My Top Ten Teammates, Jim Forrest

MO_TxTruBlu

Well-Known Member
These are the players that made the most Starts alongside Jim Forrest in his 166 appearances for Rangers.

...............................................................................Billy Ritchie

.........................................Kai Johansen.......................................Davie Provan

....................John Greig.............................Ronnie McKinnon....................Jim Baxter

Willie Henderson......George McLean......Jim Forrest......Willie Johnston......Davy Wilson

Ronnie McKinnon had the most with 161 appearances, with Kai Johansen on 69.
Jimmy Millar also had 69 starts, and 1 sub appearance alongside Forrest.
I was surprised to find that he partnered George McLean in only 73 Games,
which was not much more than Jimmy Millar (70) and Ralph Brand (67).
Others who would make the bench would be Bobby Shearer (51) and Alex Willoughby (48)
 
Did he play much with Millar and Brand all in the same game?

If so, who played where?
 
I'm not sure how many times the three of them lined up together, but it must have been a wonderful headache for Scot Symon when the great Jimmy Millar returned from injury in the 63-64 Treble season, and the young Jim Forrest had proved to be a scoring sensation in Millar's absence.
I would imagine if all three played together, then Millar would most likely drop deeper into midfield alongside Greig and Baxter, with Forrest and Brand as the strikers.
Forrest though did play a few games on both wings, when Henderson, and Wilson were out, as did Ralph Brand.
There was a couple of games that season when all 4 of Forrest, McLean, Millar and Brand were in the starting line up.
A Forward line of Forrest, McMillan, Millar, McLean and Brand beat Dundee Utd 3-2 in Dec 63'.
and the following week in a 3-3 draw at Motherwell, saw a front five of
Henderson, McLean, Millar, Brand and Forrest.
 
These are the players that made the most Starts alongside Jim Forrest in his 166 appearances for Rangers.

...............................................................................Billy Ritchie

.........................................Kai Johansen.......................................Davie Provan

....................John Greig.............................Ronnie McKinnon....................Jim Baxter

Willie Henderson......George McLean......Jim Forrest......Willie Johnston......Davy Wilson

Ronnie McKinnon had the most with 161 appearances, with Kai Johansen on 69.
Jimmy Millar also had 69 starts, and 1 sub appearance alongside Forrest.
I was surprised to find that he partnered George McLean in only 73 Games,
which was not much more than Jimmy Millar (70) and Ralph Brand (67).
Others who would make the bench would be Bobby Shearer (51) and Alex Willoughby (48)
I thought for sure Greig would have the most,he didn't seem to miss many games and was there before Forrest.
 
I thought for sure Greig would have the most,he didn't seem to miss many games and was there before Forrest.
Greig wasn't far behind with 155 appearances.
Davie Provan had 158.
You'd be surprised at how few games Ronnie McKinnon missed, or Davie Provan for that matter.
I believe McKinnon made more appearances in the 1960's than any other Rangers player.
By the start of the 62-63 campaign, McKinnon along with John Greig and Willie Henderson would establish themselves as permanent fixtures in the Rangers side.
In the following nine seasons, McKinnon would play in all but 20 of Rangers next 306 League Games.
Davie Provan, from the time that Eric Caldow suffered a broken leg in April 63' until Provan himself suffered the same fate in Sept 67' Davie Provan had played in 229 of Rangers 234 games.
 
I wonder what the 11 would be for John Greig.
There wasn't a Goalkeeper in the Top Ten Teammates for Greig, though Peter McCloy was close with 254 Games and Billy Ritchie with 210.
John Greig had 4 Different Keepers, who played alongside him at least 100 times
 
Loved JM,playing right half with Dunfermline I believe,when he joined us.

Became our Centre forward by chance, when an injury to Max Murray at half time in an end of season friendly against Staevnet (Copenhagen XI), forced Symon to stick Jimmy Millar up front for the second half, and Millar scored all four goals in a 4-0 win.
The rest as they say is history.
 
Remember My all time Ranger, “Jimmy Millar” dropped back into Midfield as a General, our win over the Scum by Kai, owed a hell of a lot to JM.
I think he was a midfielder/half back when he signed.

edit: thanks to polar bear for confirmation.
Millar was one of my old mans favourites, hence how I thought this.
 
I wonder what the 11 would be for John Greig.
There wasn't a Goalkeeper in the Top Ten Teammates for Greig, though Peter McCloy was close with 254 Games and Billy Ritchie with 210.
John Greig had 4 Different Keepers, who played alongside him at least 100 times
Similar with Ally McCoist
His top ten teammates included
2 Goalkeepers
2 Full Backs
4 Central Defenders
Durrant and Cooper
 
My old man still maintains to this day that I'd have loved Jim Forrest.

