RANGERS will hold a minute’s silence against Ross County at Ibrox on Saturday after club legend Billy Simpson sadly passed away last week, aged 87. The Northern Ireland forward won three league championship medals and a Scottish Cup winner's medal during his nine years at Ibrox…

TOMMY (Clarkston) – My uncle was praising the late Billy Simpson and recalled how Billy took a few matches to score his first goal at Rangers but broke his duck with a hat-trick on Christmas Eve in a 5-0 victory over East Fife. I of course reminded him of Colin Stein scoring hat-tricks in his first two games, but he claimed Billy had a better hat-trick record. Do you have the relative stats on this?

Billy Simpson wins this particular contest as he scored eight hat-tricks to Stein's four in first team domestic league and cup matches, including the Glasgow and Charity Cup competitions.

Simpson had of course a slightly longer Ibrox career recorded as playing 239 games against Stein's 206.

In his first season 1950/51 Billy scored two hat-tricks including four goals against Third Lanark in April 1951, and in 1952/53 helped himself to three, again once scoring four goals, against St Mirren in December 1952.

Hat-tricks followed in 1954/55, 1957/58, and 1958/59, when in November he netted four times, this time against Hibernian.

Billy is credited with 179 domestic goals for Rangers even though he frequently was moved from the spearhead number nine position to help the club.

SAMMY (Bellahouston) – Growing up in Antrim as a youngster, Billy Simpson was my hero at Linfield and though disappointed in him moving to Scotland it made me proud seeing him make a success at Rangers. Although he had retired prior to me moving here, the move helped to elevate him to international recognition with his native Northern Ireland. Can you remind me of his achievements at international level?

Billy Simpson was given his International debut for Northern Ireland on March 7, 1951, against Wales at Windsor Park in the Home International Championship, scoring in a 2-1 defeat.

Billy was capped a further 11 times, adding four more goals to his tally.

Season 1957/58 was his most rewarding at International level, helping Northern Ireland qualify for the finals in Sweden from a group which included Italy and Portugal.

Unfortunately despite being selected for the squad he did not play due to injury.

However, November 6, 1957, was probably the highlight of the season for Billy.

At Wembley Stadium that day he scored the crucial third goal, with a typical powerful header, to give Northern Ireland a 3-2 victory over England; a rare occurrence back then.