1996–97 Rangers F.C. season

The 1996–97 season was the 117th season of competitive football by Rangers.

Rangers
1996–97 season
ChairmanDavid Murray
ManagerWalter Smith
GroundIbrox Stadium
Scottish Premier Division1st (Champions)
Scottish CupQuarter-finals
League CupWinners
Champions LeagueGroup stage
Top goalscorerLeague:
Brian Laudrup (17)

All:
Brian Laudrup (21)

Overview

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Rangers played a total of 52 competitive matches during the 1996–97 season. The team finished first in the Scottish Premier Division and won its ninth consecutive league title, equalling the long-standing record of their rivals Celtic

In the cup competitions, the team won the Scottish League Cup beating Heart of Midlothian 4–3 in the final. Rangers were knocked out the Scottish Cup by Celtic at the quarter-final stage, losing 2–0.

The side reached the group stages of the UEFA Champions League this season and were drawn into a group with Grasshopper, Auxerre and Ajax.

Between July and March, manager Walter Smith spent almost £10 million on new signings Jörg Albertz, Joachim Björklund and Sebastián Rozental.

Due to the mounting injuries in the second half of the season, striker Mark Hateley briefly returned to the club from Queens Park Rangers.[1] Manchester City goalkeeper Andy Dibble joined on a free transfer as cover for the injured Andy Goram.

Transfers

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Date Name From Fee Source
28 June 1996   Jörg Albertz   Hamburg £4,000,000 [2]
5 July 1996   Joachim Björklund   Vicenza £2,000,000 [3]
13 December 1996   Sebastián Rozental   Universidad Catolica £3,500,000 [4]
10 March 1997   Andy Dibble   Manchester City Free [5]
14 March 1997   Mark Hateley   Queens Park Rangers £300,000 [6]
Date Name From Fee
15 May 1996   Alexei Mikhailichenko Retired Free
  Billy Thomson   Dundee Free
31 May 1996   Colin Scott   Hamilton Academical Free
  John Morrow   Oldham Athletic Free
5 February 1997   Neil Murray   FC Sion £200,000[7]
  • Expenditure:   £9,800,000
  • Income:   £200,000
  • Total loss/gain:   £9,600,000

Results

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All results are written with Rangers' score first.

Scottish Premier Division

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Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers
10 August 1996 Raith Rovers H 1–0 46,221 Steven
17 August 1996 Dunfermline Athletic A 5–2 16,782 McCoist (3, 1 (pen.)), Van Vossen (2)
24 August 1996 Dundee United H 1–0 48,285 Gascoigne
7 September 1996 Motherwell A 1–0 12,288 Gough
14 September 1996 Heart of Midlothian H 3–0 47,240 Durie, Gascoigne, McCoist
21 September 1996 Kilmarnock A 4–1 14,812 Gascoigne (2, 1 (pen.)), Van Vossen (2)
28 September 1996 Celtic H 2–0 50,124 Gough, Gascoigne
12 October 1996 Hibernian A 1–2 12,436 Albertz
19 October 1996 Aberdeen H 2–2 50,076 Gascoigne, Laudrup (pen.)
26 October 1996 Motherwell H 5–0 48,160 Gascoigne (3), Laudrup (2)
2 November 1996 Raith Rovers A 2–2 9,722 Van Vossen, McCoist
14 November 1996 Celtic A 1–0 50,009 Laudrup
1 December 1996 Aberdeen A 3–0 19,168 Robertson, Laudrup, Miller
7 December 1996 Hibernian H 4–3 48,053 McCoist (2), Ian Ferguson, Laudrup
10 December 1996 Dundee United A 0–1 12,417
14 December 1996 Dunfermline Athletic H 3–1 45,878 McCoist, Gough, Andersen
17 December 1996 Kilmarnock H 4–2 39,469 Andersen (3), Robertson
21 December 1996 Heart of Midlothian A 4–1 15,139 Robertson, Laudrup, Albertz (pen.), Gascoigne
28 December 1996 Raith Rovers H 4–0 48,322 Gough, Gascoigne, Albertz, McCoist
2 January 1997 Celtic H 3–1 50,019 Andersen (2), Albertz
4 January 1997 Hibernian A 2–1 12,650 Andersen, Albertz (pen.)
12 January 1997 Aberdeen H 4–0 47,509 Andersen (2), Albertz (pen.), Laudrup
15 January 1997 Kilmarnock A 1–1 15,662 Gascoigne
18 January 1997 Motherwell A 3–1 13,166 Albertz, Laudrup, Gascoigne
1 February 1997 Heart of Midlothian H 0–0 50,024
8 February 1997 Dunfermline Athletic A 3–0 16,153 Durie, Albertz, Laudrup
23 February 1997 Hibernian H 3–1 47,618 Gough, Albertz, Laudrup
1 March 1997 Aberdeen A 2–2 16,331 Laudrup, Moore
12 March 1997 Dundee United H 0–2 50,002
16 March 1997 Celtic A 1–0 49,733 Laudrup
22 March 1997 Kilmarnock H 1–2 50,036 Durie
5 April 1997 Dunfermline Athletic H 4–0 50,098 Albertz, Petric, Laudrup, Hateley
15 April 1997 Raith Rovers A 6–0 9,745 Durie (2), Petric, Robertson, Laudrup, McCoist
5 May 1997 Motherwell H 0–2 50,059
7 May 1997 Dundee United A 1–0 12,180 Laudrup
10 May 1997 Heart of Midlothian A 1–3 13,097 McInnes

