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Rangers

Full name	Rangers Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Gers, Teddy Bears, Blues
Founded	1872
Ground	Ibrox Stadium Glasgow, Scotland
Capacity	51,082
Owner	Craig Whyte
League	Scottish Premier League
2011–12	2nd
Website	http://www.rangers.co.uk/
Home colours Away colours Third colours
Current season

Rangers Football Club was a football club based in Glasgow, who played in the Scottish Premier League until the end of the 2011-12 season. The club's home was the all-seated 51,082-capacity Ibrox Stadium in south-west Glasgow. Rangers had a fierce rivalry with Celtic; the two Glasgow clubs being collectively known as the Old Firm.

Rangers won 54 League Championships, more top-flight national championships than any other club in the world. They won the Scottish League Cup 27 times – more than any other Scottish club – and the Scottish Cup 33 times. Rangers also won seven domestic trebles, more than any other club in the world. In 1961, Rangers reached the final of the European Cup Winners' Cup, becoming the first British club to reach the final of a UEFA club competition. They won the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1972, having been the runners-up in 1961 and 1967, and were also runners-up in the 2008 UEFA Cup Final.

In February 2012 Rangers entered administration as a result of a tax dispute with HM Revenue and Customs. On 14 June 2012 the club was forced into liquidation following the rejection of a proposed Company Voluntary Arrangement, and the club's assets, including Ibrox Stadium and Murray Park, were bought by Sevco 5088 - a consortium led by Charles Green, a former chief executive of Sheffield United. This company has applied to register with the Scottish Football Association and to participate in the Scottish Premier League.

History

Formation and early years

The four founders of Rangers – brothers Moses and Peter McNeil, Peter Campbell and William McBeath – met in 1872 and named their team after an English rugby club upon seeing the name in a book. In May of that year the first match was played, a 0–0 draw in a friendly against Callander F.C. on the public pitches of Glasgow Green. The only other match played that year was another friendly against a team called Clyde (not the present-day Clyde) resulting in an 11–0 victory and featuring the debut of the club's blue strip. The official founding of Rangers is recognised as taking place in 1873, when the club held its first annual meeting and staff were elected. The first season's fixtures were all friendlies, as the deadline for joining the Scottish Football Association had been missed, meaning the team did not take part in the inaugural Scottish Cup. By 1876 Rangers had their first international player, with Moses McNeil representing Scotland in a match against Wales, and by 1877 Rangers had reached a Scottish Cup final. The first ever Old Firm match took place in 1888, the year of Celtic's establishment. Rangers lost 5–2 in a friendly to a team composed largely of "guest players" from Hibernians.

The 1890–91 season saw the inception of the Scottish Football League, and Rangers were one of ten original members. By this time Rangers were playing at the first Ibrox Stadium. Rangers' first ever league match took place on 16 August 1890 and resulted in a 5–2 victory over Heart of Midlothian. After finishing equal-top with Dumbarton a play-off was held at Cathkin Park to decide who would be champions. The match finished 2–2 and the title was shared for the only time in its history, the first of Rangers' world record 54 championships. Rangers' first ever Scottish Cup win came in 1894 after a 3–1 victory over rivals Celtic in the final. By the turn of the century Rangers had won two league titles and three Scottish Cups.

The Struth years

The 1919/20 season heralded the dawn of a new era for Rangers as manager William Wilton and number two Bill Struth initiated a Rangers dominance that was to last until the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939. Though winning this season with 31 wins out of 42 games and scoring 106 goals, it was overshadowed by the subsequent death of manager, William Wilton. Taking over the manager's mantle, Bill Struth guided Rangers to a further 14 titles before the war. This period was also noteworthy for the attendances. On 2 January 1939 a British league record was broken as 118,567 fans turned out to watch Rangers beat Celtic in the traditional new year holiday Old Firm match.

1970s

The 1971 Ibrox disaster overshadowed what happened on the pitch to a large extent in the early 1970s. On 2 January 1971, in the final minutes of the New Year's Day Old Firm game with the score set at 0–0, Jimmy Johnstone scored for Celtic. Within seconds Colin Stein had equalised for Rangers. As the 80,000 strong crowd was trying to disperse at full time, many fell down the stairway at the Copland Road end of the ground. Their momentum led to large scale crushing and 66 people died. It was initially thought the crush was caused by Rangers fans rushing back up the stairwell after the equaliser; however, a later enquiry said that the crush was likely to have happened ten minutes after the final whistle and to have been triggered by someone falling on the stairs. A benefit match to raise funds for the victims' families took place after the disaster. A joint Rangers and Celtic team took on a Scotland XI at Hampden watched by 81,405 fans.

In 1972, Rangers defeated FC Dynamo Moscow to win the Cup Winner's Cup, their first and only European trophy to date. Captain John Greig received the trophy in a small room within the Nou Camp due to a pitch invasion by Rangers fans.

Nine 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 meant that they equalled Celtic's record. The first three of these seasons the club was managed by Graeme Souness, the latter six under the stewardship of Walter Smith.

1998–2006

In 1998 Dick Advocaat accepted the invitation from then Rangers chairman David Murray to become the club's new manager. When Advocaat took charge of Rangers he became the first foreign manager to do so and only the tenth manager in the history of the club. Advocaat's European experience was the main reason behind his appointment. The previous season was the last of seven under Walter Smith, and the first time the club had finished without a trophy in twelve years. Long term members of the squad that had won nine league championships in a row left. With the financial backing from Murray, Advocaat invested heavily in the team and lead the club to the domestic treble, with the league championship was won at Celtic Park on 2 May 1999.

