Rangers First 12 Managers Trivia Quiz

Answer: Scot Symon

Scot Symon's first club was Dundee, and joined Rangers from Portsmouth in August 1938. He made his debut the same month as another Ranger who would also become manager, the legendary Willie Waddell. Rangers hammered Celtic 8-1 in 1943 during the traditional New Year fixture with Scot Symon playing his part.

Answer: Graeme Souness

Souness who was approaching his 33rd birthday when it was announced that he was to take over at Rangers, was physically fitter than many of the players he was about to inherit. Rangers had procured not only a promising young manager, but also had landed the services of one of the World's finest midfielders in one swoop. John Greig was forced to give up playing when he was offered the managers position, when Jock Wallace left in 1978. Both Wallace and White had retired from playing by the time they made it to the manager's chair.

Answer: Davie White

Davie White took over Rangers in the mid 1960s when arch rivals 'Celtic' were all conquering. It was hoped that he would be the only Rangers manager to suffer this. Unfortunately, Paul Le Guen emulated his embarrassment during his short spell in charge. Jock Wallace who had won two trebles during his first spell in post, although not nearly as successful second time round did win two Scottish League cups. John Greig who had won two trebles as a player and captained the club to European Cup Winners Cup glory, did manage to win some cup competitions as manager, but never captured the all important League Championship.

Answer: Paul Le Guen

Rangers defeated Italian side Livorno 3-2 in Italy, and went on to top
their UEFA Cup section. Auxerre, Maccabi Haifa, and Partizan Belgrade were the other teams in the group. Surprisingly, Le Guen's team remained undefeated and progressed to the knockout stage.

Answer: Willie Waddell

Scot Symon was the Glasgow Rangers manager, Jock Wallace the Berwick manager, and John Greig was the Glasgow Rangers captain. Although not directly involved, Willie Waddell may have been there to report for the 'Daily Express' newspaper, for whom he was a sports journalist at the time. Berwick won the match 1-0, a result that had far reaching ramifications for many of the participating contingent on that fateful day.

Answer: Jock Wallace

Wallace joined the Spanish club in season 1986, and signed Rangers winger Ted McMinn before departing in 1987.

Answer: William Wilton lost his life during a storm whilst he was a passenger on the boat

Within touching distance of the Gourock' quayside, William Wilton, Rangers first manager drowned as he fell from the mast of the boat the 'Caltha' into an unforgiving sea. In April 1920, Rangers had just won the League Championship, and Wilton along with two friends joined the boat's skipper and his mate before settling down for a good nights sleep aboard the boat in the harbour. During the night, a storm blew up tearing the 'Caltha' from its moorings and battering it against the Caledonian Pier.

The other four men managed to escape on to the shore, but sadly William Wilton fell into the water and disappeared without trace.

Answer: Dick Advocaat

Kenny Dalglish was in charge of the Celtic team who lost the final Old Firm match of the 1999/2000 season 4-0 at Ibrox. By the time the teams met again in the first Old Firm match of the 2000/2001 season, Martin O'Neil had replaced Dalglish, and Celtic triumphed 6-2 at Parkhead.

The next meeting at Ibrox ended 5-1 to Rangers bringing to an end a remarkable run of overwhelming results. Wilton and Struth were very successful Rangers managers.

Answer: Bill Struth

Mr. Struth acquired a stray canary when it flew into the open window of his Ibrox office back in the 1930s. He kept the bird as a companion for many years, and the hook that he fixed on the top of the window frame to suspend a bird cage to is still there to this day. It is said that the canary enjoyed a long life with Mr. Struth, and would occasionally receive a sip of whiskey from him.

Answer: Alex McLeish

Alex McLeish scored Aberdeen's first goal in a 4-1 victory over Rangers in the 1982 Scottish Cup Final. Gordon Strachan, a former Celtic manager also scored against Rangers that day.

Answer: Scot Symon

Rangers were indeed top of the league in 1967, and had beaten Celtic the then European Cup holders earlier in the season at Ibrox. Unfortunately for Scot Symon, Celtic were at the zenith of their powers, and as a consequence the Rangers manager was made into the sacrificial scapegoat.

Answer: Davie White

In late 1969, Gornik Zabrze visited Ibrox for the second leg of a European Cup-Winners Cup tie, holding a 3-1 lead from the first game in Poland. Jim Baxter opened the scoring in the first half, but a Lubanski inspired Gornik scored three times for a 6-2 aggregate victory.

Although the Rangers fans gave the Polish side a standing ovation, there was a mass protest outside the stadium which heralded the end of Davie White's management.

Answer: Ian Durrant

In January 2007, Ian Durrant took charge of the club for one match between the departure of Paul le Guen and the arrival of Walter Smith for the second time. His one and only game in charge was, a Scottish Cup match against Dunfermline at East End Park which Rangers lost 3-2.

