The Moonlighter

24th March 1887 Rangers required funds to help with the move from Kinning Park to First Ibrox subsequently a committee was formed which was chaired by Tom Vallance. The ‘’Monstre Concerts’’ which were organised proved to be extremely popular and quickly sold out. The outlets shown at the bottom of the advert show that tickets could be purchased from Harry and Peter McNeil’s shop on Union Street , and from George Gillespie and James Watson who both played in that legendary series of games that was the 1877 Scottish Cup Final. This was the lads who’d formed our Club, and others from our early years, fund-raising to help their dream become a reality. The Waterloo Rooms stood on the corner of Waterloo Street and Wellington Street. In 1910 it became The Alhambra Theatre which was demolished in 1971. Today it’s the Alhambra House office block.

All badges purchased today have been posted. Thank you . If you'd like to purchase a badge please send an email to thegallantpioneers@googlemail.com

Just drop us a brief email and we'll send you the link mate. thegallantpioneers@googlemail.com Thank you.

Our new Founders Trail pin badges are still available. The badges cost £3.50 (P&P included). For orders send us an email to thegallantpioneers@googlemail.com and we'll post them the very same day.

Still a few seats left on our next Founders Trail and Ibrox Stadium Tour on Sunday 3rd April. 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

The response to this year's Tours has once again been incredible, and for this we thank you . 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 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 Partick Bowling Club which sits in the shadow of the West of Scotland Cricket Club 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/

Donations to the Restoration Project can be made here. PAYPAL LINK. - https://www.paypal.com/sendmoney ***Follow the link and add following email address along with donation – sonsofstruth@aol.co.uk

As the work on the Rangers Graves Restoration Project continues we were delighted and honoured to be contacted recently by the Great Grandson of Rangers player John McPherson. He informed us that Mr Mcpherson is buried in Craigton Cemetery , which has over the last few years become hallowed ground due to the ever growing list of Rangers Legends laid to rest there. At the end of of last week , due to to information received from the his family , we managed to locate the final resting place of Rangers ‘’ first superstar’’John McPherson. His plot will now be added to the Rangers Grave Restoration Project and will be brought back to it’s original glory. JOHN MCPHERSON THERE have been some hugely talented players who have pulled on the Light Blue over the decades and it is fair to say that John “Kitey” McPherson was the club’s first superstar. The recruitment of the Ayrshireman coincided with the formation of the Scottish Football League in 1890 and he became a huge figure in what was a highly successful era for Rangers. Indeed, he made the kind of start that dreams are made of. He scored on his Rangers debut – a 5-2 win over Hearts – scored four times in his second game, a 6-2 thumping of Renton, and then hit five goals in the 8-2 demolition of St Mirren. It was an unbelievable start, but it was no flash in the pan. McPherson was a pivotal player in 12 years on the field and subsequently a skilled administrator of the Club. He actually played in every position for Rangers, including goalkeeper, but it was as an inside forward that he shone brightest scoring goals as well as setting them up with tremendous regularity. He was part of the first Championship-winning team when Rangers and Dumbarton shared the inaugural Scottish League title. The two sides had finished level on points and the authorities ordered a play-off which finished 2-2 so a share was a declared. McPherson was captain by the time Rangers achieved one of their main ambitions, to win the Scottish Cup. They had not been in the final for 15 years when they faced Celtic at Hampden in front of 17,000 in 1894 and, fittingly, McPherson scored the third goal in a 3-1 victory over the team that was fast becoming their main rivals. Jock had scored in every round on route to the Final as Rangers finally claimed the prize seen as the Blue Riband of the Scottish game. McPherson was on the score-sheet again when Rangers won the trophy for a second time in 1897 when Dumbarton were thrashed 5-1 and a year later the old trophy was retained when Kilmarnock were beaten 2-0. Season 1898/99 was astonishing to say the least and McPherson was a key man in a league campaign that has never been equalled anywhere in the world. Rangers won all of their 18 league matches scoring 79 goals and conceding just 18. It was the perfect league championship win and McPherson played in 15 of the games, scoring seven times. It was the start of a wonderful stranglehold of the Scottish title and the team that did it is undoubtedly on a par with the great sides that dominated the 1920s and 30s, the late 1940s, the early 1960s and the 1990s. With McPherson at the hub of it all, Rangers retained the title in 1899/1900 by seven points from Celtic. He only missed two matches the following season and scored seven times as the title remained at Ibrox for a third successive year, and then Rangers made it four in a row in 1901/02, McPherson’s final season in the first team. Incredibly, his final league appearance was as goalkeeper in the 3-2 win over St Mirren on January 18 1902 – a match Rangers had to win to hold off Celtic for the title – as regular keeper Mathew Dickie was injured. It’s a bit like Brian Laudrup replacing Andy Goram . McPherson had been a massive player in a fantastic era for Rangers. In 1907 he became a director of the club and served until his death in 1926. He collapsed and died while watching the Clyde Sports at Shawfield and one contemporary described him as “the finest player in the first 50 years of the club’s history”. Born: June 19, 1868, Kilmarnock. Appearances: 218. Goals: 121. Honours: League title – 1890/91, 1898/99, 1899/1900, 1900/01, 1901/02 (5) Scottish Cup – 1893/94, 1896/97, 1897/98 (3) Caps: 9, Scotland (5 with Rangers)

