What a goal by Bobby Russell

dh1963

Well-Known Member
Last day of the league season in 1980-81. A poor campaign after a promising start, although we had the Cup Final coming up v Dundee United that would be remembered as a Davie Cooper masterclass.

He was in a league of his own, but the one player we had who was on Davie's wavelength was Bobby Russell.

In this game it was Bobby Russell who lit up Ibrox with a fantastic goal. It's the second goal of the game.

Enjoy!

 
It surprises me that we were so poor through that period in terms of league challenges.
Russell, Bett and Cooper would probably have been three of the four best midfielders in the country were they not?
I know Coop was a winger but he’d have been left of a 4 in a 4-4-2 wouldn’t he?
 
JG's team was really frustrating, even though I was just a kid.

On our day we were more than a match for Timmy and "The New Firm".

Other days we were simply abysmal.
 
You're right. We played some cracking stuff at times but just had too many players of a lower quality that couldn't sustain league challenges.
 
I thought that was going to be the Eindhoven game.
Great skill and goal just the same.
Russell was an enigma to me then.
I couldn't understand why he wasnt the man of the match every game.
 
Last day of the league season in 1980-81. A poor campaign after a promising start, although we had the Cup Final coming up v Dundee United that would be remembered as a Davie Cooper masterclass.

He was in a league of his own, but the one player we had who was on Davie's wavelength was Bobby Russell.

In this game it was Bobby Russell who lit up Ibrox with a fantastic goal. It's the second goal of the game.

Enjoy!

A Rolls Royce of a player, his goal against Southampton in the Tennents C C was my favourite as I think it was his first, 4-1 I think the score was
 
What a cracking tem we had and to beat Juventus who had basically the whole National team in their line up then go to Eindhoven and beat PSV, where did it all go wrong? Was just a kid at the time so please someone enlighten me, maybe it was the end of an era for some of our players
 
Whoever scouted him should have got a Knighthood.What a player he was.
Think Jack Steedman at Clydebank had a hand in it - Steedman arranged a trial for Russell at Clydebank as he wanted to team him up with Davie Cooper. Shortly afterwards he was given a trial at Ibrox and offered terms. He duly signed and shortly after that Cooper joined him at Ibrox.
 
If I remember correctly. Bobby Russell came to us from Shettleston juniors and I'm sure he was a late starter.

When I was a youngster, I met him a few times as his gran was a neighbour of my gran.

My first ever Cool story bro:cool:
 
Very friendly with a player who played with Aberdeen in that era recently told me that fergies team talks when playing Gers was stopping Bobby playing
 
Great goal from a class player.. Unbelievable he never got a Scotland cap.. Seemingly stays in my estate.. Hopefully bump into him one day
 
Great goal, it’s around the time I started going to games. The attendances were low in those days at Ibrox.
 
The 4-1 Sc reply is rightfully described as Davie Coopers cup final - but my goodness Russell ran him close that night
 
Fabulous goal. Great memories. Hard to believe that from a 1981 team no less than 4 of our heroes have already passed away...Coop, Redford, Sandy and McAdam. How short life can be.
 
Always remember Souness saying that Russell was exactly the type of player he wanted in his team, then sold him to Motherwell !!!
 
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If I remember correctly. Bobby Russell came to us from Shettleston juniors and I'm sure he was a late starter.

When I was a youngster, I met him a few times as his gran was a neighbour of my gran.

My first ever Cool story bro:cool:
He was on Sunderlands books before he went to Shettleston.
 
The cup final replay was my first ever watching us lift a cup. Memories that will be with me all my days.
 
Cracking goal !!
When was the last time we saw a player of his quality come from the Juniors.
 
Cracking goal !!
When was the last time we saw a player of his quality come from the Juniors.
I certainly can't recall another player in my time coming from the Juniors straight into Rangers first team. I would doubt if there's anyone even close to Russells standard across Scottish football who has made the step from Junior to first team Pro in the last 50 years at least.
I could be wrong though
 
He was a fantastic player, would be worth millions nowadays.

The 1984 League cup final where Super scored a hat-trick, he was sensational that day too.
 
I certainly can't recall another player in my time coming from the Juniors straight into Rangers first team. I would doubt if there's anyone even close to Russells standard across Scottish football who has made the step from Junior to first team Pro in the last 50 years at least.
I could be wrong though
Eric Morris,but not anywhere near the standard Russell reached.
 
Think Jack Steedman at Clydebank had a hand in it - Steedman arranged a trial for Russell at Clydebank as he wanted to team him up with Davie Cooper. Shortly afterwards he was given a trial at Ibrox and offered terms. He duly signed and shortly after that Cooper joined him at Ibrox.
Bobby played with Possil YM in the same team as Tony Fitzpatrick, Bobby Dinnie (Manager) was in close contact with JG/Tommy McLean at the time Bobby R signed for us. I agree with other Posts..an incredible talent.
 
Bobby played with Possil YM in the same team as Tony Fitzpatrick, Bobby Dinnie (Manager) was in close contact with JG/Tommy McLean at the time Bobby R signed for us. I agree with other Posts..an incredible talent.
Big thanks to Bobby Dinnie then for helping to bring an incredible talent to Ibrox.
It seemed a bit of a coincidence that Bobby had a trial at Clydebank with a view to teaming up with Cooper and then both of them ended up at Ibrox a few weeks later.
It could be that Bobby Russell himself was the catalyst for Cooper making the move - either way we ended up with two naturally talented footballers at our club. Two players who loved our club and who helped deliver a fantastic treble in their first season - happy days.
 
He was a cracking player. Like Coop, he had to play in some average Rangers teams through the 80s. He must've only been 29/30 when Souness let him leave. He went on to play well over 100 games for Motherwell and was still a great player for them. I've always wondered if he'd've found a new lease of life under Souness, as Coop himself did, if he'd stayed with us. Definitely one of my favourites growing up anyways.
 
If I remember correctly. Bobby Russell came to us from Shettleston juniors and I'm sure he was a late starter.

When I was a youngster, I met him a few times as his gran was a neighbour of my gran.

My first ever Cool story bro:cool:
Correct. Remember going to a shettlestone game some sort of testimonial game he was involved in. Him and Davie Cooper stuck out like a sore thumb in those dark days for me. Cracking player
 
Bobby played for Dukla Pumpherston against a Cumbernauld select team I managed a few years ago for charity. He was class personified and ran the show for them despite being hampered with dicks like Peter McGuire Martin and Sheridan. A couple of mentally challengeds in the Cumbernauld team tried to leave one on him a few times but he is a very clever operator and they couldnt get near him. A very fine player and a real Rangers man.
 
Bobby Russell could've played in any Rangers side, in any era and still been a star.

He was that good.

I still believe we sold him a season or two too early because although his knee was problemstic latterly, he was better, much better than Cammy Fraser, Dougie Bell or Jimmy Nicol all of whom played in midfield during that period.
 
Whoever scouted him should have got a Knighthood.What a player he was.
Laurie Cumming was the scout for Rangers at the time who spotted him in his Possil days , tried to sign him then but he went to Sunderland.
When he came back to Shettleston Cumming watched him several times at Shettleston and got him the move to Rangers. Doubt we will ever sign a player from Shettleston Juniors again,
 
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