Thought Andy Penman was a great player and really underrated when he played for us.
Great free kick taker and passer of the ball.
Really good career by all accounts, especially at Dundee.
The first player I saw score a goal for Rangers, in my first game at Ibrox against Arsenal in August 1968.
I must have decided he was my new hero, as I got my mum to sew a number 8 on the back of my Rangers shirt.
Possibly the best Rangers player ever, that never collected a winners medal.
Andy Penman was at Ibrox for six years between 1967 and 1973, and witnessed some memorable moments, though he never collected a Winners medal.
He made 150 appearances for Rangers, and scored 49 goals.
He played in 2 Scottish Cup Finals for Rangers, in which they lost them both.
Against Celtic in 1971 he carved their defence apart time after time only for Colin Stein and Willie Johnstone to miss the chances.
(I actually thought it was Johnston that missed both chances, but there you go).
He was the first player I heard referred to as a 'dead ball specialist'.
Ironically, for a dead ball specialist, with a rocket shot, Penman actually missed more penalties than he scored (and some costly ones they were too).
A classy inside forward/midfielder that we signed from Dundee in April 67'.
Penman was a genius, a child prodigy in the art of football, who straight from school in Rosyth, went down to Everton where he made his debut at the age of 15 in a non-league derby against Liverpool. Homesick, he returned to Scotland and signed for Dundee.
He played his first competitive game in Scotland at the age of 15. His debut against Hearts in 1958, shortly before his 16th birthday made him one of the youngest players ever to play in the top Scottish League of the time, and maybe even of all time.
He collected a League Championship winners medal with Dundee whilst still a teenager, and went all the way to the Semi Finals of the European Cup, the following season.
He was known to Dundee fans as the "Boy King" and latterly as the "Penalty King".
One of the best footballers in the country, when the country was indeed resplendent with beautiful footballers.
Penman had already scored 100 League Goals for Dundee, when Rangers paid them £30,000 plus George McLean at the beginning of April 1967
Ineligible for the remainder of that 67' season, it would be some four and a half months before Andy Penman would grace Ibrox.
On Aug 16th 1967, Celtic, as newly crowned European Champions were to be the visitors for the opening game at Ibrox.
Gemmell (the Bastard) had scored from the penalty spot to give Celtic a 1-0 lead at the half.
Rangers who had bombarded their opponents for most of the match were awarded a penalty right on the hour mark. Ibrox debutant, Andy Penman stepped up to take the pretty important kick. Penman struck it hard and beautifully just inside the post, and Celtic goalkeeper Ronnie Simpson amazingly dived across the goal to pull off a miraculous save.
With Celtic clinging on to their undeserved and meagre lead, and only two minutes left on the clock, Rangers were awarded a free kick some 25 yards from goal.
Penman stepped up and rammed the ball directly into the back of Simpson's net.
Ibrox erupted with such a volume of noise under the recently completed covered end, that it could be heard on Cornwall St, two subway stations away.
Often unfairly criticised by many Rangers fans for being too slow, Penman was actually a very cultured and intelligent player, so much so, that after only one season at Ibrox, the great Benfica side that lost in the European Cup Final to Man Utd at Wembley in 68', made an approach to Rangers for his services, to feed the great Eusébio.
