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

Overview 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. Manchester City goalkeeper Andy Dibble joined on a free transfer as cover for the injured Andy Goram.

Transfers

In Date Name From Fee Source28 June 1996 Jörg Albertz Hamburger SV £4,000,000 5 July 1996 Joachim Björklund Vicenza £2,000,000 13 December 1996 Sebastián Rozental Universidad Catolica £3,500,000 10 March 1997 Andy Dibble Manchester City Free 14 March 1997 Mark Hateley Queens Park Rangers £300,000

Out Date Name From Fee15 May 1996 Oleksiy Mykhaylychenko Retired 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

Expenditure: £9,800,000 Income: £200,000 Total loss/gain: £9,600,000

Results All results are written with Rangers' score first.

Scottish Premier Division

DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 10 August 1996Raith RoversH1–046,221Steven 17 August 1996Dunfermline AthleticA5–216,782McCoist (3, 1 (pen.)), Van Vossen (2) 24 August 1996Dundee UnitedH1–048,285Gascoigne 7 September 1996MotherwellA1–012,288Gough 14 September 1996Heart of MidlothianH3–047,240Durie, Gascoigne, McCoist 21 September 1996KilmarnockA4–114,812Gascoigne (2, 1 (pen.)), Van Vossen (2) 28 September 1996CelticH2–050,124Gough, Gascoigne 12 October 1996HibernianA1–212,436Albertz 19 October 1996AberdeenH2–250,076Gascoigne, Laudrup (pen.) 26 October 1996MotherwellH5–048,160Gascoigne (3), Laudrup (2) 2 November 1996Raith RoversA2–29,722Van Vossen, McCoist 14 November 1996CelticA1–050,009Laudrup 1 December 1996AberdeenA3–019,168Robertson, Laudrup, Miller 7 December 1996HibernianH4–348,053McCoist (2), Ian Ferguson, Laudrup 10 December 1996Dundee UnitedA0–112,417 14 December 1996Dunfermline AthleticH3–145,878McCoist, Gough, Andersen 17 December 1996KilmarnockH4–239,469Andersen (3), Robertson 21 December 1996Heart of MidlothianA4–115,139Robertson, Laudrup, Albertz (pen.), Gascoigne 28 December 1996Raith RoversH4–048,322Gough, Gascoigne, Albertz, McCoist 2 January 1997CelticH3–150,019Andersen (2), Albertz 4 January 1997HibernianA2–112,650Andersen, Albertz (pen.) 12 January 1997AberdeenH4–047,509Andersen (2), Albertz (pen.), Laudrup 15 January 1997KilmarnockA1–115,662Gascoigne 18 January 1997MotherwellA3–113,166Albertz, Laudrup, Gascoigne 1 February 1997Heart of MidlothianH0–050,024 8 February 1997Dunfermline AthleticA3–016,153Durie, Albertz, Laudrup 23 February 1997HibernianH3–147,618Gough, Albertz, Laudrup 1 March 1997AberdeenA2–216,331Laudrup, Moore 12 March 1997Dundee UnitedH0–250,002 16 March 1997CelticA1–049,733Laudrup 22 March 1997KilmarnockH1–250,036Durie 5 April 1997Dunfermline AthleticH4–050,098Albertz, Petric, Laudrup, Hateley 15 April 1997Raith RoversA6–09,745Durie (2), Petric, Robertson, Laudrup, McCoist 5 May 1997 MotherwellH0–250,059 7 May 1997 Dundee UnitedA1–012,180Laudrup 10 May 1997 Heart of MidlothianA1–313,097McInnes

Scottish League Cup

DateRoundOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 14 August 1996 R2ClydebankA3–07,450Van Vossen (2), McCoist 4 September 1996 R3Ayr UnitedH3–144,732Albertz, Gascoigne, McInnes 17 September 1996 QFHibernianH4–045,104Van Vossen (2), Durie, Albertz 22 October 1996 SFDunfermline AthleticN6–116,791Laudrup (2), Andersen (2), McInnes, Albertz 24 November 1996 FHeart of MidlothianN4–348,559McCoist (2), Gascoigne (2)

Scottish Cup

DateRoundOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 25 January 1997 R3St JohnstoneH2–045,037Andersen, Rozental 15 February 1997 R4East FifeH3–041,064Robertson, Steven, McCoist 6 March 1997 QFCelticA0–249,284

UEFA Champions League

DateRoundOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 7 August 1996QR Alania VladikavkazH3–144,799McInnes, McCoist, Petric 21 August 1996QR Alania VladikavkazA7–232,000McCoist (3), Laudrup (2), Van Vossen, Miller 11 September 1996GS GrasshopperA0–320,030 25 September 1996GS AuxerreH1–237,344Gascoigne 16 October 1996GS AjaxA1–447,000Durrant 30 October 1996GS AjaxH0–142,265 20 November 1996GS GrasshopperH2–134,192McCoist (2, 1 (pen.)) 4 December 1996GS AuxerreA1–221,300Gough

Appearances PlayerPositionAppearancesGoals GK 7 0 GK 38 0 GK 7 0 DF 40 0 DF 45 0 DF 41 6 DF 20 0 DF 31 1 DF 40 3 DF 30 5 DF 10 0 DF 4 0 DF 2 0 MF 47 13 MF 1 0 MF 16 1 MF 1 0 MF 31 1 MF 34 17 MF 43 20 MF 13 0 MF 1 0 MF 33 4 MF 21 2 MF 10 2 FW 25 12 FW 24 6 FW 1 0 FW 4 1 FW 37 20 FW 1 0 FW 2 1 FW 26 9

Competitions Overall

Scottish Premier Division

UEFA Champions League

References