BEARGER

Subject: FINLAY SPEEDIE Remembering Finlay Speedie ---(found this on Google) Part 1 Finlay Ballantyne Speedie was born in Dumbarton on 18th August 1880, and the town would remain dear to his heart all his days. He was an excellent sportsman, and in particular a fine young footballer, starting his playing career at just 15 years old with Arniston Thistle in 1895. ---His teenage football career saw him move from club to club on a frequent basis.-- From Arniston he joined Clydebank Juniors the following year, and after another 12 months (aged 17) --he was on the move again, this time as an amateur player for his home town club Dumbarton.---- He never played for their first team in his short spell there, before signing for Duntocher Hibs in 1898.---- He finally turned professional the following year, signing a contract with Strathclyde.Juniors Speedie was a versatile player, most at home at inside forward, and several impressive displays at inside left for Strathclyde attracted the attention of William Wilton at Ibrox.- The Rangers manager had assembled the best team in the land at the turn of the 20th century, and in October 1900 --Wilton signed him for the Scottish champions.-- At just turned 20, Speedie may have thought it might take time to get his first team chance, but Wilton was convinced the player was ready for the first team, and on October 20th 1900--- Finlay Speediemade his Rangers debut at inside left against Dundee at Ibrox in the First Division.--- Rangers won the match 4-2 to maintain a 100% home record in the league for the season, So impressed was Wilton with his new signing, . In just his third appearance for the club, Speedie found himself playing in a cup final, and he took home a winners medal as Rangers defeated Partick 3-1 in the Glasgow Cup.--- The following Saturday he scored his first Rangers goal in a 3-1 victory at Morton in the league as Speedie’s dream introduction to life at Ibrox continued. ----He scored important goals against both Kilmarnock and Queens Park, which set up a potential title party against Celtic on New Years Day 1901.--- A win over their fiercest rivals would guarantee Rangers a third successive title. ----There were 30,000 at Ibrox to see young sensation Finlay Speedie open the scoring after an hour, before a second goal in the last few minutes settled any nerves.--- A late consolation by Celtic seemed irrelevant, as Speedie and his teammates celebrated being Kings of Scotland again. ---He started in 11 of the 20 league games that season, earning himself a first league medal. His debut season wasn’t perfect, however, as he had to endure 2 painful cup defeats by Celtic in the Scottish Cup and the Charity Cup.---- But by the close season in 1901, Finlay Speedie was now an established Rangers regular. Season 1901/02 saw Rangers retain their title,--- but it was a season overshadowed by tragedy in April 1902 when 25 spectators died at the stadium during a Scotland v England international match due to the collapse of a temporary stand. ---Speedie was now a virtual ever present, and he won a second Glasgow Cup medalin the strangest of circumstances when Celtic declined to take part in a final replay after it was ordered to be played at Ibrox after a drawn match at the same venue. Celtic pushed Rangers all the way in the title race, Speedie scoring an important goal against them at Ibrox in a 2-2 draw in October, and played his part in a vital 4-2 New Year win at Parkhead.-- Celtic took this defeat particularly badly, lodging a protest with the SFA over the referee’s handling of the match, which the SFA dismissed. ----Speedie then scored against both St Mirren and Dundee in the last 2 matches of the league season, which won the title by just 2 points. Rangers and Speedie failed to reach the Scottish Cup final again, this time it was a defeat to a very good Hibs team in the semi final that ended his hopes. ---And Hibs also knocked Rangers out the Charity Cup---- after extra teams were included in the competition to raise funds for the families of those affected by the disaster. Finlay Speedie played for Rangers for another 4 years, but he wouldn’t win another Scottish championship. ---The club were forced into selling many of their players and cutting costs to maximise money available to compensate families and to rebuild the stadium. ---Speedie played in 18 of the 22 league games in season 1902/03, . These included a double in a 2-1 win over Hearts, but it was Edinburgh rivals Hibs who won the league, with Rangers third. Speedie scored his first Rangers hat-trick in the 7-0 Scottish Cup first round win over Auchterarder Thistle, and also starred in a comfortable 3-0 win over Celtic at Parkhead in the third round. ----Rangers reached the final, where Hearts were the opponents. It took 3 games to find a winner, with Speedie playing in all 3 matches.---- On April 25th 1903, Finlay Speedie became a Scottish Cup winner . ---This was despite him being forced to play for more than half the match at left back due to J Drummond leaving the field with an injury, and the team playing with just 10 men. Speedie won 3 Scotland caps, all of them in 1903. He scored the only goal of the game on his international debut, a 1-0 win in Wales, and he then played in a 2-0 defeat to Ireland before his third and final Scotland cap in April 1903 against England. He scored Scotland’s first goal in an impressive 2-1 win at Bramall Lane, Sheffield.