Answer: Willie Waddell

Waddell won the Scottish League Championship in 1965, whilst managing Kilmarnock. A dramatic afternoon at Tynecastle saw Kilmarnock snatch the title from Hearts on goal average. The Edinburgh team could afford to lose the game 1-0, and still win the title. Waddell had other ideas, and through his sheer exuberance and tactical awareness, he guided Kilmarnock to a 2-0 title clinching victory. Davie White and John Greig did not manage any teams to league titles however, Jock Stein did win nine titles in a row, unfortunately as manager of arch-rivals Celtic.

Answer: John Greig

In 1999, John Greig was voted as 'The Greatest Ranger Ever' by a poll of the clubs fans. He received the accolade ahead of more talented players such as Jim Baxter, Brian Laudrup, and Willie Henderson. Greig's loyalty, commitment on and off the pitch and overall demeanour over four decades of ups and downs, made him the outstanding candidate.

Answer: Graeme Souness

Graeme Souness during his spell with Sampdoria won The Coppa Italia, otherwise known as The Tim Cup after its sponsors. A Souness inspired Sampdoria actually beat an AC Milan team which featured another yet to become famous Ranger, in the shape of Mark Hateley.

Answer: Fir Park

Le Guen started in August with a 2-1 victory over Motherwell, and signed off with a 1-0 win over the same team five months later. Paul Le Guen only lasted 198 days at Ibrox, and some of his critics thought that his initials should stand for 'Please Leave Govan'. Govan is the district of Glasgow where Rangers are based.

Answer: Tommy McLean

Tommy was filling in after John Greig resigned and Jock Wallace was appointed. There was a bit of a gap between permanent managers, as Wallace was third choice, after Rangers failed to tempt Alex Ferguson from Aberdeen and Tommy's brother Jim McLean from Dundee United. Willie Thornton was a caretaker manager with Rangers, filling in-between Davie White's departure and Willie Waddell's arrival. Andy Cameron is a Rangers supporting comedian and Gerry McNee a sports journalist, who is well known for his scathing comments about both Rangers and Celtic.

Answer: 4

Sandy Robertson scored the first goal of Walter Smith's reign as Rangers manager, in a 1-0 win over St. Mirren at Love Street. This was followed by a victory over Dundee United at Ibrox, and a 3-0 hammering from Motherwell at Fir Park. The last game of the 1990-91 season was against Aberdeen, who only needed a draw to clinch the title.

As every Rangers fan knows, the Gers won 2-0 and Smith had claimed the biggest prize in Scottish football after only four games in charge.

Answer: Motherwell

In late October 1983, a Motherwell side led by former Rangers manager Jock Wallace visited Ibrox, and defeated Rangers 2-1. This result was the final straw for thousands of Rangers fans who protested outside the stadium demanding that Greig be sacked.

A few days later on October 28, John Greig resigned, ending a 23-year continuous association with the club. Ironically, although third choice after Alex Ferguson and Jim McLean, Jock Wallace would be Greig's successor.

Answer: Scot Symon

Scot Symon took Preston North End to the 1954 English FA Cup Final where they lost 3-2 to West Bromwich Albion. Graeme Souness was the manager of Liverpool when they defeated Sunderland 2-0 in the 1992 English FA Cup Final, after he had left Rangers.

Answer: 55 years

At a meeting held at the Trades Hall in Glasgow in May 1899, William Wilton was appointed as the first ever Rangers manager during the final AGM before incorporation. After Wilton's tragic death in 1920, Bill Struth succeeded him and held office until April 30, 1954.

Answer: John Greig

In 1978, John Greig had just been promoted from the captain of the club to the manager's chair. Defeats to St. Mirren and Celtic, along with draws against Hibs, Partick Thistle, Aberdeen and Morton made it a miserable start to his managerial career. In fact Rangers did not score in their first three league games of that season.

Although he did have quite a horrendous start to the domestic campaign, his side did manage to eliminate Italian giants Juventus in the first round of the European Cup.

Answer: Willie Waddell

Waddell was the manager when Rangers won the European Cup Winners Cup in 1972, when they defeated Moscow Dynamo 3-2 in Barcelona.

Answer: Attended Rangers matches played under all of them

Tommy watched his first Rangers game back in 1919 when the first ever manager William Wilton was in charge. He completed the round dozen when at the age of 95, he was invited by the club to Paul Le Guen's first match in charge at Ibrox. Apart from seeing all those managers come and go, Tommy had also been at the highest recorded attendances at Ibrox, Parkhead, and Hampden. Sadly, Tommy had passed on but he is still fondly remembered by all his friends at Ibrox.