey
Ukraine Ukraine
United States United States

¹ - Player is included in the Rangers F.C. Hall of Fame.

² - Player is currently playing for the club.

Team managers

Name Period
Scotland William Wilton 1899–1920
Scotland Bill Struth 1920–1954
Scotland Scott Symon 1954–1967
Scotland David White 1967–1969
Scotland William 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–Present

Current squad

2006-07 Transfers

For a list of Rangers' 2006-07 transfers, see Rangers F.C. season 2006-07

First-team squad

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 Germany GER Stefan Klos
4 FW Belgium BEL Thomas Buffel
5 DF Bosnia and Herzegovina BIH Saša Papac
6 MF Scotland SCO Barry Ferguson (captain)
7 MF France FRA Brahim Hemdani
8 MF France FRA Jérémy Clément
9 FW Croatia CRO Dado Pršo
10 FW Spain ESP Nacho Novo
11 MF Scotland SCO Gavin Rae
14 MF Czech Republic CZE Libor Sionko
15 FW Scotland SCO Kris Boyd
16 DF England ENG Phillip Bardsley (on loan from Man. United)
17 MF Scotland SCO Chris Burke
No. Pos. Nation Player
18 DF Scotland SCO Ian Murray
19 DF Sweden SWE Karl Svensson
20 DF Scotland SCO Alan Hutton
21 GK France FRA Lionel Letizi
22 GK Scotland SCO Allan McGregor
23 FW Slovakia SVK Filip Šebo
25 MF Scotland SCO Charlie Adam
26 DF Scotland SCO Steven Smith
27 DF France FRA Julien Rodriguez
28 DF France FRA Antoine Ponroy
29 FW France FRA William Stanger
30 MF Senegal SEN Makhtar N'Diaye
32 MF England ENG Lee Martin (on loan from Man. United)


Reserve & Youth Squad

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
34 GK England ENG Lee Robinson
35 FW Scotland SCO Derek Carcary
37 MF Scotland SCO Brian Gilmour
39 FW England ENG Moses Ashikodi
41 DF Scotland SCO Alan Lowing
42 MF Scotland SCO Steven Lennon
43 MF Scotland SCO Sam Woods
44 MF Scotland SCO Paul Emslie
45 FW Scotland SCO Rory Loy
46 DF Scotland SCO Martin Ure
47 MF South Africa RSA Dean Furman
49 DF Scotland SCO Jordan McMillan
-- GK Scotland SCO Joe Sagar
50 DF Scotland SCO Michael Donald
No. Pos. Nation Player
53 MF Scotland SCO William McLachlan
54 DF Scotland SCO Scott Hadden
55 DF Scotland SCO Ross Harvey
56 FW Scotland SCO Chris Craig
57 MF Scotland SCO Steven Kinniburgh
58 GK Scotland SCO Scott Gallacher
59 DF Scotland SCO Andrew Shinnie
66 FW Ivory Coast CIV Lacine Cheriff
68 DF Scotland SCO Chris Smith
70 FW Scotland SCO John Fleck
-- FW Belgium BEL Jeroen van den Broeck
-- FW Northern Ireland NIR Andrew Little
-- FW Scotland SCO Archie Campbell

Players out on loan:

Non-playing staff

Boardroom

  • Chairman: David Murray
  • Chief Executive: Martin Bain
  • Football Administrator: Andrew Dickson
  • Director of Finance: Donald McIntyre
  • Operations Executive: Laurence MacIntyre
  • Director: John Greig
  • Non-Executive Director: John McClelland
  • Non-Executive Director: Alastair Johnston
  • Non-Executive Director: David Cunningham King
  • Non-Executive Director: Donald Wilson

Management

  • Manager: Paul Le Guen
  • Assistant Manager: Yves Colleu
  • Reserve Coach: Ian Durrant
  • Under-19 Coach: Billy Kirkwood
  • Coach: Tommy Wilson
  • Head of Youth Football: Jim Sinclair
  • Goalkeeping Coach: Billy Thompson
  • Community Coach: Craig Mulholland
  • Club Doctor: Dr Ian McGuiness
  • Physiotherapist: Joel Le Hir
  • Physiotherapist: Davie Henderson
  • Fitness Coach: Stephane Wiertelak
  • Video Analysis: Steve Harvey
  • Kit Controller: Jimmy Bell

Club records

Record home attendance: 118,567 .v. Celtic, January 1939

Record victory: 13-0 .v. Possilpark, Scottish Cup, October 1877

Record league victory: 10-0 .v. Hibernian, December 1898

Record defeat: 2-10 .v. Airdrieonians, 1886

Record league defeat: 0-6 Dumbarton, May 1892

Record appearances: John Greig, 755, 1960-1978

Record league appearances: Sandy Archibald, 513, 1917-1934

Record Scottish Cup appearances: Alec Smith, 74

Record league cup appearances: John Greig, 121

Record European appearances: John Greig, 64

Record goalscorer: Ally McCoist, 355 goals, 1983-1998

Most goals in one season: Sam English, 44 goals, 1931/1932

Most league goals: Ally McCoist, 251 goals

Most Scottish Cup goals: Jimmy Fleming, 44 goals

Most League Cup goals: Ally McCoist, 54 goals

Most European goals: Ally McCoist, 21 goals

Shutout record: Chris Woods, 1196 minutes, 1986/87 (British record)

