RANGERS IN LONDON
1960 - 1971
Matches, Memories & Talking
Points
From The Reds, Whites and Blues
RANGERS IN LONDON
1960 - 1971
Matches, Memories & Talking
Points
From The Reds, Whites and Blues
DOUBLE DUTCH? THIRD TIME LUCKY
EUROPEAN CUP QUARTER FINAL REPLAY
WEDNESDAY 30th MARCH 1960
EXTRACTS FROM BACKGROUND TO THE MATCH
· EXTRACTS FROM ROWERS, PROFESSIONALS AND MR STRUTH : AN ABBREVIATED HISTORY OF RANGERS
Amateurism And The £30 That Saved Rangers
During Rangers early years, Queens Park were the supreme team of Scotland and champions of the ‘amateur’ ethos. In 1883, Rangers had to find £30 to stay in existence as they encountered financial difficulties when their tenure at their Kinning Park ground was threatened. Treasurer Mr J Ness grimly announced, “It has come to this, We must have £30 or we cannot carry on. There is not a farthing in the exchequer. Can anyone suggest where the £30 is to come from?” Club President, Mr George Goudie replied, “We cannot allow the club to go under without a fight, I shall advance the £30 – and let us all hope for better times.”
1886-7 Rangers Almost Win The English FA Cup!
Following an early exit from the Scottish Cup, Rangers entered the English competition. Overcoming Everton (Away), Church (FA Cup Quarter Finalists the previous season), Cowlairs, Lincoln City and Old Westminsters before losing their Semi Final to eventual winners Aston Villa in Crewe.
· THE ‘LEGENDARY’ MR BILL STRUTH From 1920 to April 1954, Bill Struth was not so much manager as ‘Mr Rangers’ and was to stamp the club with a tradition that subsequently underpinned the unique personality of Rangers.
Born in 1896, Bill was a stonemason by trade but his real passion was for professional running, which was particularly popular at the time. In 1908, his love of fitness brought him to the attention of Clyde FC who needed a trainer. In 1910 and 1912 the supremely fit Clyde reached Scottish Cup Finals, this in turn brought him to the attention of Rangers. In 1914 upon the death of the Rangers trainer, he assumed that position. At the time Rangers were successfully managed by William Wilton. However Wilton died in a tragic boating accident on 2nd May 1920 and Mr Struth was chosen to take over.
Struth inherited a fine team and though he had hardly played football at any senior level, he had an encyclopaedic knowledge of fitness and possessed an uncanny knack for judging players. More to the point, players who really wanted to play for the club. He developed an awesome and envied network of scouts and contacts in the game who pinpointed him in the direction of the best available talent. His first signing was ‘the wee blue devil’ Alan Morton, rated by many as the best to have ever represented club and country.
Struth rarely discussed tactics in great depth with the team. This was left to senior players at the club. This approach may seem a little bizarre. Yet in the 1920’s, until the outbreak of World War 2, not particularly unusual in British football. Although Post War, football started to change in terms of coaching and general pre match preparation.
But His Methods Worked! From 1920 to 1939 : Rangers won 15 out of a possible 19 Championships and 6 Scottish Cups. From 1945 to 1954 : Rangers won 4 out of a possible 9 Championships (The last in Season 1952-3), 4 Scottish Cups (The last in Season 1952-3), 2 Scottish League Cups (Competition introduced in 1946). His final League Cup triumph in 1949 was part of a historic domestic ‘Treble’, the first Scottish team to achieve the feat.
The baton was passed in 1954 when Struth welcomed Scot Symon. “On behalf of those who cherish the good name of Rangers...A sacred trust given to so few..I extend the hand of welcome to this young man.”
Bill Struth died on Friday, 21st September 1956 aged 80. He is buried in Craigton Cemetery, the closest Cemetery to Ibrox. For me his epitaph, should read, “No ifs, No Buts, The Best.”
· EXTRACTS FROM THE RANGERS MANAGER 1960 : SCOT SYMON AND MISSION IMPOSSIBLE
Mission Impossible? Maybe not, but taking on the Rangers job in 1954, was no job for a rookie or shrinking violet. Not least because the incumbent succeeded the legendary Struth.
“Rangers fans expect the team to win every match, every competition” (Walter Smith, Rangers fan, and later to become Coach and Manager)
Smith’s comment made 4 decades later was even truer when Scot Symon took over from Struth.
Scot Symon did not do PR. Very much a quiet man and in his own way very shy, he had a genuine dislike of having to deal with the media. It may also have been that he preferred the Rangers tradition to let the team to do his talking for him. By not revealing much about himself, he maintained the mystique that surrounded Rangers at this time.
