Calling Rangers "The Light Blues"

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Preseason pedantry perhaps, but am I the only one who thinks "the Light Blues" is a shite nickname for Rangers? The most obvious issue is we don't even play in light blue. I don't think I've heard anyone use it besides crappy sports journalists knocking out a quick match report. When did it even come about?
 
Preseason pedantry perhaps, but am I the only one who thinks "the Light Blues" is a shite nickname for Rangers? The most obvious issue is we don't even play in light blue. I don't think I've heard anyone use it besides crappy sports journalists knocking out a quick match report. When did it even come about?
Pretty sure it was used to describe a Rangers side from the bygone days - who were quick and nimble with great stamina, hence they were nicknamed “the light blues”.

Nothing to do with the colour of our jersey.
 
IIRC, there was a match report from early in the club's history that referred to the 'light and speedy blues' and would become an oft-used phrase to describe our side of the time. As it was used more and more regularly it morphed into 'Light Blues'.

Dunfermline's nickname The Pars has a similar back-story i believe after a they were described as being akin to par for local clubs to strive for (or something along those lines)
 
Preseason pedantry perhaps, but am I the only one who thinks "the Light Blues" is a shite nickname for Rangers? The most obvious issue is we don't even play in light blue. I don't think I've heard anyone use it besides crappy sports journalists knocking out a quick match report. When did it even come about?

Seen an old article where one journo called us the "light and speedy blues" think that's where it came from haha.
 
Preseason pedantry perhaps, but am I the only one who thinks "the Light Blues" is a shite nickname for Rangers? The most obvious issue is we don't even play in light blue. I don't think I've heard anyone use it besides crappy sports journalists knocking out a quick match report. When did it even come about?
royal blues wher the f did light blues come from/
 
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IIRC, there was a match report from early in the club's history that referred to the 'light and speedy blues' and would become an oft-used phrase to describe our side of the time. As it was used more and more regularly it morphed into 'Light Blues'.

Dunfermline's nickname The Pars has a similar back-story i believe after a they were described as being akin to par for local clubs to strive for (or something along those lines)

Dunfermline are even more extreme. I used to do work for them nearly 20 years ago, and their staff & supporters I dealt with never referred to them as anything but The Pars.
 
Dunfermline are even more extreme. I used to do work for them nearly 20 years ago, and their staff & supporters I dealt with never referred to them as anything but The Pars.

I know a few boys at the other end of fife who exclusively speak about 'the rovers'. Can't think of ever hearing the word Raith pass their lips. Falkirk can be quite bad for it too.
 
I will disagree with several on here and state that most people used the phrase in reference to our shirt colour in the 50's and 60's, if not before.

My old man and grandfather were both Dundee supporters and it was always the case of Dundee were the 'Dark Blues' and Rangers were the 'Light Blues'.
 
IIRC, there was a match report from early in the club's history that referred to the 'light and speedy blues' and would become an oft-used phrase to describe our side of the time. As it was used more and more regularly it morphed into 'Light Blues'.

Dunfermline's nickname The Pars has a similar back-story i believe after a they were described as being akin to par for local clubs to strive for (or something along those lines)
There's also a theory that workers from Portsmouth yards working in rosyth would go to dunfermline games and called themselves 'Portsmouth and rosyth supporters'.
 
I will disagree with several on here and state that most people used the phrase in reference to our shirt colour in the 50's and 60's, if not before.

My old man and grandfather were both Dundee supporters and it was always the case of Dundee were the 'Dark Blues' and Rangers were the 'Light Blues'.

This for me. Light blues always makes me think of Dick Donnelly on Clyde in the 80s.
 
There's also a theory that workers from Portsmouth yards working in rosyth would go to dunfermline games and called themselves 'Portsmouth and rosyth supporters'.

Yup, that is the correct answer, as far as I am aware. Portsmouth And Rosyth Supporters.
 
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I’ve never heard anyone actually talk about the light blues. However, the Rangers News always referred to the light blues and called the reserves ‘the colts’.

Similarly, I’ve never heard anyone refer to us as ‘the Famous’, apart from a thread on here about a year ago.
 
The Light Blues originally referred to how quick the players were and nothing to do with the colour of shirt. There's still a debate as to whether we first played in Man City sky blue or royal blue.
Should probably have been retired the day we signed Kevin Kyle
 
Probably just repeating what others have already said, however to perhaps aid the understanding ...

'Light' blue should be considered in a 'weight' context as in 'Light and speedy blues', rather than in a shade of blue context.
 
Preseason pedantry perhaps, but am I the only one who thinks "the Light Blues" is a shite nickname for Rangers? The most obvious issue is we don't even play in light blue. I don't think I've heard anyone use it besides crappy sports journalists knocking out a quick match report. When did it even come about?
We were known in our early days as "the Light and Speedy Blues", its our history so celebrate it.
 
Preseason pedantry perhaps, but am I the only one who thinks "the Light Blues" is a shite nickname for Rangers? The most obvious issue is we don't even play in light blue. I don't think I've heard anyone use it besides crappy sports journalists knocking out a quick match report. When did it even come about?
You need to get yourself on the Founders Trail pal, educate yourself on our history.

(That's not a criticism, I just cannot recommend it enough and you'll learn some proper interesting stuff)
 
You need to get yourself on the Founders Trail pal, educate yourself on our history.

(That's not a criticism, I just cannot recommend it enough and you'll learn some proper interesting stuff)

I was just considering how to word the exact same post...

There are two types of bear on this thread.. Those who've been on the founders trail and those who haven't yet.

It's just one of the fascinating little snippets of info mentioned on the tour.

Like you say, not a criticism or pissing contest, just another recommendation to anyone who's still to enjoy everything it offers.

Its the only reason I know the history of the 'light blues' subject of this thread.
 
No issue with this as I've heard of us as the 'Light Blues' from as far back as I can remember.

WATP
 
IIRC, there was a match report from early in the club's history that referred to the 'light and speedy blues' and would become an oft-used phrase to describe our side of the time. As it was used more and more regularly it morphed into 'Light Blues'.

Dunfermline's nickname The Pars has a similar back-story i believe after a they were described as being akin to par for local clubs to strive for (or something along those lines)

There was also a suggestion that the dockies from Devonport that came up to work in Rosyth Dockyard in the early days and they were the ‘Plymouth Argyle Rosyth Supporters’ or the PARS and they followed Dunfermline when up here..
 
We should never use the term light blue's again after signing Kevin Kyle and Kris Boyd ffs.......
 
I've never heard anyone refer to us as the Light Blues in conversation. Often seen us called that in newspaper reports and remember the match programme in the early 70s with the sub title of "The Light Blues match Magazine"
 
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