The following season the club won the league by a record 21 point margin, and also won the Scottish Cup. This season saw Rangers attempt to make forays into the latter stages of the UEFA Champions League. The Dutchman guided Rangers into the Champions League having beating the UEFA Cup winners Parma en route, sadly, Rangers went out of the group stage. The club then lost to Borussia Dortmund in a penalty shoot-out in the UEFA Cup. In his last season at Rangers, Advocaat guided Gers to the last 16 of the UEFA Cup in the 2001–02 season, but with Celtic leading the league championship by 12 points, Advocaat resigned from the manager's position on 12 December 2001. Advocaat, with the permission of Murray, had invested great sums into the side in an attempt to bring European success to the club. However, with little benefit from the major expenditure, Rangers became burdened with debt after spending £36m on players and ran up debts in the region of £52m.

Alex McLeish had become Rangers boss on 13 December 2001 and initially worked in association with Dick Advocaat who became Director of Football before leaving the Ibrox club later that year. Advocaat also managed the Netherlands national team in a part-time capacity McLeish seemed to encourage performances out of a squad that had under-achieved under Advocaat. McLeish was an instant success at Rangers, winning both the Scottish Cup and League Cup in his first season, but the big prize of the league title was essentially lost before his arrival. McLeish became the sixth Rangers manager to deliver a Treble when he swept the boards in season 2002/03 – his first full season in charge. The League was won on goal difference in a dramatic final day shootout, which delivered Rangers' 50th title.

Rangers' worsening financial state saw many of the team's top players leave in the summer of 2003. Celtic won the league comfortably in season 2003–04, and Rangers failed to win any trophies.

The Bosman signings of Jean-Alain Boumsong and Dado Pršo in the close season of 2004–05 gave Rangers renewed hope of regaining the title from Celtic's grasp. McLeish's team won the 2005 league title on a dramatic last day, an outcome that had looked highly unlikely after Rangers fell five points behind leaders Celtic with just four games remaining. Celtic losing to Motherwell at Fir Park, coupled with Rangers' win at Easter Road meant that the helicopter changed direction and delivered the SPL trophy to Rangers at the Leith ground.

After this success, McLeish and his Rangers team headed into the 2005–06 SPL campaign as favourites to retain the championship. After a reasonable start to the season, including a win over Celtic, Rangers suffered a series of poor results between September and November. This period included a club record of 10 games without a win. However the tenth match of this run, a 1–1 draw with Inter Milan in the Champions League, took Rangers into the last 16 of the Champions League. The club were defeated on the away goals rule by Villarreal. but in reaching this stage of the competition had become the first Scottish team to progress that far in the European Cup since 1993, and the first Scottish team to progress through a European group stage.

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.

Paul Le Guen

Paul Le Guen replaced Alex McLeish as manager after season 2005–06.

The season started poorly for Rangers, with a number of losses and draws against teams lower in the league, as well as their being knocked out of the League Cup by Division One side St. Johnstone. Rivals Celtic built a lead at the top of the table, while Rangers fought for second place alongside Hearts and Aberdeen. The first Old Firm match of the season resulted in a 2–0 defeat; the second – at Ibrox – was a 1–1 draw.

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.

There had been rumours during the season of disharmony at Rangers, between Scottish and foreign units, with players including captain Barry Ferguson disapproving of Le Guen's strict disciplinarian stance. It was announced on 4 January 2007 that Le Guen had left Rangers by mutual consent.

Walter Smith's return

On 10 January 2007, former manager Walter Smith was appointed the new manager of Rangers, with Ally McCoist as assistant manager and Kenny McDowall as first-team coach.

The following season Rangers embarked on a UEFA Cup adventure after dropping into the competition from the Champions League. The club progressed to the final, defeating Panathinaikos, Werder Bremen, Sporting Lisbon and Fiorentina along the way. The final was against Zenit St. Petersburg who were managed by former Rangers manager Dick Advocaat. They lost the match 2–0, amid serious disturbances caused by some supporters. Video evidence was released by the Greater Manchester Police of Rangers fans attacking officers and officers attacking the fans with batons and dogs, in Manchester city centre following the defeat.

The 2008–09 season saw Rangers make a below-par start to their UEFA Champions League campaign, losing out in the knock-out stage to FBK Kaunas of Lithuania. The financial consequences of the failures to qualify for the Champions League were revealed when the club posted a loss of £3.9m for the six months to December 2008, and in March decided to offer staff the option of voluntary redundancy as a way of cutting costs. Despite a tight title race, on the final day of the league, Rangers managed to claim their 52nd league title. With their title success, Rangers gained automatic entry into the following season's Champions League group stage. Rangers won the Scottish Cup for the 33rd time after defeating Falkirk 1–0 in the final, clinching a double in the process.

At the beginning of the 2009–10 season Rangers had to reduce their squad size by several players due to increasing costs while not having the finances to sign anyone. After a disappointing European campaign where they only picked up two points in the Champions League group stage they made a £13 million profit at the turn of the year. Rangers reached their fifth consecutive domestic cup final where they played St. Mirren in the Scottish League Cup. After having two players sent off in the second half Rangers won the final 1–0 through a goal from Kenny Miller.

On 25 April 2010, Rangers retained their league title with three matches remaining by defeating Hibernian 1–0 with a Kyle Lafferty goal. This was their 53rd Scottish League title. With this success, they again sealed their automatic entry into the 2010–11 Champions League.

During the close season Walter Smith announced the upcoming new season would be his last as manager of Rangers and that the intention was to replace him with Ally McCoist and assistant Kenny McDowall. Smith stated: "I am wholly committed to managing the club next season and when it comes to the end of next season I firmly believe that Ally and Kenny would do a great job and I am glad everybody at the club shares that view."

Smith led Rangers to victory in the League Cup Final over Celtic.

On 6 May 2011 it was confirmed that David Murray had sold his controlling interest in the club (85.3 percent) to Wavetower limited for £1. Wavetower Limited is owned by the company Liberty Capital which in turn is ultimately owned by businessman Craig Whyte, a lifelong supporter of the club.

On 15 May 2011 Rangers secured their third consecutive title by beating Kilmarnock 5–1. The win was Smith's final match in charge of the club.