--He unfortunately missed a penalty kick-- the ball hitting the post He also played in a League international against England in 1903 Third Lanark were league champions in season 1903/04, with Rangers again ending the campaign in third. ---Speedie started in 23 league games in the now expanded First Division, and hit 16 goals in all competitions.--- These included a New Year’s Day derby goal at Parkhead in a highly entertaining 2-2 draw and a hat-trick against Port Glasgow in the Scottish Cup. ---But it was 2 cup finals at the end of the season against Celtic that lived longest in the memory, for very different reasons. On April 16th 1904, a crowd of 63,000 attended the Scottish Cup Final, and Finlay Speedie scored twice early on to give Rangers a healthy lead.--- But things unravelled and a Quinn hat-trick gave Celtic a 3-2 win. ---Then on May 14th, the teams met in the Charity Cup final, and Speedie was again on the scoresheet when he scored a 79th minutepenalty. This was Rangers’ 5th goal of another very eventful match, which saw Celtic down to 10 men for a lengthy period when Quinn had to leave the field injured. The final score of Rangers 5 Celtic 2 gave Speedie his first winners medal in the competition as well as some revenge for the Scottish Cup heartbreak. Speedie appeared in three more major finals in season 1904/05, but none provided him with a winners medal.--- Celtic would end the season as league champions, and they were his opponents in the Glasgow Cup final in early October 1904, a Hamilton goal not enough to prevent a 2-1 loss.--- Speedie scored against them in a fine 2-0 win in the semi final of the Scottish Cup,------- but a replay defeat to Third Lanark in the final meant a second successive runners-up medal for him. The third final he played in was a league championship playoff against Celtic, after both teams ended the season on level points. ---These days, Rangers would have been champions on goal difference, but the rules in 1905 demanded a playoff, which Celtic won 2-1. ---Despite winning no trophies, this was Finlay Speedie’s most productive season in Royal Blue, scoring 20 times in 41 appearances, 13 of these goals in league games. . He started the first game of season 1906/07 in the league against Falkirk then was dropped .--- Becoming increasingly frustrated, he made it clear to manager Wilton he saw his future away from Ibrox, and he played his last game for the club in a drawn Glasgow Cup match against Queens Park on 8th September 1906. ----Within a week, Newcastle United of the English First Division announced his signing for a fee of £600, ----(£100,000+ value today) --and at 26 years old Speedie moved south. ----His Rangers career saw him play 167 times for the club and score 65 goals. Last edited: Feb 9, Part 2 This was a Newcastle team among the favourites for the title, and Speedie enjoyed a dream debut scoring twice in a 5-1 home win over Sheffield Wednesday, the team who went on to win that season’s FA Cup. ----Speedie’s versatility saw him appear in every position across the forward line during his time at St James’ Park, his debut was at inside right.---- and soon Speedie was in a side vying for top spot.---- Speedie scored a vital opening goal in a mid-November win over reigning champions Liverpool, was on the scoresheet again a few weeks later when notching another crucial goal in a 7-goal thriller against Notts County and celebrated Christmas week with goals in wins over Bolton, Manchester United and Stoke City. ---When he also scored on New Years Day 1907 in a win over Derby County, his contribution was looking crucial in the league race. Speedie added an English league title to those he won at Ibrox as Newcastle held off a late challenge from Bristol City to claim the title by 3 points.---- For much of the run in, he filled in as an emergency defender during an injury crisis, winning plaudits for his performance in a hard-fought draw at Manchester City. ---On March 9th 1907, Speedie lined up as a defender in the Charity Shield against Corinthians at Craven Cottage, and added a winners medal in this competition to his collection in a 5-2 victory.----- Overall, Speedie scored 10 times in his debut season on Tyneside, despite spending much of the second half of it in the back line. His second season at Newcastle would also be his last. The league title defence ended in a 4th place finish, but Speedie and his teammates went on a good run in the FA Cup. Nottingham Forest and West Ham were beaten before a huge 3rd round clash at home to Liverpool. After falling behind early on in front of 46,000 spectators, Newcastle hit 3 second half goals with Speedie grabbing the crucial second. ---Grimsby were brushed aside in the next round, setting up a semi-final against Fulham at Anfield.