The curious case of Marco Negri....

Recent times have meant heroes are rather thin on the ground. MN is a memory of better days. I can only guess this is a reason behind the affection.
 
He's made himself very accessible to fans, has been a good friend to Ricksen and raised money for charity. When he came to visit the Big Apple Bears, he asked for nothing in return - he just wanted to drop by. Whatever went on in his time with us, he seems to have found a genuine passion for the club these days.
 
Coza said:
Someone with a far better grasp of the nuances of ex footballers is going to have to explain Marco Negri to me.

Signs from Perugia in the summer of 1997 for £4m or so. One of the Italian connection bought to fire us to 10 in a row.

Plays half a season scoring goals a plenty including 5 in one game versus Dundee United. All the time celebrating his goals like he has just buried a family member.

Then a freak squash injury* at Parklands gives him an eye injury that means he doesn’t play again for us that season. (*Amoruso punches him for shagging Porinnis wife allegedly).

Then the next summer the Advocaat revolution begins and Negri is nowhere to be seen in match day squads. This leads to a loan deal to Vecenza in 1999 and many rumblings in the Italian press that Negri hates Scotland and doesn’t want to come back to Rangers.

The loan deal with Vecenza ends and he comes back to Rangers but all the noises from the training staff suggest he has no future at the club as he isn’t showing enough in training. Out of the blue Advocaat, in his third season as manager, mentions his attitude has improved and he starts to get the odd sub appearance including a CL away game versus Strum Graz where he ironically comes on for Sergio Porinni. Again he drops completely out of contention after some lack lustre sub appearances.

In 2001 he signs for Bologna and returns to Italy with a grand total of 33 games or something for Rangers in 4 years. The entire 4 years looking like a man that would rather be anywhere else in the world. Being honest I had personally consigned him to the what could have been bucket and someone who clearly had no affinity with our club.

Fast forward 5-10 years and suddenly Negri is a regular for rangers in all the legends tournaments etc. He writes a book with a lot about his time at rangers (I think although I might have made that up). His social media profile almost out of nowhere also becomes very pro Rangers and he starts to become a regular(ish) face at rangers supporters events.

While I always like to see ex players with an affinity to the club stay involved and continue to be ambassadors for the club, I have always found the Negri situation utterly bizarre. Then I go on twitter tonight and see he is in Zante with Novo and Docherty having a party......all very odd.

So that rant over. What’s the script with the bold Negri?

The cynic in me wonders if he’s a skint man tapping into the blue pound from our very loyal fan base? The purist in me hopes that with time and maturity he realises what a club he once played for and because he never rung that experience dry at the time he is making up for lost time.

Anyone in the know?
Click to expand...

A man that seen a way to make an easy living from the blue pound.
 
There was an article going around online apparently from an interview he did with the Italian press saying he didn’t like it as Rangers as we were anti catholic and he wasn’t allowed to bell himself etc... I don’t know if it was genuine or some crap made up by them to explain a moody Italian. I’d imagine if it were him it would be in his book, anyone who’s read it confirm if it’s in it or is it made up shite by the obsessed?
 
Drumchapel-Bear said:
Whatever the f*ck happened with him probably cost us 10IAR.
Click to expand...
Memory is a bit hazy but during the injury Ally was brought back in from nowhere and retained the jersey till the end of the season. Felt like an old pals act. Negri scored near Christmas v them at parkhead but we never recovered from the late Stubs equaliser (we would have pulled away,) and the sale of Gazza the same week?
 
Vote For Pedro said:
There was an article going around online apparently from an interview he did with the Italian press saying he didn’t like it as Rangers as we were anti catholic and he wasn’t allowed to bell himself etc... I don’t know if it was genuine or some crap made up by them to explain a moody Italian. I’d imagine if it were him it would be in his book, anyone who’s read it confirm if it’s in it or is it made up shite by the obsessed?
Click to expand...

It was made up.
 
