On This Day: May 13

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WE look at some of the memorable moments that have happened on this day in the remarkable history of Rangers Football Club.

 

1877 - Robert Cumming Hamilton – commonly referred to by his first two initials RC – one of the most prolific forwards at Rangers in their early years, was born on this day in 1877.

 

Hamilton was the first man to net 100 league goals for the club and by the time he left the Light Blues in 1908 he was the record scorer. Hamilton won many trophies during his spell at Rangers, including captaining the Rangers side which famously won every league match in the 1898-99 season.

 

Although a few have surpassed his tally of 182 goals in 209 competitive appearances and 310 in all matches since then, one mark he set still remains to this day. With 35 goals, nobody has scored as many times for the Gers in derbies against Celtic as the Elgin-born forward did to this day.

 

Read Hamilton's Hall of Fame profile on the club website here - LINK

 

1930 -Inside-left Sammy Baird who featured 179 times for Rangers scoring 52 goals, was born in Denny on this day in 1930. In total, Sammy Baird won three Scottish League titles and one Scottish Cup during his time at Rangers.

 

Baird holds will go down in Light Blues history as the first Rangers player to score in a World Cup Finals, when he struck against France in the 1958 tournament in Sweden.

 

A high point in Baird's career at Rangers was bagging a brace in the 3:2 win over Dutch champions Sparta Rotterdam in the 1960 European Cup Quarter Final play off at Highbury. On the final whistle, Baird was carried shoulder high back to the dressing room by the Rangers supporters!

 

Watch highlights from the match against Sparta on British Pathe here - LINK

 

1953 - 75,000 fans inside Hampden watched Matt Busby's English champions Manchester United defeat Rangers in the eight team, cross-border competition The Coronation Cup on this day in 1953.

 

The Rangers side was weakened for the match, without wingers McColl and Cox and also top scorer Grierson. In Grierson's place came Peter McMillan making his debut from the reserves and it was McMillan who opened the scoring with a header in the seventh minute from a Hubbard cross. In this end, United were the dominant team on the day, winning 2:1 after goals from Pearson and Rowley.

 

1905 - On this day in 1905, William Wilton's Rangers beat Celtic 2:0 thanks to goals from Tommy Low and Robert S McColl. Low opened the scoring early in the match from close range and McColl doubled the lead at Parkhead in front of 7,500 spectators after a mistake from Watson let him in.

 

2012 - Three years ago, Rangers travelled to Perth to take on St Johnstone on the same day that Charles Green's consortium was putting the final touches on taking over the club at a press conference. Captain Lee McCulloch opened the scoring before Sone Aluko bagged his first competitive hat-trick to sign off for the season.

 

Read a match report on the club website here - LINK

 

http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/on-this-day/item/3953-on-this-day-may-13