Leaderboard

It will be good to hear the Mo Jo story from a Rangers supporter's perspective. Too much of the narrative has centred around the apparent anger and resistance of Rangers supporters towards the transfer, those people did exist, but they were a small percentage they shouldn't dominate the story the way they seem too. I worked as printer at that time. We were a union shop, everyone had to join a trade union when you worked there, printing, along with most skilled trades at that time, was heavily unionised. There was a big dispute between the main print unions and Rupert Murdoch and his papers, The Times, Sunday Times, News Of The World and The Sun. They'd opened a print plant in east London and Kinning Park in Glasgow and had deliberately employed non-union printers and associated trades. There were pickets every night and a lot of anger and resentment. In another forum I'd explain the long term consequences of the dispute, but for this story the point of it is to explain why The Sun was banned from our work. The Sun carried the exclusive story of Johnson's signing on its front page. None of the other papers had the story. We were a small-ish printers in Glasgow filled with bluenoses, none of who had any idea this had happened. Around mid-morning a delivery driver told one of the guys and no one believed him, we all thought it was a wind-up. Then towards lunchtime it came on the Radio Clyde news, we were dumb struck, it seemed impossible. It wasn't so much that we'd signed an RC, John Spencer had been at the club for a few years too much tabloid fanfare and I never heard anyone say a bad word against him. But Spencer was different, he was a Rangers supporter, Mo Johnson definitely wasn't. I think if we'd signed a Brazilian or a Spaniard or Italian most Rangers fans would have shrugged and waited to see if he was any good. But we all knew Maurice Johnston. Most of the Rangers supporters in my work that day burst out laughing; this was the biggest get-it-up-you we could possibly give Celtic, it was hilarious. They'd literally paraded him as their player a few weeks before and he was treated like the prodigal son returning by their support. Now he was sitting beside a grinning Souness saying how much he was looking forward to pulling on the light blue. It seemed unreal. The Celtic support went into meltdown. The board, Billy McNeill and of course Johnson himself were called for everything. In my opinion they struggled to accept the signing far more than the Rangers support did. For many of them the thought that a Glasgow raised, Catholic schooled, Celtic supporting player would consider signing for Rangers seemed impossible. That the highest profile, and arguably the one of the best, just had, rocked their very foundations. It's not hyperbole to say that I'm not sure they've ever really recovered from it. I think much of the hatred so many of them have for us and the apparent need to demonise and stereotype us stems from that signing. I knew Rangers supporters who were very unsure about it too. Most I knew had a problem with the person, rather than his religion. Johnson had a criminal record, something that would have once discounted you from playing for Rangers, he'd a reputation for being a playboy, there were substantial rumours of illegitimate children around the city not being acknowledged by him, he'd been charged with serious assault after a fight in a nightclub, and of course, he was an ex-Celtic player and someone seen as being 'one of theirs' by everyone at Rangers. Could a player with that upbringing really give 100% to our club? The answer was an emphatic yes. I watched his Scottish debut in a friendly at Broomfield against the deeply unreconstructed Airdrie. Five minutes in the Section B boys began a chant of 'who's the Fenian in the blue', which drew smiles from many in our support, but was rejoined with the first chant of Mo, Mo Super Mo, from us. Johnson demonstrated what we'd bought that day. He worked harder than McCoist, he was faster and more mobile, he was a selfless player as well, playing with his back to goal or leading the line he'd drag defenders wide for others to break through, he never gave defenders a minutes peace. Scoring the winner a few months later against Celtic at Ibrox sealed the deal for any remaining doubters of his commitment. His legacy is worth exploring at some point too. After signing Johnson literally nobody was off limits to Rangers. I've heard rumours of Souness asking Gough to tap up Paul McStay at Scotland matches to see if he was interested in crossing the city, Celtic knew no one was beyond us now and that messed with their phycological make-up. They'd always relied on the best young Catholic players gravitating to them and being paid less and treated more poorly than others in the past, now they knew that couldn't happen. Wages starting going up at Parkhead, putting a strain on the famous biscuit tin, Rangers started to be linked with every player, helping us dominate the back pages driving the Celtic support into even deeper apoplexy, and so began a run of dominance for Rangers almost unmatched in Scottish football history. Signing 'wee Mo' played a big part in that. On almost every level the signing was a masterstroke and a big success. Johnson was a very good player who contributed a lot to the side particularly in his first season. I'd argue his signing forced McCoist to work on his game and develop into one of the best players in our history. I'd also argue that signing Johnson so damaged Celtic that they've never got over it, whilst we now look back on it as just another big signing. Ironically, our other big signing that summer, was probably even more important to our continued success. Trevor Steven was a sublime footballer who provided so many of what we now call 'assists'. The other big realisation of course is that 30 years ago we were signing some of the best players available in the UK, how times have changed.

