THE VITALS:

Team: Rangers

Brand: Adidas

Era: 1996-97 (Used for the 1996-97 Scottish Premier Division season, and the 1996 Scottish League Cup Final)

Name/Number: Gascoigne #8

CONDITION: EXCELLENT

As a modern remake; this shirt comes to you in nothing short of excellent condition – looking as good as new!

DIMENSIONS:

Size: Small

Pit to Pit Measurement: 19.5 inches

Shirt Length: 28.0 inches 

This remake of this mid-90’s classic was certainly true to the form of its mid-90’s original as the dimensions of this shirt lend itself better to a size medium than a size small.

DESCRIPTION:

The final of Adidas’s classic three home shirts they made for Rangers may have been the best of the trilogy as their beautiful blue, white and red template which adorned the French national side at UEFA Euro 96 was reprised for Rangers in the 1996-97 season to create a truly majestic shirt that will forever live in the hearts of the Rangers faithful! This would also be the shirt worn as Rangers won a seventh successive Scottish Premier Division under Walter Smith – and a ninth in a row to match the legendary streak of domestic championships that Celtic achieved between 1965-1974 while also delivering a twentieth Scottish League Cup!

THE SEASON:

Walter Smith and Rangers’ stranglehold on Scottish football strengthened its grasp at the end of the 1995-96 season as they won the Scottish Premier Division for a sixth time under his tutelage to add to the two titles which were claimed before his arrival to bring them within one title win of matching Celtic’s legendary ‘nine in a row’ while they added another Scottish Cup to the ever growing trophy cabinet. A combined £6,000,000.00 was spent to bring in the Jorg Albertz and Joachim Bjorklund from Hamburg and Vicenza respectively.

Rangers’ eighth Scottish Premier Division title defence began on 10^th August 1996 and they would see of Raith Rovers 1-0 at Ibrox and this would set the stage for a seven match winning start to the campaign that culminated with a 2-0 win over Celtic in the first Old-Firm Derby of the season at Ibrox on 28^th September – bringing their winning run that began at the end of the previous season to ten matches! Hibernian would stun the league leaders 2-1 in their next outing, before Aberdeen claimed a point of their own in a 2-2 draw at Ibrox on 19^th October. Rangers would drop just five more points in their remaining ten league games of 1996, and their win over Celtic at Celtic Park on 14^th November would prove decisive as it was those three points which separated the two sides at the top of the table going into 1997!

Act 3 of the Old-Firm Derby would usher in the New Year and Rangers extended their winning run in the league over ‘the Bhoys’ to three with a 3-1 win at Ibrox on 2^nd January 1997! Walter Smith’s side would go from strength to strength as they leveraged their unbeaten streak to thirteen games following the 2-2 draw with Aberdeen on 1^st March. Dundee United would beat the champions for a second time in the 1996-97 season when they stunned the champions 2-0 on 12^th March, however, when they defeated Celtic for a fourth time on 16^th March – not only was the first time they had ever accomplished this feat, however, the win moved Rangers eight points clear of their fierce rivals with six games to spare. The ‘Gers form in those six games would be somewhat disappointing as they won three and lost three – however, those nine points were enough to win that coveted ninth league title in a row by five points!

After their semi-final foray in the Scottish League Cup in the 1995-96 season – Rangers would ensure another domestic double was on the cards as they went the whole hog in 1996 as they defeated: Clydebank, Ayr United, Hibernian, Dunfermline and then Hearts in the final to win a record twentieth Scottish League Cup! Unfortunately, the defence of the Scottish Cup was disappointing as Celtic eliminated the holders in the quarter final on 6^th March 1997 at Celtic Park.

For the second season in a row, Rangers would reach the UEFA Champions League Group Stage when they Alania Vladikavkaz in the qualifying round by an incredible 10-3 aggregate scoreline! This would be the highlight of their European campaign in 1996-97 however, as they were drawn in Group A alongside: Grasshopper, Auxerre and the recently dethroned European champions and last season’s runners-up – Ajax. Rangers would only muster one win as they beat Grasshopper 2-1 on Match-Day 5 as they finished bottom of the group with just three points to their name.

The notable players that season(s) were:

Gordon Durie, Ally McCoist, Erik Bo Andersen, Sebastian Rozental, Peter van Vossen, Brian Laudrup, Paul Gascoigne, Barry Ferguson, Charlie Miller, Ian Durrant, Ian Ferguson, Stuart McCall, Jorg Albertz, Alec Cleland, Richard Gough, Gordan Petric, David Robertson, Craig Moore, Joachim Bjorklund, Alan McLaren, Andy Goram, Andy Dibble