116-494: The NextGen Series was a European football club cup competition for under-19 footballers. It was designed to provide players with the opportunity to match themselves against other elite European footballers of their agegroup in a competitive environment. The competition was created by sports TV producer Justin Andrews, Mark Warburton and current Brentford F.C. owner Matthew Benham . On 16 August 2013, organisers confirmed that
232-579: A Kyle Lafferty goal. The 2010–11 season , Smith's final season in charge, saw Rangers retain the League Cup, defeating Celtic at Hampden with a Nikica Jelavić goal in extra time. A third consecutive title was won by beating Kilmarnock 5–1 on the last day of the season, Smith's final match in charge of the club. Ally McCoist took over from Walter Smith in June 2011 but season 2011–12 started with Rangers eliminated from two European competitions before
348-763: A UEFA tournament final) and 1967 . The club has lost a further two European finals; they reached the UEFA Cup Final in 2008 and a fourth runners-up finish in European competition came in the UEFA Europa League Final in 2022 . Rangers has a long-standing rivalry with Celtic , the two Glasgow clubs being collectively known as the Old Firm , which is considered one of the world's biggest football derbies. With more than 600 Rangers supporters' clubs in 35 countries worldwide, Rangers has one of
464-473: A 1–0 win in his first official match in charge. Warburton cited a need to put his "fingerprint on the squad and coaching staff", which led to Alan Kernaghan and Peter Farrell departing the club on 16 December and David Weir's appointment as assistant manager the same day. A 3–1 win over Milton Keynes Dons at Griffin Park on 29 December sent Brentford to the top of League One and meant that Warburton became
580-481: A 2–0 defeat. An estimated 200,000 supporters travelled to Manchester for the event, and the 2008 UEFA Cup final riots occurred. The 2008–09 season saw Rangers recover from an early exit from the UEFA Champions League to FBK Kaunas of Lithuania . The club secured its 52nd league championship on the last day of the season with a 3–0 victory at Dundee United. Rangers also successfully defended
696-505: A 2–0 reverse to Celtic at home in the league and defeat to Motherwell in the Scottish League Cup semi-final by the same scoreline. On 26 October, a day after a 95th-minute equaliser at Ibrox by last-placed Kilmarnock saw Rangers draw 1–1, Caixinha was sacked and Graeme Murty took over as caretaker manager again. The Portuguese manager's reign was described as "a desperate mess from start to finish". In late December, after
812-707: A 4–0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers. At the end of 2014, Warburton had managed the Bees to the best home record in the Football League in 2014. Three wins from four in January 2015 earned Warburton a second Championship Manager of the Month nomination in three months. On 10 February 2015, an article in The Times claimed Warburton would be replaced as manager at the end of the 2014–15 season. A week later,
928-522: A 4–1 win against Dundee . The club used a variety of grounds in Glasgow as a venue for home matches in the years between 1872 and 1899. The first was Fleshers' Haugh, situated on Glasgow Green , followed by Burnbank Park in the Kelvinbridge area of the city, and then Kinning Park for ten years from the mid-1870s to the mid-1880s. From February of the 1886–87 season, Cathkin Park was used until
1044-558: A 5–0 defeat to Celtic which resulted in Celtic winning their 7th consecutive league title. Rangers again ended the season in 3rd place, behind Celtic and Aberdeen for the second year in a row. On 4 May 2018, former Liverpool and England captain Steven Gerrard was confirmed as the new manager of Rangers on a four-year contract. Gerrard's era started successfully with Rangers remaining unbeaten in their first 12 games, clinching
1160-564: A 5–2 victory over Heart of Midlothian . After finishing joint-top with Dumbarton , a play-off held at Cathkin Park finished 2–2 and the title was shared for the only time in its history. Rangers' first-ever Scottish Cup win came in 1894 after a 3–1 final victory over rivals Celtic. By the start of the 20th century, Rangers had won two league titles and three Scottish Cups. During William Wilton 's time as match secretary and then team manager, Rangers won ten league titles. Taking over as manager after William Wilton's death in 1920, Bill Struth
1276-446: A club statement confirmed that Warburton, assistant David Weir and Sporting Director Frank McParland would be leaving Brentford at the end of the 2014–15 season, citing the trio's differences with owner Matthew Benham's anticipated remodelling of the club's management structure, which would include recruitment being based on mathematical modelling and statistics allied to normal scouting methods. The Hounslow Chronicle later dubbed
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#17327903710851392-531: A cup for the second time in the season after securing a 2–0 victory in the Scottish Cup at Ibrox on 12 March 2019. The 2019–20 season began with Rangers again qualifying for the UEFA Europa League group stage before losing 2–0 to Celtic at Ibrox in the first Old Firm match of the season on 1 September. The following day, the club signed Ryan Kent from Liverpool for £7 million. Rangers reached
1508-401: A dislike to the methods of McLintock's successor at Leicester, Jock Wallace , later saying "he was a Marine . We had runs on sand-dunes, running until we threw up. I learned a lot from that, never treating a player that way". Warburton had a successful four years at Enfield, winning the 1981–82 FA Trophy and 1982–83 Alliance Premier League title. He battled for the right back spot at
1624-526: A fall out with one or two people. I was treated very shabbily, but they have gone now, so I've got no grudges against the club". Nicky Forster was appointed caretaker manager of League One side Brentford in February 2011 and named Warburton as first team coach. Warburton had previously worked with Brentford owner Matthew Benham on the NextGen Series and explained that he "got a call from
1740-617: A kit sponsor. The following tables detail Rangers' shirt sponsors and kit suppliers by year: When Rangers played French sides in 1996–97 and 1997–98, they wore the logo of Center Parcs instead of McEwan's Lager , due to a French ban on alcohol advertising . Later matches in France (when the club was sponsored by Carling ) saw the club play with no shirt sponsor, in 2006 and 2007. During 32Red 's sponsorship, Rangers faced NK Osijek in 2018–19 wearing unsponsored training gear due to Croatia's ban on gambling advertising. Team Talk, an arm of
