Reason for Rangers being called the Light Blues

[Big Spliff 0]

Reading the new book 'Rangers 1872 The Gallant Pioneers' at the moment - very interesting so far. Wee bit I was reading last night (which you may or may not know about) regarding the 'light blues' nickname. To summarise, the book says;

 

Rangers listed their colours as 'blue' (1876 & 1878) in the SFA Annual, but listed as 'Royal Blue' from 1879 onwards. The 'Light Blues' first came to the fore around 1877 when Rangers played Vale of Leven in the SC Final. Two stories compete;

 

1) the term referred to the 'dash' of the players in the team; the nimbleness of Moses McNeil & Peter Campbell whom The Glasgow News described as 'light and speedy' at the time.

 

2) As Vale played in very dark blue, an analogy of the Oxford/Cambridge universities colours, where Vale were dressed similarly to the Dark Blues of Oxford, while Rangers resembled the lighter blue of Cambridge.

 

I've always wondered about this myself, as since I was a lad I've always seen Rangers' tops as 'royal blue' and never really understood the term 'light blues', so this piece (amongst others) captured my imagination.

 

Hopefully this is not a zzzzzzzzzzz post! (cue zzzzzzzzzz replies )

[Wija 0]

Always thought it was something to do with Dundee being the dark blues (Navy) and to differentiate the Gers on the old reels from other teams who were normally in darker colours (or green an grey hoop crap!)

[alexscottislegend 2,325]

Reading the new book 'Rangers 1872 The Gallant Pioneers' at the moment - very interesting so far. Wee bit I was reading last night (which you may or may not know about) regarding the 'light blues' nickname. To summarise, the book says;

 

Rangers listed their colours as 'blue' (1876 & 1878) in the SFA Annual, but listed as 'Royal Blue' from 1879 onwards. The 'Light Blues' first came to the fore around 1877 when Rangers played Vale of Leven in the SC Final. Two stories compete;

 

1) the term referred to the 'dash' of the players in the team; the nimbleness of Moses McNeil & Peter Campbell whom The Glasgow News described as 'light and speedy' at the time.

 

2) As Vale played in very dark blue, an analogy of the Oxford/Cambridge universities colours, where Vale were dressed similarly to the Dark Blues of Oxford, while Rangers resembled the lighter blue of Cambridge.

 

I've always wondered about this myself, as since I was a lad I've always seen Rangers' tops as 'royal blue' and never really understood the term 'light blues', so this piece (amongst others) captured my imagination.

 

Hopefully this is not a zzzzzzzzzzz post! (cue zzzzzzzzzz replies )

 

No, it's not a 'zzz' post as far as i'm concerned. In fact, I've heard your story before, and always hated us being called the 'Light Blues.' We are and have always been, Royal Blue. I have an old LP (!!) with John McDonald singing a song called 'Royal Blue!' I swear our colours have got lighter in recent decades. Check out Wija's avatar of D. Cooper - that's what I call Royal blue. I even once bought a Vauxhall Viva just because it was that colour!

[Big Spliff 0]

Always thought it was something to do with Dundee being the dark blues (Navy) and to differentiate the Gers on the old reels from other teams who were normally in darker colours (or green an grey hoop crap!)

 

Well, there you go mate!

 

Dundee were formed in 1893, so this pre-dates that and reels by some considerable way.

[Bluedell 5,627]

I'm sure that the font of all knowledge, 26th of Foot, has previously used story one as the reason.

 

However I can't say that I've ever really heard us being called the light blues.

[alexscottislegend 2,325]

I'm sure that the font of all knowledge, 26th of Foot, has previously used story one as the reason.

 

However I can't say that I've ever really heard us being called the light blues.[/quote]

 

You obviously don't look at the official website or the Rangers News! Drives me up the wall when they refer to them as the Light Blues, like they don't want to court Royalist sentiments by calling us Royal Blues, or something.

[Big Spliff 0]

I'm sure that the font of all knowledge, 26th of Foot, has previously used story one as the reason.

 

However I can't say that I've ever really heard us being called the light blues.[/quote]

 

You obviously don't look at the official website or the Rangers News! Drives me up the wall when they refer to them as the Light Blues, like they don't want to court Royalist sentiments by calling us Royal Blues, or something.

 

From today;

 

http://www.rangers.premiumtv.co.uk/page/Headlines/0,,5~1733077,00.html

 

I think I feel the same as most people - Royal Blue is our colour (although I confess never to having bought a Viva on the strength of it )

[Bluedell 5,627]

You obviously don't look at the official website or the Rangers News! Drives me up the wall when they refer to them as the Light Blues, like they don't want to court Royalist sentiments by calling us Royal Blues, or something.

 

May have seen it written down like that, but I've never heard it being used. Is a nickname really a nickname if nobody uses it?

[alexscottislegend 2,325]

May have seen it written down like that, but I've never heard it being used. Is a nickname really a nickname if nobody uses it?

 

 

Right, let's ban it officially from Gersnet.:devil:Anyone suggest a suitable sanction?

[Big Spliff 0]

Right, let's ban it officially from Gersnet.:devil:Anyone suggest a suitable sanction?

 

 

The only person likely to use it on here is Chick. So the sanction should be death.