He said he had everything. Could run like a Deer, could header the ball and shoot with both feet.

Just imagine the effect Baxter had on Greig, McKinnon, Henderson, wee bud and Jim Forrest coming through?
 
My old man still maintains to this day that I'd have loved Jim Forrest.

He said he had everything. Could run like a Deer, could header the ball and shoot with both feet.

Just imagine the effect Baxter had on Greig, McKinnon, Henderson, wee bud and Jim Forrest coming through?
Jim Forrest suffered more than anyone I think from the Baxter transfer. If you look at the type of pass Baxter slipped through to JF in the 64 LCF, you can see why he was so prolific,with Baxter his main supplier.
 
That is a great point.

But next time you see clips of that LC final. Listen to the Rangers support every time Baxter gets on the ball.
Must've been a sight to see when Baxter and Henderson we're in full flow at that time. It's like watching clips of George Best,you can literally hear the roars of anticipation from the terracing.

Is there a player in the game today who can illicit that kind of reaction from a crowd? I don't think so.
 
Must've been a sight to see when Baxter and Henderson we're in full flow at that time. It's like watching clips of George Best,you can literally hear the roars of anticipation from the terracing.

Is there a player in the game today who can illicit that kind of reaction from a crowd? I don't think so.
The one that got me was a thread on here just the other month and there's a photograph of Baxter's wedding day.

There's wee lassies clinging and standing on lampposts. The place, the whole area surrounding the Church is stowed.

Best and Lennon and McCartney didn't get that.

Probably the most iconic picture of Baxter we'll ever see, and he isn't even in it!

My mother's parents, who were not really into football , certainly not as my old man's side were, had a tartan rosette of Jim Baxter in their living room when I was growing up.

My old man had brought it back from a trip to Wembley, which narrows the years down. Either 63 or the other one.
 
The one that got me was a thread on here just the other month and there's a photograph of Baxter's wedding day.

There's wee lassies clinging and standing on lampposts. The place, the whole area surrounding the Church is stowed.

Best and Lennon and McCartney didn't get that.

Probably the most iconic picture of Baxter we'll ever see, and he isn't even in it!

My mother's parents, who were not really into football , certainly not as my old man's side were, had a tartan rosette of Jim Baxter in their living room when I was growing up.

My old man had brought it back from a trip to Wembley, which narrows the years down. Either 63 or the other one.
Yeah, I saw that.
I pass that very church most days, earning my corn.
He was an icon, I'd ever there was one
 
My old man still maintains to this day that I'd have loved Jim Forrest.

He said he had everything. Could run like a Deer, could header the ball and shoot with both feet.

Just imagine the effect Baxter had on Greig, McKinnon, Henderson, wee bud and Jim Forrest coming through?

Forrest was also a superb passer of the ball, and a great supplier of goals as well,
which is often overlooked.
He could also operate on either flank as a winger.
 
Similar with Ally McCoist
His top ten teammates included
2 Goalkeepers
2 Full Backs
4 Central Defenders
Durrant and Cooper
Going by that description I assume Ian Ferguson isn't in the top 10. That surprises me as he must have played with Ally for about 10 years.

Guessing

Goram
Woods

Munro
Robertson

Gough
Brown
McPherson
Butcher

Durrant
Cooper?
 
Must've been a sight to see when Baxter and Henderson we're in full flow at that time. It's like watching clips of George Best,you can literally hear the roars of anticipation from the terracing.

Is there a player in the game today who can illicit that kind of reaction from a crowd? I don't think so.
Who would you say the last player we had who had that effect?

De Boer? Laudrup?
 
Who would you say the last player we had who had that effect?

De Boer? Laudrup?
For me Laudrup.

I think in terms of class, De Boer was up there with Laudrup and Gazza, but we witnessed it less. So for me, he is the lesser of the three.

Just my opinion, but De Boer the footballer on form was something to behold.
 
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For me Laudrup.

I think in terms of class, De Boer was up there with Laudrup and Gazza, but we witnessed it less. So for me, he is the lesser of the three.

Just my opinion, but De Boer the footballer on form was something to behold.
I must admit to being in absolute awe at how good Baxter must have been, as I remember back in the 90s when Laudrup was by a mile the most wondrous footballer I'd ever seen play in Scotland and so many of the older guys on our bus all unanimously maintained he was the second best they had watched behind Jim Baxter.

