Rangers Captain Tom Vallance ''Tapped''. 1880.

[TheMoonlighter 499]

Here's an article that appeared in the Blackburn Standard reporting our own Tom Vallance being tapped by English Club Darwen in 1880.

Obviously not to chuffed he promptly wrote a letter to paper which appeared the following week!!

It shows the stature of Tom at the time when they refer to him as ‘‘the best back in the world''.

[falwheel 222]

Captain Glasgow Rangers

Burstin with pride. What a fantastic article, thanks for posting.

Something about the writing style of that time..Educated and Mannered.

[DarcheVinny 1,003]

'Townsmen who were bred and born' - should say 'inbred and born'.

[Falcoholic 1,348]

Truly amazing.

The press get it wrong again - no change there then.

But what a refreshing change to see a newspaper article about our team without a single reference to oldco / newco, born again anomalies.

Great post

[Redwhiteandblue 3,330]

That's what I was going to say. I have been touting him as the ''greatest ever Ranger'' since I have found out just exactly what he done for this club. I never knew he was considered the ''best back in thd world though.''

Moses McNeil usually gets most of the credit for Rangers, and is probably more famous amongst Rangers fans, but for me, Tom Vallance is THE man as far as I'm concerned.

Moses never took anything to do with the club after he left.

I don't think Tom gets enough recognition for what exactly it was he done for us during and especially after his playing career.

Must say, I always get a wee tingle of excitement when I see you post, I always know it's going to be something that makes me smile. Cheers for that.

Really need to get my arse on the tour some day.

[TheMoonlighter 499]

Tom Vallance's Rangers team-mate and friend William Dunlop wrote for the SFA Handbook in 1881 about how Queens Park , the leading Club of the time, threw admiring glances in the direction of Tom Vallance but none had the courage or conviction to approach him with a view to Tom leaving his beloved Rangers.

It's a comfort highlighting this at the end of a year that seen so called Rangers men walk away during our darkest hour.

[Hairy Rz 35]

Your great article made me look them up. They had some Scots given jobs locally. Worlds first pro footballer?

http://www.historicalkits.co.uk/Darwen/Darwen.htm

[ZZed 4,560]

There is a man who deserves a statue at Ibrox, he was Mr Rangers.

[Essandoh 21,899]

Great post. What a fantastically elegant response!

[TheMoonlighter 499]

There is a man who deserves a statue at Ibrox, he was Mr Rangers.

Tom Vallance was an incredible character.

He was there at Fleshers Haugh and attended Ibrox in 1933 some 60 years later as a guest of the Club.

His portrait was recently placed at the top of the Marble Staircase.

[Redwhiteandblue 3,330]

Tom Vallance was an incredible character.

He was there at Fleshers Haugh and attended Ibrox in 1933 some 60 years later as a guest of the Club.

His portrait was recently placed at the top of the Marble Staircase.

There has been a wee bit of a debate on here recently, whith who people think is the greatest ever Ranger. The older folk tend to agree that John Greig deserves it, others reckon Ally McCoist should that title.

I personally think Tom Vallance should be handed that title, a couple have agreed with me. I don't think Rangers would be the club we are today without what this man done for us.

What's your opinion?

[TheMoonlighter 499]

There has been a wee bit of a debate on here recently, whith who people think is the greatest ever Ranger. The older folk tend to agree that John Greig deserves it, others reckon Ally McCoist should that title.

I personally think Tom Vallance should be handed that title, a couple have agreed with me. I don't think Rangers would be the club we are today without what this man done for us.

What's your opinion?

I couldn't agree more.

He was a steadying influence throughout our early years when it was needed most.

He resigned when his honesty as a match umpire was tested by team-mates.

He had Rangers results wired to his Restaurants for his patrons when he ventured into the business world in 1890.

He was at the Club's 50th Dinner in 1923 where it was said '' much debate was had about the Club's year of formation'' I wonder who was leading that discussion ?

He was present when our magnificent Main Stand was opened in 1929, where he spoke fondly of the days back at Kinning Park where conditions were so cramped that they had to wash outside in basins of cold water.

