Today, once again I'm going back six years to the second game of our Scottish weekend away. This time it was to Dumfries and to Palmerston Park to watch Queen of the South take on the once mighty Rangers from Glasgow in a Scottish second tier game.
The Doonhamers against the Teddy Bears. As you know, I love a good club nickname and these two keep me amused with wonderful alternative names. Doonhamers? Well those of you that follow my ramblings have already been provided with the explanation for that but it's available in my blog if you missed it or have forgotten (search on "Doonhamer"). Rangers being described as the Teddy Bears was a new one on me however. Apparently it's a rare example of Scottish rhyming slang with Teddy Bears loosely rhyming with the 'Gers from RanGers when spoken in a strong Glaswegian accent. Honestly! If you prefer you can just call them the 'Gers.
Rangers were on their way back. They had been unceremoniously chucked out of the top flight in Scotland when the club was liquidated following financial jiggery pokery that left them owing the tax man more than they could afford. Rangers had expected to be demoted one level but, to their surprise they found themselves starting over in the fourth tier in 2012. By 2015, following two promotions Rangers found themselves in the Championship (second tier) and heading to Dumfries to play Queen of the South. I was somewhat surprised to be able to obtain tickets sitting with the home supporters for a match involving Rangers as I had been given to understand that every Rangers away game was a sell out but this was apparently not the case. Well not in the case of Queen of the South anyway. Some of the Rangers fans were very bitter about their treatment at the hands of the SPFL and the SFA and carried a flag stating that the two bodies were "Corrupt to the Core". It was siege mentality at it's finest and a great example of biased people being unable to accept any punishment for their club's wrong doing. Sit down, shut up say I.
Meanwhile, Rangers fans were having fun visiting stadia that they had rarely if ever visited and winning almost every game as they made their way back to the top. The Stone Roses "I am the resurrection" is the very apt backing track to the match highlights (which you can also find in my blog). Mark Warburton's Rangers had a single goal lead at half time scored by Andy Halliday having spurned a number of good chances. The second half was to prove to be a different story altogether. The deluge began in the 52nd minute with a penalty from Martyn Waghorn and was swiftly followed by a third goal scored by Jason Holt and then a fourth from Barrie McKay. Waghorn helped himself to a second penalty for Rangers' fifth before the Doonhamers got their consolation in the 81st minute scored by substitute Aiden Smith.
It finished 5-1 to Rangers in front of 5,858 fans and, to nobody's great surprise, Rangers finished the season as Champions and were promoted back to their rightful place at Scotland's top table after just four seasons away. The smaller clubs that they had played along the way had enjoyed a good couple of paydays when hosting the Gers and Rangers had enjoyed themselves. Everyone was a winner!
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