The 1988–89 season was the 109th season of competitive football by Rangers.

Overview Rangers played a total of 53 competitive matches during the 1988–89 season. They regained the Scottish Premier Division title, winning the first of nine consecutive league titles.

England international right back, Gary Stevens was signed from Everton and Kevin Drinkell was brought in to partner Ally McCoist up front.

Results against Celtic were pivotal in the Championship race, winning 5–1 and 4–1 at Ibrox. They also secured their first win at Parkhead since 1980, 2–1 in March. The league was won at Ibrox with a 4–0 demolition of Hearts.

In the cup competitions, they lost the Scottish Cup final 1–0 to Celtic. The team won the Scottish League Cup (Skol Cup) for the third season in a row defeating Aberdeen 3–2.

The European campaign was disappointing. The team qualified for the UEFA Cup and after a fine aggregate win over Polish side GKS Katowice, they were knocked out in the second round by Köln of West Germany.

Lawrence Marlborough sold his controlling interest in Rangers to Scottish businessman David Murray in November 1988. Murray would later take over as chairman from David Holmes.

Transfer

In DatePlayerFromFee30 June 1988 Kevin Drinkell Norwich City £500,00019 July 1988 Gary Stevens Everton £1,000,00029 July 1988 John Morrow Linfield Free17 September 1988 Andy Gray West Bromwich Albion Free3 October 1988 Neale Cooper Aston Villa £250,0006 February 1989 Tom Cowan Clyde £100,0004 March 1989 Mel Sterland Sheffield Wednesday £750,000

Out DatePlayerFromFee 31 May 1988 Avi Cohen Maccabi Tel Aviv Free1 July 1988 Jan Bartram Brøndby £300,00026 August 1988 Graham Roberts Chelsea £475,00026 August 1988 Jimmy Phillips Oxford United £100,000

Expenditure: £2,600,000 Income: £875,000 Total loss/gain: £1,725,000

Results

Scottish Premier Division

DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 13 August 1988Hamilton AcademicalA2–010,500Stevens, McCoist 20 August 1988HibernianH0–041,955 27 August 1988CelticH5–142,858McCoist (2), Wilkins, Drinkell, Walters 3 September 1988MotherwellA2–020,112Drinkell, Durrant 17 September 1988Heart of MidlothianA2–125,501Durrant (pen.), Nisbet 24 September 1988St MirrenH2–135,523D.Cooper (pen.), Walters 27 September 1988 Dundee UnitedA1–020,071I.Ferguson 1 October 1988 DundeeH2–040,768Drinkell, Walters 8 October 1988 AberdeenA1–223,370N.Cooper 12 October 1988 HibernianA1–026,000McCoist 29 October 1988 St MirrenA1–120,903Gray 1 November 1988 Heart of MidlothianH3–036,505Gough, Walters (pen.), Gray 5 November 1988 MotherwellH2–136,060Brown, Drinkell 12 November 1988 CelticA1–360,113Walters 16 November 1988 Hamilton AcademicalH3–133,684Gray, Ferguson, Drinkell 19 November 1988 DundeeA0–016,514 26 November 1988 AberdeenH1–042,239Gough 3 December 1988 Dundee UnitedH0–139,123 10 December 1988 Heart of MidlothianA0–226,424 17 December 1988 HibernianH1–036,672McCall 31 December 1988 Hamilton AcademicalA1–010,500D.Ferguson 3 January 1989CelticH4–142,515Walters (2, 1 (pen.)), Butcher, I.Ferguson 7 January 1989MotherwellA1–219,275Drinkell 14 January 1989AberdeenA2–123,000Munro, D.Ferguson 21 January 1989DundeeH3–143,202I.Ferguson, Butcher, McCoist 11 February 1989Dundee UnitedA1–122,019Munro 25 February 1989 St MirrenH3–139,021I.Ferguson, McCoist, Walters 11 March 1989Hamilton AcademicalH3–035,733I.Ferguson, Sterland, Gough 25 March 1989HibernianA1–023,321Drinkell 1 April 1989CelticA2–160,171Drinkell, I.Ferguson 8 April 1989MotherwellH1–033,782McCoist 22 April 1989St MirrenA2–022,096I.Ferguson, McCoist 29 April 1989Heart of MidlothianH4–042,856Drinkell (2), Sterland (2) 2 May 1989 Dundee UnitedH2–039,068Drinkell, McCoist 6 May 1989 DundeeA2–114,889Gray (2) 13 May 1989 AberdeenH0–342,480

Scottish League Cup

DateRoundOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 17 August 1988R2ClydeA3–014,699Drinkell, Walters, D.Ferguson 24 August 1988R3ClydebankH6–034,376McCoist, Gough, Walters, Wilkins, Drinkell, Durrant 31 August 1988QFDundeeH4–139,667McCoist, Walters, I.Ferguson, Forsyth (o.g.) 21 September 1988SFHeart of MidlothianN3–053,623Walters (2), Nisbet 23 October 1988FAberdeenN3–272,122McCoist (2, 1 (pen.)), I.Ferguson

Scottish Cup

DateRoundOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 28 January 1989R3Raith RoversA1–110,500I.Ferguson 1 February 1989R3 RRaith RoversH3–040,307Walters, Drinkell, Fraser (o.g.) 18 February 1989R4StranraerH8–041,198Drinkell (2), Brown (2), McCoist (2, 1 (pen.)I.Ferguson, Walters 21 March 1989QFDundee UnitedH2–242,177Drinkell, McCoist 27 March 1989QF RDundee UnitedA1–021,872McCoist 15 April 1989SFSt JohnstoneN0–047,374 18 April 1989SF RSt JohnstoneN4–044,205Walters, Stevens, Drinkell, McCoist 20 May 1989 FCelticN0–172,069

UEFA Cup

DateRoundOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 7 September 1988R1 GKS KatowiceH1–041,120Walters 5 October 1988R1 GKS KatowiceA4–240,000Butcher (2), Durrant, I.Ferguson 26 October 1988R2 KölnA0–242,000 9 November 1988R2 KölnH1–142,204Drinkell

Appearances PlayerPositionAppearancesGoals Nicky WalkerGK140 Chris WoodsGK390 John BrownDF423 Terry ButcherDF514 Tom CowanDF40 Richard GoughDF514 John McGregorDF10 Stuart MunroDF334 Jimmy NichollDF30 Scott NisbetDF102 Gary StevensDF522 Davie CooperMF331 Neale CooperMF171 Ian DurrantMF144 Derek FergusonMF243 Ian FergusonMF3313 Davie KirkwoodMF20 Ian McCallMF71 Kevin MacDonaldMF30 Sandy RobertsonMF20 Graeme SounessMF100 Mark WaltersMF4817 Ray WilkinsMF452 Kevin DrinkellFW4719 Andy GrayFW165 Ally McCoistFW3318 Gary McSweganFW10 Mel SterlandFW133

League table

See also 1988–89 in Scottish football 1988–89 Scottish Cup 1988–89 Scottish League Cup 1988–89 UEFA Cup Nine in a row

References