Last update 20 January, 2022 by Alberto Llopis
Colgados travels to the heart of Scotland today, to visit a European giant in distress, el Glasgow Rangers. This Scottish liner is today a long way from what it once was, since it was doomed to a descent until almost the last division of Scottish football due to the serious economic problems through which it passed and that were confirmed with the decrease of four categories in 2012.
A real shame for a team with a really gripping story. Created in 1872, Rangers embody Protestant and Unionist Scotland, in contrast to his eternal rival, el Celtic, that brings together the Catholic and independence community of Scotland. That's why, that it is easy to see flags in your stadium related to your ideology, both religious and political.
The greatness of “Gers” it becomes clear when reviewing his excellent record: 54 Scottish leagues, that make it the team in the world with the most leagues in its possession; 33 Scottish cups and 27 league cups. At the European level, It is worth adding the European Cup Winners' Cup of 1972 won against Dinamo Moscow and a UEFA runner-up on the season 2007-08. To all of it, also you have to add the 7 triplets achieved throughout its history.
Host of the mythical Ibrox Park stadium (51.082 spectators), the Rangers mystique began in the years 20, when bill strung (second manager of the club and with 34 years in office) I replace (William Wilton, first manager and present in the team since the campaign 1872 until 1919) and led the team to win 14 leagues until before World War II. Assiduous winner of leagues, the Rangers would live another glorious age in 1972 when the team would lift the Cup Winners' Cup at the Camp Nou by defeating Dinamo Moscow.
A trophy that had to be picked up by captain John Greig in a small room in the Barcelona stadium due to the invasion of Scottish club fans. It was a special moment for the team, since it was only a year since the institution had lived through the Ibrox Park disaster, that ended with the death of 66 spectators during an Old Firm dispute against Celtic.
The season 88-89 would mark the beginning of another stupendous stage of the “protestants”. The team was to win nine league titles, equaling Celtic's record under Walter Smith.. Shortly after, already in 1998 Dirk Advocat would be the one who would take the team and achieve great achievements, like the UEFA final in 2003 against Zenith.
Despite that successful line in the sports field, the economic question was something else. The team accumulated large debts with the British Treasury that caused numerous tensions within the entity. So much, that the club ended in the aforementioned descent from which little by little, the Rangers seem to rebound, climbing until his return to the elite where we hope to see him soon after an exemplary punishment. A type of sanction that seems impossible to see in Spain where big and powerful clubs are untouchable despite having huge debts. But that, It's another story.