He was rarely seen in a tracksuit. Following Struth’s style, he empowered senior players. A key element in his role was to uphold Rangers ‘standards’ on and off the pitch and to enforce discipline. He was usually very quiet in the dressing room, leaving the senior players to hand out advice and encouragement to their younger colleagues. He did not talk much to players on a day to day basis. Though perhaps, it had the effect of making any comment he did make stick in the players head. Like Brian Clough who was rarely seen by his Nottingham Forest players during the week, it gave him an aura.
Finding The Perfect Blend
In terms of tactics, he rarely did much in depth pre match preparation, save for the most difficult games. Rather it was a case of leaving the opposition do the worrying. For me, his greatest talent was identifying players who could take Rangers one step further on. Rangers Historian Robert McElroy puts it better when making the case for Scot Symon in the Sunday Herald’s Greatest Ever Manager. “It was all about balance – sign the right players, select the right team – and let them get on with it.” Among top European football clubs in 2005 the vogue is to have 2 players competing for every spot in the first XI, Scot Symon was doing this over 40 years ago! (article by Bruce Swadel the Scottish Daily Express Sports Editor writing in the 1963-4 Rangers Supporters Association Handbook).
Despite the pressures on him, most importantly for the fans he had delivered. Scottish Champions in 1956, 1957 and 1959. Though Cup success eluded him at this point.
EXTRACTS FROM PRE MATCH BUILD UP
· YOUR COUNTRY EXPECTS! Rangers were the last remaining British team left in the 1959-60 Competition There was massive incentive for Rangers to proceed as Glasgow’s 134,000 capacity Hampden Park had already been chosen to host the Final on 18th May.
· THIS SPARTAN LIFE
All the Sparta players were employed on part time contracts by their club. Daytime occupations included : dockers, labourers, clerks, salesmen, an engineer, a physiotherapist, Dutch naval officer, an airport worker and a lucky lad who worked in a brewery. Yet they were not to be under estimated. Dutch Champions with a couple of full Dutch internationals and a number of players who had earnt ‘B’ International caps.
British Boss, British Style Nevertheless they played in a ‘physical’ British style, based on a quick running game. They were managed by Denis Neville a former Fulham defender. Their success in the previous 2 clashes with Rangers were helped by Denis going on a spying mission to Ibrox to study how Rangers played.
Half Time Score Rangers 1 Sparta Rotterdam 1
A pitch invasion by the Metropolitan Police Band. They play an assortment of tunes. Including ‘The Scottish Emblem’, The Swing of The Kilt and The Little Dutch Doll. (No-one can accuse the Met of ethnic stereotyping!). Traditionally the band leader threw up and caught his mace (not the pepper spray variety) as the band passed the middle of Highbury’s North Bank.
46 Mins : Almost immediately after the restart Baird narrowly misses with a powerful effort from 25 yards out.
Sammy Baird continues to torment the Dutch defence.
56 Mins : This time Sparta go close. The tie is still wide open.
58 Mins : 2-1 Rangers : Sammy Baird, at least 20 yards from goal, collects a low pass from Wilson and hits a thunderous low left footed drive to beat Van Dijk in his left hand corner. Such is the pace of the shot that the crestfallen goalkeeper does not move before the ball flies into the net.
Rangers miss plenty of opportunities to kill off the tie. Sparta’s attacks are repelled by Caldow, Stevenson and Davis. Sammy Baird continues to wreak havoc in the Sparta defence ably assisted by McMillan’s subtle and accurate passing.
76 Mins : 3-1 : A weak Millar shot/through ball takes a deflection. Off either Villierus or Van der Lee (Most media reports state Villerius.) It tantalisingly drifts past the stranded Van Dijk, nestling just inside the post.
Sparta go for broke. John Crossan in particular, belatedly looks dangerous.
88 Mins : 3-2 : Tony Van Ede is felled inside the penalty area. Tinus Bosselaar cracks home the penalty. Sparta desperately chase an equaliser but Rangers hold on for the remaining few minutes.
After the Referee blew for time, hundreds of supporters and by no means exclusively Rangers fans, run on to the pitch and hoist Sammy Baird on their shoulders, carrying him across the muddy field to the players tunnel. The travelling support deserve a pat on the back from their team for their non stop support and encouragement throughout the match.
FULL TIME SCORE : RANGERS (Baird 2, Villerius OG) 3 SPARTA 2 (Vehoeven, Bosselaar).
