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Dominant - Turmoil (1987/88): Part 1 (Patreon)

Published:
2022-02-15 07:00:03
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2026-06
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On the eve of the 1987/88 season, Graeme Souness was asked about the newly increased expectations of the Rangers support. 'It is all nonsense', he snapped. 'Everyone has to realise that Rangers have no rights to anything. It’s time they changed their way of thinking.’

Quite why Souness was so defensive and uneasy with being favourites would become clear soon enough as this remarkable, yet chaotic, season got underway. 

John and Andy join Martyn to assess just why that summer went so wrong as well as looking at a manager who was struggling to come to terms with his playing career coming to an end.

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Comments

Ross Matheson

The similarities in that summer compared to Advocaat going in to 2000-01 and us in the summer just past under Gerrard are eerily ringing in my head. :(

Gordon Watson

Fantastic to see this season examined up close. I remember the way we seemed to buy players all over the show yet nothing quite seemed to gel. From the weirdness of Mark Falco and Jan Bartram, to the signing of Richard Gough and Mark Walters, Butcher’s busted leg and our European Cup run, the epic League Cup final - it certainly wasn’t boring and similar to our 97-98 campaign, I somehow thought we would get the title in the end and it wasn’t until we didn’t that it hit home. Really looking forward to this series.

Craig Fryatt

Terrific show, is there a book to accompany it?

Martyn Ramsay
>>77922722

There will be two of them Craig. Too much to fit into one without having to lose so much work so volume one covering 86-92 will be out later in the year and 93-98 will be out next year.

Martin Davies

Martyn, this show is superb. I am ages with Andy and in my young eyes, Souness could do no wrong. We were the biggest club in the UK by a distance and I just expected us to win everything, at least domestically. I always believed the Butcher leg break was the main reason for the failure to win the title, but it does seem like all was not well behind the scenes. I don't recall being too disappointed with the transfer business in the summer. This was a time after all when you could sign players anytime you liked so it wasn't quite as cyclical as transfers are nowadays. What is interesting looking back is the Souness signing policy. He liked signing experienced and established players, guys he clearly trusted. With the exception of Fergie, I can't recall many signings of players in their late teens / very early twenties. McCall and Reid maybe, but they weren't big bucks. We got quite a few aging guys like McGregor, Cohen, Francis, Wilkins, Gray. We also didn't bring through a lot of youth during the entire period you're writing about. An injury crisis? Just go and sign someone. Guys like Nisbet, Murray, Pressley, McSwegan, Spencer, Sandy Robertson, etc I always felt were played when either it didn't matter (end of season) or through absolute necessity (Euro with 3 foreigners) rather than Souness or Smith genuinely believing these guys had a chance of making it at Ibrox. Looking back, I was intoxicated with the glamour of new big money signings but this is certainly an area of huge weakness throughout this period of dominance, and it has continued right through to today unfortunately. Looking forward to the next episode.

Scott Christian

Another thoroughly enjoyable episode chaps. I really like how the underlying themes are explored rather than other podcasts (which certainly have their value) meticulously examining matches. I turned 13 just as the season began so was very much bought into Souness, but I do remember the identity crisis referred to around modernisation of the club; I guess there’s an ingrained element of reverse snobbery when it comes to a West of Scotland upbringing. I just loved it personally, as it was pure Hollywood and it was our club! However, when we drew Dynamo Kiev, well even 13 year olds were aware of their standing in European football and I really don’t think anyone thought we would progress. Tales or 100 Rangers fans going to Kiev to watch amongst 99,900 soviets was a mind-blowing thought! I guess you will cover in a future episode as you alluded to the European run in this show so look forward to memories of that being shared (live on telly straight after school!). I agree fully with your observations on Souness and his decline. When you think of it he was only 35 or 36 at the time, incredible & I suppose understandable that he couldn’t get his head round his playing career coming to an end. And those tackles? Well, they were awful!! Looking forward to next week!!