Ally McCoist

Ally McCoist was announced as the new Rangers manager beginning in June 2011. McCoist's first competitive match in charge was against Hearts, ending in a 1–1 draw. Rangers were drawn against Swedish side Malmö FF in the Champions League third round qualifying match which they lost 2–1 on aggregate. Rangers were then knocked out of Europe in the Europa League qualifying match against Slovenian side Maribor 3–2 on aggregate. 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. They were knocked out of the League Cup by Falkirk and the Scottish Cup by Dundee Utd at Ibrox.

Administration and liquidation

On 14 February 2012 Rangers entered administration over non-payment of £9 million in PAYE and VAT taxes to HM Revenue and Customs. On entering administration the team was deducted 10 points by the SPL, effectively ending its 2012 championship challenge. Rangers then failed to submit accounts for 2011 and were not granted a licence to play in European football in season 2012–2013. In April it was revealed that the Club's total debts could top £134M. HM Revenue and Customs made clear it would vote against a proposed Company Voluntary Arrangement and two days later, on 14 June 2012, their formal rejection of the proposed CVA meant that the Club entered the liquidation process.. Immediately following this, the Club's assets were sold off to Sevco 5088 owned by Charles Green, with the BDO Insolvency firm to be appointed to reveal why the Club failed. The Club was projected to be dissolved in around 6 to 8 weeks.

Colours and crest

Colours and kit

The club colours of Rangers F.C. are royal blue, white and red. However, for the majority of the first forty-eight years of Rangers existence the club played in a plain light blue home shirt. The only deviation from this was a four season period from 1879 when the side wore a light blue hooped shirt.

The team's home strip invariably features a royal blue shirt (often with white and/or red trim). Traditionally this is accompanied by white shorts (often with royal blue and/or red trim) and black socks with red turn-downs. Black socks were first included in 1883 for five seasons before disappearing for eight years but became a permanent fixture from 1896 onwards. When the red turn-downs were added to the socks in 1904, the strip began to look more like the modern day Rangers home kit. Occasionally the home kit will be altered by the shorts and socks, sometimes replacing the black socks with white ones; or replacing the white shorts and black socks combination with royal blue shorts and socks.

The basic design of Rangers away strips has changed far more than the traditional home strip. White and red have been the most common colours for Rangers alternate strips, though dark and light blue have also featured highly.

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.

Crest

In 2012 Rangers had two different club crests. The scroll crest, representing letters RFC overlapping each other, has been used since the club's formation in 1872 and was first introduced to the Rangers kits in 1968; it was modified several times in the 1990s. After successful season 2002/03, which delivered Rangers a Treble and their 50th championship title, it was decided to add five stars above the scroll crest, one for every ten titles won by the club.

The circular crest was adopted in 1959 and features a lion rampant on an old-style football and the club's motto Ready, which was shortened from Aye Ready (meaning Always Ready in Scots) in 1966, all surrounded by the official team name, Rangers Football Club. The circular crest was mostly used on merchandise and by the media. When the club entered liquidation on 14 June 2012, the rights to the club crests were sold to Sevco 5088 along with Rangers' other assets.

Sponsors and manufacturers

The club has had five main shirt sponsors. Tennent's are the main shirt sponsors of Rangers, and as part of the sponsorship deal, their logo is displayed on the front of the club's shirts and on merchandise. The first shirt sponsor was Scottish double glazing firm CR Smith. In 1984, Rangers signed a three-year deal with CR Smith, who also had a similar deal with Celtic. At the end of the contract both Old Firm clubs were offered terms by brewers Scottish & Newcastle to become their new sponsor. The deal would have seen Rangers bear the McEwan's Lager and Celtic sport the Harp Lager logo on their shirts. The latter club rejected the deal but Rangers accepted and in 1987 began what would become a twelve-year association with the drinks company. The club wore the McEwan's Lager logo on the front its shirts for all but two matches during the Nine in a row era. When Rangers played French sides AJ Auxerre and RC Strasbourg in the 1996–97 UEFA Champions League and the 1996–97 UEFA Cup respectively, due to a French ban on alcohol advertising the team wore the logo of Center Parcs. In 1999, both Old Firm clubs signed a joint sponsorship deal with telecommunications company NTL. The four-year deal was worth £13 million but ended in mid-2003.

Rangers then signed a contract with Carling. The deal was the second joint Old Firm sponsorship agreement. It was announced on 3 January 2003 and began at the start of the 2003–04 season, initially for three years and worth a total of £12 million pounds. On 21 July 2005 the contract was extended. The new deal was five years in length and worth a basic £18 million but with substantial bonuses should either club meet performance targets. As Rangers and Celtic both reached the last 16 of the Champions League during this period, plus the Ibrox club's 2008 UEFA Cup Final appearance, the deal proved to be lucrative. On 3 February 2010, Rangers and Celtic announced a three-year contract with Tennent's brewery. The deal is worth around £1.5 million per season to each club.

The club has had five independent kit manufacturers, the first being English sportswear company Umbro, which became the first company to place their logo on a Rangers shirt in 1978. Admiral took over in 1990, but only manufactured one strip. German company Adidas followed in 1992 then American company Nike in 1997 and Italian manufacturer Diadora in 2002, before Umbro began a second spell as the club's kit manufacturers in 2005.

Ownership and finances

Between 1988 and 2011 Scottish steel magnate David Murray was the owner of Rangers, after he had purchased the club for £6 million.

