Millar Brand Partnership formed on this day 63 Years ago

MO_TxTruBlu

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Rangers opened the 1959-60 season with the Millar Brand pairing as a No.9 and No.10 for the first time.
Jimmy Millar a Wing Half/Inside Forward, who had made only 9 appearances in the previous season, had been forced to play Centre Forward in place of the injured Max Murray in an end of season Friendly a few months earlier and scored all 4 second half goals in a 4-0 win.
Despite Max Murray being our top goalscorer in each of the previous three seasons (99 Goals in 123 Games) this prompted Scot Symon to start the 59-60 season with Millar as his Center Forward, and Ralph Brand at Inside Left.
Rangers thrashed Hibs 6-1 at Easter Rd, with Ralph Brand scoring 4 goals, and Millar netting one on his first official stint as Rangers Centre Forward.
The headline on that Saturday's Evening Times front page was "A 'BRAND' NEW FITBA' SEASON".
The promise of this MB partnership looked good, but they only got the first four games under their belt, before Symon opted to bring back Sammy Baird at Inside Left.
Surprisingly, Brand, who had scored a very impressive 29 Goals in 35 Games over the past 12 months, would only get 11 more starts that season, whilst the more experienced Sammy Baird was preferred in 38 games, with a return of 15 goals, as Rangers marched all the way to the Semi Finals of the European Cup, and collected the Scottish Cup.
Jimmy Millar ended the season as top scorer with 40 Goals in 52 Games.
Other players who impressed that season, was the versatile forward Davy Wilson who scored 22 Goals/50 Games, and that wonderful Inside Right (8), Ian McMillan who weighed in with 20 goals. Alex Scott on the right wing chipped in with 19 goals.

The next four seasons, 1960-64 would see the Millar Brand partnership combine to score 254 Goals between the pair.
 
That number of goals for Ian McMillan came as a surprise, never thought of him as a regular scorer.
That surprised me as well.
I always thought of McMillan, as the scheming Inside Forward/Midfielder, who created the chances for those in front of him, as opposed to the man getting on the end of them.
18 of those goals came in 29 games over a 6 month period, between Sept- March.

The following season (60-61), McMillan scored 15, as the front five of
Scott (22), McMillan (15), Millar (24), Brand (40) and Wilson (23)
combined to score 124 Goals between them.

Only 5 other Players got on the scoresheet that 60-61 season, and two of them were back ups.
Max Murray scored 9 Goals in 8 Games, George McLean (not the Dandy one) scored 3 in 6 games.
Harold Davis got 5, Jim Baxter 2, and Eric Caldow 2 penalties.
 
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Legends, every one of them. Grew up watching them. Ian McMillan was a wonderful player, cultured with wonderful passing inside the full back for AlexScott then Willie Henderson to run onto.

Millar and Brand the original front two pairing. Jimmy had the strength while Ralph was a darting inside forward. Only Denis Law kept him out of the Scotland team.
 
The old M&B were terrific combination, players like McMillan, Wilson, Scott/Henderson supplied the ammunition for them to score some excellent goals.
 
Rangers opened the 1959-60 season with the Millar Brand pairing as a No.9 and No.10 for the first time.
Jimmy Millar a Wing Half/Inside Forward, who had made only 9 appearances in the previous season, had been forced to play Centre Forward in place of the injured Max Murray in an end of season Friendly a few months earlier and scored all 4 second half goals in a 4-0 win.
Despite Max Murray being our top goalscorer in each of the previous three seasons (99 Goals in 123 Games) this prompted Scot Symon to start the 59-60 season with Millar as his Center Forward, and Ralph Brand at Inside Left.
Rangers thrashed Hibs 6-1 at Easter Rd, with Ralph Brand scoring 4 goals, and Millar netting one on his first official stint as Rangers Centre Forward.
The headline on that Saturday's Evening Times front page was "A 'BRAND' NEW FITBA' SEASON".
The promise of this MB partnership looked good, but they only got the first four games under their belt, before Symon opted to bring back Sammy Baird at Inside Left.
Surprisingly, Brand, who had scored a very impressive 29 Goals in 35 Games over the past 12 months, would only get 11 more starts that season, whilst the more experienced Sammy Baird was preferred in 38 games, with a return of 15 goals, as Rangers marched all the way to the Semi Finals of the European Cup, and collected the Scottish Cup.
Jimmy Millar ended the season as top scorer with 40 Goals in 52 Games.
Other players who impressed that season, was the versatile forward Davy Wilson who scored 22 Goals/50 Games, and that wonderful Inside Right (8), Ian McMillan who weighed in with 20 goals. Alex Scott on the right wing chipped in with 19 goals.