Tom Vallance nurtured his Rangers for many years and laid the foundations of honesty, hard-work and integrity which we enjoy today.

We have a lot to thank him for.

[Redwhiteandblue 3,330]

I couldn't agree more.

He was a steadying influence throughout our early years when it was needed most.

He resigned when his honesty as a match umpire was tested by team-mates.

He had Rangers results wired to his Restaurants for his patrons when he ventured into the business world in 1890.

He was at the Club's 50th Dinner in 1923 where it was said '' much debate was had about the Club's year of formation'' I wonder who was leading that discussion ?

He was present when our magnificent Main Stand was opened in 1929, where he spoke fondly of the days back at Kinning Park where conditions were so cramped that they had to wash outside in basins of cold water.

Tom Vallance nurtured his Rangers for many years and laid the foundations of honesty, hard-work and integrity which we enjoy today.

We have a lot to thank him for.

It's a pity you guys hadn't started your work a few years previous, so what we know now about our early days was known when John Greig was handed the title of greatest ever Ranger. The greatest ever Ranger grew up a Jambo for christs sake. I would never dream of taking that title off him, at the time of the voting, he deserved it from what we knew of our history. As I said though, if you guys had the knowledge then as you do now, then I have a feeking the vote would have rightfully went to the man, who in my opinion, deserves it more than anyone else.

Having the results wired to him is a good indicator of what this club meant to him. I wonder what lengths John Greig goes to to find out our results?

I dont want to make it sound that I'm playing down John Greig, I just feel strongly that Tom Vallance is the man who truly deserves the title of greatest ever Ranger.

What is the story of him resigning as match umpire for his honesty? Was he giving favours to our team?

[SwallowsHisOwnSpunk 8,009]

You have to laugh that even in 1880 the press and media still made up shite football rumors

[SwallowsHisOwnSpunk 8,009]

We really should be doing more to honor men like this, the founding fathers and other important men from our early history, I know there are people working hard with this sort of stuff but most Rangers fans aren't aware and don't give the recognition to the men who started all of this. The Founding Fathers need a statue outside Ibrox or something for starters.

[TheMoonlighter 499]

It's a pity you guys hadn't started your work a few years previous, so what we know now about our early days was known when John Greig was handed the title of greatest ever Ranger. The greatest ever Ranger grew up a Jambo for christs sake. I would never dream of taking that title off him, at the time of the voting, he deserved it from what we knew of our history. As I said though, if you guys had the knowledge then as you do now, then I have a feeking the vote would have rightfully went to the man, who in my opinion, deserves it more than anyone else.

Having the results wired to him is a good indicator of what this club meant to him. I wonder what lengths John Greig goes to to find out our results?

I dont want to make it sound that I'm playing down John Greig, I just feel strongly that Tom Vallance is the man who truly deserves the title of greatest ever Ranger.

What is the story of him resigning as match umpire for his honesty? Was he giving favours to our team?

Back in the early years of football both competing Clubs would nominate a representative to act as match umpire.

Rangers were due to play a tie at Dumbarton with Tom Vallance to act as one of the Referees

Here you go.

From the Scottish Athletic Journal 1883.

[Redwhiteandblue 3,330]

We really should be doing more to honor men like this, the founding fathers and other important men from our early history, I know there are people working hard with this sort of stuff but most Rangers fans aren't aware and don't give the recognition to the men who started all of this. The Founding Fathers need a statue outside Ibrox or something for starters.

I completely agree. Something needs done. The renaming of a stand at the minimum.

Always liked the idea of our youth academy or auchinhowie being named after them, but a statue or naming a stand would be more fitting in my opinion.

[Redwhiteandblue 3,330]

We really should be doing more to honor men like this, the founding fathers and other important men from our early history, I know there are people working hard with this sort of stuff but most Rangers fans aren't aware and don't give the recognition to the men who started all of this. The Founding Fathers need a statue outside Ibrox or something for starters.

Or what would be good would be getting statues of the four of them on each of the corners of the roof looking down on the pitch.