Careca said:
Memory is a bit hazy but during the injury Ally was brought back in from nowhere and retained the jersey till the end of the season. Felt like an old pals act. Negri scored near Christmas v them at parkhead but we never recovered from the late Stubs equaliser (we would have pulled away,) and the sale of Gazza the same week?
Click to expand...

It wasn’t an old pals act. McCoist was excellent and almost got us over the line single handed.
 
Jesus, some people getting their knickers in a right twist.

Seems to genuinely love the club these days.
 
Negri was always a great striker but a problem player in that he lasted a season at each club before going in a huff and downing tools. Even when he was first here and scoring he never celebrated his goals and acted like he hated being here.

I don't think it was all injuries - how can being hit in the eye with a squash ball put you out the game for over 2 years? Overall the guy was a renegade who now is a better supporter than he was when he played.

A bit wierd if you ask me.
 
He stole money from us for 3 1/2 years and supposedly hated it here, now he is Mr Rangers. Personally I have no time for him and wouldn't give him a penny.
 
Never had a stronger dislike for a former Ranger ever.

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that his antics cost us the ten. Any of these supposed fans who now pander to him on social media should hang their heads in shame.

An absolute joker and a fraud.
 
im_a_good_bluenose said:
We lost ten in a row because a guy who should have been off the park scored a 93rd minute equaliser in an OF game from a free kick that wasn’t even a foul. Add in gazza getting a red for the square root of eff all
Click to expand...
This. That red was a disgrace.
That referee truly acted the cvunt.
 
Coza said:
Someone with a far better grasp of the nuances of ex footballers is going to have to explain Marco Negri to me.

Signs from Perugia in the summer of 1997 for £4m or so. One of the Italian connection bought to fire us to 10 in a row.

Plays half a season scoring goals a plenty including 5 in one game versus Dundee United. All the time celebrating his goals like he has just buried a family member.

Then a freak squash injury* at Parklands gives him an eye injury that means he doesn’t play again for us that season. (*Amoruso punches him for shagging Porinnis wife allegedly).

Then the next summer the Advocaat revolution begins and Negri is nowhere to be seen in match day squads. This leads to a loan deal to Vecenza in 1999 and many rumblings in the Italian press that Negri hates Scotland and doesn’t want to come back to Rangers.

The loan deal with Vecenza ends and he comes back to Rangers but all the noises from the training staff suggest he has no future at the club as he isn’t showing enough in training. Out of the blue Advocaat, in his third season as manager, mentions his attitude has improved and he starts to get the odd sub appearance including a CL away game versus Strum Graz where he ironically comes on for Sergio Porinni. Again he drops completely out of contention after some lack lustre sub appearances.

In 2001 he signs for Bologna and returns to Italy with a grand total of 33 games or something for Rangers in 4 years. The entire 4 years looking like a man that would rather be anywhere else in the world. Being honest I had personally consigned him to the what could have been bucket and someone who clearly had no affinity with our club.

Fast forward 5-10 years and suddenly Negri is a regular for rangers in all the legends tournaments etc. He writes a book with a lot about his time at rangers (I think although I might have made that up). His social media profile almost out of nowhere also becomes very pro Rangers and he starts to become a regular(ish) face at rangers supporters events.

While I always like to see ex players with an affinity to the club stay involved and continue to be ambassadors for the club, I have always found the Negri situation utterly bizarre. Then I go on twitter tonight and see he is in Zante with Novo and Docherty having a party......all very odd.

So that rant over. What’s the script with the bold Negri?

The cynic in me wonders if he’s a skint man tapping into the blue pound from our very loyal fan base? The purist in me hopes that with time and maturity he realises what a club he once played for and because he never rung that experience dry at the time he is making up for lost time.

Anyone in the know?
Click to expand...

I always thought he was a moody bassa that hated us.

Then saw him all over facebook going on about Rangers, laughing and joking and acting like a huge Rangers fan. It was as if he was on drugs or was in the late stages of dementia!

I was pinching myself, as if it was a different guy. I know foreigners can get carried away with the club, culture, fans considering the depth and meaning it has for so many people, but Negri?!

