1995–96 Rangers F.C. season

The 1995–96 season was the 116th season of competitive football by Rangers.

Rangers
1995–96 season
ChairmanDavid Murray
ManagerWalter Smith
GroundIbrox Park
Scottish Premier Division1st
Scottish CupWinners
League CupSemi-finals
Champions LeagueGroup Stage
Top goalscorerLeague:
Gordon Durie (17 goals)
All:
Gordon Durie (23 goals)

Overview

Rangers played a total of 53 competitive matches during the 1995–96 season. The team finished first in the Scottish Premier Division and won its eighth consecutive league title.

In the cup competitions, the team won the Scottish Cup, beating Heart of Midlothian 5–1. Rangers were knocked out the Scottish League Cup by Aberdeen at the semi-final stage, losing 2–1.

The side reached the group stages of the UEFA Champions League this season and were drawn into a group with Juventus, Borussia Dortmund and Romanian side Steaua Bucharest. After six matches, three draws and three defeats, Rangers were bottom of the table and exited the competition.

Aided by the sale of Duncan Ferguson the previous season, between July and February manager Walter Smith spent nearly £12million on rebuilding his squad by signing the likes of Peter van Vossen, Paul Gascoigne (a then Scottish record signing at £4.3million), Stephen Wright and Gordan Petric. Basile Boli and Oleg Salenko left the club.

Gascoigne was voted player of the year having scored a total of 19 goals in all competitions.

November saw the departure of Mark Hateley as he returned to England in a £1.5million move to Queen's Park Rangers – the largest fee paid for a 34-year-old at this time. Hateley had lost his place in the first team to Gordon Durie who partnered Ally McCoist after two seasons mostly spent on the sidelines due to injuries.

Transfers

In
Date Player From Fee
5 July 1995 Scotland Stephen WrightScotland Aberdeen£1,500,000[1]
10 July 1995 England Paul GascoigneItaly Lazio£4,300,000[2]
26 July 1995 Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Gordan PetrićScotland Dundee United£1,500,000[3]
28 July 1995 Russia Oleg SalenkoSpain Valencia£2,500,000[4]
13 November 1995 Scotland Derek McInnesScotland Greenock Morton£300,000[5]
16 January 1996 Netherlands Peter van VossenTurkey IstanbulsporSwap[6]
29 February 1996 Denmark Erik Bo AndersenDenmark Aalborg Bk£1,200,000[7]
29 March 1996 Netherlands Theo SneldersScotland Aberdeen£200,000[8]

Out
Date Player To Fee
16 June 1995 Scotland Ally MaxwellScotland Dundee United£250,000[9]
15 August 1995 France Basile BoliFrance AS Monaco£2,000,000[10]
25 September 1995 England Mark HateleyEngland Queens Park Rangers£1,500,000[11]
16 January 1996 Russia Oleg SalenkoTurkey IstanbulsporSwap[12]
11 March 1996 Scotland Brian ReidScotland Greenock Morton£150,000[13]
  • Expenditure: Decrease £11,500,000
  • Income: Increase £3,900,000
  • Total loss/gain: Decrease £7,600,000

Results

All results are written with Rangers' score first.

Scottish Premier Division
Main article: 1995–96 Scottish Premier Division
DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
26 August 1995KilmarnockH1–044,686McCall
9 September 1995Raith RoversH4–043,535McCoist (2), Miller, Robertson
16 September 1995FalkirkA2–011,445Salenko, Robertson
23 September 1995HibernianH0–144,364
30 September 1995CelticA2–034,500Cleland, Gascoigne
3 October 1995MotherwellH2–137,348Gascoigne, McCoist
7 October 1995AberdeenA1–022,500Moore
14 October 1995Partick ThistleA4–016,346Durie (3), Gough
21 October 1995Heart of MidlothianH4–145,155Salenko (2), Gascoigne, Durie
28 October 1995Raith RoversA2–29,200Gough, Petric
4 November 1995FalkirkH2–042,059McCoist (2)
8 November 1995KilmarnockA2–014,823McLaren, Salenko
11 November 1995AberdeenH1–145,427Salenko
19 November 1995CelticH3–346,640Laudrup, McCoist, McKinlay (o.g.)
25 November 1995HibernianA4–113,558McCoist, Miller, Durie, Dods (o.g.)
2 December 1995Heart of MidlothianA2–015,105McCoist (pen.), Gascoigne
9 December 1995Partick ThistleH1–043,173Durie
19 December 1995MotherwellA0–010,179
26 December 1995KilmarnockH3–045,173Salenko, Durie (pen.), Gascoigne
30 December 1995HibernianH7–044,692Durie (4), Miller, Gascoigne, Salenko
3 January 1996CelticA0–037,000
6 January 1996FalkirkA4–010,581McCoist (2, 1 (pen.)), Durie, Robertson
13 January 1996Raith RoversH4–042,498Durie (2), McCoist, Ferguson
20 January 1996Heart of MidlothianH0–345,096
3 February 1996Partick ThistleA2–116,253Gascoigne (2)
10 February 1996MotherwellH3–245,566Ferguson, McLaren, McCoist (pen.)
25 February 1996AberdeenA1–021,000Gascoigne (pen.)
3 March 1996HibernianA2–011,954Laudrup (pen.), Mitchell (o.g.)
17 March 1996CelticH1–147,312McLaren
23 March 1996FalkirkH3–246,014Andersen (2), Gascoigne
30 March 1996Raith RoversA4–29,300McCoist (3, 1 (pen.)), Durie (pen.)
10 April 1996Heart of MidlothianA0–215,350
13 April 1996Partick ThistleH5–046,438Andersen (3), McCall, Gough
20 April 1996MotherwellA3–113,128McCall, Andersen, Gascoigne
28 April 1996AberdeenH3–147,247Gascoigne (3, 1 (pen.))
4 May 1996KilmarnockA3–017,056Durie (2), McCoist