Most capped player: Frank de Boer, 112 caps for The Netherlands

Highest transfer fee received: Giovanni van Bronckhorst, £8.5m, Arsenal, 2001

Highest transfer fee paid: Tore André Flo, £12.5m, Chelsea, 2000

Greatest team

Goram Jardine Gough Butcher Greig Cooper Gascoigne Baxter Laudrup Hateley McCoist
Rangers' Greatest Ever Team

The following team was voted as the greatest-ever Rangers team at an awards ceremony in 1999. Thousands of Rangers fans voted:

  1. Scotland Andy Goram
  2. Scotland Sandy Jardine
  3. Scotland John Greig
  4. Scotland Richard Gough
  5. England Terry Butcher
  6. Scotland Jim Baxter
  7. Scotland Davie Cooper
  8. England Paul Gascoigne
  9. Scotland Ally McCoist
  10. England Mark Hateley
  11. Denmark Brian Laudrup

Honours

  • Rangers hold the world record for number of domestic league championships won, racking up 51 titles.
  • They hold the record for domestic trebles, with seven so far.
  • Rangers won their 100th major trophy in 2000, the first club in the world to reach that milestone.
  • Have competed in European competitions in more seasons than any other British club, 46 times as of and including 2006-07.
  • First Scottish club to qualify from both the Champions League group stage (2005-06)

and the UEFA Cup group stage (2006-07)

Major honours

1891 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 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1999 2000 2003 2005
  • Scottish Cup Winners (31):
1894 1897 1898 1903 1928 1930 1932 1934 1935 1936 1948 1949 1950 1953 1960 1962
1963 1964 1966 1973 1976 1978 1979 1981 1992 1993 1996 1999 2000 2002 2003
  • Scottish League Cup Winners (24):
1947 1949 1961 1962 1964 1965 1971 1976 1978 1979 1982 1984
1985 1987 1988 1989 1991 1993 1994 1997 1999 2002 2003 2005

Other honours

  • Emergency War League (1): 1940
  • Southern League (6): 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1946
  • Milk Cup (3): (Premier) 1984, 1992; (Junior) 1985
  • Drybrough Cup (1): 1979
  • Tennents' Sixes (2): 1984, 1989
  • Glasgow Cup (44): 1893, 1894, 1897, 1898, 1900, 1901, 1902, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1914, 1918, 1919, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1930, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1940, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1948, 1950, 1954, 1957, 1958, 1960, 1969, 1971, 1975*, 1976, 1979, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987
    *1975 trophy shared with Celtic after 2-2 draw
  • Glasgow Merchants and Charity Cup (32): 1878-79, 1896-97, 1899-1900, 1903-04, 1905-06, 1906-07, 1908-09, 1910-11, 1918-19, 1921-22, 1922-23, 1924-25, 1927-28, 1928-29, 1929-30, 1930-31, 1931-32, 1932-33, 1933-34, 1938-39, 1939-40, 1940-41, 1941-42, 1943-44, 1944-45, 1945-46, 1946-47, 1947-48, 1950-51, 1954-55, 1956-57, 1959-60
  • Glasgow League (2): 1895/96, 1897/98

UEFA ranking

Current Club Ranking


Current National League ranking

References

  1. "A rivalry tied up in religion". BBC Website. 26 August 2006.
  2. "Who's getting cuffed today?". Sunday Herald. 24 April 2005.
  3. "Rangers handed fine". UEFA Website. 12 April 2006.
  4. "Rangers appeal upheld". UEFA Website. 24 May 2006.
  5. "Joint Supporter/Club Statement". Rangers FC Website.
  6. "Rangers unveil McLeish". BBC Sport website. 11 December, 2001. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. "What will McLeish bring to Rangers?". BBC Sport website. 11 December, 2001. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  8. "Helicopter Sunday". Follow Follow Fanzine.
  9. "Rangers go through but McLeish may miss party". The Independent. 7 December, 2005. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  10. "McLeish to leave Rangers in May". BBC Sport website. 9 February 2006.
  11. "Rangers name Le Guen as manager". BBC Sport website. 11 March 2006.
  12. "Total Number of Championships". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. 23 November 2006.
  13. "Domestic Trebles". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. 23 November 2006.
  14. "Glasgow Rangers - 100 Trophies". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. 21 October 2001.
  15. "Rangers 1-1 Inter Milan". BBC Sport website. 6 December 2005.
  16. "Auxerre 2-2 Rangers". BBC Sport website. 23 November 2006.

External links


Rangers F.C. seasons

Template:Fb start

Men's football in Scotland
Overview
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Template:Fb end Template:UEFA Cup 2006/07

Preceded byChelsea UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Winner
1972
Runner up: Dynamo Moscow 		Succeeded byA.C. Milan
Categories: