| 1996–97 season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Chairman | David Murray | ||
| Manager | Walter Smith | ||
| Ground | Ibrox Stadium | ||
| Scottish Premier Division | 1st (champions) | ||
| Scottish Cup | Quarter-finals | ||
| League Cup | Winners | ||
| Champions League | Group stage | ||
| Top goalscorer | League: Brian Laudrup (17) All: Brian Laudrup (21) | ||
The1996–97 season was the 117th season of competitivefootball byRangers.
Rangers played a total of 52 competitive matches during the 1996–97 season. The team finished first in theScottish Premier Division and won itsninth consecutive league title, equalling the long-standing record of their rivalsCeltic
In the cup competitions, the team won theScottish League Cup beatingHeart 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 theUEFA Champions League this season and were drawn into a group withGrasshopper,Auxerre andAjax.
Between July and March, manager Walter Smith spent almost £10 million on new signingsJörg Albertz,Joachim Björklund andSebastián Rozental.
Due to the mounting injuries in the second half of the season, strikerMark Hateley briefly returned to the club fromQueens Park Rangers.[1]Manchester City goalkeeperAndy Dibble joined on a free transfer as cover for the injuredAndy Goram.
| Date | Name | From | Fee | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 June 1996 | £4,000,000 | [2] | ||
| 5 July 1996 | £2,000,000 | [3] | ||
| 13 December 1996 | £3,500,000 | [4] | ||
| 10 March 1997 | Free | [5] | ||
| 14 March 1997 | £300,000 | [6] |
| Date | Name | From | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 May 1996 | Retired | ||
| Free | |||
| 31 May 1996 | Free | ||
| Free | |||
| 5 February 1997 | £200,000[7] | ||
All results are written with Rangers' score first.
| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 August 1996 | Raith Rovers | H | 1–0 | 46,221 | Steven |
| 17 August 1996 | Dunfermline Athletic | A | 5–2 | 16,782 | McCoist (3, 1 (pen.)), Van Vossen (2) |
| 24 August 1996 | Dundee United | H | 1–0 | 48,285 | Gascoigne |
| 7 September 1996 | Motherwell | A | 1–0 | 12,288 | Gough |
| 14 September 1996 | Heart of Midlothian | H | 3–0 | 47,240 | Durie, Gascoigne, McCoist |
| 21 September 1996 | Kilmarnock | A | 4–1 | 14,812 | Gascoigne (2, 1 (pen.)), Van Vossen (2) |
| 28 September 1996 | Celtic | H | 2–0 | 50,124 | Gough, Gascoigne |
| 12 October 1996 | Hibernian | A | 1–2 | 12,436 | Albertz |
| 19 October 1996 | Aberdeen | H | 2–2 | 50,076 | Gascoigne, Laudrup (pen.) |
| 26 October 1996 | Motherwell | H | 5–0 | 48,160 | Gascoigne (3), Laudrup (2) |
| 2 November 1996 | Raith Rovers | A | 2–2 | 9,722 | Van Vossen, McCoist |
| 14 November 1996 | Celtic | A | 1–0 | 50,009 | Laudrup |
| 1 December 1996 | Aberdeen | A | 3–0 | 19,168 | Robertson, Laudrup, Miller |
| 7 December 1996 | Hibernian | H | 4–3 | 48,053 | McCoist (2), Ian Ferguson, Laudrup |
| 10 December 1996 | Dundee United | A | 0–1 | 12,417 | |
| 14 December 1996 | Dunfermline Athletic | H | 3–1 | 45,878 | McCoist, Gough, Andersen |
| 17 December 1996 | Kilmarnock | H | 4–2 | 39,469 | Andersen (3), Robertson |
| 21 December 1996 | Heart of Midlothian | A | 4–1 | 15,139 | Robertson, Laudrup, Albertz (pen.), Gascoigne |
| 28 December 1996 | Raith Rovers | H | 4–0 | 48,322 | Gough, Gascoigne, Albertz, McCoist |
| 2 January 1997 | Celtic | H | 3–1 | 50,019 | Andersen (2), Albertz |
| 4 January 1997 | Hibernian | A | 2–1 | 12,650 | Andersen, Albertz (pen.) |
| 12 January 1997 | Aberdeen | H | 4–0 | 47,509 | Andersen (2), Albertz (pen.), Laudrup |
| 15 January 1997 | Kilmarnock | A | 1–1 | 15,662 | Gascoigne |
| 18 January 1997 | Motherwell | A | 3–1 | 13,166 | Albertz, Laudrup, Gascoigne |
