Leaderboard

Whilst I can't wait until tomorrow, it'll be nervous, it'll be emotional and would like to think it'll be "entertaining" but I might me too nervous and emotional to truly enjoy it! If we qualify for the final, we will be (rightly) euphoric, up and it would rank as one of the best results in our history. However, if we fail to qualify, we will be (rightly) disappointed. No matter the outcome tomorrow we should be immensely proud of the players, management and club. Getting to 90mins (or 120mins / pens) away from a European final is already a brilliant achievement. Lets raise the roof from 1st to last minute, never underestimate the influence we can have.

Singing Sandy in Royal Blue and Whistling Dixie. Of course, the 1967 European Cup Winners Cup Final defeat by Bayern Munich in Nuremberg remained in the minds of both Rangers players and supporters. The one nil loss in extra time allowed Celtic's Lisbon triumph unrivalled centre stage, stealing a bit of the limelight is an important factor in Old Firm rivalry. Whereas half-a-dozen Rangers players in the current squad had taken the field in Nuremberg, mostly all had faced the Germans the season previously in the Fairs Cup. A similar unsatisfactory result had occurred at Ibrox because of a non demonstrative Swiss Referee. As the game moved into the last ten minutes, Herr Kamber awarded a free kick and kept his arm down. The 80,000 crowd were relaxed, it was NOT direct. Gerd Muller shot for goal and the ball hit the net without touching another player. Mania transpired when Kamber awarded the goal that knocked Rangers out. Rangers took to coastal Ayrshire to harbour their grievances, Largs was a safe haven. Interestingly, Celtic were preparing for their European Cup semi-final second leg against Inter Milan seven miles further down the coast at Seamill. Fitness worries dominated, the Club Doctor and Physio were working overtime with Jardine, McLean, Stein, Johnston and, MacDonald. Skipper John Greig was the main concern and most supporters thought his replacement was a toss up between Jim Denny and Alfie Conn? A similar decision lay with what TV channel you chose for live coverage of the games? STV were covering the entire Ibrox experience live and, BBC Scotland announced they would provide live coverage of the last thirty minutes at Parkhead. Staggered kick-offs allowed for this arrangement, Rangers would start at 7.30pm the east of the city had to wait until 8.00pm. The Scottish press were quite confident of Celtic's progress, Rangers could reach their third European Cup Winners Cup final maybe on a technicality? Remember, this was the first year of away goals counting as double in Euro football. Rangers had already benefitted from the rule, going through against Sporting Lisbon because they had scored three away goals in a 6-6 tie aggregate. The Sunday Journos had sparked the debate, suggesting Rangers could progress with a nil-nil at Ibrox because they had notched the away goal in Munich in the 1-1 first leg. Rules are rules, progressing on away goals is not ignoble. I suspect there was considerable fear among some of the fourth estate, defeating a collection of world class players was to be deemed, 'a technicality'? Rangers manager, Wullie Waddell was intent upon a clean cut victory, prematch he stated, "we will not spoil the spectacle". He waited until ninety minutes before Kick-off to tell the players the team. Captain John Greig had lost his fight for fitness, his replacement was neither Denny or Conn. A nineteen year old Derek Parlane got the nod, he was a hard running, driving inside forward with a nose for goal. As the teams emerged in front of 85,000 Rangers side included two teenagers, DJ was still only eighteen. Rangers - McCloy, Jardine, Mathieson, Parlane, Jackson, Smith, McLean, D Johnstone, Stein, MacDonald and, Johnston. Bayern Munich - Maier, Hansen, Breitner, Schwarzenbauer, Beckenbauer, Roth, Schneider, Zobel, Muller, Hoeness and, Koppenhoffer. The 'Technicality debate' was rendered useless after the first minute. A poor pass by Beckenbauer was intercepted by DJ, he passed out right to Jardine. Sandy carried the ball along the touchline for twenty yards, was shown the inside and he took the path of least resistance. Several yards short of the corner of the eighteen box he unleashed a wicked, swerving left foot 25 yarder. Maier appeared to allow the ball past, ushering it by the post? It found the net at the far post and the Stadium erupted in sequence. The uncovered West terrace cheered and danced, a Mexican wave of similar activity quickly ran down both sides of the ground, the Main Stand and Derry carried the good news to the Copland. I was in section G of the Stand and the debate rages as to whether it was a shot or a cross? TV viewers knew it was