After protracted takeover negotiations, the club was bought by Scottish businessman Craig Whyte on 6 May 2011 for £1. The reason for such a small fee was because of Rangers' outstanding debt of around £22 million, of which £18million was subsequently cleared, owed to the clubs bankers Lloyds as well as several debt cases which, if successfully prosecuted, could total over £55 million. It is possible that Rangers will be made insolvent if they lose the biggest debt case against Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs, which is for £49 million. On 13 February 2012 Rangers filed legal papers at the Court of Session giving notice of their intention to appoint administrators. The following day HMRC made a bid to be allowed to appoint the administrators, but this was unsuccessful, and they withdrew the petition. Rangers officially entered administration on 14 February 2012, after appointing London-based financial advisers Duff and Phelps as administrators. The administrators estimated that total debts, as of 6 April 2012, could be as much as £134m. On 12 June 2012 a proposed CVA to exit administration was rejected by HMRC. On 14 June 2012 the club was forced into liquidation following the formal rejection of the proposed Company Voluntary Arrangement, and the club's assets, including Ibrox Stadium and Murray Park, were bought by Sevco 5088 - a consortium led by Charles Green, a former chief executive of Sheffield United. This club has applied to register with the Scottish Football Association and to participate in the Scottish Premier League.

Rivalries

The club's most distinct rivalry is with Celtic F.C, the other major football club based in Glasgow; the two clubs are collectively known as the Old Firm. Rangers' traditional support has largely come from the Protestant Unionist community, meanwhile Celtic's traditional support has largely come from the Catholic republican 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 and many deaths on Old Firm derby days; an activist group that monitors sectarian activity in Glasgow has reported that on Old Firm weekends, admissions to hospital emergency rooms have increased 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 rivalry with Aberdeen 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 Neil Simpson's tackle on Rangers' Ian Durrant resulted in Durrant being injured for two years. Resentment continued and in 1998 an article in Rangers pre-match programme branded Aberdeen fans "scum". Rangers stated that they had "issued a full and unreserved apology" to Aberdeen and their supporters, and this was accepted by Aberdeen. In another incident, then Rangers captain Richard Gough accused Aberdeen of only playing when it was against Rangers. This further increased the hostility between supporters of both clubs, which has continued.

Issues with sectarianism

Examples of sectarianism

During the late 19th century, many immigrants came to Glasgow from Ireland – this was a time of considerable anti-Catholic and anti-Irish sentiment in Scotland. By the early 20th century, Catholic players were asked to leave the club. Between World War I and the 1980s, Rangers did not knowingly sign any Catholic players. Many have written about the club's refusal to sign Catholic players, or employ Catholics in other roles, and the discrimination against employees who married Catholics. Particularly from the 1970s, Rangers came under increasing media pressure over their policy. Although general manager Willie Waddell stated that the club would change its stance, several of the club's directors publicly defended its position, and the policy continued until the late 1980s.

In 1989, when Rangers signed Maurice "Mo" Johnston, "their first major Roman Catholic signing", David Miller, the general secretary of the Rangers' Supporters' Association condemned the signing, saying "It is a sad day for Rangers... I don't want to see a Roman Catholic at Ibrox." Johnston was the highest-profile Catholic to sign for the club since the World War I era; other Catholics signed prior to Johnston but since the end of World War I include Laurie Blyth (1951–1952), Don Kitchenbrand (1955–1956), Hugh O'Neill (1976) and John Spencer (1985–1992).

In 1999, Rangers' vice-chairman Donald Findlay was forced to resign after he was filmed singing sectarian songs, whilst celebrating Rangers' victory in the Scottish Cup. Findlay sang The Sash, The Billy Boys and Follow Follow during a supporters club event. The Faculty of Advocates also fined Findlay £3,500.

In 2002 the club dropped their controversial orange away strip though the club said their decision was "a commercial decision, not based on politics. We change the shirt every season with new designs to try to make it new and fresh". Anti-sectarianism campaigners and politicians had criticised the club's decision to market an orange shirt, as the colour is associated with the Orange Institution.

In 2006, after a UEFA Champions League tie against Villarreal, UEFA's Control and Disciplinary Body initially found Rangers' fans guilty of violent behaviour but not guilty of discriminatory chanting. UEFA subsequently challenged the ruling, and the Appeals Body partially upheld the appeal, fining Rangers €19,500 and issuing a warning to the club regarding any future misconduct. In 2007, Rangers were fined again after some of their fans were filmed making sectarian chants at a UEFA Cup match against Osasuna. This time the fine was €12,000 but Osasuna were fined nearly four times this amount due to errors in the match organisation and the segregation of the fans.

In 2008, Rangers fans' singing of the "Famine song", containing the lyrics "The famine's over now / Why don't you go home", caused controversy. The football club urged fans to stop singing the song and warned they could be arrested for it. Rangers' chief executive Martin Bain also warned fans they could be arrested for singing the song, but would not condemn the chanting. He also said "Clearly some supporters feel aggrieved that a song they believe to be no more than a tit-for-tat 'wind up' of Celtic supporters should be singled out in this way and merit the attention of police, governments and anti-racist organisations".

The song was condemned as racist by anti-racism group Show Racism the Red Card and described as "vile, vicious and racist" by Celtic chairman John Reid. Also, after a complaint from a Celtic fan, Irish diplomats contacted the Scottish government to raise the issue with them. The Rangers Supporters Trust however rejected claims that the song was racist, claiming that it was only a distasteful wind-up of Celtic fans.

In November 2008, a Rangers fan was found guilty of a breach of the peace, aggravated by religious and racial prejudice, by singing the "Famine Song" during a game against Kilmarnock. In February 2009, sectarian chanting by some Rangers fans during an Old Firm match at Celtic Park was reported to the SPL by the match delegate, again relating to the chanting of the "Famine Song".

Both the club and its fans are disparagingly nicknamed "the Huns" by some fans of Celtic. The Rangers Supporters Trust, in their statement defending the singing of the "Famine Song", described the nickname as "sectarian abuse". The anti-sectarian charity Nil by Mouth also considers "Huns" to be a sectarian insult. In 2008, a Celtic fan was convicted of a religiously aggravated breach of the peace for wearing a t-shirt with the slogan "dirty horrible huns".