Once again on behalf of Harry McNeil's family thank you to all who contributed and attended.

A huge thanks to everyone who came along to Rutherglen Cemetery and paid their respects today to Harry McNeil. His family were overwhelmed by the turn out for their Great Grandfather. We were joined by Rangers Chaplin Stuart MacQuarrie who read the dedication to a Ranger who played in that first ever game at Fleshers Haugh. The plots were purchased by Harry's son John McNeil . Andrew Park who is listed was John's Brother In Law. Annie Robertson McNeil Scott was Harry McNeil's daughter.

Would all who are booked on Sunday's Tour please note that there will be a Founders Trail welcome desk available within Bar 72 East at Ibrox Stadium from 11.15am prior to our 12pm departure from outside of the Ibrox Megastore Access to Bar 72 is via the main entrance to Argyle House .A staff member will be in the area to give directions . This will give us an opportunity to greet you and check you from our loading chart and to distribute our travel packs. Parking is available throughout the day around Ibrox Stadium. If you have any questions before the tour please don't hesitate in contacting us on 0790 2855536.

Full details on the dedication service are on the Official Club Website. http://rangers.co.uk/news/club/harry-mcneil-dedication-service/

Harry McNeil sitting centre with his Queens Park team-mates and the 1874 Scottish Cup.

The Great Grandchildren of Harry McNeil at Fleshers Haugh.

On Saturday 12th March a dedication service for Harry McNeil ,conducted by Rangers Chaplin Stuart Macquarrie, will be held at 1pm at Rutherglen Cemetery Mill Street Rutherglen . Also buried there are Harry’s son John McNeil's Brother in Law Andrew Park and Harry's daughter Annie Robertson McNeil Scott. Thereafter a reception will be held at Rutherglen Masonic Hall 5 Melrose Avenue. All those who wish to attend will be made welcome. This commemoration is part of the Rangers Graves Restoration Project which is supported by Rangers Football Club. Harry McNeil. Harry McNeil was the older brother of our Founders Moses and Peter. He has the distinction of having played for the Rangers in that first ever game v Callander in May 1872 on Fleshers Haugh. He would play for the Club again during the 1880's and was a member of the Rangers Ancients team, along with the likes of Tom Vallance,who played many exhibition and charitable matches. Harry would go into a business partnership with his brother Peter , their H+ P McNeil sports good premises were a feature on both Union Street and Renfield Street Glasgow from the mid 1870's until 1896. Once he'd hung up his boots Harry was to run the Royal Hotel in Bangor County Down. He was still attending Ibrox cheering on his beloved Rangers during the early 1920’s Harry McNeil passed in 1924 and is survived by his Great Grandchildren Ann Law and Archie Stewart who as guests of the Club ,attended Ibrox in January .

It will be a great honour for us to present the Founders Story at Lodge Possilpark 1330 on Friday 1st April at 7.30pm. The hall is at 83-85 Bardowie Street. Entry is £5 on the door and all are welcome. We hope to see a few of you along on the evening.

Two seats remaining for our next Tour.

Three seats have just become available for the Founders Trail and Ibrox Stadium Tour on Sunday 13th March. Adults : £22 Children (under 16) and Senior Citizens £16. To reserve your seat just send an email to : thegallantpioneers@googlemail.com For further information phone : 0790 2855536

The Open-Top bus never had a toilet . We have stops at Fleshers Haugh, Partick , Craigton and Ibrox which all have toilet facilities.

Fleshers Haugh, Partick, Craigton Cemetery and of course Ibrox Stadium.

Parks have coaches of a smaller capacity that are wheelchair friendly. We will look at using one of these for one of the Tours later in the year.

We will as we have done with any person who is disabled chat to them and their travelling companion about the Founders Trail route and any potential difficulties. We haven't, as yet, left anyone behind.

Unfortunately not.