UEFA Champions League
Main article: 1995–96 UEFA Champions League
DateRoundOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
9 August 1995QRAnorthosis FamagustaH1–043,519Durie
23 August 1995QRAnorthosis FamagustaA0–012,000
13 September 1995GSSteaua BucharestA0–126,000
27 September 1995GSBorussia DortmundH2–233,209Gough, Ferguson
18 October 1995GSJuventusA1–449,825Gough
1 November 1995GSJuventusH0–442,523
22 November 1995GSSteaua BucharestH1–130,800Gascoigne
6 December 1995GSBorussia DortmundA2–235,800Laudrup, Durie

League Cup
Main article: 1995–96 Scottish League Cup
DateRoundOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
19 August 1995R2Greenock MortonH3–042,941McCoist, Hateley, Gascoigne
30 August 1995R3Stirling AlbionH3–246,686Hateley, McCall, McCoist
19 September 1995QFCelticA1–032,789McCoist
24 October 1995SFAberdeenN1–226,131Salenko

Scottish Cup
Main article: 1995–96 Scottish Cup
DateRoundOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
27 January 1996R3KeithAR10–115,461Ferguson (3), Cleland (3), Durie (pen.),
Robertson, Miller, Mikhailichenko
15 February 1996R4ClydeA4–15,722Miller (2), Van Vossen, Gascoigne
9 March 1996QFInverness Caledonian ThistleAR3–011,296Gascoigne, McCoist, Thomson (o.g.)
7 April 1996SFCelticN2–136,333McCoist, Laudrup
18 May 1996FHeart of MidlothianN5–137,760Durie (3), Laudrup (2)

Appearances
Player Position Appearances Goals
Scotland Andy GoramGK470
Scotland Stephen WrightDF160
Scotland David RobertsonDF383
Scotland Richard GoughDF425
Scotland Alan McLarenDF493
Serbia and Montenegro Gordan PetrićDF461
England Trevor StevenMF70
Scotland Charlie MillerMF363
Scotland Ally McCoistFW3720
Scotland Stuart McCallMF334
Scotland Gordon DurieFW3823
Scotland Ian DurrantMF260
Russia Oleg SalenkoFW208
England Paul GascoigneMF4219
Denmark Brian LaudrupMF336
Australia Craig MooreDF161
Scotland Neil MurrayMF90
Ukraine Alexei MikhailichenkoMF151
Scotland Alec ClelandDF364
Scotland Ian FergusonMF256
Scotland John BrownDF220
Scotland Colin ScottGK30
Scotland Gary BollanDF70
Scotland Billy ThomsonGK20
Scotland Brian McGintyMF20
Scotland Derek McInnesMF60
Netherlands Peter van VossenFW91
Denmark Erik Bo AndersenFW66
Netherlands Theo SneldersGK20
Scotland Greg ShieldsDF10
England Mark HateleyFW42
Scotland Brian ReidDF10

League table
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Rangers (C) 36 27 6 3 85 25 +60 87 Qualification for the Champions League qualifying round
2 Celtic 36 24 11 1 74 25 +49 83 Qualification for the UEFA Cup qualifying round[lower-alpha 1]
3 Aberdeen 36 16 7 13 52 45 +7 55
4 Heart of Midlothian 36 16 7 13 55 53 +2 55 Qualification for the Cup Winners' Cup qualifying round[lower-alpha 2]
5 Hibernian 36 11 10 15 43 57 −14 43
Source: Soccerbase
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored
(C) Champions
Notes:
  1. Aberdeen qualified for the UEFA Cup by winning the League Cup.
  2. As Rangers, the winners of the Scottish Cup, qualified for the Champions League via their league position, the place in the Cup Winners' Cup was passed to the cup runner-up, Heart of Midlothian.

See also

References
  1. "Aberdeen blues as top defender moves on: Ambition is the key as Wright joins Rangers".
  2. "The day Gascoigne took Ibrox, and Scotland, by storm: The Ibrox idol is unveiled".
  3. "Another Celtic blow as Rangers sign their wanted man: Salenko to follow the capture of Petric".
  4. "Russian joins foreign legion".
  5. "McInnes finally signs for Rangers". The Herald. 14 November 1995.
  6. "Work permit not an open and shut case for Jardel: Van Vossen to join foreign legion as Salenko departs". The Herald. 16 January 1996.
  7. "Dane's arrival may not be end of Rangers' spending spree: Andersen ready, willing and able". The Herald. 1 March 1996.
  8. "Dutch keeper leaves Aberdeen with a few regrets but Snelders finds security as Goram's understudy". The Herald. 30 March 1996.
  9. "Maxwell transfer first for United". The Herald. 17 June 1995.
  10. "Boli off to Monaco". The Herald. 15 August 1995.
  11. "Injured Gough is Euro doubt". The Herald. 25 September 1995.
  12. "Work permit not an open and shut case for Jardel: Van Vossen to join foreign legion as Salenko departs". The Herald. 16 January 1996.
  13. "Serie A players set to strike". The Herald. 12 March 1996.
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