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>CONTENTS

IN TOday’s MATCHDAY PROGRAMME

RANGERS

FOOTBALL CLUB IBROX STADIUM, 150 EDMISTON DRIVE GLASGOW, G51 2XD

Pedro CAIXINHA

Chairman DAVE KING

Directors

06

JOHN BENNETT, JOHN GILLIGAN, DOUGLAS PARK, GRAEME PARK PAUL MURRAY

Honorary Life President JOHN GREIG MBE

Managing Director STEWART ROBERTSON

Director: Finance and Administration ANDREW DICKSON

Manager PEDRO CAIXINHA

First-Team Coaches HELDER BAPTISTA PEDRO MALTA

Goalkeeping Coach JOSE BELMAN

Doctor PAUL JACKSON

Head of Performance and Preparation CRAIG FLANNIGAN

Head of analysis NEIL MCILHARGEY

Kit Controller JIMMY BELL

Editor NEIL SMITH

Design GREG JOHN GILFILLAN

Photography KIRK O’ROURKE

Contributors ALICE HEDWORTH, NICK THOMSON, ANDY CAMERON, LINDSAY HERRON, ROBERT CARMICHAEL

Print L&S LITHO The views in this magazine are not necessarily the views of Rangers Football Club. All material is copyrighted and may only be reproduced with the written permission of Rangers Football Club. The appearance of an advert within this publication does not necessarily mean that the goods/services advertised are associated with or endorsed by Rangers Football Club. All facts and information accurate at time of going to press.

10 20 27 30 34 40 44 48 58 64 71 79 93 96

Martyn WAGHORN

JOHN MACDONALD EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW MY TOP TEAM: JASON HOLT ACTION REPLAY: HAMILTON ACCIES EMERSON HYNDMAN - ON THE SPOT ON THIS DAY: 1st APRIL LEE WALLACE NICKY LAW EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW THE A TO Z OF RANGERS: W RANGERS HISTORIAN: DAVID MASON 9 IN A ROW: PART 8 - APRIL/ MAY NEXTGEN GERS - JACK THOMSON STATS & APPEARANCES THE LAST WORD: RAY WILKINS

INTERVIEW BY NEIL SMITH • PHOTOS: KIRK O’ROURKE

IN-FORM striker Martyn Waghorn is enjoying his recent run in the Rangers team and he is hoping for more goals this afternoon.

firestarter

ON THE SPOT THIS SEASON WE HAVE ASKED FANS TO SEND IN A RANGE OF QUESTIONS FOR RANGERS PLAYERS VIA EMAIL AND SOCIAL MEDIA AND PUBLISHED THE ANSWERS IN THE 2016/17 MATCHDAY PROGRAMMES. answering your questions today is american loan star emerson hyndman.

WHO IS THE FUNNIEST PLAYER IN THE SQUAD? (sammorrow26, Instagram) I would say Harry Forrester, he’s always having a laugh and a joke.

WHO IS YOUR BEST FRIEND IN THE SQUAD? (kiermun9, Instagram) I would probably say Joe Dodoo. I’ve spent quite a lot of time with him off the pitch and he’s a nice lad.

FUNNY GUY HARRY FORRESTER

WAS IT HARD COMING TO THE UK AFTER GROWING UP IN AMERICA? (mattgreenshields18, Instagram) A bit yeah. I moved over when I was quite young so it was a bit difficult at first but I settled in quickly.

DO YOU LIKE TWINKIES? (fudge_miester03, Instagram) I’ve had my fair share of Twinkies when I was younger but I wouldn’t say it’s an important part of my diet.

EMO’S BEST PAL JOE DODOO

WHO IS THE BEST PLAYER YOU’VE PLAYED AGAINST? (rangerswatp1872, Instagram) I’ve played against Brazil’s under-23s and they had some quality players. I remember Fabinho who is at Monaco now and he was outstanding when I played against him.

DO YOU HAVE ANY PETS? (kainaldo_9, Instagram)

MONACO AND BRAZIL STAR FABINHO

Yeah I have two dogs, a golden retriever and I don’t even know what the other one is but it’s quite a big dog! They are called Coco and Ollie.

Make Mine A Double!

FORMER MOTHERWELL AND GERS MIDFIELDER NICKY LAW IS PUSHING FOR PROMOTION WITH BRADFORD CITY AND WOULD LOVE TO SEE LIGHT BLUES BACK IN ANOTHER SCOTTISH CUP FINAL

by Lindsay Herron

“We’re in a good place to do that and Rangers also have the chance to achieve their aim as they also battle for second place.

“It could be a fantastic end to the season for me on two fronts, so fingers crossed.

N

ICKY LAW is hoping for a dream double at the end of this season – Bradford City back in the Championship and a Scottish Cup triumph for Rangers.

Law has been a mainstay for Stuart McCall’s Bantams, who are well placed to come through the play-offs and return to the second tier of English football for the first time in 13 years.

And he would love to see his old Rangers mates defeat Celtic in the semis for the second season running and go on to lift the trophy on May 27 to get the Pedro Caixinha era off to the perfect start.

The midfield star, of course, was the spot-kick hero last year, netting what proved to be the clinching penalty in the semi-final shoot-out against Celtic.

However, he was on the bench as Hibs won the Final with David Gray’s late header.

It was a disappointing way to end his three years at Ibrox, but he has revealed his immense pride at having had the opportunity to ply his trade at Ibrox.