a deliberate strike. Rangers were all over the Bavarians like the proverbial rash, a Tommy McLean cross was met be an unchallenged Colin, Colin Stein. His fifth minute header came off the bar and bounced first outside the box, those old square wooden goal posts were true. A corner in the 23rd minute saw Bud curl an out swinger, a waiting Parlane on the eighteen yard line stepped forward a couple of paces and caught the dipping ball on the half volley. It rifled into the roof of the net. We were two-zip up and the game at Parkhead had not kicked off. Bomber Jackson and DJ marshalled Muller and Hoeness, whereas Parlane shackled Roth, leaving Dave Smith to show the Kaiser how to play the Libero role. Rangers were calm and assured, the Bayern players were clearly having a barney, lots of shouting and gesticulating. The second period began with a fright, Hoeness got across DJ and his shot was finger tipped on to the far post by a stretched McCloy. The West German Boss, Helmut Schoen watched from the stand as the nucleus of his team fragmented on the pitch. Colin Stein remembered getting close to Beckenbauer in the last twenty minutes and deciding to leave one on him. The Kaiser grabbed his calf, swore in English at the Lone Ranger before, collapsing to writhe around on the Ibrox turf. The Derry belted out, Barcelona here we come' and, 'Sandy in Royal Blue'. Tommy McLean recalled asking Paul Breitner as he was being subbed, "where's your mentality, where's your efficiency"? Breitner was a member of the West German Communist Party and probably thought his answer should be first referred to the relevant committee. The relevant committee inside my Old Man's car did not include the backseat duo of myself and school mate. My Grandfather argued from the passenger seat that a stop off at a pub to watch the extra time about to begin at Celtic Park was answered, "those two have school day tomorrow". The Kingston Bridge had just been constructed, the M8 Motorway ran as far east as Stepps Road, Cranhill. The M74 began at Calderpark Zoo. A big game night at Ibrox in those days was at least a one hour drive back to deepest, darkest Lanarkshire. There were 70,000 attending Parkhead thus, my Old Man took the Rutherglen - Cambuslang - Blantyre route before crossing the Clyde at Blantyre/Uddingston. I tell you this because Father decided to stop at the Fry Fare Chippy on Main Street, Uddingston. It was 10.20pm. The Fry Fare was owned by two Italian brothers who worked every day with each other but, did not speak. There was a dozen strong queue, orders given and we all stared half right and up at the old TV sitting on a plank, high above the frier. Extra time was just finishing at Celtic Park and the game and tie remained nil-nil. My Old Man and Grandfather joined us, another couple of dozen too as a train had come in. The penalties began, the Russo brothers continued to fry and wrap but kept their eyes on the telly. All five Inter players had scored, four Celtic players had found the net. The last player to step up was Dixie Deans. The Deans family were a large Bluenose clan from Carmyle. Dixie was a prolific goal scorer who waited on the call from Ibrox. Jock Stein did what he so often did, he signed Dixie from Motherwell for £40,000. Just like Willie Wallace, Tommy Gemmell, Danny McGrain, Dalglish, ...... another Bluenose improved his standard of life by signing for the man from Burnbank. Dixie spotted the ball, stepped back a few paces and, ran at the ball. His connection seemed strange, almost leaning back and, the result most pleasing to three dozen souls on Uddingston Main Street. Dixie skied the ball, it fell on to the surrounding oval red track, fully thirty-five yards behind the goal. If the Inter players were celebrating, we would not know. Several dozen more spilled out the three pubs surrounding Uddingston Cross and, several minutes of celebrating finished with a rendition of whistling Dixie. Five short years and a symmetry had been achieved, Inter Milan had exacted revenge for their 1-2 loss in Lisbon, Rangers had demolished Bayern Munich putting to bed big Roger Hynd's horrendous open goal miss in Nuremberg. Barcelona awaited and as I picked at cold chips I did not know, did not care who we were to face in the final. Of course, looking back I feel sorry for the personal grief Dixie had to face but am comforted knowing in the dozen old firm games he played for the green'n'grey, he NEVER notched against Rangers. On the Friday evening following, my Grandfather attended evening meal and pointed out that Moscow Dynamo were the the Soviet Union's KGB (State Security Police) football team and Spain was in it's 33rd year as a Fascist dictatorship. Rangers would be an unwelcome filling in that particular sandwich. I pestered Dad, "are we going"?