Douglas Innes

Maybe something either John or Andy can clear up but when Rangers showed an interest in Robert Connor of Aberdeen didn't Aberdeen ask for a player swap involving Ian Durrant which obviously was never considered...... possibly a story that was just in the North East papers Great pod as per usual

Gordon Watson

Only listened part way through but the Mark Falco transfer always baffled me. He bagged a hat trick in the 7-0 win over Morton at Ibrox and kept a decent goals to game ratio and then woof out the door he went.

john cowden
>>77953877

Douglas, I don’t recall that and didn’t find it during research. However I wouldn’t rule it out having happened. When we sign falco and Francis is coming, there are rumours in papers McCoist may be going, too many strikers…. , with Aberdeen and Newcastle interested. There’s even a quote from porterfield saying he would like to speak to Rangers and Ally.

Callum Dinnen

You talked in the pod about missing Hateley being a sliding doors moment - if we get Hateley in 1987 and he strikes up his partnership with McCoist to the same effect as they did in 1991, do Rangers sign Maurice Johnston in summer 1989? That's arguably a bigger sliding doors moment as there's a case for MoJo being the most important signing in our history.

Martyn Ramsay
>>77953877

Nothing publicly on the Connor story about a swap. Aberdeen just wanted a little bit more cash and Souness - still dead set against paying any Scottish club over his valuation - didn’t take kindly to it. McCoist was linked with a move every summer from 87-92 I think!

Martyn Ramsay
>>77989482

An interesting one. Not sure that they would have been the same in 87 as they’d be in 91. McCoist had a bit of learning to do I think before that partnership took the shape that it did.

Martin Davies

I didn't realise we tried to sign Hateley as soon into Souness' reign. Or Connor for that matter. It would be fascinating to get view on our potential transfer targets during this era when we were so financially powerful, English clubs had no Euro football, and before the 3 foreigners rule came into force. I remember links to Pearce and Dorigo for left back, and I'm sure Rush was mentioned too. I'd be interested to see if we ever considered Hoddle, Waddle, Platt, Walker, Beardsley, Lineker, etc or maybe even swooping for Robson or a young Gazza.

Paul Dunnachie

Love this show - I developed a proper sense of seeking out information about the club at this time so read all the newspapers and remember the transfer speculation being relentless. I don’t remember Graeme Souness being quite as down on the chances of success, or the supporters’ expectations though. What went wrong this season is multi-factor - a horrible start (arguably self inflicted with suspensions), the injury, the big signings who would have a long impact (Gough, Wilkins, Ferguson’s, Brown, Walters) all coming 6 months too late in hindsight… For all that Celtic were an shambles, they had the bit between their teeth with it being their centenary season and they had a belief that they would get a win that we seemed to lack at crucial moments. The League Cup Final was a real highlight of the season though - Ian Durrant in sparkling form over that month or so and his goal and performance in that match made it a pleasure to be there.

Paul Dunnachie
>>77982632

He seemed utterly bewildered by it all. He had played for Spurs as well, it wasn’t like he hadn’t been at a reasonably sized club before, but he just never seemed to get up to the pace of what was going on around him.

Graham Jones

I don’t think Souness was down on his chances. He was aiming his comments at his players as much as the fan base. Souness was used to the culture at Anfield of the 80’s, where they got to celebrate a title win on the park, and then it was back down to earth. Souness wanted everyones feet back on terra firma. I think it’s as simple as that. The reasons we didn’t win the league are fairly straightforward. We made a lot of signings over the course of that season, and trying to integrate them was never going to be easy. Combine that with a poor start, and then to lose Terry Butcher at a critical point, was the final straw. We can’t forget about Graham Roberts upsetting Mr Souness as well, and finding himself out of the side. Basically it was a disaster. Some of the names that got mentioned were incredible for us that summer, and they weren’t at all far-fetched.