COLIN STEIN would score on the most famous night in Rangers’ history and hit the goal that ended several years of hurt to deliver a league title. It all started at Gayfield, though, as the striker made an immediate impact on Gers fans. Stein was a hero to a generation of supporters and here he tells SportTimes about his three most memorable matches in a Light Blue jersey.

Arbroath 1-5 Rangers

November 2, 1968

Gayfield

Scorers: Stein (3), Johnston (2)

I scored a hat-trick on my debut and then followed it up with a hat-trick in my second game, which was against my former team, so it was a pretty special start for me at Rangers.

My first game was up at Arbroath and to get the supporters on my side so early on was great for me. I don’t know how many were there that day but they took to me straight away. Normally it can take you a while to settle in at a club but I got off to a flying start. It wasn’t glamorous but it was still a great day.

I don’t know how many Arbroath fans there were because it looked to me like it was all Rangers supporters. The place was heaving.

The game was only two or three days after I signed. I didn’t know straight away that I would be playing that day but I was hoping I would get into the team.

I was there to play and I was there to score goals and thankfully I could do that. Willie Johnston got a couple that day as well.

It was good to get on the score sheet and get the goals so quickly. It was a fairly comfortable win for us in the end.

Arbroath were in the First Division so they weren’t a bad team but we played well and won 5-1. It was a great start. For a striker to make his debut and score a hat-trick, I don’t think you can ask for any more than that.

Rangers 3-2 Dynamo Moscow

May 24, 1972

Nou Camp

Scorers: Stein, Johnston (2)

It was a great day for me personally and a great day for the team. A lot of wonderful players have played for Rangers and never won a European trophy.

It was a brilliant run we had in the competition that year and we played a lot of good teams to get to the final. Right from the first round, we played good sides and thankfully we could finish it off against Moscow.

I still get fans that come up and say to me that they were there or that their family were there and it is nice to hear their stories as well. Everyone has their own memory of Barcelona and it is nice that the supporters still remember that side, and my goal, so fondly.

Davie Smith played the ball through, I got away from the centre half and hit it first time into the roof of the net. I can remember it as if it was yesterday.

I knew as soon as I hit it that I was going in. The goalie wasn’t for stopping it anyway. It was a huge goal for us and thankfully we could go on and win the match.

The only disappointment was the aftermath of the game. You see the way that teams get presented with cups these days and it is nice but we never got the privilege unfortunately. We were in the dressing room and John Greig went to a room, got the cup and came in with it. I have still got my medal and my strip and I will always keep hold of them.

That has to go down as my favourite game for Rangers. It is the game that the fans bring up most when I meet them and it is great to be able to tell them the story.

Hibernian 1-1 Rangers

March 29, 1975

Easter Road

Scorer: Stein

It was a massive result for Rangers that day to win the league. Celtic had won nine-in-a-row and it was 11 years since Rangers had lifted the title.

It was special to go back to Easter Road and score that goal. I remember Hibs going in front and Sandy missing a penalty and we needed a goal to get the point.

Then Bobby McKean got the ball going down the right wing, he cut into the box and crossed it and I headed it into the net for the equaliser. That was the goal that won the league.

The final stages were nerve-wracking but we saw it out and Jock took Sandy off and put John Greig on. He wasn’t fit to start the game but he was the captain of the club so he was on the park when we won it.

The Rangers end that day was unbelievable and it was just a sea of red, white and blue. The fans were tremendous and they expected us to get the job done. Thankfully we were able to reward them with the title after so long.

There wasn’t really a party after the game to be honest. We had a couple of bottles of champagne and then we were off home. We didn’t go back to Ibrox that night.

Sandy, John and I went out with Hugh Gallagher from the Daily Record. We went to the Caley Hotel on Lothian Road and had a couple of drinks then we went home.

We still had a couple of games to go that season so we had to be ready to play them. We had a great crowd to welcome us to Ibrox for the next game.