I do think there was an 18 month period that De Boer getting the ball created a buzz in the crowd as he was doing brilliant things regularly. But obviously not at the Laudrup level.
 
I worked with a PNE fan who always enthused about Forrest - he couldn’t believe the level of player that they got from Rangers - and was astounded at the circumstances of his leaving.
I think we got 37k for him.

We basically paid three times that much for Colin Stein a year later.
 
Jim Forrest suffered more than anyone I think from the Baxter transfer. If you look at the type of pass Baxter slipped through to JF in the 64 LCF, you can see why he was so prolific,with Baxter his main supplier.
That is a great point.

No doubt that Baxter was a great supplier in many of Forrest's goals,
but not so sure that Forrest suffered too much without Baxter.

In the 64 -65 season when Baxter suffered that injury in Vienna, he was out for 13 Games
(9 League, 2 Scottish Cup, 2 European Cup).
In Baxter's absence, Jim Forrest managed 16 Goals in those 13 games,
including scoring home and away against the World Club Champions, Inter Milan
which was the only goal Inter Milan conceded that season at home in Europe,
including the final, played at the San Siro v Benfica, Eusebio and all.
In what was a horrible season in the League where we finished a lowly 5th place,
we did only lose 1 League match in Baxter's absence.
With Baxter in the side, we lost 7 League Games (in 22 appearances), and lost the only Scottish Cup tie he played in (our only domestic Cup defeat in two and half years/36 Cup Ties).

Following the sale of Baxter in the summer of 65',
Forrest would score 35 Goals in 44 Games in the 1965-66 season.
This does not include the two goals he scored in the superb 3-1 win over European Cup Finalists Benfica, in a prestigous friendly at Ibrox in late Sept.
The much maligned George McLean, who partnered him, and sometimes wore the No.9 shirt that season was our top scorer with 39 Goals in 34 Games.
74 goals in 78 appearances between them in a season, was only bettered once during Baxter's time, when Millar and Brand combined to score 80 goals in the 62-63 season,
but, they had 102 appearances between them

Rangers defeated arguably the two best club sides in the world at Ibrox in 1965,
without Baxter in the side, and Jim Forrest scored 3 goals in those two marvelous wins.
 
Must've been a sight to see when Baxter and Henderson we're in full flow at that time. It's like watching clips of George Best,you can literally hear the roars of anticipation from the terracing.

Is there a player in the game today who can illicit that kind of reaction from a crowd? I don't think so.
We of our generation were blessed to see the finest of all teams that came within Scotland. No over dosed stars, just a hard working, “TEAM” of players that were also pals, that we’ll never the likes to be seen again. Nowadays players with the least we knock, and their out for weeks, pampered pedigrees, there’s only a few players of recent times don’t fall into that brigade, “Big Marv, Ammo And Butcher (until he went int a Huff)”
 
No doubt that Baxter was a great supplier in many of Forrest's goals,
but not so sure that Forrest suffered too much without Baxter.

In the 64 -65 season when Baxter suffered that injury in Vienna, he was out for 13 Games
(9 League, 2 Scottish Cup, 2 European Cup).
In Baxter's absence, Jim Forrest managed 16 Goals in those 13 games,
including scoring home and away against the World Club Champions, Inter Milan
which was the only goal Inter Milan conceded that season at home in Europe,
including the final, played at the San Siro v Benfica, Eusebio and all.
In what was a horrible season in the League where we finished a lowly 5th place,
we did only lose 1 League match in Baxter's absence.
With Baxter in the side, we lost 7 League Games (in 22 appearances), and lost the only Scottish Cup tie he played in (our only domestic Cup defeat in two and half years/36 Cup Ties).

Following the sale of Baxter in the summer of 65',
Forrest would score 35 Goals in 44 Games in the 1965-66 season.
This does not include the two goals he scored in the superb 3-1 win over European Cup Finalists Benfica, in a prestigous friendly at Ibrox in late Sept.
The much maligned George McLean, who partnered him, and sometimes wore the No.9 shirt that season was our top scorer with 39 Goals in 34 Games.
74 goals in 78 appearances between them in a season, was only bettered once during Baxter's time, when Millar and Brand combined to score 80 goals in the 62-63 season,
but, they had 102 appearances between them

Rangers defeated arguably the two best club sides in the world at Ibrox in 1965,
without Baxter in the side, and Jim Forrest scored 3 goals in those two marvelous wins.
I knew squire that you would back because I've read some of your important facts in other threads.

Would it be fair to say Jim Forrest, a scourge of the yahoos, only scored one goal against the yahoos post Baxter, and that was September 65?