| 1 February 1997 | Heart of Midlothian | H | 0–0 | 50,024 | |
| 8 February 1997 | Dunfermline Athletic | A | 3–0 | 16,153 | Durie, Albertz, Laudrup |
| 23 February 1997 | Hibernian | H | 3–1 | 47,618 | Gough, Albertz, Laudrup |
| 1 March 1997 | Aberdeen | A | 2–2 | 16,331 | Laudrup, Moore |
| 12 March 1997 | Dundee United | H | 0–2 | 50,002 | |
| 16 March 1997 | Celtic | A | 1–0 | 49,733 | Laudrup |
| 22 March 1997 | Kilmarnock | H | 1–2 | 50,036 | Durie |
| 5 April 1997 | Dunfermline Athletic | H | 4–0 | 50,098 | Albertz, Petric, Laudrup, Hateley |
| 15 April 1997 | Raith Rovers | A | 6–0 | 9,745 | Durie (2), Petric, Robertson, Laudrup, McCoist |
| 5 May 1997 | Motherwell | H | 0–2 | 50,059 | |
| 7 May 1997 | Dundee United | A | 1–0 | 12,180 | Laudrup |
| 10 May 1997 | Heart of Midlothian | A | 1–3 | 13,097 | McInnes |
| Date | Round | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 August 1996 | R2 | Clydebank | A | 3–0 | 7,450 | Van Vossen (2), McCoist |
| 4 September 1996 | R3 | Ayr United | H | 3–1 | 44,732 | Albertz, Gascoigne, McInnes |
| 17 September 1996 | QF | Hibernian | H | 4–0 | 45,104 | Van Vossen (2), Durie, Albertz |
| 22 October 1996 | SF | Dunfermline Athletic | N | 6–1 | 16,791 | Laudrup (2), Andersen (2), McInnes, Albertz |
| 24 November 1996 | F | Heart of Midlothian | N | 4–3 | 48,559 | McCoist (2), Gascoigne (2) |
| Date | Round | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 January 1997 | R3 | St Johnstone | H | 2–0 | 45,037 | Andersen, Rozental |
| 15 February 1997 | R4 | East Fife | H | 3–0 | 41,064 | Robertson, Steven, McCoist |
| 6 March 1997 | QF | Celtic | A | 0–2 | 49,284 |
| Date | Round | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 August 1996 | QR | H | 3–1 | 44,799 | McInnes, McCoist, Petric | |
| 21 August 1996 | QR | A | 7–2 | 32,000 | McCoist (3), Laudrup (2), Van Vossen, Miller | |
| 11 September 1996 | GS | A | 0–3 | 20,030 | ||
| 25 September 1996 | GS | H | 1–2 | 37,344 | Gascoigne | |
| 16 October 1996 | GS | A | 1–4 | 47,000 | Durrant | |
| 30 October 1996 | GS | H | 0–1 | 42,265 | ||
| 20 November 1996 | GS | H | 2–1 | 34,192 | McCoist (2, 1 (pen.)) | |
| 4 December 1996 | GS | A | 1–2 | 21,300 | Gough |
| Competition | First match | Last match | Starting round | Final position | Record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | |||||
| Scottish Premier Division | 10 August | 10 May | Winners | 36 | 25 | 5 | 6 | 85 | 33 | +52 | 069.44 | |
| UEFA Champions League | 7 August | 4 December | Qualifying round | Group stage | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 15 | 16 | −1 | 037.50 |
| Scottish Cup | 25 January | 6 March | Third round | Quarter-finals | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | +3 | 066.67 |
| League Cup | 14 August | 24 November | Second round | Winners | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 5 | +15 | 100.00 |
| Total | 52 | 35 | 5 | 12 | 125 | 56 | +69 | 067.31 | ||||
Source:Competitions
| 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 theChampions League first qualifying round |
| 2 | Celtic | 36 | 23 | 6 | 7 | 78 | 32 | +46 | 75 | Qualification for theUEFA Cup first qualifying round[a] |
| 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 |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | AUX | AJX | GRA | RAN | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 7 | +1 | 12 | Advance toknockout stage | — | 0–1 | 1–0 | 2–1 | ||
| 2 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 4 | +4 | 12 | 1–2 | — | 0–1 | 4–1 | |||
| 3 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 5 | +3 | 9 | 3–1 | 0–1 | — | 3–0 | |||
| 4 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 13 | −8 | 3 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 2–1 | — |