--- Playing in his favourite inside left position, Speedie had an excellent match as Newcastle hammered in 6 goals without reply. ----This set up a final against unfancied Second Division side Wolverhampton Wanderers, with Speedie a hot favourite to add an English Cup medal to his Scottish cup badge. ---But the final, played at the Crystal Palace on Saturday April 25th 1908, was to be a massive disappointment. Speedie, along with the rest of his teammates, never hit their stride and had a poor game. ---Wolves were 2 up at half time, and although Newcastle pulled one back with over quarter of an hour to play, the underdogs hit a decisive and deserved third goal near the end to carry off the trophy. This was to be Speedie’s 60th and last game for the club, scoring 14 times. Newcastle brought in new forwards in the summer, and they decided to ring the changes, with Speedie joining Oldham of the Second Division in June 1908. It proved difficult to argue with this, as Newcastle then won back the English title in season 1908/09, while Speedie scored 6 times in 17 league starts for Oldham,--- before a brief 2 month spell at Bradford Park Avenue from April 1909 where he scored once.---- In September 1909, Speedie decided to return home, and was delighted to sign for his hometown club Dumbarton. Part 3--Dumbarton were now a Second Division club, Speedie combining his football with them alongside a job as a Shipyard Engineer.--- He made his Dumbarton debut on September 25th 1909 in a league defeat at St Bernard’s and by New Years Day he had scored 5 times, most notably a double against Vale of Leven. His new club drew champions Celtic in the Scottish Cup first round, Speedie enjoying a fine match against his old rivals even though narrowly losing the game 2-1. ---The Sons ended the season in a respectable 4th place in the league, with signs they were capable of a higher finish the following season. ---And in season 1910/11 that is exactly what they achieved. Speedie was a key man in the Dumbarton title winning team, but a title that did not in those days earn automatic promotion to the First Division. He started in 18 of the 22 league matches, scoring 5 goals. --The title was won by 4 points, but Queens Park were not relegated despite finishing last in Division--- One, meaning no place for Dumbarton. Speedie was enjoying his football despite this apparent body blow, and was a regular starter again over the next 3 seasons. A 4th place finish in 1911/12 was followed by a 6th place. But, amazingly, Dumbarton were this time voted to Division One along with champions Ayr United, with the teams in 2nd to 5th all bypassed. ----The top league was being expanded from 18 to 20 teams for the following season, Dumbarton presumably getting the nodbased on their history. This would be the last season of “normal” Scottish football before the outbreak of the Great War, and Speedie at 33 years old was now back in the top league. He started in Dumbarton’s first game back among the big boys on August 16th 1913, and enjoyed a thumping 4-0 win at Boghead over Queens Park. He started 32 times in the league, scoring 4 times in games against Falkirk, St Mirren, Aberdeen and Raith Rovers.--- On November 8th 1913 he made an emotional return to play at Ibrox, and gave a good display in a slightly unfortunate 3-2 defeat.--- He was on the losing side in the return fixture at Boghead in March too, this time by 3-0. In a tough season for the newly promoted club, Dumbarton ended the season 19th, with just 10 wins from their 38 games. The August 1914 declaration of war changed football, and also marked another chapter in the life of Finlay Speedie. ---He became Private Finlay B. Speedie of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, representing them at football in December 1915 and seeing active service in France in the second half of the conflict. He returned home on leave in December 1917 and played two matches for Dumbarton as a guest player, the first of which was on December 1st against Rangers at Ibrox. He was on the losing side, giving Rangers a 2-1 win.--- Speedie then played the following weekend in a 1-0 home win over Hibs before returning to his regiment overseas in France. In May 1918, his name appeared in a list of wounded personnel issued by the War Office. ---Then in August 1918 it was confirmed that Speedie was recovering in hospital from a gunshot wound to his left leg that he suffered in the French battlefields, and that he had been awarded---- the Military Medal for bravery in action. After the War, he returned to his shipyard job, and even played one last game for Dumbarton on 6th September 1919,(aged 39) ---a 0-0 draw in Division One against Third Lanark at Boghead. ----Overall, his Dumbarton career saw him play 126 times and score 35 goals. ----A combination of age and his wartime wound made the decision to retire from the game an easy one. ---He did make a brief return to the game in the 1930swhen accepting a coaching role at Dumbarton, but he didn’t fill the role for very long. Finlay Speedie died on 5th February 1953 at the age of 72. Won 2 league titles,-- the Scottish Cup,-- the Glasgow Cup --and the Charity Cup for Rangers. He Scored 65 goals in 167 Rangers appearances, including a double in a Scottish Cup Final v Celtic. Won the English First Division and Charity Shield with Newcastle. 3 caps for Scotland and 2 international goals. Won the Scottish Second Division with Dumbarton. A War Hero,---- awarded the Military Medal for bravery in the Great War. There are some great men not in Rangers F.C Hall of Fame, -and their stories are worth remembering