Scottish League Cup

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Date Round Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers
14 August 1996 R2 Clydebank A 3–0 7,450 Van Vossen (2), McCoist
4 September 1996 R3 Ayr United H 3–1 44,732 Albertz, Gascoigne, McInnes
17 September 1996 QF Hibernian H 4–0 45,104 Van Vossen (2), Durie, Albertz
22 October 1996 SF Dunfermline Athletic N 6–1 16,791 Laudrup (2), Andersen (2), McInnes, Albertz
24 November 1996 F Heart of Midlothian N 4–3 48,559 McCoist (2), Gascoigne (2)

Scottish Cup

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Date Round Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers
25 January 1997 R3 St Johnstone H 2–0 45,037 Andersen, Rozental
15 February 1997 R4 East Fife H 3–0 41,064 Robertson, Steven, McCoist
6 March 1997 QF Celtic A 0–2 49,284

UEFA Champions League

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Date Round Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers
7 August 1996 QR   Alania Vladikavkaz H 3–1 44,799 McInnes, McCoist, Petric
21 August 1996 QR   Alania Vladikavkaz A 7–2 32,000 McCoist (3), Laudrup (2), Van Vossen, Miller
11 September 1996 GS   Grasshopper A 0–3 20,030
25 September 1996 GS   Auxerre H 1–2 37,344 Gascoigne
16 October 1996 GS   Ajax A 1–4 47,000 Durrant
30 October 1996 GS   Ajax H 0–1 42,265
20 November 1996 GS   Grasshopper H 2–1 34,192 McCoist (2, 1 (pen.))
4 December 1996 GS   Auxerre A 1–2 21,300 Gough

Appearances

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Player Position Appearances Goals
  Andy Dibble GK 7 0
  Andy Goram GK 38 0
  Theo Snelders GK 7 0
  Joachim Björklund DF 40 0
  Alec Cleland DF 45 0
  Richard Gough DF 41 6
  Alan McLaren DF 20 0
  Craig Moore DF 31 1
  Gordan Petric DF 40 3
  David Robertson DF 30 5
  Greg Shields DF 10 0
  Scott Wilson DF 4 0
  Stephen Wright DF 2 0
  Jorg Albertz MF 47 13
  Steven Boyack MF 1 0
  Ian Durrant MF 16 1
  Barry Ferguson MF 1 0
  Ian Ferguson MF 31 1
  Paul Gascoigne MF 34 17
  Brian Laudrup MF 43 20
  Stuart McCall MF 13 0
  Brian McGinty MF 1 0
  Derek McInnes MF 33 4
  Charlie Miller MF 21 2
  Trevor Steven MF 10 2
  Erik Bo Andersen FW 25 12
  Gordon Durie FW 24 6
  Darren Fitzgerald FW 1 0
  Mark Hateley FW 4 1
  Ally McCoist FW 37 20
  Paul McKnight FW 1 0
  Sebastián Rozental FW 2 1
  Peter van Vossen FW 26 9

Competitions

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Overall

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Competition First match Last match Starting round Final position Record
Pld W D L GF GA GD Win %
Scottish Premier Division 10 August 10 May Winners 36 25 5 6 85 33 +52 069.44
UEFA Champions League 7 August 4 December Qualifying round Group stage 8 3 0 5 15 16 −1 037.50
Scottish Cup 25 January 6 March Third round Quarter-finals 3 2 0 1 5 2 +3 066.67
League Cup 14 August 24 November Second round Winners 5 5 0 0 20 5 +15 100.00
Total 52 35 5 12 125 56 +69 067.31

Source: Competitions

Scottish Premier Division

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Rangers (C) 36 25 5 6 85 33 +52 80 Qualification for the Champions League first qualifying round
2 Celtic 36 23 6 7 78 32 +46 75 Qualification for the UEFA Cup first qualifying round[a]
3 Dundee United 36 17 9 10 46 33 +13 60
4 Heart of Midlothian 36 14 10 12 46 43 +3 52
5 Dunfermline Athletic 36 12 9 15 52 65 −13 45
Source: Soccerbase
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored
(C) Champions
Notes:
  1. ^ As the League Cup winners Rangers had qualified for European competition via their league position, the place in the UEFA Cup was passed to the next highest placed team in the league, Dundee United.

UEFA Champions League

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification AUX AJX GRA RAN
1   Auxerre 6 4 0 2 8 7 +1 12 Advance to knockout stage 0–1 1–0 2–1
2   Ajax 6 4 0 2 8 4 +4 12 1–2 0–1 4–1
3   Grasshopper 6 3 0 3 8 5 +3 9 3–1 0–1 3–0
4   Rangers 6 1 0 5 5 13 −8 3 1–2 0–1 2–1
Source: UEFA

References

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  1. ^ "Batistuta can go to Rangers - for £10m: Look who's back . . . and look who's the next Ibrox target". The Herald. 15 March 1997.
  2. ^ "Albertz "excited" at move to Ibrox". The Herald. 29 June 1996.
  3. ^ "Bjorklund arrives as van Vossen may leave". The Herald. 6 July 1996.
  4. ^ "Opportunity Knox as Rozental pulls on a Rangers jersey". The Herald. 14 December 1996.
  5. ^ "Rangers fail to land Andersen but Dibble answers the call". The Herald. 11 March 1997.
  6. ^ "Batistuta can go to Rangers - for £10m: Look who's back . . . and look who's the next Ibrox target". The Herald. 15 March 1997.
  7. ^ "Van Hooydonk out of Raith match as Celtic look to make changes Dutchman faces axe from action due to idle talk". The Herald. 6 February 1997.