Today we look at the signing of a Dutch legend, a birthday for a Bellshill boy, a remarkable game featuring four Rangers penalties taken by three different players and two big money signings moving on.
2000 – On this day in 2000, Dutch supremo Ronald de Boer signed for the club from Barcelona for £5.5million. De Boer went on to play 104 times for the club, scoring 39 goals, winning two Scottish Cups, two League Cups and an SPL league title. De Boer was recently back at Ibrox for the Legends game which helped to raise much needed revenue for the club during administration, you can read more about the match here, view pictures here and buy a DVD of the match here.
1985 – Celebrating a birthday today is Bellshill born left sided defender Steven Smith. Smith made his Rangers debut against Hearts in 2004 as a sub, coming on to replace Maurice Ross. Smith's time at Rangers was hampered by injury however he was perhaps at his most impressive under Paul le Guen. Steven is now playing MLS football for the Portland Timbers along with another former Rangers player, record goalscorer Kris Boyd.
1980– In 1980, Rangers defeated Forfar Athletic 3:1 in a game which saw a former Rangers goalkeeper face four penalties at Ibrox. Stewart Kennedy, who had only recently moved on after a seven year spell at Ibrox, saved a Sandy Jardine penalty early on in the match. However, Kennedy was adjudged to have moved too soon and the referee ordered a re-take and from the subsequent kick, Jardine hit the post. Remarkably, the double penalty miss by Jardine on this day was exactly two years to the day after Rangers had played Forfar and Jardine had missed a penalty!
The penalty madness was not to end there as Davie Cooper was felled in the box and this time Alex Miller stepped up and slotted home the penalty. A Third penalty (fourth including retaken one) was then awarded from which McAdam scored. Four penalties in one match for one team and three different takers, surely has to be a record?
2002 – In '02, two of the most expensive players ever to have pulled on the Rangers jersey left for pastures new. Record signing Tore Andre Flo, bought for £12 million was sold to Sunderland for around £8 million and Andrei Kanchelskis, bought for £5.5 million, was sold to Southampton.
