Not to be mistaken for the halcyon era of yore, our friends in blue, Rangers, came into existence in a rather anticlimactic 2012 with Ibrox as their fortress - if such a recent structure can warrant such a moniker. Here, you'll find Scotland's less green goliath, endeavouring to carve out a slice of history in the ever-thrilling tableau of Scottish football.
There's an old adage, the Scots one particularly fond: "Facts are chiels that winna ding." So, let us hold the mirror up to those settler facts. As per the bible of sporting transfers, the heralded Transfermarkt, the aggregate market value of Rangers' battalions is approximately £87m. The cry of "thirty pieces of silver" audible from lifelong supporters of Celtic, rings somewhat hollow now, eh?
In this rather remarkable tableau of 29 individuals averaging 25 years old, each more unique in their footballing abilities than the last, we have the Rangers playing squad. A virtual United Nations of football. An international panorama spread across the dew-kissed Ibrox pitch with a smorgasbord of potential talent and raw passion.
This season, the Rangers find themselves embroiled in not one, not two, but a whopping four competitions - an exhausting prospect for anyone. Other than marking their territory in their familiar domestic arena, Premiership, at a rather disappointing 4th place, they've had a taste of the League Cup, reaching the Semi-Finals, fickled at the edges of the Champions League during the much-dreaded Play-Offs, and dared to tread the boards of the Europa League during the League Phase. Some might see this as overreach, others merely participating for the sake of participating. But if the old mantra holds true, it's the taking part that counts, isn't it? Pity that doesn’t equate to shiny silver trophies.