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/142206758#/?channel=RES_BUY

At Dundee game on 9th December. https://www.rangerscharity.org.uk/news/match-day-food-bank-collection-at-ibrox/

Rangers 2 - 0 St Mirren FGS Lawrence

Not heard from them in a good while, this arrived this morning. Poll: RIFC AGM 2023 Dear Contributor, Voting is now open on the resolutions for the Rangers International Football Club (RIFC) Annual General Meeting (AGM) which will be held on 5th December 2023. Contributors can vote on the resolutions below by selecting either For, Against or Abstain for each question. The resolutions are replicated exactly as they appear on the voting card for the AGM. You must vote on all resolutions to be able to submit your vote and the entirety of the Club 1872 Shares CIC and Club 1872 Projects CIC shareholding in RIFC will be voted according to the majority wishes of Club 1872 Contributors for each resolution. Further information on the detail of the resolutions can be found on the Rangers website. Voting will remain open until 5pm on Monday 4th December 2023. Contributors can vote by logging into their Club 1872 account on the website and following the link to vote. Alternatively you can follow the Surveys link in the My Account area of the site. Also, if Club 1872 Contributors have any questions they would like to be asked at the AGM then please email them to info@club1872.co.uk. Club 1872 Directors will be present at the AGM and will seek to ask as many questions as we are allowed.

https://www.rangers.co.uk/article/ross-mccausland-signs-new-rangers-contract/7hWvAOaKT0cCAlv9gbYzy7

New long term deal signed, runs till summer 2027

Rangers 3 - 0 Aris Limassol FGS Danilo

Did they play the full extra time? I thought Crocker said 7 minutes to go?

Hope we turn up a day before that😄

Ryan Jack injured, Shockerooni.

Aberdeen 0 - 2 Rangers FGS Danilo

That’s my thinking but what will club do about it?

Is there any news on this? Or will they be allowed to break SPFL rules again?

Gary Ralston, Gallant Pioneers guy? Fahd Bari works for Deloitte I believe. Kelly Johnstone, is she the one involved with RF, then on board of Club1872 and later resigned?

https://www.rangers.co.uk/article/rangers-announce-establishment-of-fan-advisory-board/gzQtiAf3FCBpN1vKgs3pS A company union.

The funeral cortege for the much-loved Mary ‘Tiny’ Gallacher will pass the front doors of Ibrox Stadium at approx 11:10-11:30am on Tuesday. 💙 Tiny, who served the club for over 50 years, was a treasured friend to generations of players and staff, receiving the John Greig Achievement Award in 2014 for her dedication to the club. Supporters are invited to pay their final respects.

In 2 years time. Better late than never.

Chairman is not happy with player trading history. “I have talked previously of the four components of financial sustainability: season ticket sales, commercial revenue, European football and player trading. While the first of these components will never be taken for granted, it is the fourth that requires attention. “Player trading will always be inherently volatile, yet Rangers must replace sporadic “wins” with systematic success. It is a given that it all begins with player recruitment. This is an area of priority for your Board, and we anticipate that the coming months will see a strengthening in the leadership and processes of our football department, specifically with this in mind.”

https://www.rangers.co.uk/article/rangers-international-football-club-plc-annual-report-and-agm/7rCvGE0X3c6UBipSjZfxVc

Livingston 0 - 3 Rangers FGS Sima

Ticket allocations and prices have been confirmed following discussions with both clubs, and the relevant authorities. Rangers will have access to approximately 25,000 tickets across the South, North and West Stands for the fixture on Sunday 17 December, kick-off 3.00pm. Aberdeen will have access to up to approximately 19,500 tickets in the South and East Stands for the game, which will be shown exclusively live on Viaplay. • South Stand Lower Section O2* - Adults £49 | U-16/Over 65 - £28 • South Stand Lower Section P - Adults £44 | U-16/Over 65 - £26 • South Stand Upper Section Q - Adults £44 | U-16/Over 65 - £26 • North Stand Sections C & D - Adults £44 | U-16/Over 65 - £26 • West Stand Sections A & B - Adults £39 | U-16/Over 65 - £22 • South Stand Accessible Seating - Adults £18 | U-16/Over 65 - £6 • North Stand Accessible Seating - Adults £22 | U-16/Over 65 - £6 • West Stand Accessible Seating - Adults £12 | U-16 Over 65 - £6

Wow, no kidding! I know, I’m one of his followers. My mistake should have put an 😉in my post.

💙 Mary ‘Tiny’ Gallacher, who served the club for over 50 years, was a treasured friend to generations of players and staff, receiving the John Greig Achievement Award in 2014 for her dedication to the club. A private service will take place at 12 noon on Tuesday November 14, with the funeral cortege set to pass Ibrox prior to this. Supporters are invited to pay their final respects.

Now has 1400 followers, weird.