He posted this on Instagram a few minutes ago....🤣🤣🤣🤣

I had that exact thought yesterday because I'm 47 now and some of my earliest memories & newspaper cuttings have Jimmy around driving the bus and definitely not looking like he was only 10 years old than I was as a boy. The amount of love and respect being shown to him by current & ex players on social media says it all.

I’m confident and fearful in equal measures for tomorrow. Whatever the outcome the team deserve massive credit and hope the fans show the same recognition as Villarreal last night regardless of the result, and I think they will.

Emery. He's won four Europa Leagues, and took Arsenal to another final. European specialist.

If he was 57 then he would have 16 when he became our coach driver. Even the dregs of journalism should have figured that couldn't be right.

You couldn't have put it better Frankie.

Steady on, bannocks are shite. 😂

You bring the bannocks and I'll bring the balls. I hear they have plenty of oranges there.

I booked after the Braga second leg. I should have jumped earlier as if we don’t make it, my plan is to change the flights to something else and I’d have probably got flights into Seville rather than having to get the train. Anyway, defeat does not exist in this dojo. See you there!

Love us to Compo but i'll be happy to still be in the tie with 10mins to go.

Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun. 😀

They still are ... and in a year`s time or so, this war will probably be over and forgotten like so many others, e.g. Serbia. Quite a bit of western economy will lay in ruins, while Russia, who is largely self-sufficient, will get on with it. In fact, quite a few over there - people and countries alike - will most likely be welded together more closely against the West than they were ever before, while dealing with China (who likes Russian oil and gas), India et al. And if the West starts threatening China with embargoes and sanctions too, it would simply be another economical Waterloo, given how the world is dependent on China in this day and age. That said, it is quite remarkable how Westerners sling the word "civilised society" et al about, like they hardly behave in any way any different to the Russians when their own "spheres of interest" or "people" are threatened. Just look how the US openly threaten the Solomon Island`s government about their security deal with China. But we have debated that over in the Lounge before.

He is spot on. Getting this far is already better than anything done in Scotland in a decade.

Could one of the mods please merge this thread with the new post match Leipzig thread? Might make things less confusing for luddites like moi 🤣🤣🤣👍👍👍

Last I heard (Monday) Ramsey should be fit and Roofe is 50/50. That's from a very reliable source.

I take the score from After Extra Time.

But they turned out to be barbarians and bullies.

Report on tonight's U15 game against Dundee United https://rfcyouths.wordpress.com/2022/05/03/comfortable-win-for-u15s/

I met Jimmy once. It was December 2004, we were in the Netherlands to play AZ Alkmaar in the UEFA Cup. My wife and I traveled to Amsterdam, booked in for 4 days with intent to do our Christmas shopping and, take in the game. Alkmaar is an old cheese town and most pretty. I journeyed through to Alkmaar the day before the game, hoping to pick up a pair of tickets, no joy at either Club shop or ticket office. The wife suggested I concentrate on securing a brief for myself. The game day, I took the train from Amsterdam central and began asking everyone for a spare? Two and a half hours before kick-off, I was outside the ground continuing to plead? A large mini-bus pitched up and Jimmy Bell jumped out. He went to the back and began to unload half-a-dozen hampers. There was a barbed wire adorned gate between jimmy/kit and the allocated changing room. He was handed a set of keys by a police officer who then joined three colleagues at the gate. I do not wear colours to the game, in fact I was wearing a Barbour jacket. I moved forward and grabbed an end of a hamper. Jimmy locked the bus and seamlessly returned to pick up the other hamper end. We went through the gate, repeating the process another several times. Whilst putting the hampers into the changing room he asked, "do you have a ticket"? He took fifteen minutes to empty the cases then took me to a small adjoined Port-a-Kabin, we put the empties inside and instructed me to sit on the floor and, he would return to let me out in a couple of hours. I offered a thanks. I saw us lose 1-0. I suspect Jimmy helped out a fair number of Bears over the decades?

I hope you don't mind mate but I've just published that lovely tribute on our main site as I'm sure everyone will share the sentiments expressed. https://www.gersnet.co.uk/index.php/news-category/current-affairs/1520-jimmy-bell-a-club-legend

There have been a number of occasions in my time supporting Rangers when everything changed. I remember sitting in a Naafi outside Belfast watching Rangers play Shelbourne in a Euro Qualifier in one of Advocaats first matches, Smith's 9 in a row team had broken up in the summer and I think I recognised about 2 Rangers players that night, it really felt like the end of one era and the beginning of another. Likewise when we played our first matches in Division 3, McCoist, McDowell and Durrant remained familiar faces but a lot of the team were new and the feeling of complete uncertainty that had enveloped the club for months remained. A few years later I was watching Warburton's first competitive match against Hibs, we were following it on an iPad while travelling to a wedding. Once again most of the players were unfamiliar, so was the manager, it was another changing of the guard so to speak, a break with the past and a new era beginning. Throughout all that one man remained constant, a familiar face in the background, a reassuring presence for supporters who are far from the boardroom or the dressing room. Despite his low profile it was clear Jimmy Bell was someone players, coaches and managers gravitated too. You'd see him in the background of Rangers News photoshoots from some sun-drenched preseason training camp. You'd see him coming off the coach on Sky Sports as the camera searched for a big name player, these days you'd see him in the background as the club posted pictures from the training ground or travelling to a match. Despite what so many people think football clubs aren't businesses in the normal sense. The hint is in the word club. Rangers epitomise this as much as any. We've had turbulence in recent years, some amazing highs and terrible lows, yet we remain. A club greater than the sum of its parts. As supporters we celebrate the ephemeral, the transient player who thrills for a few season, the great performance that brightens us for a few months, the trophies we celebrate until the next one starts. But I think that as supporters it's really the long term recognition we cling too. The things that don't change like the marble staircase, the blue jerseys, the St Etienne bike; things we value way above their actual value. Jimmy Bell was one of those. His presence reassured us that everything would be okay, whilst everything on the surface had changed below the surface everything was the same. We've really needed that reassurance at times. I never met Jimmy Bell, I never spoke to him. Yet he was as familiar to me as any player or manager. He played an important role, far more important than managing the kit or driving the coach, he represented us in the club. Today is a sad day in the history of our club.

For me, Jimmy Bell was the constant face through all the changes and upheavals the club has been through, a link to previous better times. He’s one of very few people who will leave a hole that’s hard to fill.

What a shock, awful news, will be missed by everyone with any sort of affection for the club. RIP. Thoughts are with his friends and family.