Rangers History It Was 128 Years Ago Today

MO_TxTruBlu

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That we won the first of our 54 Championships.

May 21st 1891

Scottish League Championship Play Off

Dumbarton 2-2 Rangers

Dumbarton: McLeod, Watson, A Miller, McMillan, Boyle, Keir, Taylor, Galbraith, J Miller, McNaught, Bell

Rangers: Reid, Gow, Hodge, Marshall, A McCreadie, Mitchell, Henderson, H McCreadie, Kerr, McPherson, Hislop

The referee was Mr J Marshall of the Third Lanark club.

The match was played on a Thursday evening and there was a large crowd estimated at 10,000 as it was a public holiday to mark Queen Victoria's birthday.

Goal times weren't recorded too precisely in those days. David Hislop scored for Rangers in the first minute.
Hugh McCreadie also scored for Rangers in the first half.
John Taylor scored for Dumbarton just after an hour's play and John Miller equalised.
The teams discussed whether or not to play thirty minutes extra time but decided not to.
Later, the Scottish League decided not to order another match and awarded the title to be shared by both sides.

This was the first ever Scottish League Championship.
Rangers had met Dumbarton earlier in the season, in only the third League match, at Boghead Park back on September 13, and were well beaten (1-5).
This coming a week after Celtic had knocked Rangers out of the Scottish Cup (0-1), in front of 16,000 fans at Celtic Park.
Rangers would recover from this setback, and went unbeaten in their next 12 League games (9 Wins 3 Draws), before they got the chance to seek revenge in the return League match at Old Ibrox Park on April 25th.
Two weeks earlier, Dumbarton had suffered their first League defeat of the season, losing 0-1 at Celtic Park.
(whilst Rangers were down in England playing a couple of Friendlies).
Dumbarton recovered quickly with a 4-0 win at Tynecastle on the Monday.
So Rangers went into the Dumbarton game trailing by two points, but with a game in hand.
Rangers ran out 4-2 winners on the day, to go level on points, with only two games to play, needing only three from four points, to secure the first ever Scottish Championship.
The following week we had Celtic at home, and tragically Rangers lost 1-2, as Dumbarton ran out 4-2 winners v St Mirren at Greenhill Rd.
This meant Dumbarton had completed their season with 29 points, leaving Rangers on 27 points,
with Rangers having one game to play at home to Third Lanark the following week, needing a win to force a Play Off for the Championship.
Rangers would make three changes from the side that lost to Celtic the previous week, with John Muir replacing William Hodge at left back, James 'Tuck' McIntyre replacing Andrew McCreadie at centre half, and the most bizarre of changes, in the front line with Alick (Archiebald) McKenzie replacing Willy White.
Bizarre that McKenzie had made only two appearances that season, and both of them were as a GOALKEEPER.
Rangers would go on to win 4-1 with McKenzie notching a Hat Trick, and one from David Hislop.
The line up that day was
Reid, Gow, Muir, Marshall, McIntyre, Mitchell, McKenzie, Henderson, Kerr, McPherson and Hislop.
 
That we won the first of our 54 Championships.

May 21st 1891

Scottish League Championship Play Off

Dumbarton 2-2 Rangers

Dumbarton: McLeod, Watson, A Miller, McMillan, Boyle, Keir, Taylor, Galbraith, J Miller, McNaught, Bell

Rangers: Reid, Gow, Hodge, Marshall, A McCreadie, Mitchell, Henderson, H McCreadie, Kerr, McPherson, Hislop

The referee was Mr J Marshall of the Third Lanark club.

The match was played on a Thursday evening and there was a large crowd estimated at 10,000 as it was a public holiday to mark Queen Victoria's birthday.

Goal times weren't recorded too precisely in those days. David Hislop scored for Rangers in the first minute.
Hugh McCreadie also scored for Rangers in the first half.
John Taylor scored for Dumbarton just after an hour's play and John Miller equalised.
The teams discussed whether or not to play thirty minutes extra time but decided not to.
Later, the Scottish League decided not to order another match and awarded the title to be shared by both sides.

