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 Park
Scottish Premier Division1st
P36 W25 D5 L6 F85 A33 Pts80
Scottish CupQuarter-finals
League CupWinners
Champions LeagueGroup stage
Top goalscorerLeague:
Brian Laudrup (17)
All:
Brian Laudrup (21)

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

Transfers

In
Date Name From Fee
28 June 1996 Germany Jörg AlbertzGermany Hamburg£4,000,000[2]
5 July 1996 Sweden Joachim BjörklundItaly Vicenza£2,000,000[3]
13 December 1996 Chile Sebastian RozentalChile Universidad Catolica£3,500,000[4]
10 March 1997 Wales Andy DibbleEngland Manchester CityFree[5]
14 March 1997 England Mark HateleyEngland Queens Park RangersFree[6]

Out
Date Name From Fee
15 May 1996 Ukraine Alexei MikhailichenkoReleased
15 May 1996 Scotland Billy ThomsonReleased
31 May 1996 Scotland Colin ScottReleased
31 May 1996 Northern Ireland John MorrowReleased
5 February 1997 Scotland Neil MurraySwitzerland FC Sion£200,000[7]
  • Expenditure: Decrease £9,500,000
  • Income: Increase £200,000
  • Total loss/gain: Decrease £9,300,000

Results

All results are written with Rangers' score first.

Scottish Premier Division
Main article: 1996–97 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 1997MotherwellH0–250,059
7 May 1997Dundee UnitedA1–012,180Laudrup
10 May 1997Heart of MidlothianA1–313,097McInnes

UEFA Champions League
Main article: 1996–97 UEFA Champions League
DateRoundOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
7 August 1996QRAlania VladikavkazH3–144,799McInnes, McCoist, Petric
21 August 1996QRAlania VladikavkazA7–232,000McCoist (3), Laudrup (2), Van Vossen, Miller
11 September 1996GSGrasshopper ZurichA0–320,030
25 September 1996GSAuxerreH1–237,344Gascoigne
16 October 1996GSAjaxA1–447,000Durrant
30 October 1996GSAjaxH0–142,265
20 November 1996GSGrasshopper ZurichH2–134,192McCoist (2, 1 (pen.))
4 December 1996GSAuxerreA1–221,300Gough

League Cup
Main article: 1996–97 Scottish League Cup
DateRoundOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
14 August 1996R2ClydebankA3–07,450Van Vossen (2), McCoist
4 September 1996R3Ayr UnitedH3–144,732Albertz, Gascoigne, McInnes
17 September 1996QFHibernianH4–045,104Van Vossen (2), Durie, Albertz
22 October 1996SFDunfermline AthleticN6–116,791Laudrup (2), Andersen (2), McInnes, Albertz
24 November 1996FHeart of MidlothianN4–348,559McCoist (2), Gascoigne (2)

Scottish Cup
Main article: 1996–97 Scottish Cup
DateRoundOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
25 January 1997R3St JohnstoneH2–045,037Andersen, Rozental
15 February 1997R4East FifeH3–041,064Robertson, Steven, McCoist
6 March 1997QFCelticA0–249,284

Appearances
Player Position Appearances Goals
Scotland Andy GoramGK380
England Trevor StevenMF102
Germany Jorg AlbertzMF4713
Scotland Richard GoughDF416
Serbia Gordan PetricDF403
Sweden Joachim BjörklundDF400
Scotland Gordon DurieFW246
Scotland Derek McInnesMF334
Scotland Ally McCoistFW3720
Scotland Stuart McCallMF130
Denmark Brian LaudrupMF4320
Scotland Ian DurrantMF161
Scotland Charlie MillerMF212
Netherlands Peter van VossenFW269
Scotland Alec ClelandDF450
England Paul GascoigneMF3417
Scotland Ian FergusonMF311
Australia Craig MooreDF311
Denmark Erik Bo AndersenFW2512
Scotland Steven BoyackMF10
Netherlands Theo SneldersGK70
Scotland Greg ShieldsDF100
Scotland David RobertsonDF305
Scotland Scott WilsonDF40
Scotland Alan McLarenDF200
Chile Sebastián RozentalFW21
Wales Andy DibbleGK70
England Mark HateleyFW41
Northern Ireland Darren FitzgeraldFW10
Scotland Stephen WrightDF20
Scotland Barry FergusonMF10
Scotland Brian McGintyMF10
Northern Ireland Paul McKnightFW10

League table
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[lower-alpha 1]
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.

References
  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.
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