The next four seasons, 1960-64 would see the Millar Brand partnership combine to score 254 Goals between the pair.
Class
 
Legends, every one of them. Grew up watching them. Ian McMillan was a wonderful player, cultured with wonderful passing inside the full back for AlexScott then Willie Henderson to run onto.

Millar and Brand the original front two pairing. Jimmy had the strength while Ralph was a darting inside forward. Only Denis Law kept him out of the Scotland team.
Despite the great Denis law keeping Brand out the Scotland team, Ralphie did manage 8 Goals in 8 Games for Scotland, an incredible record, which very few (if any) could lay claim to.
At the time Ralph Brand scored his 8th goal in his 8th appearance,
Denis Law was on 5 Goals in 14 appearances.
 
Despite the great Denis law keeping Brand out the Scotland team, Ralphie did manage 8 Goals in 8 Games for Scotland, an incredible record, which very few (if any) could lay claim to.
At the time Ralph Brand scored his 8th goal in his 8th appearance,
Denis Law was on 5 Goals in 14 appearances.
Was there not a game when Scotland beat Northern Ireland 6-1 in Belfast and all goals were scored by Rangers players.

I remember the headline in the paper Northern Ireland 1 Rangers 6, changed days.

I am afraid Ralph Brand has been in a home for years.
 
Was there not a game when Scotland beat Northern Ireland 6-1 in Belfast and all goals were scored by Rangers players.

I remember the headline in the paper Northern Ireland 1 Rangers 6, changed days.

I am afraid Ralph Brand has been in a home for years.
I recall an English League 3 Scottish League 4 (at Goodison?) in the late 50’s that stood out as a result because, if memory serves me correctly, (without resorting to wikipedia), all 4 of Scotland’s goals were scored by us. Anyone remember?
 
Was there not a game when Scotland beat Northern Ireland 6-1 in Belfast and all goals were scored by Rangers players.

I remember the headline in the paper Northern Ireland 1 Rangers 6, changed days.

I am afraid Ralph Brand has been in a home for years.
Yes, Oct 7th 1961 at Windsor Park
Northern Ireland 1-6 Scotland
Scorers were Alex Scott (3) Ralph Brand (2) Davy Wilson

Ralph Brand was the only change in the Scotland line up, from the team who defeated Czechoslovakia 3-2 at Hampden 11 days earlier, replacing Denis Law.
Brown, McKay, Caldow, Crerand, McNeill, Baxter, Scott, White, St John, Brand and Wilson.

That Northern Ireland team was not a bad side, having progressed to the Quarter finals of the 1958 World Cup, just three years earlier, eliminating Argentina and Czechoslovakia (who they defeated twice), and had Harry Gregg, Alex Elder, Danny Blanchflower, Terry Neil, Bertie Peacock and Jimmy McIlroy in their Line up that day.

Ralph Brand was on fire at that time.
Just three days earlier, the Scottish League XI beat the Irish League XI 7-0 at Ibrox,
with Ralph Brand scoring 4 on the night, Jimmy Millar got 2, and the other being an own goal.
As a wee side note, that same evening Hearts defeated Union St Gilloise 2-0 to progress in Europe
So in the space of 4 days, Scotland/Scottish League had scored 13 Goals,
with 12 of the 13 Goals coming from Rangers players, and the other being an own goal!

Brand's Scotland career was obviously restricted by the greatness of Denis Law, but few others
(if any) could boast the numbers posted by Ralphie.
His record for Scotland is too often overlooked.
8 Games for Scotland, 8 Goals
5 Games for the Scottish League XI, 8 Goals

In just those two seasons alone (1960-62) Ralph Brand scored 99 Goals for Rangers and Scotland!
 
I recall an English League 3 Scottish League 4 (at Goodison?) in the late 50’s that stood out as a result because, if memory serves me correctly, (without resorting to wikipedia), all 4 of Scotland’s goals were scored by us. Anyone remember?
Villa Park.
 
I recall an English League 3 Scottish League 4 (at Goodison?) in the late 50’s that stood out as a result because, if memory serves me correctly, (without resorting to wikipedia), all 4 of Scotland’s goals were scored by us. Anyone remember?
I think you might be thinking about a 4-3 win against them at Villa Park in 1962.
Davy Wilson scored 3 and Ralph Brand got the other.

This came just 4 days after Davy Wilson scored 6 goals in a 7-1 win for Rangers at Brockville
 
Legends, every one of them. Grew up watching them. Ian McMillan was a wonderful player, cultured with wonderful passing inside the full back for AlexScott then Willie Henderson to run onto.

Millar and Brand the original front two pairing. Jimmy had the strength while Ralph was a darting inside forward. Only Denis Law kept him out of the Scotland team.
One of my favourite memories of that forward line, and there were many.
 
And an absolute pair of gentlemen!
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