Who would have thought Rangers would go 11 years without winning the cup again?
THE last time Rangers lifted the Scottish Cup, the mercury at Hampden soared and the Ibrox club were feeling the heat against Falkirk.
But after Kris Boyd was replaced following 45 punishing minutes in the Mount Florida sunshine, his replacement, Nacho Novo, lit the light-blue touch paper with the winner to clinch the trophy for the 33rd time in the club’s history.
However, as David Weir celebrated that narrow Scottish Cup victory in 2009, little did he know that 11 years later, he would still be the last Ibrox skipper to hoist aloft the famous trophy.
After watching his former side dominate Celtic but lose 1-0 in last month’s Betfred Cup final — then win 2-1 at Parkhead weeks later — he hopes Rangers in 2020 are ready to end their long wait for fresh Scottish Cup glory, en route to stopping Celtic reaching nine in a row.
‘My memory of the cup final in 2009 was that Falkirk were the better team,’ Weir told Sportsmail.
‘I remember walking off the pitch at half-time and Kris said to me: “It’s too hot for football!” I think Walter maybe heard that — and that may have been the reason for the change at half-time.
‘Nacho came on for Kris and, within a couple of minutes, he scored a goal from a throw-in that he hooked in over his shoulder.
‘It was typical Nacho, coming from nowhere and putting his name in lights.
‘We were fortunate to be ahead but we went on to win the game and it was a proud moment.
‘It’s nice to be the figurehead and to raise the cup at Hampden where you are looking over to the left and the Rangers end is full and the other end is empty.
‘But it’s more about the success of the club and the group of staff and players who won it together.
‘I couldn’t have imagined Rangers would have gone 11 years without winning it again.
‘But they have been so competitive in the league this season and they played so well in the Betfred Cup final — and they deserved more than they got against Celtic.
‘I’m sure they will be looking to get a trophy on the board this year. The league is the No1 priority and the Scottish Cup is next in line, but they will be desperate to win both.
‘If they could win both, it would be a great end to the season.’
Should Rangers — who kick off their Scottish Cup campaign at home to League One strugglers Stranraer at Ibrox tomorrow night — win the competition, the trophy would be lifted by James Tavernier. Weir was No2 to Mark Warburton when the right-back arrived in Glasgow in 2015.
He believes the 28-year-old deserves to taste major success with Rangers.
‘When we brought James into the club, he had been struggling and having a bit of a hard time at Wigan,’ he recalled.
‘We were in the Championship at the time and we gave him a platform to play. He has seen Rangers from both sides now, from building the club up and now he is the captain and trying to win leagues and cups.
‘It’s been up and down for James at times. He gets a bit of criticism but everyone gets criticism in Scotland. That’s just the way it is. But James is a great guy and he is a special player and I know what success would mean to him.
‘When we were at Rangers, he won the Championship, the Challenge Cup and reached the Scottish Cup final. He will have had a wee taste of it, but Rangers are all about winning major trophies like the Premiership and the Scottish Cup.
‘When the dust settles and you move on, major trophies are what you are judged on. I’m really proud to have won eight trophies in my time there. There are obviously a lot of Rangers players who have won a lot more but it’s nice to look back and have the trophies and memories.
‘James has been through a lot during his time at Rangers and, if he lifts a trophy this season, he will deserve it.’
The sole survivor from the Rangers starting line-up in the 2009 Scottish Cup final is Steven Davis, although goalkeeper Allan McGregor was an unused substitute against Falkirk.
It comes as no surprise to Weir that Rangers being on the up again coincided with the midfielder rediscovering top form after returning from Southampton.
Former Scotland, Everton, Hearts and Falkirk defender Weir, who famously played for Rangers until he was 41, believes there is plenty left in the tank of 35-year-old Davis, the 117-times capped Northern Ireland captain.
‘Steven’s quality is undoubted,’ he said. ‘I remember when he first went back to Rangers people were saying he was struggling and they were not sure he could do it.
‘But he had not played much and just needed enough football in his legs.
‘He’s shown he’s still got the quality. He’s a top performer and a consistent performer who makes players around him better.
‘Steven will be crucial to Rangers for the rest of the season and, because of the type of player and person he is, I think he can keep playing and continue having a big impact at the club for a few more years to come.’
The club is all about major trophies... it’s what you are judged on