Rangers ... the most memorable matches (25-21)

Game: Bayern Munich v Rangers.

Date: Wednesday, April 5, 1972.

Competition: European Cup-Winners' Cup.

Venue: Grunwald Stadium.

Attendance: 40,000.

Result: Bayern Munich 1 Rangers 1.

FOR many Rangers fans, this gritty 1-1 draw with Bayern Munich in Germany was their team's best performance in the entire 1971/72 European Cup Winners' Cup campaign.

Willie Waddell's team got in the faces of their illustrious opponents from kick-off and were unlucky to fall 1-0 behind after 23 minutes when Paul Breitner scored.

Colin Jackson marked the legendary Gerd Muller out of the game and Derek Johnstone did likewise with Uli Hoeness in the centre of the park.

The Glasgow club drew level early in the second half when Bayern defender Rainer Zobel headed a Colin Stein cross into his own net. It gave them a vital away goal that ultimately they did not need to progress.

Rangers finished the game the stronger of the two sides and could easily have won it. Willie Mathieson forced two fine saves from Bayern goalkeeper Sepp Maier near the end.

24.

Date: Wednesday, November 3, 1971.

Competition: European Cup-Winners' Cup.

Venue: Estadio Jose Alvalade.

Attendance: 60,000.

Result: Sporting 4 Rangers 3.

THE only defeat that features in our top 50 for Rangers, this was an eventful night for the Glasgow club to say the least.

When the second leg fixture finished 3-2 after regulation time the tie was level 5-5 and went to extra-time.

Henderson netted again and the match ended up 4-3 to Sporting after 120 minutes and 7-7 on aggregate.

Rangers, though, should have progressed on the away goals rule that Uefa had just introduced. However, Dutch referee Laurens van Raavens ordered a penalty shoot-out and the visitors duly lost.

Scottish reporter John Fairgrieve informed Rangers manager Willie Waddell that an injustice had taken place afterwards and the outcome was reversed.

23.

Date: Saturday, March 27, 1948.

Competition: Scottish Cup.

Venue: Hampden.

Attendance: 143,570.

Result: Hibs 0 Rangers 1.

THIS narrow semi-final win over Hibs was achieved when Rangers great Willie Thornton netted after half an hour.

According to newspaper reports of the day, the Ibrox club concentrated on defence and frustrating their Edinburgh rivals. But what makes this outing so important for the Glasgow giants was that it was played in front of their biggest-ever crowd.

A staggering 143,570 people crammed into Hampden to see the drama unfold.

Rangers would go on to lift the trophy after beating Morton in a replay.

That second game against the Greenock club was played out in front of 129,176 - a record for a midweek match.

22.

Game: Rangers v Sparta Rotterdam.

Date: Wednesday, March 30, 1960.

Competition: European Cup.

Venue: Highbury.

Attendance: 34,176.

Result: Rangers 3 Sparta Rotterdam 2.

RANGERS beat Sparta Rotterdam 3-2 away in Holland and lost to them 1-0 at home in the second round of the European Cup in 1960.

But due to away goals not counting at that time the two clubs had to play-off at a neutral venue, Highbury in London. The Scottish champions progressed to the semi-finals of the competition thanks to two own goals from their Dutch opponents and a strike from forward Sammy Baird.

The Ibrox club came up against the great Eintracht Frankfurt side of that era in the semi-final and were hammered 12-4 over two legs. The Germans would go on to lose 7-3 to Real Madrid at Hampden in what is considered the greatest-ever European Cup final.

21.

Game: Rangers v Dundee.

Date: Saturday, April 25, 1964.

Competition: Scottish Cup final.

Venue: Hampden.

Attendance: 120,982.

Result: Rangers 3 Dundee 1.

THERE have been many great Rangers sides in their 142-year history whose names their supporters are able to reel off without pausing for breath.

The line-up of Ritchie, Shearer, Provan, Greig, McKinnon, Baxter, Henderson, McLean, Millar, Brand and Wilson that won this Scottish Cup final was one of them.

This thrilling triumph, achieved with two goals from Jimmy Millar and one strike from Ralph Brand in the last 20 minutes, was perhaps that fabled team's finest moment.

It meant the legendary Rangers side of the early 1960s completed the domestic Treble.

YOUR SHOUT...

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