This was the first ever Scottish League Championship.
Rangers had met Dumbarton earlier in the season, in only the third League match, at Boghead Park back on September 13, and were well beaten (1-5).
This coming a week after Celtic had knocked Rangers out of the Scottish Cup (0-1), in front of 16,000 fans at Celtic Park.
Rangers would recover from this setback, and went unbeaten in their next 12 League games (9 Wins 3 Draws), before they got the chance to seek revenge in the return League match at Old Ibrox Park on April 25th.
Two weeks earlier, Dumbarton had suffered their first League defeat of the season, losing 0-1 at Celtic Park.
(whilst Rangers were down in England playing a couple of Friendlies).
Dumbarton recovered quickly with a 4-0 win at Tynecastle on the Monday.
So Rangers went into the Dumbarton game trailing by two points, but with a game in hand.
Rangers ran out 4-2 winners on the day, to go level on points, with only two games to play, needing only three from four points, to secure the first ever Scottish Championship.
The following week we had Celtic at home, and tragically Rangers lost 1-2, as Dumbarton ran out 4-2 winners v St Mirren at Greenhill Rd.
This meant Dumbarton had completed their season with 29 points, leaving Rangers on 27 points,
with Rangers having one game to play at home to Third Lanark the following week, needing a win to force a Play Off for the Championship.
Rangers would make three changes from the side that lost to Celtic the previous week, with John Muir replacing William Hodge at left back, James 'Tuck' McIntyre replacing Andrew McCreadie at centre half, and the most bizarre of changes, in the front line with Alick (Archiebald) McKenzie replacing Willy White.
Bizarre that McKenzie had made only two appearances that season, and both of them were as a GOALKEEPER.
Rangers would go on to win 4-1 with McKenzie notching a Hat Trick, and one from David Hislop.
The line up that day was
Reid, Gow, Muir, Marshall, McIntyre, Mitchell, McKenzie, Henderson, Kerr, McPherson and Hislop.
Good read that mate. Cheers for that ;)
 
4 Players can lay claim to playing in every minute of every game, in that Historical season.

Neil Kerr, a midfielder/forward, or perhaps an Inside Forward as my generation would call it, who played in all 20 Games that season, weighing in with 8 goals.

Davy Mitchell, a midfielder, or perhaps a Centre back/holding midfielder, Gave great service to the club, making around 300 appearances in all games from 1890-99.

David Hislop, a winger who played on both flanks.This was his only real season with Rangers, but he played in all 19 League, and 1 cup game that season, and gave a return of 10 goals. He scored in all three games v Dumbarton that season, including scoring the opener in the first minute of the Play Off.

John McPherson, the greatest of them all. Made his debut in the season opener v Hearts, and scored 10 goals in his first four games. Would go on to become a Rangers Legend, playing in over 400 games in his twelve years at the club, and would still get in Rangers top 50 players ever, to this day.
 
Yet the bheasts still complain Dumbarton should’ve won :D

Clare Whyte has called for a rematch

Since you seem to be so obsessed with Celtic and the Compliance Officer.
Just for the record, in that first ever Scottish League Championship,
Celtic, who finished 8 points adrift in third place, were deducted 4 points for CHEATING.
(playing ineligible, unregistered players)
 
That we won the first of our 54 Championships.

May 21st 1891

Scottish League Championship Play Off

Dumbarton 2-2 Rangers

Dumbarton: McLeod, Watson, A Miller, McMillan, Boyle, Keir, Taylor, Galbraith, J Miller, McNaught, Bell

Rangers: Reid, Gow, Hodge, Marshall, A McCreadie, Mitchell, Henderson, H McCreadie, Kerr, McPherson, Hislop

The referee was Mr J Marshall of the Third Lanark club.

The match was played on a Thursday evening and there was a large crowd estimated at 10,000 as it was a public holiday to mark Queen Victoria's birthday.

Goal times weren't recorded too precisely in those days. David Hislop scored for Rangers in the first minute.
Hugh McCreadie also scored for Rangers in the first half.
John Taylor scored for Dumbarton just after an hour's play and John Miller equalised.
The teams discussed whether or not to play thirty minutes extra time but decided not to.
Later, the Scottish League decided not to order another match and awarded the title to be shared by both sides.

