Magazine celebrates 150 years of Rangers
IT started with four lads who had a dream, took in dizzying success, financial disaster, Barcelona ’72 and Brechin 2012. There are few clubs in the world that can claim 150 years of history, fewer still with backstory Rangers can boast of.
In terms of trophies there’s not a club in Europe that can put more medals on the table – 55 league titles, 33 Scottish Cups, 27 League Cups and that Cup Winners’ Cup triumph at Camp Nou in ’72.
In the stands too there’s plenty to be proud of, with Ibrox one of the most architecturally impressive and atmospheric stadiums in the world. Then, of course, there’s the rise, fall, and rise again; the journey from the top of Scottish football to the bottom and all the way back again, culminating in an unbeaten season and a 55th league title.
It’s a lot to try and distil into just a few words, which is why the Rangers Review has released a special glossy magazine to celebrate 150 years of Rangers.
Filled with exclusive interviews, in-depth features, stunning photos and fascinating facts, it’s a musthave for any Rangers fan as the club celebrates a huge anniversary and we’ve got 20 copies to give away.
Chris Jack, senior Rangers writer at the Glasgow Times, helped put the magazine together and reflected on the mammoth task of doing justice to such a huge story.
He said: “It was actually easier than you might think. There are so many different strands to the club’s history in terms of famous players, matches and managers so we really wanted to pay tribute to the key figures throughout the club’s history.
“So those sections took care of themselves, then you look at other big factors. The rise back from the third division was obviously a big part of it, winning 55 last season, and obviously the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1972.
“It was then about giving fans a bit more insight into the history of the club and bits they perhaps weren’t aware of.
“Going back to the opening weeks, months and years of the club; what became of the guys that formed the club; the shirt, how the crest came to be and why they play in blue; then finally looking at Ibrox and the various homes Rangers have had.”
The ‘four lads’ - Moses and Peter McNeil, William McBeath and Peter Campbell – famously started the club with “no money, no kit, not even a ball”.
They may be eulogised in song, but very little is known about the quartet who founded Rangers, something Jack was keen to investigate in time for the 150th anniversary. He explained: “It was important to really try and span the whole 150 years. Fans today and going back a few generations will have heard stories of Jim Baxter or the Barca Bears or Nine in a Row. “People are aware of that side of the club’s history, but it was important to really tell the story of the club going back to such humble beginnings. “The four guys that had an idea one day to form a football team, and it’s quite remarkable to think what’s become of that club over 150 years – the successes and failures, the trials and tribulations, the way the club has evolved over the years to become a real institution in Scotland and in European terms.
“To really go away and have the time to go away and write something like that, I always find that really rewarding and I hope the fans that buy the magazine get the time and effort that myself, Matthew Lindsay and the guys who have contributed to the magazine. I hope that comes across.”
The glossy magazine leaves no stone unturned in celebrating the club’s history, with profiles of every manager, features on the club’s greatest matches, a countdown of the greatest Rangers players in history and more.
It was a labour of love for the Rangers Review team, and Jack is hopeful it’ll be something fans can treasure for years to come.
He said: “There’s not another product like it on the market. The club have done a series of events to mark the 150th anniversary and I think it was really important for us as a Glasgow paper and guys who are really immersed in the club to mark such a huge milestone for Rangers.
“The initial idea was just to do a pullout in the paper but that evolved and it turned into a product we can be really proud of.
“I hope Rangers fans really enjoy seeing what we’ve managed to do with it.”