Archibald raring to visit Ibrox

WITH the exception of Edinburgh City, Partick Thistle are the last SPFL club to face Rangers since liquidation visited Ibrox in 2012. The last time the Jags travelled to Govan was eight years ago, when current manager Alan Archibald was still in the centre of the Thistle defence in a 1-1 Scottish Cup quarter-final draw. As he prepares to manage at Ibrox for the first time, the Thistle boss readily recalls the days of Rangers blaring out loud music before kick-off in an attempt to intimidate the upstarts. With Rangers currently toiling in seventh place, Archibald has vowed his side are not turning up to admire their surroundings. ‘One thing I remember is that they always cranked up the music on the way out at Ibrox. They tried to intimidate you,’ said Archibald. ‘But we are not going there to take a selfie. We are going there to turn up, play well and, hopefully, get a result. ‘Ibrox is still a fantastic place to go and play. It should bring the best out of you as a player. ‘But if we can keep Rangers quiet in the early part of the game, then Ibrox will become less intimidating. ‘Hopefully, we can turn the fans on the Rangers players’ backs.’