MO_TxTruBlu
Well-Known Member
Derek Parlane 1970-80
Derek Parlane signed for Rangers from Queens Park on April fools day 1970 and made his first team debut as a 17 year old, on New Years Day 1971, at Brockville in a 1-3 League defeat.
This game was easily forgotten with the awful events that unfolded at Ibrox only twenty four hours later.
Over the next sixteen and a bit months Parlane would make only five scattered appearances (3 starts 2 as a sub) in relatively meaningless matches, before he was bizarrely thrown into the The European Cup Winners Cup Semi Final (second leg) against the great Bayern Munich side, in place of the Legendary John Greig, who was injured.
Parlane's first ever goal for Rangers was to be the second and killer goal of the evening, in this vitally important match, that effectively sealed Rangers passage to Barcelona.
Derek Parlane, still a couple of weeks shy of his 19th Birthday, literally became an overnight hero.
"Parlane, Parlane, Parlane Parlane,
Born is the King of Ibrox Park"
was chanted by thousands for years afterwards.
The following season (72-73) under the Leadership of Jock Wallace, and with the great Colin Stein moved on, Parlane established himself in the side as a Centre Forward, scoring 27 goals in 45 appearances, culminating in that epic 3-2 Scottish Cup Final win over Celtic, that brought Rangers only their Second Domestic Trophy in Seven Years.
He also endeared himself to the hordes at Ibrox with a goal (albeit a lucky rebound from a saved penalty) in the 2-1 win v Celtic on Jan 6th. (Our First win against them after Six defeats on the trot).
One week after Parlane celebrated his 20th Birthday with a goal in the Scottish Cup Final against Celtic,in front of 122,714 fans at Hampden Park, Scotland manager Willie Ormond gave him his debut in the National side in a 2-0 win v Wales, at the Racecourse Ground.
Derek Johnstone also made his Scotland debut in that match, as did Peter McCloy, with Colin Stein (now at Coventry) on the bench.
Parlane would also line up alongside Joe Jordan and Kenny Dalglish against World Champions Brazil at Hampden that summer. (Derek Johnstone scored the only goal of the game........for Brazil).
Though Rangers won nothing in the 73-74 season, Parlane again topped the goalscoring charts with 22 Goals in 41 games.
He scored back to back Hat Tricks in January when he scored all four goals in 4-2 win at Tynecastle, and followed it up with a hat trick the following week in a 8-0 win v Queens Park in the Scottish Cup.
A Hat Trick earlier in the season in a 6-0 win v Dumbarton in the League Cup, ensured hat tricks in all three domestic competitions.
Derek Parlane is the only Rangers player to have recorded Three Hat Tricks in one season throughout the 1970's.
The 74-75 season was significant to a generation of us, as Rangers secured their first Championship in 11 years.
Parlane got off to a flier as he hit the winner in the season opener at Ibrox, in a 3-2 win v St Johnstone, in the League Cup.
Then came a two month drought, where he failed to find the net in six successive games, and questions were being asked.
Rangers traveled to Dunfermline on Oct 12th and returned with a 6-1 victory, as Parlane responded to his fickle critics by banging in FIVE of the six goals.
He also scored a Hat Trick against Kilmarnock that season, as Rangers came from behind on no less than three occasions to earn a 3-3 draw in Feb.
Parlane scored the third in a 3-0 tanking of Celtic on Jan 4th 1975, that was our biggest victory margin in an Old Firm game since August 1963.
This particular game was significant in many ways,
not only for the fact that this was the last Old Firm game competed by Scotsmen only
(every one of the 25 players on view was eligible to represent Scotland and, remarkably, 19 of them did just that),
but, this game was a pivotal one in that campaign, marking in many ways the end of an era.
Jock Stein's Celtic went into the match at Ibrox two points clear of Rangers, and looking to claim a tenth successive title.
Instead, the balance of power in Scottish football swung to Govan for the first time in a decade.
Celtic, who had been undefeated in their previous 19 domestic games, (since losing to Rangers at Parkhead back in September), winning 17 and drawn 2, had their confidence shattered by that crushing defeat at Ibrox.
