Rangers Ghost XI

[Scott7 6,018]

We all (except maybe dB) grew up hearing from old guys who themselves had heard from even older guys about the great players of the past but we never saw them play because they were gone before we went to matches. Somehow the names are so wired into our brains we feel we must have seen them or at least I do. Meiklejohn, McPhail and Morton are the prime examples but here’s the team:

 

Jerry Dawson;

 

Bert Manderson and Billy McCandless;

 

Jimmy Gordon, David Meiklejohn (C) and Neilly Gibson;

Sandy Archibald, Jimmy Smith, R. C. Hamilton, Bob McPhail and Alan Morton.

 

I didn’t pick Dougie Gray, one of the most famous names of all, because I didn’t want to split the fullback partnership. “Two Irish backs you can’t get past” according to the fragment of the old song.

 

What names have penetrated your brains to the extent of delusion? I don’t expect contributions from the Accountants. Nothing penetrates their brains. 

 

[alexscottislegend 2,330]

Read a lot about Johnny Hubbard - South African, I think - and I feel as though as I had seen him. Likewise Don Kichenbrand, though I think both were living still when I was growing up.

 

(You can tell it's international break, can't you?)

[gaspard 562]

7 minutes ago, alexscottislegend said:

Read a lot about Johnny Hubbard - South African, I think - and I feel as though as I had seen him. Likewise Don Kichenbrand, though I think both were living still when I was growing up.

 

(You can tell it's international break, can't you?)

Johnny Hubbard was a regular at Ibrox right up to his passing in 2018

[compo 7,055]

My own fathers favourite team was the one that won the cup I  1928 he had a framed photograph of it up on the front room wall .

T. Hamilton 

Dougie Gray

Bob Hamilton

Jock Buchanan 

Davie Mekilejohn

Tilly Craig 

Sandy Archibald 

Andy Cunningham 

Jimmy Fleming 

Bob Mcphail

Alan Morton 

[Scott7 6,018]

2 hours ago, gaspard said:

Johnny Hubbard was a regular at Ibrox right up to his passing in 2018

Just a pity he wasn’t available for selection. Brilliant winger. Springbok-fast, good ball skills (football was only one of his many sports) great crosser and penalty taker supreme. A hard act to follow but Davy Wilson managed it.

[gaspard 562]

4 minutes ago, Scott7 said:

Just a pity he wasn’t available for selection. Brilliant winger. Springbok-fast, good ball skills (football was only one of his many sports) great crosser and penalty taker supreme. A hard act to follow but Davy Wilson managed it.

And a thoroughly nice bloke as well.

[26th of foot 6,084]

4 hours ago, Scott7 said:

We all (except maybe dB) grew up hearing from old guys who themselves had heard from even older guys about the great players of the past but we never saw them play because they were gone before we went to matches. Somehow the names are so wired into our brains we feel we must have seen them or at least I do. Meiklejohn, McPhail and Morton are the prime examples but here’s the team:

 

Jerry Dawson;

 

Bert Manderson and Billy McCandless;

 

Jimmy Gordon, David Meiklejohn (C) and Neilly Gibson;

Sandy Archibald, Jimmy Smith, R. C. Hamilton, Bob McPhail and Alan Morton.

 

I didn’t pick Dougie Gray, one of the most famous names of all, because I didn’t want to split the fullback partnership. “Two Irish backs you can’t get past” according to the fragment of the old song.

 

What names have penetrated your brains to the extent of delusion? I don’t expect contributions from the Accountants. Nothing penetrates their brains. 

 

My paternal Grandfather was born in 1892, he was attending Ibrox by 1899. He passed in 1979 and left me a collection of Wee Blue Books. Often in the mid 60s-mid 70s, I would sit with him in Section G of the old Main Stand. It was the bunnet and raincoat brigade. Half time conversations featured Neilly Gibson, the consensus being he was the best ever to grace the hallowed turf. Grandpa was an absolute adherent.

 

My old man had never seen Gibson play, he could not see past Baxter. Similarly Grandpa loved Meiklejohn or, 'the Meek' as he called him; Dad preferred gazelle-like Ronnie McKinnon or Willie Woodburn. I loved Dave Smith. I think we forget quite quickly how bad the Ibrox pitch became every season by mid-November? The constant pitch improvement began during the reign of Souness. Different times and circumstances produce different favourite players.

[gaspard 562]

3 hours ago, 26th of foot said:

My paternal Grandfather was born in 1892, he was attending Ibrox by 1899. He passed in 1979 and left me a collection of Wee Blue Books. Often in the mid 60s-mid 70s, I would sit with him in Section G of the old Main Stand. It was the bunnet and raincoat brigade. Half time conversations featured Neilly Gibson, the consensus being he was the best ever to grace the hallowed turf. Grandpa was an absolute adherent.

 

My old man had never seen Gibson play, he could not see past Baxter. Similarly Grandpa loved Meiklejohn or, 'the Meek' as he called him; Dad preferred gazelle-like Ronnie McKinnon or Willie Woodburn. I loved Dave Smith. I think we forget quite quickly how bad the Ibrox pitch became every season by mid-November? The constant pitch improvement began during the reign of Souness. Different times and circumstances produce different favourite players.

I have the great mans autograph 

[CammyF 8,131]

Besides the obvious greats, my Dad always talks about Alex Scott in glowing terms. Maybe because be played for Bo'ness United before signing for Rangers.

 

Scott scored 57 goals in 216 appearances for Rangers, including a Hat-trick on his debut, aged just 19.

 

Scott would go on to win four league titles, one Scottish and two League Cups. He was also part of the Rangers side defeated by in the 1961 UEFA Cup Winners Cup Final scoring Rangers' only goal.

 

The signing of the majestic Willie Henderson effectively ended Scott's Rangers career and he moved to Everton, then Hibs and finally Falkirk. 

Edited October 12, 2021 by CammyF

[Scott7 6,018]

Like Caldow, an instant success in the jersey. No settling in. No getting acclimatised. Just run onto the park and perform. Both had experience with Juniors. Caldow at Muirkirk and Scott at Linlithgow Rose, was it?