1856-427: A last-day finale, Rangers securing a 2–0 victory at Ibrox over Aberdeen, who needed only a draw to secure the championship. Season 1992–93 was notable for a domestic treble of trophies, as well an extended run in the inaugural UEFA Champions League, the club at one stage only one goal from securing a place in the final. Rangers' ninth consecutive championship title was secured at Tannadice Park on 7 May 1997, with
1972-448: A more permanent fixture from 1896 onwards. When the red turn-downs were added to the socks in 1904, the strip began to look more like the modern day Rangers home kit. Occasionally the home kit will be altered by the shorts and socks, sometimes replacing the black socks with white ones; or replacing the white shorts and black socks combination with royal blue shorts and socks. The basic design of Rangers away strips has changed far more than
2088-493: A new job and move up you have to adapt to your new environment quickly because no allowances will be given". Warburton led the club to their first league win of the season on 19 August, winning 2–1 at Blackpool . A 3–2 win over Brighton & Hove Albion on 13 September lifted the Bees into the Championship playoff places for the first time in the season. Wins over Nottingham Forest and Millwall saw Warburton named as
2204-553: A part-time role at St. Clement Danes School in Chorleywood while working as a trader . He later said to his wife, "we have the money in the bank, the house is paid for, our lifestyle won't change. I want to do this: 10 years to achieve something in the game. It's now or never". After leaving his trading job in the early 2000s, he spent his own money travelling around Europe, watching coaching sessions at Sporting CP , Ajax , Valencia , Barcelona and Willem II . Warburton
2320-555: A place in the UEFA Europa League group stage in the process. However, Rangers were then defeated by Celtic in the first Old Firm match of the season, and the following month were eliminated from the League Cup by Aberdeen. On 29 December, Rangers defeated Celtic at Ibrox to inflict Brendan Rodgers ' first defeat in 13 Old Firm games; Rangers first win over Celtic since a Scottish Cup victory in April 2016 and their first league win over Celtic since March 2012. Aberdeen knocked Rangers out of
2436-520: A record 21-point margin, the club securing a domestic double with a 4–0 Scottish Cup final victory over Aberdeen. Rangers' campaign in the Champions League saw them defeat UEFA Cup winners Parma en route. Advocaat's third season saw Rangers fail to compete domestically against Celtic under new manager Martin O'Neill . Despite investment in the team, including Tore Andre Flo for a club-record £12 million, European success beyond
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#17327903710852552-417: A search for a more experienced manager proved unsuccessful, including a failed attempt to appoint Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes , Murty (who had won back-to-back games over Aberdeen and also defeated Hibernian away from home during his interim spell) was appointed to the role until the end of the season. On 1 May 2018, Murty's second spell in charge ended prematurely when he was sacked as manager following
2668-407: A single-goal victory over Dundee United . In 1998, Dutchman Dick Advocaat became the club's first foreign manager. Nine-in-a-row era stalwarts having moved on, Advocaat invested heavily in the team with immediate results, leading the club to their sixth domestic treble. The league championship was won with a 3–0 victory at Celtic Park on 2 May 1999. A second-consecutive league title was won by
2784-713: A six-month deal with Brentford's Development Squad in January 2015 and also represented Northern Ireland at U16 and U17 level. Brentford Rangers Individual Rangers F.C. Rangers Football Club is a professional football club in Glasgow , Scotland. The team competes in the Scottish Premiership , the top division of Scottish football . The club is often referred to as Glasgow Rangers , though this has never been its official name. The fourth-oldest football club in Scotland, Rangers
2900-584: A slump in form thereafter, including losing to Hearts in the Scottish Cup and Hamilton in the league within five days, left Rangers 13 points adrift of Celtic a week into March. However, all professional football in Scotland was suspended later that month due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom . On 18 May 2020, the SPFL officially ended the season, and Celtic were awarded the league title which
3016-399: A winning start, Beale had turned around results quickly; however, they lost out in both cup competitions against Celtic and finished the 2022–23 season seven points behind their rivals. After a summer rebuild, Rangers lost on the opening day of the 2023–24 season to Kilmarnock; their hopes of qualifying for that seasons Champions League was also crushed after losing to PSV Eindhoven . Beale
3132-490: A −20 goal difference overall, setting the worst performance in a Champions League group stage, surpassing Dinamo Zagreb 's −19 goal difference in the 2011–12 season . Giovanni van Bronckhorst was sacked on 21 November 2022, after also falling nine points behind Celtic in the Scottish Premiership. Michael Beale, a coach under previous manager Steven Gerrard, succeeded van Bronckhorst on 28 November 2022. After
3248-719: Is a Category B listed building and the third-largest football stadium in Scotland . The club has always played in royal blue shirts. Rangers have won the Scottish League title a record 55 times, the Scottish Cup 34 times, the Scottish League Cup a record 28 times and the domestic treble on seven occasions. Rangers won the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1972 after being losing finalists twice, in 1961 (the first British club to reach
3364-444: Is a brown bear with blue inner ears and nose, wearing a Rangers strip. He made his first appearance in a 2–2 draw against Raith Rovers on 13 November 1993. Broxi was later accompanied by his "wife" Roxi and their "son" Boris although from 2001 Roxi and Boris no longer made any on-field appearances at Ibrox. Roxi and Boris did continue to appear on some club merchandise. On 9 September 2017, Roxi and Boris were re-introduced before