Law said: “The perfect scenario for me is winning promotion with Bradford and Rangers winning the Cup.

“The new manager has come in and he got off to a great start against Hamilton two weeks ago and he will want to continue to build on that in the final games of the season.

“Getting back into Europe is going to be so important for the club and that will be another major step in the complete recovery of Rangers.”

Law is self-critical of his three years at Ibrox but there is little doubt he was an important figure in the climb back up through the divisions.

And there is also little doubt that he – along with many other players – were affected by the corporate chaos that afflicted the club until the successful regime change led by Dave King in the spring of 2015.

Nicky had been an excellent player at Motherwell under McCall where the Steelmen had finished third and second in the top flight in 2012 and 2013.

But he feels the extenuating circumstances at Ibrox made life difficult at times.

He said: “The first two years at Rangers were not great with all the things that were going on off the field.

“I think we were all affected by it and that was reflected in some of our performances.

STADIUM TOURS Get behind the scenes.

BOOK YOUR STADIUM TOUR TODAY rangers.co.uk I 0871 702 1972* I Rangers Ticket Centre *Calls cost 13p per minute plus network extras.

A-Z Of Rangers the

THIS SEASON WE ARE REMEMBERING A FEW PEOPLE AND PLACES ASSOCIATED WITH OUR GREAT CLUB IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER. FOR TODAY’S GAME, HERE IS PART TWO FOR THE LETTER W.

by Nick Thomson

White, Davie DAVID WHITE found himself pitched into the Ibrox hot seat in a sudden and unexpected manner.

He had come to Rangers as assistant to manager Scot Symon, giving him time to learn the ropes and take over when he was ready.

It didn’t turn out that way. Symon’s hand was forced and he was dismissed in 1967 after rejecting a move to make him general manager with White in charge of team affairs.

It had been hoped that Symon would accept and that White would have an experienced man around for help and guidance.

As it was, the responsibility came too early. White was on his own and in charge after just five months at the club.

The decision was a mistake and the price White paid was to have the misfortune to be the first Rangers manager not to win a major trophy.

In his first season as Rangers’ fourth manager, the team suffered only one defeat – 3-2 at home to Aberdeen in the final game – and finished runners-up in the Championship.

In Europe, White’s team enjoyed two good runs in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in successive years.

Matters came to a head with defeat in the following season’s European Cup Winners’ Cup competition.

Rangers were twice beaten 3-1 by Gornick of Poland and White was sacked on the morning after the disappointment of the second-leg result at Ibrox.

White later managed Dundee and in 1973/74 had the satisfaction of taking them to a League Cup Final victory over the team which had caused so many of his problems – Celtic.

A SENSE OF INJUSTICE 140 YEARS ON THIS season in the matchday programme Rangers historian David Mason has continued to provide fascinating stories from our great club’s illustrious past.

HE earliest picture of a Rangers team was taken almost exactly 140 years ago this month and it is possibly the club’s most famous.

It shows the team that reached the 1877 Scottish Cup Final and there has been much speculation surrounding the white jersey that they were wearing.

I am often asked why they were wearing

that kit, when the traditional colours were royal blue and white.

In fact, I have found no evidence to suggest that the kit was ever an official Rangers jersey, as such or indeed, that they ever wore it, except for the picture.

The star on the left breast has been assumed to be connected to the Clyde Amateur Rowing Club, with whom some of the players had an affinity.

The six pointed star was known

as the ‘Clyde Star’ to the club and was referred to in their earliest constitution.

However, to add to the mystery, the jersey that the players are wearing in the picture is identical to the kit used by Swindon Rangers – the club often assumed to be the source of our own name.

There has been speculation that Rangers changed their colours in one of the three games they eventually played in the Final.

We know that

they wore blue in two of the matches, so there was no concern of a colour clash with their opponents Vale of Leven who played in dark blue.

So why wear the jersey and, if they did, why did they not wear it again?

I am sure they didn’t!

My suspicion is that the players were gathering for a picture and possibly reckoned that their jerseys were not in a good condition for such an important photograph.

Hamilton Crescent, Partick

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20 years on - april 5/may 5 1997 - part 8 Gers on the brink but the champagne stays on ice IN the summer of 1996 Walter Smith and his Rangers players began an incredible journey that would end with a historic triumph. Having secured eight successive championship titles, Gers needed one more to equal Celtic’s record, set under Jock Stein between 1966 and 1974. The pressure was massive, the intensity was ferocious and the expectation was colossal but Smith and his players came through in magnificent fashion. Today we relive another stage of the unforgettable 1996/97 season.

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G O A L K E E PE R S

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1. WES FODERINGHAM 25. JAK ALNWICK

1. CRAIG SAMSON 13. RUSSELL GRIFFITHS

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LIONEL AINSWORTH CARL MCHUGH CHRIS CADDEN KEITH LASLEY ELLIOTT FREAR LEE LUCAS CRAIG CLAY ALLAN CAMPBELL STEPHEN PEARSON

KILMARNOCK v RANGERS SPFL PREMIERSHIP WED 5 APR 2017 KICK-OFF 7.45pm

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RANGERSFC

FOR WA RD S 9.

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LOUIS MOULT RYAN BOWMAN JACOB BLYTH JAMES MCFADDEN SCOTT MCDONALD

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