This was the first ever Scottish League Championship.
Rangers had met Dumbarton earlier in the season, in only the third League match, at Boghead Park back on September 13, and were well beaten (1-5).
This coming a week after Celtic had knocked Rangers out of the Scottish Cup (0-1), in front of 16,000 fans at Celtic Park.
Rangers would recover from this setback, and went unbeaten in their next 12 League games (9 Wins 3 Draws), before they got the chance to seek revenge in the return League match at Old Ibrox Park on April 25th.
Two weeks earlier, Dumbarton had suffered their first League defeat of the season, losing 0-1 at Celtic Park.
(whilst Rangers were down in England playing a couple of Friendlies).
Dumbarton recovered quickly with a 4-0 win at Tynecastle on the Monday.
So Rangers went into the Dumbarton game trailing by two points, but with a game in hand.
Rangers ran out 4-2 winners on the day, to go level on points, with only two games to play, needing only three from four points, to secure the first ever Scottish Championship.
The following week we had Celtic at home, and tragically Rangers lost 1-2, as Dumbarton ran out 4-2 winners v St Mirren at Greenhill Rd.
This meant Dumbarton had completed their season with 29 points, leaving Rangers on 27 points,
with Rangers having one game to play at home to Third Lanark the following week, needing a win to force a Play Off for the Championship.
Rangers would make three changes from the side that lost to Celtic the previous week, with John Muir replacing William Hodge at left back, James 'Tuck' McIntyre replacing Andrew McCreadie at centre half, and the most bizarre of changes, in the front line with Alick (Archiebald) McKenzie replacing Willy White.
Bizarre that McKenzie had made only two appearances that season, and both of them were as a GOALKEEPER.
Rangers would go on to win 4-1 with McKenzie notching a Hat Trick, and one from David Hislop.
The line up that day was
Reid, Gow, Muir, Marshall, McIntyre, Mitchell, McKenzie, Henderson, Kerr, McPherson and Hislop.
Nice one Mo, cheers for the post, enjoyed that.
 
4 Players can lay claim to playing in every minute of every game, in that Historical season.

Neil Kerr, a midfielder/forward, or perhaps an Inside Forward as my generation would call it, who played in all 20 Games that season, weighing in with 8 goals.

Davy Mitchell, a midfielder, or perhaps a Centre back/holding midfielder, Gave great service to the club, making around 300 appearances in all games from 1890-99.

David Hislop, a winger who played on both flanks.This was his only real season with Rangers, but he played in all 19 League, and 1 cup game that season, and gave a return of 10 goals. He scored in all three games v Dumbarton that season, including scoring the opener in the first minute of the Play Off.

John McPherson, the greatest of them all. Made his debut in the season opener v Hearts, and scored 10 goals in his first four games. Would go on to become a Rangers Legend, playing in over 400 games in his twelve years at the club, and would still get in Rangers top 50 players ever, to this day.

John McPherson has a claim to be not just one of our greatest players, but also the most versatile.
Although a forward, he played in every position including goalkeeper in his 12 years at Rangers.
 
