32 years ago the Earth shifted on its axis - Sir Garfield of Stevens

Earl of Leven

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The most powerful, modern, handsome and daft right back we had....my generations Sandy Jardine.

Yes, July 14th he flew to Italy to join training after a £1m theft....ten times that would have been less than enough.

Things would never be the same again as in Brazil young Cafu and Roberto Carlos decided they too could maybe try and be as good as Gary in redefining the modern full back: that they failed is hardly their fault.
 
The most powerful, modern, handsome and daft right back we had....my generations Sandy Jardine.

Yes, July 14th he flew to Italy to join training after a £1m theft....ten times that would have been less than enough.

Things would never be the same again as in Brazil young Cafu and Roberto Carlos decided they too could maybe try and be as good as Gary in redefining the modern full back: that they failed is hardly their fault.
Hi Gary.
 
Do you think he could've made a difference in our CL run? He was injured that full season wasn't he? Can remember he was interviewed before 1 of the home games remember thinking I wish he was playing tonight.
 
Do you think he could've made a difference in our CL run? He was injured that full season wasn't he? Can remember he was interviewed before 1 of the home games remember thinking I wish he was playing tonight.

Never sure. Souness had more guts than Smith in Europe but still not a great record (albeit Steaua were incredible team)....
 
Do you think he could've made a difference in our CL run? He was injured that full season wasn't he? Can remember he was interviewed before 1 of the home games remember thinking I wish he was playing tonight.

I think the 3 foreigner rule would have applied to him, who’s place would he have took ?
 
One of four Rangers players in England 1990 World Cup squad, the most represented club. Wonderful player, great athleticism
 
The most powerful, modern, handsome and daft right back we had....my generations Sandy Jardine.

Yes, July 14th he flew to Italy to join training after a £1m theft....ten times that would have been less than enough.

Things would never be the same again as in Brazil young Cafu and Roberto Carlos decided they too could maybe try and be as good as Gary in redefining the modern full back: that they failed is hardly their fault.


I remember "experts" saying "but he can't defend

The.fucking.England.right. back.
 
One of the first names on the team sheet.
A childhood hero, I was sad how his Rangers career eventually fizzled out at the start of the 94/95 season following the Champions League exit at the hands of AEK Athens. I remember him getting a fair whack of criticism for his performance over in Greece.

Still, in a quickfire word association game, if you're to throw "Rangers right back" at me, my immediate response would be "Gary Stevens".

Wonder if it was the tribunal fee, or something else, but an Evertonian I had a pint with in The Gynn in Blackpool one time, couldn't stand him. *scouse accent* "Gary Stevens is a shithouse!!!". Can't recall if he elaborated on that, I was probably steaming.
 
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Excellent full-back, could run all day and liked a tackle. If his final ball had been just a little bit better he would've been the equal of Sandy Jardine.
 
More worryingly...where on earth has 32 years gone :oops:
But I have to age with most, if there was any player to replace the great Sandy Jardine it has to be Gary Stevens
 
Simply, we have never replaced him!
Hutton for about 6 months maybe was close to him, but nobody else has even came close.
 
Excellent player. Perhaps best right-back I’ve witnessed at Ibrox (see explanation below).

(Jardine distinguished himself at right back, right-half, centre forward, and, for Hearts, sweeper. Jardine was a truly magnificent footballer - not just a right-back).
 
Gary was a brilliant player for us , however, teams eventually got the measure of him going forward when pushed on his left foot he inevitably was forced to play back or square.
 
Good player, but his 2nd touch was a tackle
FAO of FF:

881763-1.jpg
 
One of four Rangers players in England 1990 World Cup squad, the most represented club. Wonderful player, great athleticism

He had been getting slaughtered by England’s pundits and fans since Germany 1988 and was eventually dropped by Bobby Robson after the first match.

Replaced by Paul Parker who never looked back.
 
The most powerful, modern, handsome and daft right back we had....my generations Sandy Jardine.

Yes, July 14th he flew to Italy to join training after a £1m theft....ten times that would have been less than enough.

Things would never be the same again as in Brazil young Cafu and Roberto Carlos decided they too could maybe try and be as good as Gary in redefining the modern full back: that they failed is hardly their fault.

Feel so lucky to have seen Gary Stevens and Sandy Jardine in their prime playing for us.
 
Cracking fullback who could run all day, in terms of a fullback the nearest who was his equal or better would be Arthur Numan in my time following the bears.
 
Just got an email from Cafu by the way:

"Dear Meester Earl of Leven. Back home people call me the Brazilian Gary Stevens. Yes, thanking you very much, Cafu".
 
Great player. Hanging about the main stand before a game he was standing talking and signing autographs as he was out injured, total gent, but my abiding memory of it was thinking he's smaller than I thought and he doesn't look like a footballer! Was young teenager tbf at the time, so lots of things back then didn't make sense to me :oops:
 
Never sure. Souness had more guts than Smith in Europe but still not a great record (albeit Steaua were incredible team)....
I think Smith was quite adventurous in general until that European run.

Looking back, I think the run of not losing really cemented the idea that you could get so far by keeping things tight and hoping for a flash of inspiration.. hence Laudrup and then Gascogne coming along to complement a largely consistent defence over the next 3-4 seasons.
A goalie and back line of Goram/Robertson/Brown then McLaren/Gough was pretty consistent.
We had McPherson, McCall, Steven, Wright and then finally Cleland made the right back position more or less his.

Smith was all about the back being as tight as could be and then a couple of skilful guys trying to unpick the opposition.

But yes, Gary Stevens in that 92/93 team rather than McPherson as a capable but no frills right back would have added some attacking options.
Robertson and Stevens were early examples of the wingbacks that would become so popular for the next decade and we had each one on a side of the pitch in the Rangers team of 91/92.
 
The Rangers career of Stevens and indeed Trevor Steven just seemed to peter out, but both were class acts and best in Britain down the right hand side for a time.
 
Brilliant signing from Souness.
Always remember my dad raving about him being the fittest player at the club
 
He used to be a member of the video shop in Deanston Drive, Shawlands when I was a teenager. I think he was a mate of the guy that owned it.
Always had a chat with me and my pals when he was in (and the celtc fans) and always wearing a suit. Great player and a nice bloke.
 
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