So much so, that Celtic won only 4 of their remaining 15 League games, and eventually finished third, 11 points behind Jock Wallace's champions and four behind Hibs.
From a purely personal point of view, It was also a fitting farewell for the three ugly scunners, McNeill, Brogan and Jimmy Johnstone, who never again graced another Old Firm match.
Derek Parlane, for the third season in succession, finished as Rangers top scorer with 18 goals in 35 games.
This took his tally to 68 Goals in 121 Games over the last three seasons.
He also won 8 of his 12 Scotland Caps in 1975.
75-76 saw Rangers collect all Three Domestic Trophies, and set a new record of being the first team ever to win the coveted Treble on three separate occasions. (1949, 1964, 1976.).
After starting in 25 of our first 27 games that season, Parlane suffered a broken collarbone at Easter Road on Nov 22nd, and missed 8 weeks of the season.
Before the injury, Parlane won a League Cup winners medal to complete his 'Scottish Collection' on October 25th, when Rangers beat Celtic 1-0 in the Final, with an Alex MacDonald diving header, that came as a result of a cross from Parlane, via the heads of Shuggie Edvaldsson, and Cutty Young.
That League Cup win was the only win Rangers recorded in 7 games in the four weeks between Oct 11th and Nov 8th.
In fact, Parlane 's goal in the 1-1 draw at Parkhead on Nov 1st, prevented Rangers from suffering an embarrassing 4 League defeats on the trot.
Parlane capped his return to the side on Jan 17th, with the opening goal midway through the second half, in a very tensely fought contest with Hibs at Ibrox, that Rangers eventually won 2-0, as they continued to put pressure on Celtic at the top of the table.
Despite this, Parlane would be afforded only 3 more starts in the next 17 games as Rangers secured the Championship, and the Scottish Cup.
Jock Wallace had opted to start Martin Henderson in 16 of those 17 games, with Parlane having to be content with coming off the bench in 9 of them.
Not many outwith Wallace himself, appeared to agree with this decision, but when you bring home the Treble, with back to back Titles, who on earth would dare to question the Manager's selection.
Parlane won his place back in the 76-77 season, appearing in 50 of the 54 games played, scoring 19 goals.
Although it was a pretty dismal season, with Celtic winning the Double, Parlane continued his impressive record of scoring against Celtic, with the second in a 2-2 draw at Parkhead in the opening League game of the season, and notching both goals in the 2-2 draw at Ibrox in March.
Parlane was recalled to the Scotland side by Ally MacLeod for his first game in charge as Scotland manager in May 77' against Wales.
The 77-78 season saw Rangers and Wallace restore order and bring home the Treble again, for the second time in three years.
Although Parlane started in 4 of the first 6 games that season, he again had to be content with coming off the bench for the remainder of the season, as Derek Johnstone, along with new signing, Gordon Smith, formed a formidable strike force (scoring 65 goals between them).
After September, Parlane was afforded only three more starts that season, and still did not too bad on those occasions, scoring twice in a 3-3 draw v Partick Thistle at Ibrox, where we were two down after seventeen minutes, and if memory serves me correctly, he scored one with such a powerful header, that it rendered him unconscious for a minute or two.
He also scored our only goal in a 1-1 draw at Easter Rd in a midweek League game at the end of March. (he was subsequently sent off in this match).
Parlane scored a few other goals of note that season coming off the bench.
With Rangers clinging desperately to a narrow 2-1 lead over Celtic on Jan 7th at Ibrox, Parlane came off the bench and tapped home a vital third in the 87th min.
On Feb 27th Rangers met lowly Forfar Athletic in the League Cup Semi Final.
Forfar, over the course of the evening matched Rangers in every department, and deservedly led 2-1 on the night.
It was Derek Parlane who came off the bench and scored that vital equaliser with seven minutes left to play, that denied Forfar from causing the greatest football upset of all time.
Parlane also scored another in extra time as Rangers eventually ran out 5-2 winners on the night.
Parlane came off the bench in the League Cup Final against Celtic, as Rangers defeated them 2-1 in extra time.
His 22 substitute appearances that 1977-78 season set a new record, that remained in place for the remainder of the century, until it was finally overtaken some 22 years later, when Neil McCann was granted 25 substitute appearances in the 1999-2000 season.