Sam Ricketts would look at a Greg Docherty Shrewsbury return but feels midfielder has moved 'beyond' Town By Lewis Cox | Shrewsbury Town FC | Published: Less than an hour ago Sam Ricketts would be keen on a return for Greg Docherty but feels the midfielder may have gone ‘beyond’ Shrewsbury Town. The 22-year-old Rangers man was a huge hit in Shropshire last season and was crowned Town’s player of the season. Docherty made 50 appearances for Ricketts’ side, scoring 10 goals and laying on 11 assists. The Rangers fan wants to break into Steven Gerrard’s Ibrox side and has featured in pre-season friendlies. He is expected to have a chance in Europa League qualifiers beginning next week. Ricketts believes that, if Docherty was available, his next move could be to a higher level. “Doc would be of interest to a lot of people and I wish him the best,” Ricketts, who has been linked with Docherty’s Portsmouth-bound Rangers team-mate Ross McCrorie, told Scottish media. “I hope he goes on and does really well this year. If he was available, then obviously we would be keen. “But that doesn’t mean that it would happen. I think he could be out of our reach because he performed that well and he could be beyond us now.” The Shrews boss believes Docherty’s ability, attitude and energy make him a ‘special’ player – and backed him to develop under the ‘phenomenal’ Gerrard. Ricketts added: “He came away and played a full season of 50, 60 games, which is no mean feat for any player. The exuberance he has to want to do well is brilliant. I never watched him play at Rangers but he came here and worked so hard. “It is not just his running and his pressing, they are excellent, but his goals and all round game were terrific. “When you have got a player that is willing to put that shift in, that will run you 12km in every game, but also do it at his intensity, that is a major asset to any team. With Greg, you have his quality at the end of it and that is what makes him a special player.” Ricketts added: “You won’t learn from anyone better because Steven Gerrard was one of the best players that the Premier League has ever seen. He was a phenomenal talent but he could get box-to-box, and Doc can do that too. He can score goals, he can assist goals and Doc has not got anyone better to learn from.” The Shrews boss is looking forward to keeping tabs on Docherty’s career and believed Town will have played their part in the heights he goes on to reach. “The whole idea of taking lads in on loan is to give them a platform to perform and to improve and I think that is exactly what happened with Doc last season, which was brilliant,” Ricketts said. “I will follow him and I will wish him all the best and I hope that he can go and impress again this season and do well. “We are really keen for him to go on and have a great career and then we can say that we helped, that we were a very small part, of helping him achieve that.” https://www.shropshirestar.com/sport/football/shrewsbury-town-fc/2019/07/06/sam-ricketts-would-look-at-a-greg-docherty-shrewsbury-return-but-feels-midfielder-has-moved-beyond-town/ Personally I think he will have to make the breakthrough this season to the first team or he may never make it! it will be very tough for him to do it.

It’s not true ah tells ya

Only for players moving between English clubs. No English club will pay£30 m for a Scottish League player. The best we can do is to ensure we get a lucrative sell-on fee like the Keltic did with Van Dyck and others. As long as our teams keep getting turfed out of Europe before Christmas then that disdain for our domestic football will remain.

Thats a relief i was thinking why would gerrard say he is the future for club and country and sell him he is only 21 give me a better under 21 DM in Scotland and he has got years to develo p

Great read mate. I can never remember what I did the day before never mind 30 years ago.

If he has to go then it should be £30 million and not a penny less you might think i am mad but I see some others moving clubs for more look at the full back from palace to United seen him in the under 21s and he was crap yet he changed hands for a fortune . After all he can and will score goals that's what every team wants .

IF you’re outside the UK and Ireland then you can watch Tuesday’s Europa League clash with St Joseph’s LIVE on RangersTV. https://rangers.co.uk/news/rangers-tv/st-josephs-live-outside-uk-roi/