John McPherson started his career with his hometown club Kilmarnock, and was already a Scotland international when he joined Rangers in 1890 from Cowlairs. An incredibly versatile player, he was most effective as an inside left, almost falling into this position by accident when selected to play there in 1888 in a Scottish international trial at Ibrox. His display for the "possibles" against the "probables" earned him a call-up, and he went on to win 9 Scotland caps scoring 5 international goals.
In the first ever league season in Scotland, McPherson scored 4 goals on his Rangers debut, a 6-2 victory over Cambuslang. He then amazingly went one better the following week, bagging 5 against St Mirren in a thumping 8-2 win. McPherson was a mainstay of the Rangers team who shared that first ever Scottish Championship with Dumbarton.
By 1894 McPherson was captain, and he scored in every round as the club reached the final of the Scottish Cup for the first time in 15 years. On a historic day, he scored the decisive third goal in a final 3-1 win over Celtic, bringing the cup to Ibrox for the first time in our history.
Known throughout his career as Kitey, he was a mainstay of the famous Rangers team who won the title in season 1898/99, playing in 15 of the 18 games scoring 7 times. That great Rangers team went on to dominate the Scottish game at the turn of the 20th century, with McPherson winning 4 successive league championship medals, missing very few matches during this period.
John McPherson played with distinction for Rangers for 12 seasons, and although at his best at inside left, he played in every position for the first team over that 12 season spell, with his final first team game against St Mirren being as goalkeeper in a 3-2 victory after regular keeper Matt Dickie pulled out injured.
In 1907, John McPherson returned to the club he loved as a Director, and he remained on the board of Rangers until his death in 1926 when he collapsed at the Clyde Sports at Shawfield.
A player widely regarded as a leading candidate for our greatest player of our first 50 years, and a definite contender as the most versatile player ever to wear the Royal Blue.

John McPherson
Rangers 1890 - 1902 (Player), 1907 - 1926 (Director)
Competitive Appearances 218
Competitive Goals 121
5 League Titles
3 Scottish Cups
9 Scotland caps
Member of the Hall of Fame

Long gone, never forgotten.
 
John McPherson started his career with his hometown club Kilmarnock, and was already a Scotland international when he joined Rangers in 1890 from Cowlairs. An incredibly versatile player, he was most effective as an inside left, almost falling into this position by accident when selected to play there in 1888 in a Scottish international trial at Ibrox. His display for the "possibles" against the "probables" earned him a call-up, and he went on to win 9 Scotland caps scoring 5 international goals.
In the first ever league season in Scotland, McPherson scored 4 goals on his Rangers debut, a 6-2 victory over Cambuslang. He then amazingly went one better the following week, bagging 5 against St Mirren in a thumping 8-2 win. McPherson was a mainstay of the Rangers team who shared that first ever Scottish Championship with Dumbarton.
By 1894 McPherson was captain, and he scored in every round as the club reached the final of the Scottish Cup for the first time in 15 years. On a historic day, he scored the decisive third goal in a final 3-1 win over Celtic, bringing the cup to Ibrox for the first time in our history.
Known throughout his career as Kitey, he was a mainstay of the famous Rangers team who won the title in season 1898/99, playing in 15 of the 18 games scoring 7 times. That great Rangers team went on to dominate the Scottish game at the turn of the 20th century, with McPherson winning 4 successive league championship medals, missing very few matches during this period.
John McPherson played with distinction for Rangers for 12 seasons, and although at his best at inside left, he played in every position for the first team over that 12 season spell, with his final first team game against St Mirren being as goalkeeper in a 3-2 victory after regular keeper Matt Dickie pulled out injured.
In 1907, John McPherson returned to the club he loved as a Director, and he remained on the board of Rangers until his death in 1926 when he collapsed at the Clyde Sports at Shawfield.
A player widely regarded as a leading candidate for our greatest player of our first 50 years, and a definite contender as the most versatile player ever to wear the Royal Blue.

John McPherson
Rangers 1890 - 1902 (Player), 1907 - 1926 (Director)
Competitive Appearances 218
Competitive Goals 121
5 League Titles
3 Scottish Cups
9 Scotland caps
Member of the Hall of Fame

Long gone, never forgotten.

Great read about Kitey McPherson.

His official Rangers debut was actually the week before against Hearts in a 5-2 win, where he scored one. This was the first ever League game .
The following week (Aug 23rd 1890), McPherson scored 4 as Rangers beat Cambuslang (a) 6-2, thus giving John 'Kitey' McPherson claim to the first ever Hat Trick recorded in the Scottish League.
The five Goal haul against St Mirren (8-2) came some six weeks later on Oct 4th.

McPherson was virtually an ever present in the team over the next six seasons (1890-96), missing only a few games during that period.
He did however not feature in any of our first 6 League Games of the 1896-97 season, and was recalled to the side in our 7th game of the season, and came back with a bang scoring 5 Goals in a 9-2 win v Abercorn (a).
 

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