I would love that Time Machine. Baxter, Forrest, Caldow and further back. Way, way back.

BTW, my first Rangers strip was circa 65 and I had No 10 on the back. At that time it was George McLean.
 
I knew squire that you would back because I've read some of your important facts in other threads.

Would it be fair to say Jim Forrest, a scourge of the yahoos, only scored one goal against the yahoos post Baxter, and that was September 65?

I would love that Time Machine. Baxter, Forrest, Caldow and further back. Way, way back.

BTW, my first Rangers strip was circa 65 and I had No 10 on the back. At that time it was George McLean.

Yes it would be fair to say that Forrest did only score once against Celtic, post Baxter.
It is also fair to say, that Rangers were no longer the force they once were with Baxter in the side 1960-64, and Celtic were most definitely a much better side 65 onwards, compared to the team of pre 65', who won nothing between 60-64.

Forrest did score the only goal in the 1-0 win v Filth on Jan 65, without Baxter in the side, a side that had Wilson Wood and Tottie Beck in it.

My first Rangers strip had two pieces of white tape, that my Maw stuck on so carefully, making the Number 7 of Willie Henderson, which a year or two later was redesigned to make the Number 11 of Willie Johnston.
PS. I think Jim Forrest wore the No. 10 shirt in his last 4 games for Rangers.
 
As much as I loved Colin stein - Forrest was the better player.
As I have said to MO_X, I was too young to have appreciated Jim Forrest.

Colin Stein, possibly because of the circumstances at the time, was an explosion for the support.

Just possibly, a support who dined out on Millar and Brand and Forrest were crying out for that centre once again.
 
Yes it would be fair to say that Forrest did only score once against Celtic, post Baxter.
It is also fair to say, that Rangers were no longer the force they once were with Baxter in the side 1960-64, and Celtic were most definitely a much better side 65 onwards, compared to the team of pre 65', who won nothing between 60-64.

Forrest did score the only goal in the 1-0 win v Filth on Jan 65, without Baxter in the side, a side that had Wilson Wood and Tottie Beck in it.

My first Rangers strip had two pieces of white tape, that my Maw stuck on so carefully, making the Number 7 of Willie Henderson, which a year or two later was redesigned to make the Number 11 of Willie Johnston.
PS. I think Jim Forrest wore the No. 10 shirt in his last 4 games for Rangers.
And memories are made of these.

1965 is the most important year in the filth's calendar. Baxter leaving coinciding with ba face coming to them.

Yet it could be argued that we papped away the two titles of 66 and 68. You don't need to be a genius to recognise winning the league in 65/66 and what it meant.
 
And memories are made of these.

1965 is the most important year in the filth's calendar. Baxter leaving coinciding with ba face coming to them.

Yet it could be argued that we papped away the two titles of 66 and 68. You don't need to be a genius to recognise winning the league in 65/66 and what it meant.
I'm yet to be convinced that Baxter leaving was significant in Celtic's dominance post 65'.

I'm sure at the time that it seemed that way, to thousands of us (and to them too),
but with hindsight and a few stats and facts, it tells me otherwise.

In the two seasons (62/63 and 63/64) when Rangers (and Baxter) ruled the roost in Scotland,
Baxter played in 90 Games for Rangers.
Of those 90 domestic games that Baxter played in, we lost only 3 games.

By 1964-65 we were no longer the dominant force (and imho, unfortunately, neither was Baxter).
We had already suffered 3 league Defeats in the first 16 games that Baxter played in that season.
(1-3 v Celtic, 1-4 v Dundee, and 2-4 v Hibs).
Our only decent spell in that 64-65 season was in the period that Baxter was out injured,
when we lost only 1 of the 11 Games (9 League, 2 Scottish Cup).
When Baxter did return to the side in March 65', he played in 9 of our remaining 12 fixtures.
Of the 9 Baxter played in, we suffered 5 defeats, which included his comeback game in a 2-1 defeat to Hibs in the Scottish Cup (our only domestic Cup defeat in two and half years/36 Cup Ties).
Over the course of that 64-65 season, we lost 8 League Games.
7 of those 8 defeats, was with Baxter in the side (Baxter played in 22 league games).
In the 12 League games that Baxter did not play in, we suffered defeat only once.

I struggle to remember a single domestic game that Baxter was involved in that was significant after 1965.
Yes, he could still do the business at International level as his performances against Italy 65', Brazil 66' and Wembley 67' proved, but as a consistent performer in the domestic game on a regular basis,
he was shot.
He failed to improve a big spending Sunderland in his two seasons there, with Sunderland finishing 19th and 17th in the English First Division.
His Wembley performance against England in 67' saw Nottingham Forest fork out £100,000 for him.
Forest had finished Runners Up to Man Utd (of Best, Law and Charlton) in Div 1 that 66-67 season.
With Baxter in the side, Forest finished the next two seasons in 11th and 18th in Div 1.