3480-486: Is an English professional football manager and former player who was most recently a first-team coach at West Ham United . As a player, Warburton was a right back at non-League level with Enfield and Boreham Wood . He began his coaching career in the academy at Watford , before moving to Brentford in February 2011, serving as a coach and sporting director until being appointed manager in December 2013. He led
3596-526: Is believed that the scroll crest, representing the letters RFC overlapping, has been used since the club's formation in 1872, although the oldest remaining piece of memorabilia containing this crest is from the 1881–82 season. The scroll crest was replaced in 1959 with the lion rampant club crest which featured a lion rampant, an old-style football and the club's motto Ready , which was shortened from Aye Ready (meaning Always Ready in Scots ), all surrounded by
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3712-560: The 1988–89 season until the 1996–97 season, Rangers won the league title. This nine-in-a-row achievement equalled Celtic's record, set prior to the forming of the Scottish Football League Premier Division , subsequent to which competing teams met four times a season. The first three of these seasons the club was managed by Graeme Souness; the latter six under the stewardship of Walter Smith . Notable seasons included 1990–91 , which culminated in
3828-571: The 2016 Scottish Cup Final , which they lost 3–2 to Hibernian . On 12 July 2016, Warburton and Weir extended their contracts with Rangers by a further year. Rangers fell far behind in the 2016–17 Scottish Premiership title race, as Celtic moved 19 points clear after winning an Old Firm match on 31 December. According to a club statement, Warburton, Weir and head of recruitment Frank McParland resigned from their positions on 10 February 2017. Warburton told BBC Scotland that he had not resigned and would seek legal advice. On 14 March 2017, Warburton
3944-475: The Champions League group stages again proved elusive. After a slow start to the following season, Advocaat resigned from his post in December 2001 and was replaced by Alex McLeish . In his first full campaign, the 2002–03 season saw McLeish become the sixth Rangers manager to deliver a domestic treble. The championship was won on goal difference during a dramatic final day 6–1 triumph over Dunfermline Athletic at Ibrox, securing Rangers' 50th league title,
4060-625: The League One Manager of the Month award for December 2013. Four wins and a draw in January 2014 saw Warburton nominated for the League One Manager of the Month award for the second month in succession. A 3–0 home defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers on 22 February gave Warburton his first defeat as Brentford manager, ending a run of 19 league games unbeaten. While briefing the team in their hotel in Canary Wharf on
4176-587: The Rangers Charity Foundation , appeared on the shirts on two occasions in 2021–22: away in Leipzig , as Unibet hold no licence for Germany; and in the 2021–22 UEFA Europa League final against Eintracht Frankfurt, as gambling advertisements are banned in Spain. Broxi Bear is the official mascot of Rangers. Its name is derived from Rangers' home stadium, Broxi being an anagram of Ibrox. Broxi
4292-631: The Scottish Football League , Rangers remained in the top division continuously until a financial crisis during the 2011–12 season saw the club enter administration and the original company liquidated with the assets moved to a new company structure. The club was accepted as an associate member of the Scottish Football League and placed in the fourth tier of the Scottish football league system in time for
4408-584: The Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia in Como, Italy on 1 April 2013. The NextGen Series trophy was manufactured by UK-based awards manufacturer Gaudio and was handed to the tournament winners. The teams participating in the NextGen series were limited to a squad size of no more than eighteen players. There was an age limit of 18 on players participating in the competition. However, each club had
4524-687: The Third Division title on 30 March after a goalless draw at Montrose . Apart from being defeated 2–1 by Forfar Athletic in the first round of the League Cup on 3 August, season 2013–14 got off to an excellent start with Rangers winning maximum league points in their first 15 games in League One , before being held to a draw at home by Stranraer on Boxing Day 2013. Rangers secured the League One title and promotion to Scottish football's second tier on 12 March 2014 and went on to end
4640-576: The UEFA Cup , Rangers became the first Scottish side to qualify for the last 32 of the competition, since the introduction of the group phase, after finishing their group unbeaten. However, amid claims of disharmony between the manager and captain Barry Ferguson, it was announced on 4 January 2007 that Le Guen had left Rangers by mutual consent. On 10 January 2007, former boss Walter Smith resigned from his post as Scotland manager to return to
4756-583: The first Ibrox Park , in the Ibrox area of south-west Glasgow, was inaugurated for the following season. Ibrox Stadium in its current incarnation was originally designed by the architect Archibald Leitch , a Rangers fan who also played a part in the design of, among others, Old Trafford in Manchester and Highbury in London. The stadium was inaugurated on 30 December 1899, and Rangers defeated Hearts 3–1 in
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4872-412: The 140th anniversary of their formation. '1872–2012' appeared above the scroll crest with the words '140 years' featuring below. The club colours of Rangers F.C. are royal blue, white and red. However, for the majority of the first forty-eight years of Rangers existence the club played in a plain lighter blue home shirt. The only deviation from this was a four-season period from 1879 when the side wore
4988-520: The 2011–12 tournament, the 16 teams were split into four groups of four, playing each other home and away. The top two teams from each group went through to a knockout stage. The Quarter-Finals were played over one leg at the home ground of the group winners. The Final was played at the Matchroom Stadium in London on Sunday 25 March 2012, with an attendance of 3,500. The 2013 Final was held at
5104-400: The 2013–14 season, Warburton won 17, drew six and lost four. On 26 June, Warburton pledged his future to the Bees by signing a one-year rolling contract. Warburton's first game in management at Championship level took place against London neighbours Charlton Athletic on 9 August 2014. After the 1–1 draw, he said "we've got a lot of young players who will find their feet, but when you start
