Jump to content

145 Years Ago This Week.


Recommended Posts

‘’Thus ended their first match played at the latter end of May 1872 some two months after the inauguration of the club’’.

The words of Rangers player William Dunlop from his article The Rangers FC which he wrote so eloquently for the SFA Annual in 1881 using the pen name ‘True Blue’.

Rangers Football Club played our first ever match 144 years ago this week.

Our Club  was formed on a spare bit of ground at Fleshers Haugh by  a few kids who’d come to Glasgow seeking employment.

ehl4y.jpg

Their Club ,which was formed for no other reason than the love of football and the pursuit of sporting excellence, would go on to become the world’s most successful.

That first ever match was against Callander and ended 0-0, Willie continued,

“Their first game was a terrible spectacle with  the ball suffering an incredible amount of abuse” William McBeath was given man of the match and then spent a week in bed recovering due to his exertions’’

Founder William McBeath was from Callander and we believe it would have been Willie who approached ex-pats from the town who had settled in Glasgow and that probably helped organize the opposition for our first match.

Willie’s Rangers team-mate Sam Ricketts wrote in 1884 about the boys playing  in their civvies during their first few games and journalist John Allan wrote about them having to change behind a bush as there were no facilities. 

William Dunlop described how genial Peter McNeil would travel on a Saturday morning to a desirable part of the Glasgow Green, set up the noted standards and stand guard until the classic hour came when he would be joined by his friends.  

We felt this was a very dramatic and moving image and commissioned a painting to be done depicting this scene.

2hmo4nn.jpg
    
We presented the painting by artist Helen Runciman to the Club in 2009 and it now hangs on the marble staircase at Ibrox.

The Rangers would remain at Fleshers Haugh for three years .

They then began their journey around Glasgow  to Burnbank and  Kinning Park before finally settling in the Ibrox area in 1887. 


rc3iau.jpg
25q962u.jpg
24x153q.jpg
244p9op.jpg

The Rangers FC by William Dunlop.

https://www.thefounderstrail.co.uk/the-rangers-f-c-by-true-blue


 

Link to post
Share on other sites

I thoroughly enjoyed reading that seeing the pics/painting. The old pics are always magic. There's been a lot of 'doom and gloom' on here, so it's nice to get away from that for five minutes.

Without hopefully sounding like a wimp, you can't help but feel proud of who we are when you hear of our history and it's a real emotional ride on The Founders Trail. I wish all staff and players would go on it until they get it and I mean, REALLY get it so they can understand what we're all about. We have a wonderful history, but some of the players through the years (especially recent years) haven't been worthy of the shirt which is disappointing.

You and all involved do a grand job in presenting The Trail and for the amount of time and effort you all put into it. You all have my utmost respect. Thank you!

Link to post
Share on other sites

Enjoyed reading that .thanks for posting :tu:

Really liked these parts 

Their first game was a terrible spectacle with the ball suffering an incredible amount of abuse” William McBeath was given man of the match and then spent a week in bed recovering due to his exertions’’

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Upcoming Events

    • 30 March 2024 15:00 Until 17:00
      0  
      Rangers v Hibernian
      Ibrox Stadium
      Scottish Premiership
×
×
  • Create New...