I'm glad you posted this. I've always been a bit scared to mention it. Due to it being so utterly off the wall, I was afraid I'd missed some very obvious completely!

What I will say though, during his extremely short playing time he was absolutely one of the best goalscorers I've ever seen.
 
im_a_good_bluenose said:
We lost ten in a row because a guy who should have been off the park scored a 93rd minute equaliser in an OF game from a free kick that wasn’t even a foul. Add in gazza getting a red for the square root of eff all
Click to expand...




Yip.
Came out the piggery that night and said to the auld yin that's going to cost us.:(
 
yarrumdavid01 said:
Negri was always a great striker but a problem player in that he lasted a season at each club before going in a huff and downing tools. Even when he was first here and scoring he never celebrated his goals and acted like he hated being here.

I don't think it was all injuries - how can being hit in the eye with a squash ball put you out the game for over 2 years? Overall the guy was a renegade who now is a better supporter than he was when he played.

A bit wierd if you ask me.
Click to expand...
Apparently affected his peripheral vision badly, however it was the injury occurred. I guess as non-professional footballers we’ll never understand exactly how such injuries can affect your game.

However the paucity of his input let alone appearances in the next 3 seasons was disappointing to say the least. He had a semi-decent stint at Livorno as I recall after leaving us but that was it. Huge case of what might have been
 
Been brilliant with me for Legends games I've orgsnised in London as an e.g. the Ray Wilkins Memorial game he brought a couple of things over to auction and I almost bullied him into getting a box of books to sign individually in the Holiday inn at Sutton last year , my theory being , Southern based fans or those visiting would get a rare chance to sit down with someone on an informal basis in a hotel bar . I've found him to be kind humble and along with big Marvin the most supportive of any events I'm organising through social media

When my brother died suddenly from cancer shortly after the Ray Wilkins Memorial game he was one of the first to call me

I've organised a Rangers Legends game at Shotts in 4 weeks and he wanted to come over but I said I was only asking UK based players to keep the travel costs down etc
He genuinely seems to love it when he goes to events in my experience
 
35 goals before Christmas iirc. We would’ve been out of sight if he continued to play.

Remember reading an interview with him where he said if he wasn’t a footballer he’d probably be a thief.
 
Woodrow Call said:
His nonsense cost us 10.

The end.
Click to expand...

I'd argue selling Gazza mid campaign was a bigger factor.

Negri was a phenomenon, can't help but wonder how many goals he would've racked up if he'd played out that first season. When we signed him I'm pretty sure he was highest scorer in Italy exculded pens the season before. Changed days indeed, we'd never be able to sign the likes of that these days.
 
Last edited:
Live Forever said:
35 goals before Christmas iirc. We would’ve been out of sight if he continued to play.

Remember reading an interview with him where he said if he wasn’t a footballer he’d probably be a thief.
Click to expand...

He stole a wage from us for 3 seasons, so I guess he got to do both.

Absolute chancer imo.
 
It is weird but I don't have anything against him . He did play for us and scored plenty, at the start at least, plus loads of these guys that play in the legends games are far from it but they lived our dream and still have an affinity to rangers which is more than can be said for some ex players
 
Robbie Hepburn said:
It is weird but I don't have anything against him . He did play for us and scored plenty, at the start at least, plus loads of these guys that play in the legends games are far from it but they lived our dream and still have an affinity to rangers which is more than can be said for some ex players
Click to expand...

I’m cynical about Negri’s ‘affinity’.

Spent a huge chunk of his time sitting out a contract and looking like he was running the clock down.

Now in retirement he realises his days with us as the most marketable.
 
GeeGee said:
I’m cynical about Negri’s ‘affinity’.

Spent a huge chunk of his time sitting out a contract and looking like he was running the clock down.