5220-544: The Bees to a victory which returned them to the automatic promotion places in League One. Five wins and two draws in March meant Warburton received his third League One Manager of the Month nomination in four months. A 1–0 win over Preston North End at Griffin Park on 18 April saw Brentford promoted to the Championship as runners-up to Wolverhampton Wanderers with three games to spare. In his 27 games as manager during
5336-471: The Crest respectively. Between 1997 and 1999 the scroll crest featured within a shield. After a successful end to the season in 2003 , which delivered Rangers a Domestic Treble and their 50th league title; five stars were added to the top of the scroll crest, one for every ten titles won by the club. The team wore a special crest on 8 December 2012 in a home league match against Stirling Albion, to commemorate
5452-465: The Cup Winners' Cup final against Italian side Fiorentina , only to lose 4–1 on aggregate. Rangers lost again in the final of the same competition in 1967, by a single goal, after extra time, to Bayern Munich . The Ibrox disaster occurred on 2 January 1971 when large-scale crushing on a stairway exit at the culmination of an Old Firm game claimed 66 lives. An enquiry concluded that the crush
5568-761: The European stage. A Colin Stein goal and a Willie Johnston double helped secure a 3–2 victory over Dynamo Moscow at the Nou Camp, Barcelona, to lift the European Cup Winners' Cup . Captain John Greig received the trophy in a small room within the Nou Camp following pitch invasions by Rangers fans reacting to the heavy handed tactics of the Spanish police, the majority of whom had been brought in from outwith Catalonia. Rangers were banned from Europe for two years for
5684-677: The Gers to a league and cup double with successes in the second tier Scottish Championship (promotion to the Scottish Premiership ) and the Scottish Challenge Cup in his first season. Mark Warburton's first Old Firm victory came on 17 April 2016 in the Scottish Cup Semi-Final. After 90 minutes and extra time Rangers and Celtic were locked in at 2–2 ( Kenny Miller and Barrie McKay on the scoresheet for Rangers), Rangers won 5–4 on penalties. Rangers progressed to
5800-539: The Ibrox helm, with Ally McCoist as assistant manager . The following season Rangers contested the UEFA Cup after dropping into the competition from the Champions League . The club reached the final, defeating Panathinaikos , Werder Bremen , Sporting Lisbon and Fiorentina along the way. The final in Manchester against Zenit Saint Petersburg , who were managed by former Rangers manager Dick Advocaat, ended in
5916-554: The Inside Soccer project. The pair formed Cycad Sports Management in 2010 and through the company they launched the NextGen Series , an U19 club cup competition. Brentford owner Matthew Benham was also a backer of the competition. The inaugural tournament began in August 2011 and featured 16 teams, including European heavyweights Barcelona, Inter Milan , Sporting Lisbon, Ajax, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur . The tournament
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#17327903710856032-592: The NextGen Series had been suspended for the 2013–14 campaign because of funding issues and lacking of competitive space since the creation of the UEFA Youth League . Plans to create a European competition for youth footballers had long been explored. Ajax and Manchester City played a behind closed doors match in November 2010 as did Liverpool and Celtic . This was part of a trial scheme for
6148-563: The NextGen series as a 15 year old. While at Enfield, Warburton became a trader in London and also worked in the United States. Looking back in 2014 on his time in the City , he said: "I was a currency dealer for the likes of Bank of America , AIG and RBS . I was getting up at 4:32 for 20-odd years, leave the house at 4:52, get the 5:02 train into Liverpool Street , at my desk at 5:45, getting home at 7pm and take phone calls through
6264-424: The Scottish Cup, defeating Falkirk 1–0 in the final. The 2009–10 season saw Rangers reach their fifth consecutive domestic final: against St Mirren in the Scottish League Cup, the club overcame a two-men deficit from red cards , a late deciding goal from Kenny Miller securing the victory. The league championship title was retained, with three matches remaining, at Easter Road , defeating Hibernian 1–0 with
6380-658: The South in the first half of the season. Rangers also failed to beat Alloa either home or away in the league before losing 3–2 to Alloa in the semi-final of the Scottish Challenge Cup . Amid mounting criticism, McCoist submitted his resignation intending to honour his 12 months notice period but was placed on gardening leave and replaced by Kenny McDowall on a caretaker basis. McDowall remained in charge for just three months before resigning in March 2015. During his time in charge, Rangers won just three matches. Rangers then named former player Stuart McCall as their third manager of
6496-597: The behaviour of their fans, later reduced on appeal to one year. The following season saw the club compete in the first ever European Super Cup, although the European ban saw it officially recognised as Rangers centenary anniversary match. The side played the European Cup holders Ajax, who had first proposed the idea, in January 1973. The Dutch side proved too strong and recorded a 6–3 aggregate win, with Rangers losing 1–3 at Ibrox and 3–2 in Amsterdam. Emerging from
6612-411: The club being deducted 10 points as per SPL rules. Though Rangers avoided having Celtic win the championship at Ibrox on 25 March by winning the game 3–2, Rangers ultimately finished 20 points behind Celtic in second place. On 1 June 2012, after four months in administration, a failure to reach a CVA agreement with creditors led to The Rangers Football Club plc (since renamed RFC 2012 plc) entering
6728-411: The club eventually exiting on the away goals rule to Villarreal . On 9 February 2006, it was announced by David Murray that McLeish would be standing down as manager at the end of that season. Frenchman Paul Le Guen replaced Alex McLeish as manager after season 2005–06. The season started with an early exit from the League Cup whilst Celtic built a commanding lead at the top of the table. In
