The Moonlighter

Sam Ricketts, Sandy Marshall and James Watt together in 1877.

The Foundations for gravestones on the final resting places of the following men are now in place at Craigton Cemetery.

The Gravestones will be in place and dedication services held over the coming weeks.

Progress reports will continue to be posted on these pages.

Sam Ricketts

Sandy Marshall

James Watt

Funds are in place to let our work continue but please donate if you can via the link : Every penny donated counts.

PAYPAL LINK. - https://www.paypal.com/sendmoney

***Follow the link and add following email address along with donation – sonsofstruth@aol.co.uk

We’re delighted to launch our next batch of Founders Trail and Ibrox Stadium Tour dates for the remainder of 2016.

Since 2009 we’ve taken over 6,000 people around Glasgow on the Trail of our Founders and through the doors of Ibrox Stadium , many for the first time.

Through the education process of the Founders Trail our objective is to safeguard our unique and wonderful history for future generations .

So let us Follow Follow in the Footsteps of our Founders.

The Founders Trail and Ibrox Stadium Tour dates are as follows:

Sunday 7th August 2016

Sunday 21st August 2016

Sunday 4th September 2016

Sunday 18th September 2016

Sunday 30th October 2016

Sunday 20th November 2016

***Tour dates are subject to change due to football fixtures***

Join us on a journey of discovery back to 1872 when The Rangers were just the dream of a group of young kids who gathered on Fleshers Haugh. They had no ball, no football kit and used a bush on the Glasgow Green as a changing room.

Their Club, which they nurtured, was to become the world's most successful and it all happened on the streets of Glasgow.

Our day begins at the Founders Trail welcome desk which is located within Bar 72 East at Ibrox Stadium from 11.15am on the day of the Tour prior to our 12pm departure from outside of the Ibrox Megastore

Our journey takes us to the area of Fleshers Haugh where The Rangers played their first ever match, we also visit Glassford Street, Union Street, Berkeley Street, Burnbank, Kinning Park, Craigton Cemetery and many other places of interest before finishing off our day with a tour of our magnificent Ibrox Stadium.

During our journey we have a 30 minute break at the Partick Bowling Club which is in the shadow of the historic West of Scotland Cricket Ground which was the scene of the Rangers first ever Scottish Cup Final in 1877. It gives everyone a chance to unwind, grab a beer or soft drink and a bite to eat at a beautiful and historical setting.

Adults : £22

Children (under 16) and Senior Citizens £16.

Group discounts are available upon request.

To reserve your seat just send an email to :

thegallantpioneers@googlemail.com

For further information phone : 0790 2855536

An insight into our research can be found here on our website.

http://www.thegallantpioneers.co.uk/

Access to Bar 72 is via the main entrance to Argyle House .

This will give us an opportunity to greet you and check you from our loading chart.

Parking is available throughout the day around Ibrox Stadium.

If you have any questions before the tour please don't hesitate in contacting us.

We're delighted to announce this morning that permission has been obtained from Glasgow City Council for foundations to be laid and a new stone placed on the final resting place of Sam Ricketts at Craigton Cemetery.

Details of this and a dedication service will be announced over the coming weeks.

Tomorrow (Thursday )is the final day for posting if you'd like any items from our range of Merchandise to arrive in time for Father's day.

http://www.thegallantpioneers.co.uk/Merchandise.html

Just send an email to thegallantpioneers@googlemail.com and we'll post them out first class.

Fathers Day is next Sunday folks.

Our Gift Vouchers are valid for all future Founders Trail and Ibrox Stadium Tours.

We'll be publishing more Tour dates very soon for the remainder of 2016

To order your Gift Voucher please send an email to thegallantpioneers@googlemail.com

We have a full range of merchandise in stock.

All profits go to supporting the Founders Trail.

thegallantpioneers@googlemail.com

We'd like to thank the County Down Rangers Supporters Clubs who recently donated the incredible amount of £200 to the project .

Funds are in place to let our work continue but please donate if you can via the link : Every penny donated counts.

PAYPAL LINK. - https://www.paypal.com/sendmoney

***Follow the link and add following email address along with donation – sonsofstruth@aol.co.uk

Progress report.

Craigton Cemetery.

The work on restoring the stone of James ''Tuck'' McIntyre will be complete next week and a full report published.

Last week we were given permission by Glasgow City Council to lay foundations at Craigton at the plots of the following men :

James Watt

Sandy Marshall

Sam Ricketts

James Wilson

The final resting place of John '' Kitey'' McPherson has also been located after contact was made by his Grandson.

An application for a new stone has been submitted to GCC.

Cathcart Cemetery.

The restoration of the stone of William '' Daddy'' Dunlop will commence next week.

Hillfoot Cemetery.

A letter of application has been submitted to East Dunbartonshire Council for the restoration of the Tom Vallance stone .The work on this should commence soon.

Penarth.

Negotiations with the Penarth Town Trust to have a plaque commemorating the life of our Founder Peter McNeil at Penarth South Wales are almost concluded and a report will be posted soon.

We have other plots in Cathcart, East Kilbride, Helensburgh and Lambhill cemeteries, a progress report on these sites will be submitted over the coming weeks and months.

We'd like to thank everyone who has supported the project and are pleased to report on the progress being made.