[JamieD 20,080]

Back in the early years of football both competing Clubs would nominate a representative to act as match umpire.

Rangers were due to play a tie at Dumbarton with Tom Vallance to act as one of the Referees

Here you go.

From the Scottish Athletic Journal 1883.

Well that's shameful.

[Redwhiteandblue 3,330]

Back in the early years of football both competing Clubs would nominate a representative to act as match umpire.

Rangers were due to play a tie at Dumbarton with Tom Vallance to act as one of the Referees

Here you go.

From the Scottish Athletic Journal 1883.

Not the story I was expecting to read, the complete opposite in fact. I thought it would have been Tom Vallance giving decisions in our favour, but from what I get from that, it was quite accepted for the refs to be bias towards their own team. I'm rather proud of Tom's (hate this phrase now) sporting integrity. He really stood for what we all as fans of this club still stand for to this day.

Good wee bit there about ''Mr White'' dealing with the clubs debt. Seemed like something I have read in our more recent history, except the first ''white knight'' actually saved the club.

Cheers for posting that. Cracking read as per.

Thanks.

[TheMoonlighter 499]

Not the story I was expecting to read, the complete opposite in fact. I thought it would have been Tom Vallance giving decisions in our favour, but from what I get from that, it was quite accepted for the refs to be bias towards their own team. I'm rather proud of Tom's (hate this phrase now) sporting integrity. He really stood for what we all as fans of this club still stand for to this day.

Good wee bit there about ''Mr White'' dealing with the clubs debt. Seemed like something I have read in our more recent history, except the first ''white knight'' actually saved the club.

Cheers for posting that. Cracking read as per.

Thanks.

Mr.Struth said at the end of his famous speech '' ............as taught to us by the Gallant Pioneers''.

Mr. Struth was in attendance at Tom Vallance's funeral in 1935.

It was people such as Tom Vallance who laid the foundations upon which our which our Club was built which does make us stand out from the rest.

I referred to Tom's Rangers team-mate William Dunlop earlier, he also wrote in 1881.

'' The Club itself is a steadily growing institution. None owes less to fortune or a beneficent providence. Victory begets no undue elation, nor does defeat in the least disturb them from the tenor of their way''

The dye had been cast.

Here's William '' Daddy'' Dunlop's profile.

http://www.thegallantpioneers.co.uk/The-Rangers-F.C.-by-True-Blue.html

[Redwhiteandblue 3,330]

Mr.Struth said at the end of his famous speech '' ............as taught to us by the Gallant Pioneers''.

Mr. Struth was in attendance at Tom Vallance's funeral in 1935.

It was people such as Tom Vallance who laid the foundations upon which our which our Club was built which does make us stand out from the rest.

I referred to Tom's Rangers team-mate William Dunlop earlier, he also wrote in 1881.

'' The Club itself is a steadily growing institution. None owes less to fortune or a beneficent providence. Victory begets no undue elation, nor does defeat in the least disturb them from the tenor of their way''

The dye had been cast.

Here's William '' Daddy'' Dunlop's profile.

http://www.thegallantpioneers.co.uk/The-Rangers-F.C.-by-True-Blue.html

That was a horrible read that. Their lives must've been so hard to go through all the stuff with their kids dying, and the two surviving kids having to grow up without parents.

Truly tragic.

That's an incredible site yous have there. One of my favourite sites. Can honestly sit and read it for hours.

Keep up the good work. It's truly amazing the stuff you lot have uncovered over the years. Every fan owes you all a great deal of gratitude.

Thanks.

[elephants stoned 2,994]

Fantastic reading that, its an amazing thing to beable to look back to another age and see that although many things have changed in the world, some for better, some for worse, Rangers Football Club has seen it all, and the men who started it all way back 140 years ago, are in many respects still watching over and guiding the club today, in our history and in the spirit of men like Ally McCoist, Sandy Jardine and Walter Smith.

[TheDS 35]

Another nice article about Tom from From the Scottish Athletic Journal 1885.

[*Manticore* 1,893]

Thanks for posting, great stuff.

The press writing shit about The Rangers.

Who would have thunk it?