FOWLER PLANNING TO SILENCE IBROX WITH EARLY GOAL
BEING an I brox winner at the start of the Rangers decline was a somewhat surreal experience for James Fowler. Back in February 2012, the Queen of the South manager was part of the Kilmarnock side that attained a 1- 0 victory in the very first post-administration game.
Even after Dean Shiels netted what proved to be the solitary goal of an emotional afternoon, a crammed stadium remained steadfastly behind the home team. Given the wider circumstances, any dissent or disappointment took second place to support and loyalty.
Fowler suspects, however, that things might be different if Queens were to repeat the trick tomorrow afternoon and block Rangers’ road back to the top flight.
The Dumfries side trail 2-1 from last weekend’s play-off first leg and must face the biggest Ibrox crowd of the season after fans flocked to snap up fiver tickets.
On paper, it looks like a sizeable advantage to Stuart McCall’s side. Fowler, though, knows how quickly the tables could turn as he seeks to plot what he would regard as his greatest victory at the ground.
‘I’ve been there a couple of times and got results,’ he recalled. ‘I played in the game just after Rangers went into administration. There was a full house and, even after we scored, their fans were still singing. It made for a great atmosphere, but I suppose it was a bit strange that we were winning and they were singing.
‘The players have got confidence that we can go there and do well.
‘When you look at the season then it’s not as though Rangers were like Hearts and finished 25 or 30 points ahead of us. There wasn’t a massive difference in points and there hasn’t been much between the teams.
‘Rangers have an advantage from the first game. But, if we can go there and get the first goal, then it is definitely all to play for.
‘We’ll try and take the game to them and be nice and positive in our line-up. The pressure shifts to them if we can get that first goal.
‘Now that Rangers have won the first game, there is obviously an expectation that they have done the job. I know a lot of their fans will be thinking they have done the hard part by coming to our place and getting a result.
‘If we can go there and get the first goal, it possibly does put a bit of doubt back into the fans’ minds. They probably reflect that back onto the players and things can get a bit nervy for them.’
Queens drew one and lost one of their visits to Ibrox in the regular Championship season, facing sides under the command of Ally McCoist and Kenny McDowall. McCall’s team presents a different challenge.
‘ They have had a change of manager and it’s also about the time of season, people playing for contracts and the chance of promotion into the Premiership,’ said Fowler.
‘You often find that teams kick in at the end of the season when it gets down to the nitty-gritty — especially when players are coming out of contract.
‘We know it will be tough because they can see their goal. They are probably a better team than they were earlier in the season, but I don’t think they were that much better than us in the last game.
‘If we could do it, then I think it would be bigger than any victory I had as a player there. But then it would just be one down and another two play-off games in front of us.
‘We don’t want to look too far ahead because we know Sunday is massive. It will take everything we have got to get a result.’
Queens forward Iain Russell joined the Rangers youth system at the age of 11 before being released eight years later. Now 32, he could never have imagined have he would return to Ibrox fighting for promotion.
‘I have great memories of my time at Rangers,’ reflected Russell. ‘Some boys don’t recover from being let go by a club like that as it’s never easy to be told at a young age that you aren’t good enough. But football is full of knocks and it’s about how you recover.
‘I was in the Premier League fleetingly and made six sub appearances for Motherwell, but I’ve never been settled in the top division.
‘I would love to get there but if doesn’t happen, then it doesn’t happen. There are better players than me who haven’t played in the Premiership.
‘ Everyone wants t o play at t he hi ghest level. I’ve had disappointments in my career, so I don’t dwell on it.’