ONE of the significant attributes of the all-conquering Nine in a Row squad of the 1990s was the unstinting desire to win and the willingness to do anything for the cause.
There were men in that dressing room who would happily spill blood for the team in the quest for success, and a few were more committed than Ian Ferguson.
A lifelong fan who marvelled at the treble wins in the 1970s as a starry-eyed kid – ironically brought up in the shadow of Parkhead – he lived the dream in a quite incredible trophy-laden Rangers career that spanned more than 12 years.
He played in all of the Nine in a Row campaigns from 1987/88 to 1996/97 and managed to claim a tenth league winner’s medal in 1998/99 as of one the few survivors in the wake of the Dick Advocaat’s revolution.
The fans loved his combative style because they knew he was one of them. If he had not been out on the Ibrox pitch giving his all, he would have been beside them in the stands roaring the team on. Diehard hardly begins to describe Ferguson, who had more in his locker than tough tackling and strength.
He packed a ferocious shot, which he used to great effect on a number of occasions, most notable in the 1988/89 League Cup final when Aberdeen were defeated 3-2 and in a 4-1 thumping of Celtic that same season.
He also had terrific energy to get from box to box and could thread passes with some style. Injury and illness affected him at times, limiting his appearances in 1990/91 and 1991/92 particularly, but his near 13-year Rangers career is one of the longest in the modern era.
Ferguson first showed his potential while playing for Clyde in the mid-1980s. His youthful enthusiasm caught the eye of St Mirren boss Alex Smith and the player signed at Love Street for £60,000 in 1986. He stamped his name in the Saints’ history books when he scored a memorable winning goal in the 1-0 victory over Dundee United in the Scottish Cup final in 1987.
With several clubs chasing his signature, the youngster got wind that Graeme Souness was interested in taking him to Ibrox and he signed for his boyhood heroes in February 1988 for £850,000. Ferguson had all attributes Souness looked for in a player. He was a tough competitor who had an intelligent football brain and could also chip in with his fair share of goals for the team.
He relished the Old Firm games with a passion. It was uncanny how he would be missing for a few weeks and then come back in for the derby when, invariably, he prevailed. Some thought they were hard enough to have a go at him, but few, if any, carried it through – the prime example being Celtic’s Italian playmaker Paolo Di Canio.
In the wake of a crucial Rangers win at Parkhead in March 1997, Di Canio motioned with his hands that he would snap Ferguson in two after they had been involved in some confrontations.
Ferguson asked if he would care to further discuss the matter after the game and not surprisingly there was no sign of Di Canio. He laughed: “I remember that all right. We were in the players’ lounge after the game and most of the Celtic players came in – apart from one.
“I would probably rate that game as one of my best because effectively it clinched Nine in a Row. Brian Laudrup scored the only goal of the game and the atmosphere that day was incredible as everyone knew winning that game put us on course to win the title.
What some people forget is that we had lost 2-0 to Celtic in the Scottish Cup 10 days earlier and we were battered by injuries. We were patched up, we had loan players and emergency signings but we showed our true colours to win that game.
“It is very hard for me to say what my favourite moments are from my time at Rangers as I was lucky enough to have had so many. My favourite season would have to be 1992/93 when we went 44 games unbeaten in all competitions and also won the treble. We were so close to getting to the European Cup final too but, unfortunately, it wasn’t to be. We had a great team and to go so many games without defeat was a great achievement.
“I remember when we were going to play Leeds in our attempt to get into the group phase of the Champions League and the English press gave us no chance. Archie Knox did a great job. He got all the press cuttings from down south and put them all up on the wall. We were all written off as no-hopers and our English players were also slated for moving north to play in a so-called easy league. That worked in our favour. It fired everyone up and we played so well in the two legs.”
Ferguson had two season with Dunfermline after leaving Rangers in 2000 but he has been in Australia since 2002 and has been manager of North Queensland Fury, Perth Glory and Northern Fury. He said: “Moving to Australia has been great for both me and my family. We are really enjoying being out here and it has been a great experience.
“There is definitely a difference between the standard of football that is played in Australia and that played in Scotland but the football down-under is improving all the time. In Scotland, football is far more professional but there are some great young players coming through in Australia.”
Ferguson made the journey from one side of the world to the other with relish in 2008 to receive his induction into the Rangers Hall of Fame and he cites it as one the greatest moment in his life.
He said: “You think back to the players that played at Rangers and the players that I used to go and watch like John Greig, Sandy Jardine and Derek Johnstone and to be thought of the same category as them is unbelievable.
“It was a boyhood dream. If I didn’t play for Rangers I would have been on the terracing supporting the team. It was a fantastic experience and I enjoyed every minute of it.”
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