Now in retirement he realises his days with us as the most marketable.
Click to expand...
Understand your cynicism but as many on this thread have said ,he does a lot for charity and is very helpful to bears in general which you can't really argue with
 
Met Marco a couple of times thought he was humble and a nice person he was in my pals pub in Blantyre over for a charity due for Fernando he was a great finisher up there with the best have to say I was very disappointed when he just seemed to take the huff and didn’t want to play for us anymore who knows why .All the x players seem to like him and get on with him well .He could’ve been a real legend if his goals took us to ten in a row .
 
I think maybe he's changed his attitude. He was a force of nature for 6 months, then nothing. I do remember being pissed off with him afterwards.
Sometimes you don't realise what you have until it's gone.
 
This book of his must be a Times Best Seller by now given that he's dedicated about five years of his life to touring the world promoting it :rolleyes:
 
Always remember seeing an interview with Chic Young and he said he once asked Walter about Negri and Walter said "That c*nt?". He must have been an absolute arsehole behind the scenes when he was here.
 
tattiet said:
Been brilliant with me for Legends games I've orgsnised in London as an e.g. the Ray Wilkins Memorial game he brought a couple of things over to auction and I almost bullied him into getting a box of books to sign individually in the Holiday inn at Sutton last year , my theory being , Southern based fans or those visiting would get a rare chance to sit down with someone on an informal basis in a hotel bar . I've found him to be kind humble and along with big Marvin the most supportive of any events I'm organising through social media

When my brother died suddenly from cancer shortly after the Ray Wilkins Memorial game he was one of the first to call me

I've organised a Rangers Legends game at Shotts in 4 weeks and he wanted to come over but I said I was only asking UK based players to keep the travel costs down etc
He genuinely seems to love it when he goes to events in my experience
Click to expand...
If he loved us that much then he should have offered to come over and play at his own expense, that he didn't tells me he's just a chancer.
 
broxi87 said:
He disappeared, nobody heard a word then he came out with a book and a lot of fans acted like he was a legend, he makes it pretty clear in the book that he didnt enjoy Rangers, complaining about the doctor,certain team mates, growing a big beard just to annoy Walter, etc his attitude was terrible couldn't wait to leave , he hung up on David Murray when he was asked to play, he tried to claim he didn't want to be here because of the weather but admitted he signed on a very wet and grey day.

Now he is everywhere, weird...
Click to expand...

He didn’t write the book.
 
I remember plenty of us saying at the time while Negri was running down the clock when we could've done with him on his game that he’d only realise the opportunity he had at Rangers when his career was done.

I’d say he now realises the time he wasted being a sulky fcuker at by far the biggest club he ever played for.
 
Bigfoot said:
I'd argue selling Gazza mid campaign was a bigger factor.

Negri was a phenomenon, can't help but wonder how many goals he would've racked up if he'd played out that first season. When we signed him I'm pretty sure he was highest scorer in Italy exculded pens the season before. Changed days indeed, we'd never be able to sign the likes of that these days.
Click to expand...

Gascoigne was done. His career was about to implode and he barely kicked a worthwhile ball after he left us. Punting him for £3m when we did was very smart business. If we kept hold of him another 3 months we’d have ended up paying him off to leave for nothing.

The TIAR failure was down to a general malaise and failure of collective attitude - both Gascoignes and Negris played no small part in that.
 
The whole episode is still an utter mystery to me even after all this time

The phrase 'score for fun up here' was invented for him

He really was an absolute machine

Opposition defences had no answer & he seemed to relish in out-witting them despite muted celebrations

If he didn't like being with us - what puzzles me is he had no ambition to leave & play elsewhere

Was it big Amo who said he was a miserable git & wouldn't be happy unless he had something to moan about ? Or did I imagine that ?
 
Bigfoot said:
I'd argue selling Gazza mid campaign was a bigger factor.

Negri was a phenomenon, can't help but wonder how many goals he would've racked up if he'd played out that first season. When we signed him I'm pretty sure he was highest scorer in Italy exculded pens the season before. Changed days indeed, we'd never be able to sign the likes of that these days.
Click to expand...
Gazza was out of control by the time we sold him, getting pished in New York on St Patrick's day when we were fighting to secure 10 in a row was the last straw.
 