6844-803: The club from League One to promotion to the Championship in the 2013–14 season and finished the following season with the club's best second-tier placing for 80 years. He managed Rangers in Scotland from 2015 to 2017, winning the Scottish Championship title and the Scottish Challenge Cup in his first season. He joined Nottingham Forest in March 2017, but was dismissed after nine months. Growing up in London, Warburton attended The Latymer School , Edmonton . A defender , Warburton began his playing career as an apprentice at Leicester City under Frank McLintock and later dropped into Non-League football with Enfield . Warburton took
6960-555: The club from 6th to 7th place and out of the playoff positions. On 5 March, Warburton won the London Manager of the Year award at the 2015 London Football Awards. A run of 17 points from a possible 27 (including a 4–1 victory over Fulham at Craven Cottage , Brentford's biggest ever league win at the ground of their West London rivals ) saw the side rise to fifth in the table on 3 April. More dropped points saw Brentford go into
7076-485: The club held its first annual meeting and staff were elected. By 1876, Rangers had its first international player , with Moses McNeil representing Scotland in a match against Wales . In 1877, Rangers reached the Scottish Cup final; after drawing the first game, Rangers refused to turn up for the replay and the cup was awarded to Vale of Leven . Rangers won the Glasgow Merchants Charity Cup
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#17327903710857192-574: The club in June 2023 wishing to seek out a more senior role in football. After turning down an opportunity to follow previous manager Uwe Rösler to Wigan Athletic, Warburton was announced as the new Brentford manager on 10 December 2013, on a deal running until the end of the 2013–14 season. He said "I don't think I could have taken being rejected (for the manager's job) again. I was invited to apply and if I hadn't I would just have stayed as Sporting Director". A 90th-minute goal from Jonathan Douglas versus Oldham Athletic on 14 December gave Warburton
7308-615: The club with Trevor Savage and scored his only league goal for the club past Boston United goalkeeper Kevin Blackwell in a 2–0 win during the 1982–83 season. After leaving Enfield in 1985, Warburton later played for Isthmian League side Boreham Wood , Scottish non-league side Stoneyburn Juniors and also spent time playing in Charlotte and Chicago men's leagues while living in the United States. Cruciate injuries ended his playing career. Warburton began his coaching career in
7424-461: The departure of Rösler to Championship side Wigan Athletic on 7 December 2013, assistant manager Alan Kernaghan took charge of the team for that day's 3–2 FA Cup second round defeat away to Carlisle United . Warburton was included as part of the coaching team, alongside first team coach Peter Farrell . On 24 June 2022, West Ham United appointed Warburton as a first-team coach, becoming part of manager David Moyes ' backroom staff. He left
7540-448: The domestic record of ten titles in a row. Rangers were formed by four founders – brothers Moses McNeil and Peter McNeil , Peter Campbell and William McBeath – who met at West End Park (now known as Kelvingrove Park ) in March 1872. Rangers' first match, in May that year, was a goalless friendly draw with Callander on Glasgow Green . David Hill was also a founder member. In 1873,
7656-480: The domestic treble in 1963–64 season , the era of 'Slim' Jim Baxter , one of the club's greatest players. Rangers also lost by their biggest Old Firm margin of 7–1. Rangers reached the semi-finals of the European Cup in 1960, losing to German club Eintracht Frankfurt by a record aggregate 12–4 for a Scottish team. In 1961 Rangers became the first British team to reach a European final when they contested
7772-452: The end of August: losing to Swedish side Malmö in the Champions League third round qualifying match, and to Slovenian side Maribor in a Europa League qualifying match. While good league form saw Rangers in top spot after being unbeaten for the first 15 games, they were knocked out of the League Cup by Falkirk and the Scottish Cup by Dundee United at Ibrox. Rangers were placed into administration on 14 February 2012 resulting in
7888-469: The eve of a crunch match against Leyton Orient in mid-March, Warburton drew on his trading background to demonstrate the pressures of the job to coach David Weir, kit man Bob Oteng and players Jonathan Douglas, Clayton Donaldson and Marcello Trotta , taking them on a tour of the dealing room at HSBC . Playing in front of the Sky Sports cameras the following day, a goal from Trotta was enough to see
8004-524: The final of the League Cup, but despite a dominant performance, were beaten 1–0 by Celtic. On 12 December, Rangers progressed to the UEFA Europa League Round of 32 as group runners-up after a 1–1 draw with Young Boys which secured European football beyond Christmas for the first time since the 2010–11 season. On 29 December, Rangers beat Celtic 2–1 at Celtic Park, their first win at their arch rival's stadium since October 2010. However,
8120-424: The first Brentford manager to win his first four games. The run extended to six straight wins after a 3–1 away victory over Peterborough United on 1 January 2014. Defender Alan McCormack commented that "a change in management often means a new man bringing in their own staff and own ideas, but he (Warburton) has kept it pretty much the same, just making one or two changes". Warburton's winning start garnered him
8236-593: The first club in the world to achieve the feat. Major expenditure sanctioned by chairman David Murray had burdened Rangers with considerable debts in the region of £52m. The club's worsening financial state saw many of the team's top players leave in the summer of 2003, the following season failing to deliver any trophies, only the second such occasion since 1985–86 . The 2004–05 season restored success to Rangers, who were boosted by signings such as Jean-Alain Boumsong , Dado Pršo and Nacho Novo , along with
8352-404: The first league match in the Third Division though it secured a comfortable 5–1 victory over East Stirlingshire in front of a crowd of 49,118, a world record for a football match in a fourth tier league. Away from home, Rangers started their league campaign with three successive draws before losing 1–0 to Stirling Albion , at the time the bottom club in the country. Rangers were defeated in
