55
What is 55?
It’s more than a number. It’s history that the future is preparing. Iconic to so many people.
One football club
Custodians come and go
We gather 50k strong every second week and thousands more watch and listen from afar.
We are the catalyst that forms Rangers. From the Tea lady to the Kit man. From our admin staff to the chefs. Our media team to the youth players. This institution belongs to us all.
54 is what we were. A figure of the past. 54 times the holy grail of our domestic game hoisted aloft by legends.
From Robert Hamilton in 1898 to John Greig, voted our greatest player. 54 previous occasions of adulation from 4 stands of our field of dreams. Whether it be James Tavernier or another, the time is coming sooner rather than later
A club of stature, tradition and values. Leaders of Men have guided us over the line. Messrs Struth, Waddell, Symon,Souness Smith to name a few. If ever a club was defined by individuals over the years then these Men symbolise everything we stood for then and stand for now.
Our support demands. All we ask is no player leaves anything on the park. You give us your heart on the field and we will give you our indefinite adulation from the stands. We cannot and will never accept 2nd place.
We are Rangers
We have dined on success beyond our dreams. Dazzled by Cooper, serenaded by Laudrup, mesmerized by Baxter as a mere taster of the greats to grace our flanks.
Marshalled by Greig, Mobilized by Gough, Assembled by butcher. Men who gave blood, sweat and many tears defending giants such as Goram, Woods, Klos and McGregor. A main course of midfield maestros and magicians. Souness, Ferguson, Durrant and Gascoigne. The Ibrox Roar has got louder as years have passed as dessert was served up by the goal.
Johnstone, Mcphail and Hateley to name just a few. But then who could forget Mr Rangers.
Super Ally McCoist.
Super Ally didn’t always possess such heroic status. He had to earn the right to become immortal. It would have been easier to simply “walk away”. 355 goals. No more words requires… but there are.
Our success we had become accustomed to was ripped away. Unsavoury characters almost destroying everything we held so dear. 2012 we stared into the abyss after allowing our own Trojan Tax Horse to wreak havoc on the dreams we had built over generations. Ally McCoist stood firm at the helm
He won’t go down as a tactical great or as he would have wished as a manager. He will forever go down as the man alongside the Late Sandy Jardine who stayed and fought. He was the glue that held our fractured crest at the critical moment. We needed a hero to step up to the plate. And we got 2.
Humble pie was dished out. Suddenly we had tens of thousands of tax experts denouncing us for our sins. We took our medicine and began our recovery at the rung of Scottish football.
Our support United and are the reason our club came off life support
We climbed the divisions although it was far from the plain sailing we expected. By the time we had returned to our rightful place at the top table, we had lost a generation who were growing up with a Rangers unrecognizable to the one we knew.
We lacked a spark. The ignition we required to propel ourselves. If supporters won football matches we would be world champions for eternity. We deserved our loyalty on the field. A board now hard to deliver as there is only so long blind loyalty will prevail without an end product.
Enter Steven Gerrard.
Steven Gerrard. Let that sink in. England captain. Liverpool Champions league winning skipper. Shades of souness dare we say. Steven Gerrard, Glasgow Rangers Manager.
Thousands of fans starved of success for so long now descended on our Red bricked fortress of old to welcome Our new emperor. To see the unbridled joy in the eyes of young and old was majestic
After years of pain and misery we are back on the track we derailed so many times since 2012
Rome wasn’t built in a day. And if ever a Gladiator was required to install a team in his own image them this is the leader we have craved. In a short space we have regained our pride in Europe. The once consolation prize of UEFA cup now Europe league football is no longer castigated in such a manner. A support starved of success now appreciating all the small things some of us myself admittedly took for granted.
Mark my words the champions league Will return
11 matches unbeaten in Europe. A lifetime away from the hedge at Brechin and the plastic surface of Alloa.
We may have had one generation suffer but now we have a whole new one besotted by the superstar at the helm. Our Ibrox home now slowly becoming the fortress she once was. No longer the soft touch we once were. Indeed no longer a team willing to be bullied on or off the field.
Our lost generation now have hope. To see the glories witnessed as we did before them. To write more chapters in our glorious history so that these youngsters will one day recite new names to their grandchildren as we have done.
The Jersey may be too heavy for some to wear but for those special few it carries glory forever.
Mistakes will be made.
A rookie manager he may be but one who has helped put our game and more importantly our Club back on the pedestal they belong
Rangers still have those who wish us harm. Some who want our blue pound on one hand but to hold the other over our life support switch. To keep us down far enough not to be a threat but close enough to bleed us from any value we still possess. We cannot and will not allow this to happen again.
55
More than a number
It’s going to be the greatest chapter in our history since our inception
Follow We will
Four Lads Had A Dream 