Glad it’s not just me.

I think the first time I saw him smile properly was in 2017 when he released his book.

Never seemed to care when he was here and took a big wage in return for offering nothing.

Wouldn’t but his book if it was on sale for a pound in the corner shop
 
a_weir said:
He didn’t write the book.
Click to expand...
Its HIS book, it'd an autobiography not a biography, its his story in his words put together by a more capable writer based on his word exactly ,proof read by him and published with his name on the front cover ,and royalties paid to him, by all accounts its his whether he wrote it or not its his.
 
I have no problem with a man who may not have appreciated what he had in his football career, now making a living for his family and continuing to support rangers at every turn.

Good on him.
 
I find it all very weird, only reason I can think of is money talking, he looked miserable the whole time he was here as a player, I’m sure there was some sort of article slating us and the religious side of things
 
Bigfoot said:
I'd argue selling Gazza mid campaign was a bigger factor.

Negri was a phenomenon, can't help but wonder how many goals he would've racked up if he'd played out that first season. When we signed him I'm pretty sure he was highest scorer in Italy exculded pens the season before. Changed days indeed, we'd never be able to sign the likes of that these days.
Click to expand...

No chance was selling Gascoigne a bigger factor. We actually sold Gazza in March, but he was done that season. Contributing absolutely nothing.

Due to Negri not being available for selection we had to rely on a 35 year old Ally McCoist as pretty much our only avenue for goals!
 
Coza said:
Someone with a far better grasp of the nuances of ex footballers is going to have to explain Marco Negri to me.

Signs from Perugia in the summer of 1997 for £4m or so. One of the Italian connection bought to fire us to 10 in a row.

Plays half a season scoring goals a plenty including 5 in one game versus Dundee United. All the time celebrating his goals like he has just buried a family member.

Then a freak squash injury* at Parklands gives him an eye injury that means he doesn’t play again for us that season. (*Amoruso punches him for shagging Porinnis wife allegedly).

Then the next summer the Advocaat revolution begins and Negri is nowhere to be seen in match day squads. This leads to a loan deal to Vecenza in 1999 and many rumblings in the Italian press that Negri hates Scotland and doesn’t want to come back to Rangers.

The loan deal with Vecenza ends and he comes back to Rangers but all the noises from the training staff suggest he has no future at the club as he isn’t showing enough in training. Out of the blue Advocaat, in his third season as manager, mentions his attitude has improved and he starts to get the odd sub appearance including a CL away game versus Strum Graz where he ironically comes on for Sergio Porinni. Again he drops completely out of contention after some lack lustre sub appearances.

In 2001 he signs for Bologna and returns to Italy with a grand total of 33 games or something for Rangers in 4 years. The entire 4 years looking like a man that would rather be anywhere else in the world. Being honest I had personally consigned him to the what could have been bucket and someone who clearly had no affinity with our club.

Fast forward 5-10 years and suddenly Negri is a regular for rangers in all the legends tournaments etc. He writes a book with a lot about his time at rangers (I think although I might have made that up). His social media profile almost out of nowhere also becomes very pro Rangers and he starts to become a regular(ish) face at rangers supporters events.

While I always like to see ex players with an affinity to the club stay involved and continue to be ambassadors for the club, I have always found the Negri situation utterly bizarre. Then I go on twitter tonight and see he is in Zante with Novo and Docherty having a party......all very odd.

So that rant over. What’s the script with the bold Negri?

The cynic in me wonders if he’s a skint man tapping into the blue pound from our very loyal fan base? The purist in me hopes that with time and maturity he realises what a club he once played for and because he never rung that experience dry at the time he is making up for lost time.

Anyone in the know?
Click to expand...
He posted a prize for our Erskine fundraising in 2016. He didn't seek any publicity or £. Our experience of him is 100% positive. Likely he realised after his career what he'd been part of.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Latest posts

Back
Top