EXTRACTS FROM POST MATCH REACTION
· SPARTAN REACTION
Spartans And Sportsmen
Dennis Neville contacted Gair Henderson of the Glasgow Evening Times later in the week for a chat and to convey his thoughts and memories from the evening. His thoughts were shared in the Football Supplement of the Evening Times, the following Saturday. The first thing he wished to do, was to ask Gair to convey his thanks to the sporting Rangers fans, “Who showed nothing but kindness and appreciation of my players.”
On the tie, he offered these words; “For Sparta, the 3 matches against Rangers were a great and valuable learning experience. I did not see one vicious foul in all the games and I would like to thank Rangers publicly for showing that football between British and Continental teams can be played in the true spirit of friendship.”
So much did he enjoy his earlier trip Glasgow, that he had already arranged a friendly against Celtic to be played on Saturday 14th May, as part of a holiday where the squad would then go to Hampden 4 days later to watch the European Cup Final. Hopefully to cheer on Rangers!
Such was their enthusiasm for football that on their way back home to Rotterdam next day, Sparta stopped off to play a friendly against Scunthorpe United at 6.45 pm! One can’t help but admire them. Genuine enthusiasts and no complaints about too many games! Mind you, there would be some exhausted limbs when they returned to their day jobs.
POSTSCRIPT
· RANGERS 1960 Rangers then faced Eintracht Frankfurt of Germany in the Semi Finals, and were comprehensively defeated by 3 goals to 1 in each of the 2 legs. By a team (apart from effort) better in all departments. Unfortunately Rangers fans and players had to be spectators in their own City, to a game which has come to be regarded as the finest ever European Cup Final. Possibly the finest ever 90 minutes of football and an evening which changed British perception’s of how the game should be played. But don’t just take my word for it……..
The ‘Real’ Deal.
To look at some background, English Champions Wolves were thrashed 9-2 on aggregate by Barcelona who in turn were comprehensively beaten (6-2 on aggregate) in the Semi’s by Real Madrid. Madrid had won every European Cup since its inception in 1956.
The 127,000 fans who excitedly squeezed into Hampden, could not in their wildest imagination have predicted what they were about to witness. On 10 minutes, Eintracht led 1-0 with a goal from Kress. Di Stefano quickly levelled. Further goals from Di Stefano and Puskas gave the Spaniards a 3-1 lead. In the second half Real somehow raised their game to new heights. Puskas and Di Stefano were doing things never seen before on a British pitch. Real’s passing movements at times verged on the magical yet the team worked hard when they needed to regain possession. From the brilliance of Santamaria in defence, to the artistry and finishing of Di Stefano and Puskas, to the pace of Gento on the wing. Madrid led 7-2 until Stein scored a late consolation goal in the 74th minute. Eintracht were a truly accomplished team, but Real had simply taken football to another level.
In 1960, televised football coverage was generally restricted to grainy black and white images. Therefore a generation of British players, managers, coaches and opinion formers attended the game in person and were to have their minds changed about the way the game should be played. Among the crowd that night were; Jock Stein, Bill Shankly, Matt Busby and Bill Nicholson.
“It Set A New Standard.” (George of Bargeddie!)
A younger fan in the crowd was 15 year old George Graham from Bargeddie, already tipped for a great career in football and whose progress was being closely monitored by a number of clubs including Rangers. The future Scotland International and hugely successful manager recalls in his book, the Glory and the Grief, “It was like watching football from another planet. I have since played in hundreds of other games and watched thousands more, but I have never seen one to match. The skill level was just unbelievable, and I am proud to say ‘I was there’… It set a new standard for football.. It was a joy to watch and it convinced this boy from Bargeddie that he wanted a future in football.”
He like the rest of the crowd lapped up the skills on show. Indeed the atmosphere generated by the Hampden crowd was the icing on the cake. Watch highlights of the game on Television and just listen to the roar of the crowd to every goal and the ovation given to both sides after the match. (and there was no sound equipment to pick up the crowd atmosphere). Even after the presentations, it seems nobody left the ground. They remained to cheer the teams off the pitch.
Ian McMillan of Rangers (Young George’s favourite player and playing role model when he watched him from the terraces at Airdrie) was another face in the crowd that night. He was staggered, as he felt that Eintracht were the best team that he had ever played against. He told readers of the All Stars Football Book 1962, “I stipulated that Eintracht were the best team I played against, but with many thousands, I watched in wonder when they met and were beaten by Real Madrid at Hampden Park in the European Cup Final. What a game… and what a wonderful boost for football. Real were the soccer maestros and I loved every second of their play. But one great thing came out of that match apart from the sheer brilliance of it all. IT CHANGED THE FACE OF SCOTTISH FOOTBALL. In fact, If you wish, you can call it THE REAL RENAISSANCE. For, after that game, almost everyone I know vowed to work harder, concentrate more and really get down to soccer as an art.”