8468-569: The following year against Vale of Leven 2–1, their first major cup. The first-ever match against Celtic took place in 1888, the year after the East End club's establishment. Rangers lost 5–2 in a friendly to an opposition composed largely of guest players from Hibernian . The 1890–91 season saw the inception of the Scottish Football League, and Rangers, by then playing at the first Ibrox Stadium, were one of ten original members. The club's first-ever league match, on 16 August 1890, resulted in
8584-419: The historic feat in 1977–78. John Greig served as manager for five years but was unable to achieve the success as a manager that he had as a player. Unable to win the league during his reign, he was replaced by Wallace returning in 1983. Wallace was unable to repeat the success of his first period in charge with a win ratio of less than 50%, and was himself replaced by Graeme Souness in 1986. Every year from
8700-472: The largest fanbases in world football. The club holds the record for the largest travelling support in football history, when an estimated 200,000 Rangers fans arrived in the city of Manchester for the 2008 UEFA Cup final . Rangers also took the largest ever travelling support abroad when an estimated 100,000 fans arrived in Seville for the 2022 UEFA Europa League final . One of the 11 original members of
8816-408: The lighter shade of blue and white in a hooped style. Traditionally this is accompanied by white shorts (often with royal blue and/or red trim) and black socks with red turn-downs. Rangers moved from the lighter shade of blue to royal blue in 1921, and have had a royal blue home shirt every year since. Black socks were first included in 1883 for five seasons before disappearing for eight years but became
8932-558: The lower divisions. The club also reached the 2016 Scottish Cup Final , beating Old Firm rivals Celtic in the semi-final at Hampden, before losing to Hibernian in the final. After a poor first half of the 2016–17 season, Mark Warburton and David Weir left Rangers on 10 February 2017, and Graeme Murty was placed in caretaker control of the Rangers first team. Pedro Caixinha eventually took over as permanent manager. Caixinha's first full season started with Rangers suffering one of
9048-623: The lowest division, the Third, rather than the First Division as the SPL and SFA had sought. The transfer of Rangers' SFA membership was agreed by the SFA upon acceptance of a number of conditions, including a one-year transfer ban, in time for the club to begin the 2012–13 season . With most key Rangers players having refused to transfer to the new company, a very different Rangers team lined up for
9164-671: The manager of the Football League Team of the Week for 3–9 November. A club record-equalling five successive second-tier wins sent Brentford to third-place in the division at the end of November (the club's highest placing in the league pyramid since the opening day of the 1952–53 season) and earned Warburton the Championship Manager of the Month award and the LMA Performance of the Week award for
9280-718: The much-maligned Sporting Director/ director of football position can work in English football, saying though he "would row every other day" with manager Uwe Rösler, the pair never fell out and Rösler had the final say on team selection and signings. In December 2012, Warburton held talks with Premier League side West Bromwich Albion about filling the Sporting Director position, but Baggies chairman Jeremy Peace decided to look elsewhere. Warburton oversaw Brentford being awarded Category Two academy status in July 2013 and
9396-495: The new competition. The goal of the tournament was to help clubs replicate the Champions League experience for younger players. The success of the NextGen Series caught the attention of the UEFA board and at end of 2012, the UEFA Youth League was created. A compromise deal was tabled by Andrews and Warburton, with the aim of combining the two tournaments and giving places to non-Champions League clubs with notable academies , but
9512-497: The night, orders from New York City. I was well paid, good at what I did. There was a lot of risk, a lot of pressure. My personal turnover would be £1.5 billion to £2 billion a day". Warburton cites parallels between trading and football management, including teamwork, communication, competition and man management. His son Jack, was a youth player at Watford and Leicester City, before moving to Canada to play for USL Premier Development League side K-W United . He signed
9628-414: The opening of a new purpose-built facility on the grounds of Uxbridge High School four months later. In December 2013, Warburton was succeeded in his Sporting Director position by former Liverpool academy chief Frank McParland, whom he had heard of through former Liverpool and current Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers . Warburton and sports TV producer Justin Andrews met in 2005, while working on
9744-540: The option of including three players up to the age of 19, though only a maximum of two overage players were allowed to be on the pitch at any one time. Match rules for the series, other than the age cap, were the same as those stipulated by the International Football Association Board , meaning that they were identical to those of most other international tournaments. Mark Warburton Mark Warburton (born 6 September 1962)
9860-444: The owner and the board have made a decision". Between the outbreak of the news and the end of the 2014–15 season, Warburton was linked with the managerial jobs at Leicester City, Queens Park Rangers , Aston Villa , Derby County, Newcastle United , Leeds United and Norwich City . Brentford's form suffered in the wake of the announcement of Warburton's departure, with successive defeats to Watford and Charlton Athletic dropping
9976-401: The owner at 1:30 in the morning, asking if I would come in to assist Nicky. I didn't know a lot about Brentford or know any of the players, so I stayed up for the rest of the night looking at player profiles". Following a successful interim period, Forster was given the role on a permanent basis until the end of the 2010–11 season. Warburton assisted Forster until the end of the season. After
10092-430: The penultimate game of the season three points outside the playoffs, having won only five of their last 15 games since "Warburtongate". Two wins in the final two games and favourable results elsewhere saw Warburton lead Brentford to fifth position and a place in the playoffs, the club's highest second-tier finish since the 1934–35 season. Brentford's 2014–15 season ended with a 5–1 aggregate defeat to Middlesbrough in