Derek Parlane signed for Rangers from Queens Park on April fools day 1970 and made his first team debut as a 17 year old, on New Years Day 1971, at Brockville in a 1-3 League defeat.
This game was easily forgotten with the awful events that unfolded at Ibrox only twenty four hours later.
Over the next sixteen and a bit months Parlane would make only five scattered appearances (3 starts 2 as a sub) in relatively meaningless matches, before he was bizarrely thrown into the The European Cup Winners Cup Semi Final (second leg) against the great Bayern Munich side, in place of the Legendary John Greig, who was injured.
Parlane's first ever goal for Rangers was to be the second and killer goal of the evening, in this vitally important match, that effectively sealed Rangers passage to Barcelona.
Derek Parlane, still a couple of weeks shy of his 19th Birthday, literally became an overnight hero.
"Parlane, Parlane, Parlane Parlane,
Born is the King of Ibrox Park"
was chanted by thousands for years afterwards.
The following season (72-73) under the Leadership of Jock Wallace, and with the great Colin Stein moved on, Parlane established himself in the side as a Centre Forward, scoring 27 goals in 45 appearances, culminating in that epic 3-2 Scottish Cup Final win over Celtic, that brought Rangers only their Second Domestic Trophy in Seven Years.
He also endeared himself to the hordes at Ibrox with a goal (albeit a lucky rebound from a saved penalty) in the 2-1 win v Celtic on Jan 6th. (Our First win against them after Six defeats on the trot).
One week after Parlane celebrated his 20th Birthday with a goal in the Scottish Cup Final against Celtic,in front of 122,714 fans at Hampden Park, Scotland manager Willie Ormond gave him his debut in the National side in a 2-0 win v Wales, at the Racecourse Ground.
Derek Johnstone also made his Scotland debut in that match, as did Peter McCloy, with Colin Stein (now at Coventry) on the bench.
Parlane would also line up alongside Joe Jordan and Kenny Dalglish against World Champions Brazil at Hampden that summer. (Derek Johnstone scored the only goal of the game........for Brazil).
Though Rangers won nothing in the 73-74 season, Parlane again topped the goalscoring charts with 22 Goals in 41 games.
He scored back to back Hat Tricks in January when he scored all four goals in 4-2 win at Tynecastle, and followed it up with a hat trick the following week in a 8-0 win v Queens Park in the Scottish Cup.
A Hat Trick earlier in the season in a 6-0 win v Dumbarton in the League Cup, ensured hat tricks in all three domestic competitions.
Derek Parlane is the only Rangers player to have recorded Three Hat Tricks in one season throughout the 1970's.
The 74-75 season was significant to a generation of us, as Rangers secured their first Championship in 11 years.
Parlane got off to a flier as he hit the winner in the season opener at Ibrox, in a 3-2 win v St Johnstone, in the League Cup.
Then came a two month drought, where he failed to find the net in six successive games, and questions were being asked.
Rangers traveled to Dunfermline on Oct 12th and returned with a 6-1 victory, as Parlane responded to his fickle critics by banging in FIVE of the six goals.
He also scored a Hat Trick against Kilmarnock that season, as Rangers came from behind on no less than three occasions to earn a 3-3 draw in Feb.
Parlane scored the third in a 3-0 tanking of Celtic on Jan 4th 1975, that was our biggest victory margin in an Old Firm game since August 1963.
This particular game was significant in many ways,
not only for the fact that this was the last Old Firm game competed by Scotsmen only
(every one of the 25 players on view was eligible to represent Scotland and, remarkably, 19 of them did just that),
but, this game was a pivotal one in that campaign, marking in many ways the end of an era.
Jock Stein's Celtic went into the match at Ibrox two points clear of Rangers, and looking to claim a tenth successive title.
Instead, the balance of power in Scottish football swung to Govan for the first time in a decade.
Celtic, who had been undefeated in their previous 19 domestic games, (since losing to Rangers at Parkhead back in September), winning 17 and drawn 2, had their confidence shattered by that crushing defeat at Ibrox.
So much so, that Celtic won only 4 of their remaining 15 League games, and eventually finished third, 11 points behind Jock Wallace's champions and four behind Hibs.