In March 2011, Rangers fans were accused by UEFA of sectarian singing during the away leg of their Europa League match with PSV Eindhoven. In April, further charges of sectarian singing were made against them concerning the home tie. Rangers were fined €40,000 and had their fans banned for one away European match as a result of the UEFA hearing.

Rangers' efforts to eliminate sectarianism

In recent times, both Old Firm teams have taken measures to combat sectarianism. Working alongside the Scottish Parliament, church groups, pressure groups such as Nil by Mouth, schools and community organisations, the Old Firm have endeavoured to clamp down on sectarian songs, inflammatory flag-waving, and troublesome supporters, using increased levels of policing and surveillance.

In August 2003 Rangers launched its 'Pride Over Prejudice' campaign to promote social inclusion, which has urged fans to wear only traditional Rangers colours and avoid offensive songs, banners and salutes. This involved publishing the 'Blue Guide', known as the "Wee Blue Book", which contained a list of acceptable songs and was issued to 50,000 supporters in August 2007.

In 2005, Rangers Football in the Community partnered with Celtic to form the 'Old Firm Alliance', an initiative aimed at educating children from across Glasgow about issues like healthy eating and fitness, as well as awareness of anti-social behaviour, sectarianism and racism. The club's 'Follow With Pride' campaign was launched in 2007 to improve the club's image and build on previous anti-racist, anti-sectarian campaigns. In the past there has been racism directed at players on the pitch at Rangers games, from both home and opposition fans. Some Rangers fans racially abused former Celtic player Bobo Balde, and former Rangers player Mark Walters was racially abused by some Celtic, Hearts and Rangers fans. The club, through the Rangers Study Centre, is also involved in the "Ready to Learn" project, along with Glasgow City Council.

In 2006 William Gallard, 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 had taken against sectarianism.

Stadium and training facility

The club used a variety of grounds in Glasgow as a venue for home matches in the years between 1872 and 1899. The first was Flesher's Haugh, situated on Glasgow Green, followed by Burnbank in the Kelvinbridge area of the city, and then Kinning Park for ten years from the mid-1870s to the mid-1880s. From February of the 1886–87 season, Cathkin Park was used until the first Ibrox Park, in the Ibrox area of south-west Glasgow, was inaugurated for the following season. Ibrox Stadium in its current incarnation was originally designed by the architect Archibald Leitch, a Rangers fan who also played a part in the design of, among others, Old Trafford in Manchester and Highbury in London. The stadium was inaugurated on 30 December 1899, and Rangers defeated Hearts 3–1 in the first match held there.

Since 1899, two major disasters have taken place at the stadium. The first occurred in 1902 during a Scotland vs England international match, when a section of terracing collapsed, leading to the deaths of 26 people and over 500 injuries. The second disaster took place in 1971, during the traditional New Year's Day Old Firm match. As the crowd were leaving the match, barriers on the stairway to the rear of passageway 13 at the Copland End collapsed, causing a crush and resulting in the deaths of 66 people, with over 200 injuries. This led to a major redevelopment of Ibrox, overseen by the general manager Willie Waddell, including its conversion to an all-seater stadium. Ibrox was awarded UEFA five-star stadium status, which has since been replaced by a different classification system.

The stands in Ibrox are: The Bill Struth Main Stand (south; three tiers; the top one known as the Club Deck), Govan Stand (north; two tiers), and the Copland (east) and Broomloan (west) Stands (both two tiers), which are behind the goals. In addition to these, there are also the East and West Enclosures (in the lower tier of the Main Stand), and the two corners adjacent to the Govan Stand are filled in. As a result of work completed in the summer of 2006 to make the Bar 72 area situated in the Govan Stand, the total capacity of Ibrox is 51,082. On 22 August 2006, Rangers announced that the Main Stand would be renamed The Bill Struth Main Stand in September 2006 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the death of their former manager, who served Rangers for 34 years. There were plans underway for a redevelopment of Ibrox stadium which would have resulted in Ibrox being rebuilt as a 70,000 seated stadium – which would have made it the second largest club football stadium in Britain after Old Trafford. The official Rangers Website was quoted as saying: "We are analysing three strategies which would enhance the development of the existing outline planning proposals for the Hinshelwood area to the south of the stadium. One of the strategies includes the total rebuilding of Ibrox Stadium while retaining the brick facade, the tradition and the integrity of the Bill Struth Main Stand".

Rangers' training facility is located in Auchenhowie, near Milngavie in Glasgow. The facility is known as Murray Park after former chairman and owner Sir David Murray. It was proposed by then-manager Dick Advocaat upon his arrival at the club in 1998. It was completed in 2001 at a cost of £14 million. Murray Park was the first purpose-built facility of its kind in Scotland, and incorporates features including nine football pitches, a state of the art gym, a hydrotherapy pool, and a video-editing suite. Rangers' youth teams are also accommodated at Murray Park, with around 140 players between under-10 and under-19 age groups using the training centre. Various first-team players have come through the ranks at Murray Park, including Alan Hutton, Chris Burke, Stevie Smith, John Fleck and Charlie Adam. International club teams playing in Scotland, as well as national sides, have previously used Murray Park for training, and Advocaat's South Korea team used it for training prior to the 2006 World Cup.

As a result of Rangers entering liquidation on June 14th, 2012, both Ibrox Stadium and Murray Park, along with other club assets, were sold to the consortium led by Charles Green trading under the name The Rangers Football Club Ltd.