10208-483: The playoff semi-finals. Warburton used just 24 players in the 2014–15 season, the joint-fewest in the Football League. Warburton finished his Brentford managerial career with 40 wins, 16 draws, 22 losses and a winning percentage of 51.28%, the highest of any Brentford manager. He departed Griffin Park upon the expiry of his contract on 30 May. It was later discovered that one reason for Warburton's departure
10324-592: The prize to the Easter Road ground in Leith . Despite beginning as favourites to retain the championship, Rangers suffered an unprecedented run of poor results between September and November, a club-record run of ten games without a win. Included within this period, a 1–1 draw with Inter Milan took Rangers into the last 16 of the Champions League, the first Scottish team to achieve the feat since 1993,
10440-550: The process of liquidation. The administrators completed a sale of the business and assets to a new company , Sevco Scotland Ltd (which later renamed itself The Rangers Football Club Ltd), though most first-team players refused to transfer across. The new company failed to secure the transfer of Rangers' previous place in the Scottish Premier League, but were later accepted into the Scottish Football League . Rangers were awarded associate membership and placed in
10556-463: The proposal was rejected by UEFA. Another proposal, to run both leagues in tandem (with the winners meeting in the final), was also rejected. Teams were picked for the first season of the tournament through invitation. The organisers selected 16 clubs. The clubs picked for the 2011–12 tournament were: 15 clubs who participated at 2011–12 tournament (with the exception of Basel) took part in 2012–13 and were joined by 9 new entrants: For
10672-535: The return of former captain Barry Ferguson after a spell in England with Blackburn Rovers . The club's league championship triumph culminated in a dramatic final-day finish. The destination of the trophy changed unexpectedly, with Celtic conceding late goals to Motherwell at Fir Park whilst Rangers led against Hibernian, requiring the helicopter carrying the SPL trophy to change direction and deliver
10788-572: The role of Sporting director in the summer of 2011, a new position created by an internal restructuring of the club. His role included dealing with agents , club finances and contracts, in addition to scouting young players and recommending them to the management. Warburton's links with the academy at Watford saw Brentford sign a number of players with Hornets connections, including loanees Dale Bennett , Adam Thompson , Rob Kiernan , Piero Mingoia , Lee Hodson and permanent transfers Harry Forrester and Jack Bonham . Warburton stated that
10904-407: The saga " Warburtongate ". Ahead of Brentford's playoff campaign in May 2015, Warburton revealed the truth about his departure, saying "I think the manager has to pick the team and have the final say, in my opinion. I think there's going to be a much greater emphasis on mathematical modelling than currently. There are certain aspects which I think have worked well at this football club, but Matthew's
11020-439: The scroll crest made a return appearing on the chest of the club shirt for the first time while the modernised club crest was still the club's official logo. The scroll crest first appeared on the teams shorts for the start of the 1978–79 season. The way the scroll crest has appeared on the club shirt has varied slightly through the years. Between 1990 and 1994 'Rangers Football Club' and the 'Ready' motto appeared above and below
11136-502: The season for the remaining fixtures. Under McCall, Rangers finished third in the league and then reached the Premiership play-off final, which they lost 6–1 on aggregate to Motherwell. In June 2015, it was announced that Mark Warburton had been appointed as manager on a three-year deal. Rangers went on to win the 2015–16 Scottish Championship and automatic promotion to the Scottish Premiership , ending their four-year stint in
11252-446: The season unbeaten in league football. Rangers also reached the final of the Scottish Challenge Cup , in which they lost to Raith Rovers and the semi-final of the Scottish Cup , in which they lost 3–1 at Ibrox to Dundee United. Playing in the Scottish Championship in season 2014–15 provided Rangers with a more difficult challenge, with the club losing home and away to both Hibernian and Hearts and also losing away to Queen of
11368-427: The shadows of Jock Stein 's Celtic side, Rangers regained ascendancy with notable domestic success under the stewardship of manager Jock Wallace . In his first season in charge – the club's centenary – Rangers won the Scottish Cup at Hampden in front of 122,714 supporters. In 1974–75, Wallace led Rangers to their first League championship triumph in 11 years, before winning the treble the following season, repeating
11484-502: The start of the following season. Rangers then won three promotions in four years, returning to the Premiership for the start of the 2016–17 season ; in their climb through the Scottish lower divisions, Rangers became the only club in Scotland to have won every domestic trophy. In 2020–21 Rangers won their first Scottish championship in ten years, a then world record fifty-fifth league win which also stopped rivals Celtic's quest to break
11600-411: The team name, Rangers Football Club . The lion rampant club crest was modernised in 1968; the lion rampant, team name, club motto and old style football all remained. It was again updated slightly in the early 1990s and then once more in 2020 to the current version. The modern circular crest is regularly used on club merchandise and by the media; it has never featured prominently on the club strip. In 1968
11716-484: The third kits have included combinations of white, red, dark and light blue as well as black. Orange and blue change strips, first seen in 1993–94, worn once in 2002–03 and reintroduced in 2018–19 and 2022–23, have caused controversy because the colours were seen as referencing the Orange Order . Since 1978 when Rangers signed a deal with Umbro they have had a specific kit manufacturer and since 1984 have had
11832-408: The third round of the Scottish Challenge Cup by Queen of the South at Ibrox, in the quarter-finals of the Scottish League Cup at home to Inverness Caledonian Thistle and in the fifth round of the Scottish Cup by Dundee United. Rangers beat their own new record against Queens Park with an attendance of 49,463 and again against Stirling Albion with an attendance of 49,913. Rangers clinched