From a purely personal point of view, It was also a fitting farewell for the three ugly scunners, McNeill, Brogan and Jimmy Johnstone, who never again graced another Old Firm match.
Derek Parlane, for the third season in succession, finished as Rangers top scorer with 18 goals in 35 games.
This took his tally to 68 Goals in 121 Games over the last three seasons.
He also won 8 of his 12 Scotland Caps in 1975.
75-76 saw Rangers collect all Three Domestic Trophies, and set a new record of being the first team ever to win the coveted Treble on three separate occasions. (1949, 1964, 1976.).
After starting in 25 of our first 27 games that season, Parlane suffered a broken collarbone at Easter Road on Nov 22nd, and missed 8 weeks of the season.
Before the injury, Parlane won a League Cup winners medal to complete his 'Scottish Collection' on October 25th, when Rangers beat Celtic 1-0 in the Final, with an Alex MacDonald diving header, that came as a result of a cross from Parlane, via the heads of Shuggie Edvaldsson, and Cutty Young.
That League Cup win was the only win Rangers recorded in 7 games in the four weeks between Oct 11th and Nov 8th.
In fact, Parlane 's goal in the 1-1 draw at Parkhead on Nov 1st, prevented Rangers from suffering an embarrassing 4 League defeats on the trot.
Parlane capped his return to the side on Jan 17th, with the opening goal midway through the second half, in a very tensely fought contest with Hibs at Ibrox, that Rangers eventually won 2-0, as they continued to put pressure on Celtic at the top of the table.
Despite this, Parlane would be afforded only 3 more starts in the next 17 games as Rangers secured the Championship, and the Scottish Cup.
Jock Wallace had opted to start Martin Henderson in 16 of those 17 games, with Parlane having to be content with coming off the bench in 9 of them.
Not many outwith Wallace himself, appeared to agree with this decision, but when you bring home the Treble, with back to back Titles, who on earth would dare to question the Manager's selection.
Parlane won his place back in the 76-77 season, appearing in 50 of the 54 games played, scoring 19 goals.
Although it was a pretty dismal season, with Celtic winning the Double, Parlane continued his impressive record of scoring against Celtic, with the second in a 2-2 draw at Parkhead in the opening League game of the season, and notching both goals in the 2-2 draw at Ibrox in March.
Parlane was recalled to the Scotland side by Ally MacLeod for his first game in charge as Scotland manager in May 77' against Wales.
The 77-78 season saw Rangers and Wallace restore order and bring home the Treble again, for the second time in three years.
Although Parlane started in 4 of the first 6 games that season, he again had to be content with coming off the bench for the remainder of the season, as Derek Johnstone, along with new signing, Gordon Smith, formed a formidable strike force (scoring 65 goals between them).
After September, Parlane was afforded only three more starts that season, and still did not too bad on those occasions, scoring twice in a 3-3 draw v Partick Thistle at Ibrox, where we were two down after seventeen minutes, and if memory serves me correctly, he scored one with such a powerful header, that it rendered him unconscious for a minute or two.
He also scored our only goal in a 1-1 draw at Easter Rd in a midweek League game at the end of March. (he was subsequently sent off in this match).
Parlane scored a few other goals of note that season coming off the bench.
With Rangers clinging desperately to a narrow 2-1 lead over Celtic on Jan 7th at Ibrox, Parlane came off the bench and tapped home a vital third in the 87th min.
On Feb 27th Rangers met lowly Forfar Athletic in the League Cup Semi Final.
Forfar, over the course of the evening matched Rangers in every department, and deservedly led 2-1 on the night.
It was Derek Parlane who came off the bench and scored that vital equaliser with seven minutes left to play, that denied Forfar from causing the greatest football upset of all time.
Parlane also scored another in extra time as Rangers eventually ran out 5-2 winners on the night.
Parlane came off the bench in the League Cup Final against Celtic, as Rangers defeated them 2-1 in extra time.
His 22 substitute appearances that 1977-78 season set a new record, that remained in place for the remainder of the century, until it was finally overtaken some 22 years later, when Neil McCann was granted 25 substitute appearances in the 1999-2000 season.
