In February 1872, four young men, Peter Campbell, William McBeath,
and brothers, Moses and Peter McNeil, met on Glasgow Green and
decided to form a football team.
They had no money and no strips, they didn't even have a football.The team
was to be called Rangers after an English rugby team.
Their first match took place on Flesher's Haugh against
Callandar FC. The score was 0-0. Most of the team played in their street
clothes and the match ball was second hand.
They played only one other match that year, beating Clyde 11-0. Although
they first played in 1872, the year 1873 is recognised as
the year the team was established, because that is when the first annual
meeting took place and office bearers were elected.
The team played their matches on Fleshers Haugh until 1875 when they
moved to Burnbank. In 1876 they moved to the South Side of Glasgow,
and Kinning Park. The year 1887 saw them move yet again, to the
Ibrox area of Glasgow and finally in 1899 to Ibrox Stadium itself.
Rangers were one of the founder members of the Scottish League.
In the league's first season 1890-91 Rangers shared the league
title with Dumbarton and in the 1898-99 season won the champioship
outright for the first time. Creating a record that no other team
anywhere in the world has ever been able to beat. Of the 18 games
played, Rangers won all 18 and gained a maximum 36 points.
In their history, Rangers have won more Scottish League titles than
any other team (48), 27 Scottish Cups and 20 League Cups. In comparison to
their nearest rivals, Celtic, Rangers have won more
games, drawn less games, lost less games, scored more and
conceded fewer goals. The team won "doubles" in 1926, 1934,1935,
1947 and 1963.
In 1930, Rangers created a new world record, still unbeaten, by winning all
the competitions they were eligible to enter ; League,
Scottish Cup, Glasgow Cup, Glasgow Charity Cup, Second Eleven Cup,
and Reserve League Cup.
Trebles were celebrated in 1949 ( the first ever ), 1964,1993,1976,
1978, 1993 and 1999.Jock Wallace became the first Rangers manager
to lead the team to two trebles (1976 & 78 ).
In 1986, Graeme Souness became the Rangers manager and totally
revolutionised not only Rangers, but Scottish football, by
bringing English players to Ibrox. He won the League Title in
his first season and in 1989 the first of the "Nine In A Row"
title runs started. He left in 1991 to become Manager of Liverpool
and his assistant Walter Smith took over as manager. Smith completed
the job, as Rangers secured the much sought after "nine titles in a row"
at Tannadice in 1997 as well as winning the treble in 1993 and narrowly
missing out on a European Cup Final.Dick Advocaat took over in 1998, winning
the treble in his first season and doing well in Europe. The future of the
club looks secure under the "Little General".