Players at end of season 2011/12

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  SCO Allan McGregor 2 DF  ROU Dorin Goian 4 DF  SCO Kirk Broadfoot 5 DF  BIH Saša Papac 6 MF  SCO Lee McCulloch 7 MF  USA Maurice Edu 8 MF  NIR Steven Davis (captain) 10 FW  SCO John Fleck 11 FW  NIR Kyle Lafferty 12 DF  SCO Lee Wallace 14 FW  SCO Steven Naismith 15 FW  NIR David Healy 17 MF  ESP Juan Manuel Ortiz 18 DF  USA Carlos Bocanegra (vice-captain) 19 MF  NGA Sone Aluko 21 MF  USA Alejandro Bedoya

No. Pos. Nation Player 22 DF  ENG Kyle Bartley (On loan from Arsenal) 25 GK  SCO Neil Alexander 26 MF  SCO Jamie Ness 28 MF  FRA Salim Kerkar 30 GK  SCO Scott Gallacher 31 GK  SCO Grant Adam 32 DF  SCO Ross Perry 34 FW  NIR Andrew Little 35 MF  SCO Kyle Hutton 36 DF  SCO Darren Cole 37 DF  NIR Chris Hegarty 38 FW  ENG Kane Hemmings 39 MF  SCO Gordon Dick 41 MF  SCO Rhys McCabe 41 MF  NIR Andrew Mitchell 42 FW  SCO Kal Naismith

Reserve and Under-19 squad

2011–12 transfers

Notable players

Retired Numbers

12 – Club Supporters (the 12th Man)

International players

Team managers

Non-playing staff at end of season 2011/12

Board

Coaching

Records

Club

Record home attendance

118,567 vs Celtic, January 1939

Record victory

13–0 vs Possilpark, Scottish Cup, 6 October 1877

Record league victory

10–0 vs Hibernian, 24 December 1898

Record defeat

2–10 vs Airdrieonians, 6 February 1886

Record league defeat

0–6 vs Dumbarton, 4 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 Scottish League Cup appearances

John Greig, 121

Record European competition appearances

Barry Ferguson, 82

Record goalscorer

Ally McCoist, 355 goals, 1983–1998

Most goals in one season

Jim Forrest, 57 goals, 1964–65

Most league goals in one season

Sam English, 44 goals, 1931–32

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

Alan Hutton, £9m, Tottenham Hotspur, 2008

Highest transfer fee paid

Tore André Flo, £12m, Chelsea, 2000

Individual

All players are from Scotland unless otherwise stated.

Top goalscorers

Most appearances

Managerial

Name	League	Scottish Cup	League Cup	Europe	Total
William Wilton (1899–1920)	8	1	0	0	9
Bill Struth (1920–1954)	18	10	2	0	30
Scot Symon (1954–1967)	6	5	4	0	15
David White (1967–1969)	0	0	0	0	0
William Waddell (1969–1972)	0	0	1	1	2
Jock Wallace (1972–1978, 1983–1986)	3	3	4	0	10
John Greig (1978–1983)	0	2	2	0	4
Graeme Souness (1986–1991)	3	0	4	0	7
Walter Smith (1991–1998, 2007–2011)	10	5	6	0	21
Dick Advocaat (1998–2002)	2	2	1	0	5
Alex McLeish (2001–2006)	2	2	3	0	7
Paul Le Guen (2006–2007)	0	0	0	0	0
Ally McCoist (2011–)	0	0	0	0	0

Europe

Honours

Domestic honours

• Scottish League Championships: 54

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, 2009, 2010, 2011

• Scottish Cup: 33

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, 2008, 2009

• Scottish League Cup: 27

1947, 1949, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1971, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1997, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2008, 2010, 2011

European honours

• UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: 1

1972

Commerical interests

Merchandise licencing

Superleague Formula

Rangers Football Club had a team in the Superleague Formula race car series. The Rangers F.C. team has been operated by Alan Docking Racing. In 2008 Ryan Dalziel drove for Rangers F.C. in the teams maiden sason. James Walker also drove for the team in one round of the 2008 season and posted their best result, a fourth place finish.

For the 2009 season, the team were much more successful with Australian driver John Martin posting three podium places including one win at Donington Park.

The Rangers team did not compete in the 2010 Superleague Formula season as it was not named in the provisional entry list, which included which race teams might operate each car.