11948-462: The traditional home strip. Rangers original change strip, used between 1876 and 1879, was all white featuring blue and white hooped socks and a light blue six pointed star on the chest. White and red have been the most common colours for Rangers alternate strips, though dark and light blue have also featured highly. In 1994 Rangers introduced a third kit . This is usually worn if both the home and away kits clash with their opponents. The colours used in
12064-497: The wartime regional league setup (in which the team won all seven seasons, along with official championships either side of the conflict in 1938–39 and 1946–47), Rangers achieved their highest score against Celtic with an 8–1 win in the Southern Football League . Scot Symon continued Struth's success, winning six league championships, five Scottish Cups and four League Cups, becoming the second manager to win
12180-431: The way to facing Eintracht Frankfurt in the 2022 UEFA Europa League Final . He also took the club to their first Scottish Cup final in six years, in which they beat Hearts . In the 2022–23 season, Rangers qualified for the UEFA Champions League group stage for the first time since the 2010–11 season . They went on to lose all six group matches against Napoli , Liverpool , and Ajax with only two goals scored and
12296-448: The worst results in their history. After winning 1–0 at Ibrox, Rangers lost 2–0 to Luxembourg minnows Progrès Niederkorn , resulting in Rangers being knocked out 2–1 on aggregate in the first qualifying round of the 2017–18 Europa League . Progrès had never before won a tie and had only ever scored once before in European competition. After that disappointing start to the season the form did not improve, with notable results including
12412-726: Was Rangers' most successful manager, guiding the club to 14 league titles before the onset of the Second World War . On 2 January 1939, a British league attendance record was broken as 118,567 fans turned out to watch Rangers beat Celtic in the traditional New Year's Day Old Firm match. Leading the club for 34 years until 1954, Struth won more trophies than any manager in Scottish Football history, amassing 18 league championships, 10 Scottish Cups, two League Cups, seven war-time championships, 19 Glasgow Cups, 17 Glasgow Merchant Charity Cups and other war-time honours. During
12528-497: Was announced as manager of Queens Park Rangers on a two-year contract. He led QPR to victory against Stoke City in his first game in charge, becoming the first QPR manager to win his debut match since Neil Warnock in March 2010. On 28 April 2022, it was announced that Warburton would be leaving QPR at the end of his contract. Michael Beale formally took over as his successor on 1 June 2022. Following an unsuccessful application to become Brentford manager, Warburton moved into
12644-507: Was appointed manager of Championship club Nottingham Forest on a two-and-a-half-year contract, with Weir once again as his assistant. His first game in charge was a 2–2 draw against Forest's local rivals Derby County at the City Ground , on 18 March 2017. Warburton was dismissed by Forest on New Year's Eve 2017, following a 1–0 home defeat by Sunderland . Forest were 14th in the league, having lost 14 games. On 8 May 2019, Warbuton
12760-517: Was determined by points per game. On 7 March 2021, Rangers won the league title for the first time in ten years, going on to end the league campaign undefeated, with a club record 102 points. Midway through the 2021–22 season, Steven Gerrard left Rangers for Aston Villa , and was replaced by former Rangers midfielder Giovanni van Bronckhorst on 11 November 2021. He led Rangers to their first European final in fourteen years, beating Borussia Dortmund , Red Star Belgrade , Braga and RB Leipzig on
12876-587: Was expanded to 24 teams in 2012–13 and was won by Aston Villa. The 2013–14 tournament was cancelled in August 2013 due to a lack of funding and the emergence of the rival UEFA Youth League . While manager of Brentford, Warburton signed a number of players who had put in notable performances in the tournament, including João Carlos Teixeira and Betinho (Sporting Lisbon), Alex Pritchard (Tottenham Hotspur) and Chuba Akpom , Nico Yennaris and Jon Toral ( Arsenal ). In 2016, 19 year old Jordan Rossiter joined Rangers having previously appeared for Liverpool in
12992-465: Was founded by four teenage boys as they walked through West End Park (now Kelvingrove Park ) in March 1872 where they discussed the idea of forming a football club, and played its first match against the now defunct Callander at the Fleshers' Haugh area of Glasgow Green in May of the same year. Rangers' home ground, Ibrox Stadium , designed by stadium architect Archibald Leitch and opened in 1929,
13108-401: Was likely to have happened ten minutes after the final whistle and to have been triggered by someone falling on the stairs. A benefit match to raise funds for the victims' families took place after the disaster, a joint Rangers and Celtic team playing a Scotland XI at Hampden, watched by 81,405 fans. In 1972, Rangers emerged from the tragedy of the previous year to finally achieve success on
13224-435: Was offered a permanent coaching job with Watford , at U9 through to U16 level and was appointed manager of the academy in 2006. After a reshuffle in 2009, he became assistant academy manager for U17 to U19 age groups. While at Watford, he established links with Harefield Academy . Warburton left Watford in February 2010 to "pursue other sporting interests". Warburton later said in 2014 that he left Watford because he "had
13340-444: Was sacked as manager on 1 October 2023, the defeat to Aberdeen at Ibrox the culmination of a very poor run of results. Unusually for a football club, Rangers have two different official crests . Today the original scroll crest appears on the club's strips whereas the lion rampant club crest is used by the media, on club merchandise and on official club documents. Both crests have undergone minor variations since their introduction. It
13456-403: Was that he vetoed any incoming transfers during the 2015 January transfer window, only sanctioning the signing of an injured Lewis MacLeod. On 15 June 2015, Warburton was appointed manager of Scottish Championship club Rangers on a three-year contract. Weir, a former Rangers captain, was again appointed as his assistant. Warburton described his appointment as a "tremendous privilege". He led
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