My apologies for the rant, but hindsight tells me we let Baxter go at the right time,
and we should be grateful for that,
in that we can always celebrate the genius that he was in those wonderful years at Ibrox.

Now getting back on track, this is after all a Jim Forrest thread.
We did come close in 66' to winning the League, but for those 3 horrible weeks in March when we dropped 6 of 8 points, and lost the League by 2 points.
I will always be convinced that we would have won the League (and the ECWC) in 67' if we had not been so ridiculously foolish to get rid of a phenomenal goalscoring 22 year old.
After that, who knows what would have been, if Davie White had a Jim Forrest instead of an Alex Ferguson.
History might well have been a lot kinder to you and I in our adolescence.
 
I'm yet to be convinced that Baxter leaving was significant in Celtic's dominance post 65'.

I'm sure at the time that it seemed that way, to thousands of us (and to them too),
but with hindsight and a few stats and facts, it tells me otherwise.

In the two seasons (62/63 and 63/64) when Rangers (and Baxter) ruled the roost in Scotland,
Baxter played in 90 Games for Rangers.
Of those 90 domestic games that Baxter played in, we lost only 3 games.

By 1964-65 we were no longer the dominant force (and imho, unfortunately, neither was Baxter).
We had already suffered 3 league Defeats in the first 16 games that Baxter played in that season.
(1-3 v Celtic, 1-4 v Dundee, and 2-4 v Hibs).
Our only decent spell in that 64-65 season was in the period that Baxter was out injured,
when we lost only 1 of the 11 Games (9 League, 2 Scottish Cup).
When Baxter did return to the side in March 65', he played in 9 of our remaining 12 fixtures.
Of the 9 Baxter played in, we suffered 5 defeats, which included his comeback game in a 2-1 defeat to Hibs in the Scottish Cup (our only domestic Cup defeat in two and half years/36 Cup Ties).
Over the course of that 64-65 season, we lost 8 League Games.
7 of those 8 defeats, was with Baxter in the side (Baxter played in 22 league games).
In the 12 League games that Baxter did not play in, we suffered defeat only once.

I struggle to remember a single domestic game that Baxter was involved in that was significant after 1965.
Yes, he could still do the business at International level as his performances against Italy 65', Brazil 66' and Wembley 67' proved, but as a consistent performer in the domestic game on a regular basis,
he was shot.
He failed to improve a big spending Sunderland in his two seasons there, with Sunderland finishing 19th and 17th in the English First Division.
His Wembley performance against England in 67' saw Nottingham Forest fork out £100,000 for him.
Forest had finished Runners Up to Man Utd (of Best, Law and Charlton) in Div 1 that 66-67 season.
With Baxter in the side, Forest finished the next two seasons in 11th and 18th in Div 1.

My apologies for the rant, but hindsight tells me we let Baxter go at the right time,
and we should be grateful for that,
in that we can always celebrate the genius that he was in those wonderful years at Ibrox.

Now getting back on track, this is after all a Jim Forrest thread.
We did come close in 66' to winning the League, but for those 3 horrible weeks in March when we dropped 6 of 8 points, and lost the League by 2 points.
I will always be convinced that we would have won the League (and the ECWC) in 67' if we had not been so ridiculously foolish to get rid of a phenomenal goalscoring 22 year old.
After that, who knows what would have been, if Davie White had a Jim Forrest instead of an Alex Ferguson.
History might well have been a lot kinder to you and I in our adolescence.

I'll read it better tomorrow.

I think Rangers were ready for a Baxter and Baxter deep down needed Rangers.

I'll freely admit I don't care about Sunderland or Notts Forrest.

But one thing still comes to mind from my old man.

Back in the day, Sunderland had an Irishman called Charlie Hurley and he had an article in one of the Sundays to the effect 'I was the King of Wearside till Baxter came to town.'

I can't and will not argue with your stats, in fact, they enrich our knowledge as a support.

I sill maintain with a 'finished' Baxter we'd have garnered a few more points in the March of 66. Beware the ides and all that..
 
For me Laudrup.

I think in terms of class, De Boer was up there with Laudrup and Gazza, but we witnessed it less. So for me, he is the lesser of the three.

Just my opinion, but De Boer the footballer on form was something to behold.
Imagine all 3 together...woosh
 
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