References

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41. "Clash of cultures". BBC Sport. 5 January 2007.
42. "Le Guen and Rangers part company". BBC Sport. 4 January 2007.
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44. Rangers 0–3 Lyon BBC Sport, 12 December 2007
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62. Rangers frustrated despite Naismith equaliser as Hearts claim point The Observer, 23 July 2011
63. Rangers crash out of Champions League after seeing red twice at Malmo guardian.co.uk, 3 August 2011
64. Rangers 1 – 1 NK Maribor (agg 2 – 3) BBC Sport, 25 August 2011
65. "Rangers 4–2 Celtic" BBC Sport. 18 September 2011.
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73. "Rangers to be re-formed". ESPN Soccernet. 12 June 2012. Retrieved 12 June 2012.
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76. {{cite news|title=Rangers in Crisis|url=http://news.stv.tv/scotland/105870-rangers-crisis-hmrc-look-to-investigate-those-responsible-for-meltdown/%7Caccessdate=12 June 2012|TV=STV|date=12 June 2012}
77. ^ "Rangers Kit – Through The Years". Rangers FC. Retrieved 17 February 2010.
78. "Current Rangers Away shirt". JJB Sports. Retrieved 22 March 2009.
79. "Current Rangers Third shirt". JJB Sports. Retrieved 22 March 2009.
80. "Rangers Change Kits". Historical Football Kits. Retrieved 12 January 2011.
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82. Rueter, Jeremy. "Glasgow Rangers – wallpaper, motto, logo, nickname". Albion Road. Retrieved 12 January 2011.
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84. "Lager tops". Mad.co.uk. 1 May 2003. Retrieved 28 January 2010.
85. "An alternative to alcohol" True Colours, 3 July 2009
86. "Old Firm rivals in shirt link". BBC Sport. 24 February 1999. Retrieved 28 January 2010.
87. "Yorkston counters TV claims" BBC Sport, 8 July 2002
88. "Old Firm sign new sponsorship deal". The Guardian. 3 January 2003. Retrieved 28 January 2010.
89. "Old firm reveal sponsors". Telegraph. 3 January 2003. Retrieved 28 January 2010.
90. "Old Firm sign new £18m shirt deal" BBC Sport, 21 July 2005
91. Jardine, Peter (28 January 2010). "The last drop! Sponsors Carling ready to pull plug on Old Firm deal". Daily Mail. Retrieved 28 January 2010.
92. "Celtic & Rangers sign sponsorship deal with Tennent's". BBC Sport. 3 February 2010.
93. "Umbro nets Rangers sponsorship deal". This is Money. 3 March 2005. Retrieved 28 January 2010.
94. "Shirt sponsors and manufacturers". Historical Kits. 2 January 1939. Retrieved 22 March 2009.
95. "Murray makes £112 million but not a penny will be put into Rangers". The Scotsman. 2 December 2005. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
96. Published on Thursday 1 September 2005 00:32 (1 September 2005). "Murray's share issue cuts Rangers' debt to £23.1m – Top Football Stories". The Scotsman. Retrieved 12 April 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
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98. "BBC SPORT | Football | My Club | Rangers | Murray takes Ibrox blame". BBC News. 16 January 2004. Retrieved 12 April 2012.
99. "Craig Whyte completes takeover of Rangers for £1". BBC Sport. 6 May 2011. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
100. "Rangers chairman admits club could go out of business". BBC Sport. 1 April 2011. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
101. "Rangers visited by HMRC over disputed tax bill". BBC News. 1 September 2011. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
102. ^ "Rangers new owners 'appreciate risk of insolvency'". BBC Sport. 23 September 2011. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
103. "BBC News – Rangers FC signals intent to go into administration". BBC. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
104. Brian Donnelly (15 February 2012). "Legal drama as Rangers enter administration". Herald Scotland. Retrieved 15 March 2012.
105. "BBC News – Rangers Football Club enters administration". BBC. Retrieved 14 February 2012.
106. "BBC News – Rangers' estimated debts could top £134m". BBC. 5 April 2012. Retrieved 12 April 2012.
107. Rangers crisis: Ibrox and Murray Park transferred to Scottish newco stv.tv, 27 June 2012
108. Charles Green completes Rangers purchase despite Walter Smith bid BBC News, accessed 14 June 2012
109. Foer, pp. 36–37
110. Lawford, Mark (13 March 2009). "Sportsmail's guide to illogical footballing rivalries". Daily Mail.
111. "Rangers apologise to Aberdeen". The Independent. 18 November 1998. Retrieved 28 January 2010.
112. "A history of bad blood". BBC Sport. 19 January 2002. Retrieved 28 January 2010.
113. Armstrong, G. & Giulianotti, R., Fear and loathing in world football, Berg, 2001, p. 25
114. Murray, W., The Old Firm, John Donald, 2000, p. 60
115. Giulianotti, R., Football: a sociology of the global game, Wiley-Blackwell, 1999, p.18ff "Historically Rangers have maintained a staunch Protestant and anti-Catholic tradition which includes a ban on signing Catholic players."
116. Gallagher, T., Glasgow, the uneasy peace: religious tension in modern Scotland, 1819–1914, Manchester University Press, 1987, p. 300ff
117. Murray, W., The Old Firm, John Donald Publishers Ltd, 2000, p.189ff
118. "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." (Graeme Souness: A Manager's Diary, Mainstream, 1989); p. 17
119. "Graeme Souness prayed I would be the first Catholic to join Rangers". Daily Record. 3 September 2005.
120. Darryl Broadfoot Rangers try to avert title ‘nightmare’, The Herald, 27 July 2007
121. For example: Archer, I. "Ian Archer says..." in The Glasgow Herald, 11 October 1976, p. 3 "As a Scottish football club, they are a permanent embarrassment and an occasional disgrace. This country would be a better place if Rangers did not exist. They are a permanent embarrassment because they are the only club in the world which insists that every member of the team is of one religion. They are an occasional disgrace because some of their fans, fuelled by bigotry, behave like animals."
122. "will divorce ourselves from sectarian or religious bias in every aspect ... no religious barrier will be put by this club regarding the signing of players." http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2507&dat=19761016&id=gvY-AAAAIBAJ&sjid=aU0MAAAAIBAJ&pg=1817,3575617
123. Armstrong, G. & Giulianotti, R., Fear and loathing in world football, Berg, 2001, p.26ff
124. ^ Laing, A., "Ibrox lands double coup with Johnston", The Glasgow Herald, page 1, 11 July 1989
125. Kuper, Simon (1996) Football Against the Enemy Orion, 2006, ISBN 0-7528-4877-1
