RANGERS has enjoyed a special relationship with the world’s oldest international fixture between Scotland and England over the years.
The national stadium is set to host the latest edition of the historic grudge match in football tomorrow evening, forming part of the 150th anniversary celebrations of their first meeting back in 1872.
Ending in a goalless draw at the West of Scotland Cricket Ground in Glasgow, the contest is recognised by FIFA as the world’s oldest international fixture.
Although the Scottish side that day was dominated by players plying their trade at Queen’s Park, it certainly didn’t take long for Rangers to have a profound influence on the rivalry.
Indeed, it was on April 2 1892 when the first Ibrox Park played host to the fixture, with England running out 4-1 winners over their neighbours in the British Home Championships series. John Goodall, who was on the scoresheet for England in the triumph, was raised in Ayrshire.
Fast forward 36 years and, with the rivalry now an annual spring occasion, the ‘Wembley Wizards’ were born following Scotland’s emphatic triumph in the English capital. It came as a surprise to many that Gers duo David Meiklejohn, who netted a decisive penalty in the Old Firm Scottish Cup final in the same year to end a 25-year hoodoo in the competition for the Ibrox side, and Bob McPhail, scorer of over 200 goals across his glittering spell at Rangers, had been overlooked for selection.
However, there was a place in the starting lineup, played amid torrential rain at Wembley, for Gers winger Alan Morton. The tricky winger was a regular for his national team in fixtures against England, enjoying one of the most memorable afternoons of his career when he supplied a hat-trick of assists in the famous 5-1 victory at Wembley.
Another defining moment in the history of the rivalry arrived in 1967 when Scotland triumphed 3-2 at Wembley, condemning England to their first defeat since they lifted the World Cup in the previous year.
In doing so, Scotland declared themselves unofficial world champions, giving rise to the iconic image of Rangers winger Jim Baxter nonchalantly producing a round keepy-uppies as 90,000 spectators inside Wembley could do little more than watch on in awe.
Baxter’s exploits for Scotland that afternoon succeeded his goalscoring display in a 2-1 victory in London only five years earlier when Light Blues defender Eric Caldow was carried off the pitch with a broken leg.
Supporters will also recall the short-lived Rous Cup which was established in 1985, pitting Scotland against England and a guest team from South America. Abandoned in 1989, former Gers boss Alex McLeish holds the joint-most appearances in the competition with eight for Scotland, while Richard Gough and Graeme Souness count themselves among goalscorers.
The late 1980s similarly heralded an influx of England internationals under Souness at Ibrox, including Terry Butcher, Trevor Steven, Gary Stevens, Chris Woods and Mark Hateley. Indeed, Butcher, who was capped over 70 times for the Three Lions, and Stevens formed part of Bobby Robson’s five-man backline at the 1990 World Cup in Italy.
Scotland locked horns with their old rivals once again in an emotionally-charged group stage meeting at the European Championships in 1996 at Wembley. The match is best remembered for Paul Gascoigne’s memorable second half strike, leaving Colin Hendry, who would call Ibrox his home just two years later, prone on the Wembley pitch before rifling a first-time volley beyond teammate Andy Goram.
The moment underlined Gazza’s supreme talent, with Rangers supporters left bewitched only weeks earlier when the midfielder’s hat-trick inspired the Light Blues to eight-in-a-row in a 3-1 victory over Aberdeen at Ibrox.
The Scotland lineup that afternoon also included Stuart McCall and Gordon Durie, with Gary McAllister, who would later play a vital role in Steven Gerrard’s coaching staff during the Light Blues’ 55th league title success, spurning a penalty to level proceedings in the second half.
21-year-old Barry Ferguson later starred for Scotland before the turn of the century when England edged a two-legged play-off for the right to play at the European Championships in 2000. Although Kevin Keegan’s side emerged with the bragging rights, Ferguson would go on to play a hugely influential role in Rangers’ league and Scottish Cup double at club level in the same campaign.
Meetings between the two countries have been few and far between in the 21st century, with England unbeaten in the last five contests since the two-legged play-off in 1999.
Scotland will certainly take heart from the display at Wembley in the European Championships group stages in 2021, where Rangers Academy graduate Billy Gilmour walked away with the Man of the Match award.
Ryan Jack, John Souttar and Robby McCrorie will all now be aiming to put an end to Scotland’s 24-year hoodoo against their old foes, further strengthening Rangers’ special association with the longest-running international football rivalry in history.
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