These men gave us everything that we have and hold dear today and it's a joy to see the Rangers support giving a bit of respect back.

Fathers Day is Sunday 19th June folks so why not treat Dad to the ultimate Rangers experience, a Gift Voucher for The Founders Trail and Ibrox Stadium Tour.

They are priced at £22 , £16 Concessions plus (£1 P+P) and are posted out the very same day.

The Gift Vouchers are valid for all future Founders Trail and Ibrox Stadium Tours ( availability allowing)

We'll be publishing more Tour dates very soon for the remainder of 2016

To order your Gift Voucher please send an email to thegallantpioneers@googlemail.com

A bump for those who may have missed the update on Sam's plot over the weekend.

Once again thanks to everyone who purchased a scarf yesterday. These will be posted out today.

As we have said previously, every penny goes to the advancement of the Founders Trail project.

We still have a few scarves left in stock

They are £12.00 (+ £2.86 P&P) and can be purchased by emailing us at thegallantpioneers@googlemail.com or on the Founders Trail.

We're pleased to announce that we now have a new supply of scarves in stock.

They are £12.00 (+ £2.86 P&P) and can be purchased by emailing us at thegallantpioneers@googlemail.com or on the Founders Trail.

A huge thanks to all who joined us at Craigton Cemetery yesterday.

We cleared the area and turned two gravestones unfortunately neither of which were Sam's.

We have permission from GCC to put in foundations and erect a new stone , this work will commence over the coming weeks.

After the work on Sam's plot was complete we took the group on a tour of the cemetery to give an insight into what the project has been achieved , what we're currently working on and what lies in front of us.

Regular updates will be posted on these pages.

Final call for anyone wishing to join us tomorrow lunchtime.

Just send an email to thegallantpioneers@googlemail.com or call 0790 2855536

Mr Wilton's funeral cortege at Cathcart Cemetery.

Mr Wilton was appointed our first manager at Trades House in Glassford Street Glasgow which is a location that we cover during the Founders Trail.

On the 1st June 1899 William Wilton was appointed first manager of Rangers.

William Wilton (9 June 1865 – 2 May 1920) was the first manager of Rangers Football Club, serving the club in that position from June 1899 until his death in 1920.

He had previously filled several roles including match secretary to the reserve and first teams.

Mr Wilton joined the club in September 1883 as a player but never progressed beyond the second string eleven. He was soon appointed secretary to the club's youth team and reserve side. He was also on the special committee that oversaw the club's move from Kinning Park to the first Ibrox ground in 1887.

Mr Wilton became match secretary of the first team in 1889, succeeding from Jimmy Gossland. The club shared the inaugural Scottish League title in 1891. Mr Wilton had been appointed as the league's first treasurer at the start of the season.

When the club became a limited company ten years later Mr Wilton was chosen as manager.

In his decade as match secretary for the first team, the club won two League championships in 1891 and 1899, as well as three Scottish Cups in 1894, 1897 and 1898. He also won four Glasgow Cup's in 1893, 1894, 1897 and 1898, and a Charity Cup in 1897.

Rangers had achieved the first ever 100% league record, winning all 18 games and scoring 79 goals in 1898-99. To date no team has achieved the same.

Under Wilton's stewardship as manager, Rangers won eight league championships and another Scottish Cup, nine Glasgow Cups and seven Charity Cups.

In his final season as manager the club won its tenth league championship.

Mr Wilton died in a boating accident at Gourock in 1920.

John Allan’s book, The Story Of The Rangers, paid him this fitting tribute: “The ideals for which he strove are still sought after by those who are left in custody of the cherished traditions of the club.”

Mr Wilton’s final resting place at Cathcart Cemetery was recently restored as part of the Rangers Graves Restoration Project.

14 volunteers now for Saturday which is just great.

If you'd like to join us just send an email to thegallantpioneers@googlemail.com

As i've said earlier in this thread, we'll also take everyone around the other Rangers plots in the cemetery to see where we are with the project.

We'll distribute fact sheets on the individuals buried at Craigton.

Carol Paris will provide entertainment after the presentation/question answer session.

Food will also be provided in the cost of the ticket.

It will be an honour for us to present the Founders Story at Dykehead Orange Hall Shotts on Sunday 26th June.

We hope to see a few of you along.

Once again due to an overwhelming level of bookings for The Founders Trail and Ibrox Stadium Tour we’re delighted to announce an additional date to cope with demand.

The Founders Trail will now also operate on Sunday 31st July.

Booking details are as follows.

Adults : £22

Children (under 16) and Senior Citizens £16.

Group discounts are available upon request.

Please book early to avoid disappointment.

To reserve your seat just send an email to :

thegallantpioneers@googlemail.com

For further information phone : 0790 2855536

An insight into our research can be found here on our website.http://www.thegallantpioneers.co.uk/

Moonlighter, I read Tom Vallance voted for the name Rangers, do you have any idea if any other names were considered or voted on?

Not in any articles relating to that meeting that we've found.

Teams choose dynamic names such as Wanderers and Rovers and this is possibly why the name of Rangers won the vote.

To finish off a momentous week in our history.

Take a bow lads.

The final resting place of Tom Vallance at Hillfoot cemetery in Bearsden, fittingly it overlooks Auchenhowie.

The plot is part of the Rangers Graves Restoration project.