126. Catholics who signed for Rangers before Johnston include, before the end of World War I: Pat Lafferty (1886), Tom Dunbar (1891–1892), J. Tutty (1899–1900), Archie Kyle (1904–1908), Willie Kivlichan (1906–1907), Colin Mainds (1906–1907), Tom Murray (1907–1908), William Brown (1912), Joe Donnachie (ca. 1914–1918) and John Jackson (1917). Thereafter, Catholic players prior to Johnston's signing include: Laurie Blyth (1951–1952), Don Kitchenbrand (1955–1956), Hugh O'Neill (1976), John Spencer (1985–1992) (Bill Murray, The Old Firm – Sectarianism, Sport and Society in Scotland (John Donald Publishers, 1984), pp. 64–65
127. "Findlay songs inquiry launched" BBC News, 9 June 1999
128. "I'm Catholic in a football sense" Jack O'Sullivan, The Independent, 4 June 1999
129. A rivalry tied up in religion BBC News, 26 August 2006
130. Johnston, Jenifer (6 October 2002). "Rangers to drop orange strip after sectarian outcry". Archived from the original on 16 June 2011. Retrieved 6 March 2012.
131. RANGERS ORANGE PARADE; Ibrox club unveils their new-look strip, Daily Record, 11 April 2002
132. "Orangeism in Scotland: unionism, politics, identity, and football", Journal of Irish Studies, Spring-Summer 2004
133. "The future's bright, the future's orange", DesignFootball.com, 23 October 2008
134. "Rangers handed fine". UEFA. 12 April 2006.
135. "Rangers appeal upheld". UEFA. 25 May 2006.
136. "UEFA fine Rangers for unruly fans". The Herald. 4 May 2007. Retrieved 11 June 2009.
137. "Uefa fine for Rangers and Osasuna". BBC Sport. 3 May 2007. Retrieved 11 June 2009.
138. Spiers, Graham (16 September 2008). "Rangers urge supporters to stop singing 'Famine Song'". The Times. Retrieved 22 March 2009.(subscription required)
139. "Martin Bain statement". Rangers FC. 16 September 2008. Retrieved 29 September 2009.
140. Spiers, Graham (22 September 2008). "Time for Martin Bain to speak out about the sectarian chants of Rangers' fans". The Times. Retrieved 29 September 2009.(subscription required)
141. "Famine song fury". The Scottish Sun. 17 September 2008. Retrieved 29 September 2009.
142. "Bain responds to 'Famine Song'". BBC Sport. 16 September 2008. Retrieved 28 September 2009.
143. "Show Racism the Red Card". Show Racism the Red Card Scotland. Retrieved 22 March 2009.
144. "Famine Song Vile Vicious And Racist". The Herald. 18 October 2008. Retrieved 22 March 2009.
145. "Concerns raised over famine song" BBC News, 15 September 2008
146. ^ "Position statement on 'The Famine Song'". 3 October 2008. Archived from the original on 7 December 2008. Retrieved 6 March 2012. Cite error: The named reference "RST" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
147. "Rangers fan guilty over singing Famine Song at Rugby Park". Kilmarnock Standard. Scottish & Universal Newspapers. 26 November 2008. Retrieved 7 December 2008.
148. Rangers may face SPL chant probe BBC Sport, 17 February 2009
149. "Court Rules Famine Song is Racist". STV Sport. 19 June 2009. Retrieved 4 August 2009.
150. Hietsch, O., Blank, C. & Kirschner, T.J. (1992) Language and Civilization: A Concerted Profusion of Essays and Studies in Honour of Otto Hietsch, P. Lang, p. 73 “Rangers are ... not so affectionately referred to by the opposing fans as the Bluenoses or Huns”
151. Jarvie, G. & Walker, G. (1994) Scottish Sport in the Making of the Nation: Ninety Minute Patriots?, Leicester University Press, p. 185 “Rangers, club and fans, are almost always referred to as 'the Huns' (a Glasgow colloquialism)”
152. "History of Sectarianism". Nil by Mouth. 2009. Retrieved 11 June 2009.
153. "Celtic Fan In Court Over T-shirt Jibe". HeraldScotland. 24 October 2008. Retrieved 11 June 2009.
154. "Rangers to contest Uefa sectarian singing charge". BBC News. 7 April 2011. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
155. "Uefa fines Rangers and bans fans for one away game". BBC News. 28 April 2011. Retrieved 28 April 2011.
156. "Who's getting cuffed today?". Sunday Herald. 24 April 2005.
157. Rumsby, Ben (19 February 2009). "SPL Remains tight-lipped over report on Parkhead chanting". The Scotsman. Retrieved 11 June 2009.
158. "Follow with Pride". Rangers FC. 10 February 2009. Retrieved 11 June 2009.
159. Top of the Class Rangers FC, 23 June 2009
160. Wright, Angus. "SFA praised for stance on bigotry". The Scotsman. Retrieved 11 June 2009.
161. Spiers, Graham (21 September 2007). "Uefa praises Rangers for action on bigotry". The Times. Retrieved 22 March 2009.(subscription required)
162. "Scottish football". Scotland – The official online gateway. June 2006.
163. ^ "A Stadium To Be Proud Of". Rangers FC. Retrieved 21 November 2011.
164. "Gers to unveil The Bill Struth Stand on 9 September". Follow Follow fansite. 22 August 2006.
165. "Rangers chairman developing a £700m blueprint to rebuild Ibrox". The Herald. 7 January 2008.
166. "New kids on the ball". Evening Times. 30 January 2007.
167. http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/4373312/Charles-Green-buys-Rangers.html
168. "In or out? Full list of players joining or refusing move to 'Rangers newco'". STV. 27 June 2012. Retrieved 27 June 2012.
169. "Gers Dedicate No 12 Jersey To Fans". Rangers.co.uk. Retrieved 3 May 2012.
170. "Chairman & Board". Rangers FC. 1 September 2009. Retrieved 4 September 2009.
171. "Coaching and Backroom staff". Rangers FC. 1 September 2009. Retrieved 21 November 2011.
172. This record was arguably beaten by Manchester United's Edwin van der Sar after 75 minutes of their game against West Bromwich Albion on 27 January 2009. However Van der Sar conceded three goals against Gamba Osaka, in the Club World Cup in Yokohama, Japan, on 18 December 2008. Unless this competition is discounted, Woods' record stands, since Van der Sar next conceded on 4 March, in a Premier League game at Newcastle United, to Peter Løvenkrands, ending his record at either 1088 or 1490 minutes. Additionally, United had played other games in which goals had been conceded, but where Van der Sar did not play.
173. "'Selfish' McGeady jibes are off the mark". The Herald. 15 August 2010. Retrieved 9 September 2010.
174. "Rangers sign £12m Flo". The Independent. 23 November 2000. Retrieved 9 September 2010.
175. 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 and finished 2–2, so the clubs were declared joint champions
176. "Superleague Formula by Sonangol selects nine racing teams for 2010". Superleague Formula. 26 February 2010. Retrieved 26 February 2010.

External links

• Official Website
• Rangers on BBC Sport: Club news – Recent results and fixtures

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