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“This is how it feels to be Rangers” – 55, A new generation of Bears and their Coming of Age

Photo of graemehanna graemehanna | 12:15 26/05/21
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The events of ‘trophy day’ weekend will live long in the memory for all of us, regardless of where and how we celebrated. 

55 was long awaited, craved, sorely sought after and much more, ten years in the making with everything that has happened in the last decade. 

The title win in March felt good, but it didn’t come close to the sheer jubilation, relief and redemption that was apparent when Douglas Park and John Bennett delivered the Premiership trophy, resplendent in red, white and blue, onto the Ibrox pitch on Saturday 15th May. 

When James Tavernier hoisted the shiny silver up into the air – the passion, the emotion, the feeling, the glory – this was it, our team, our time, our passion, the famous Glasgow Rangers.

As much as it meant the world to all supporters, this celebration was the first proper moment of glory for the young Bears, a generation who grew up in despair and dejection, from lower leagues to derby defeats.

Listening to stories of glories past and days to remember, watching footage of Walter Smith’s three in a row, Manchester, Helicopter Sunday and much more, when would be their time, how much longer would they have to wait? Not any more.

55 was their coming of age and this is their story, in their own words.

Enjoy their experiences and share your own… 

Courtney McKenzie, 19 Glasgow

The title celebrations meant the world to me, maybe more. Growing up all I remember is Rangers being in the lower leagues, but the fans still backing them in their numbers.

I was 11 when Rangers last won the title after playing Kilmarnock – what a game. 

Since then, it’s not been the Rangers that my parents raved about. I’m so glad I got to see them lift a trophy – especially 55 – at an age I’ll remember it. When I realised that Rangers were winning the title, I just couldn’t stop thinking about the parties that it would bring. 

My friends, family and everyone else would all come together and celebrate. My favourite part in this whole time of being engulfed in Rangers these last couple weeks, is my dad saying “See, this is the Rangers I told you about”. He wasn’t wrong. 

This is how it feels to be Rangers.

*Willie from Whitburn, 21

Last Saturday meant a lot to me and my friends, who have been season ticket holders since 2015 and I joined in 2017. 

To say we’ve seen some poor defeats is an understatement, but perhaps the most negative energy I’ve ever seen near Ibrox was when we played Hearts in January 2015. I remember the utter chaos in and around the ground, knowing fans were against the board but not really knowing why at 15. 

On Saturday, the reason I personally support Rangers was at the forefront of my mind, seeing all the exceptional players in the country take their congratulations. 

I can genuinely say I have never felt so excited and buzzing in the moments before our captain lifted the trophy. Seeing how happy our players and management team were was the source of my euphoria. 

We spent the day watching the game at a friend’s flat, before walking down Paisley Road West after the presentation, where the atmosphere was again euphoric.

The feeling and the whole day exceeded all my expectations, it was so joyful. My last memory of Rangers being successful was welcoming the team back to Ibrox in 2011 after Rugby Park, with my dad, uncle and two cousins. 

Sam Sneddon, 16, Glasgow

Last Saturday was easily the greatest day of my life. To see the faces of sheer jubilation from thousands of supporters, especially the ones around my age who had never experienced anything like this, was just incredible. I spent the day in Glasgow – at Ibrox during the match and the trophy lift, then witnessed George Square and the Union Bears march. 

The atmosphere and celebration that I could finally be a part of were definitely worth the aching over my body, the loss of my voice and the pyro stains the next day! 

That video of the bouncy on the Squinty Bridge is iconic. I don’t think anyone expected how good it would be. No amount of tabloid articles or bitter politicians will ever take that away from us. 

It’s been eleven weeks since Rangers were declared champions and just over a week since the players got their hands on the trophy, and I don’t think I’ve come to terms with what we’ve achieved. I’m not sure I will for a long time. Maybe when I’m sitting down in years to come, telling my kids about Rangers’ success. 

That’s all I have ever known of my club. I’ve heard stories about the treble-winning sides and the quality of the many legends that were lucky enough to wear the shirt, but I’ve never experienced it. I can safely say that Steven Gerrard and many of the players in this team will go down as Rangers legends for me. 

Ross Hutton, 22, Glasgow

I think the thing for me about last Saturday is that it wasn’t just a day or even just a season, it was the culmination of a decades-long journey both from the perspective of us as a collective fanbase and personally. I was 12 the last time we won the league and was fortunate enough to be at Rugby Park that day. 

As a kid just starting high school in 2011, I thought like everyone that Rangers being relentlessly successful would never change.

It meant a lot to me to spend title day with the people I went through the journey with – my dad, my brother and my girlfriend. While I had the option to go and watch it with friends, it felt right to me that I spent that moment with the people who went through all the highs and the lows with me – it felt like our reward for sticking by each other during the dark times. Watching us lift 55 with them meant the world to me because Rangers means the world to us.

If anyone tells you this is the way they expected 55 to happen they’re probably lying. 

Personally I thought that winning the league with no other trophy under our belts would be an almost impossible task so to go from nothing to invincible Champions is remarkable. Plus, this was a generation-defining season. Celtic had as much at stake as we did so for us to blow them out the water in the way we did was truly glorious. 

The thing I remember about the last 10 years was the mixture of pain and hope we were feeling throughout it. I remember very vividly the day Celtic beat us 5-0 to win the league and I’d never felt so low. I just felt we were another decade away from them at the time. Then the hope when Gerrard arrived and I remember being at Ibrox that day and just feeling something different to how it had felt before.

That period of 6 days summed up “the journey” for me. The absolute despair and then the light at the end of the tunnel in the form of Steven Gerrard.

While the scars of the last decade will never leave us, sitting now as Invincible champions, it feels almost as though the pain is beginning to wash away. Knowing that the people who wanted something that’s been a part of my life and family heritage to be wiped from existence – the people who couldn’t see us coming – have been forced to sit up and “see us now” fills me with immense satisfaction. 

And the knowledge that this is just the beginning fills me with immense excitement.

Erin, 20

Sadly, for the title celebrations I was at work from 8am-6pm, however my boss did let me take an hour break to head home and watch the trophy presentation with my dad and younger brother, also my brother’s first glance at glory. 

I think due to the abrupt ending of season 19/20, the expectations I personally had was for Rangers to go out there and give it their all, one last throw of the dice. I never expected what followed though.  Being invincible through the whole league campaign was astonishing really and that’s something that fills you with pride being a fan. 

I was most looking forward to getting the trophy back where it belongs, it was also amazing to spend my break with my dad and brother, between us there wasn’t a dry eye when lifting the trophy. 

I was looking forward to this as it’s something to cherish, although it would’ve been amazing to be inside Ibrox celebrating, after the year everyones been through. 

It was just fantastic to finally get our hands on some silverware after 10 long years. I think the thing I remember most from the last 10 years would be the struggle. It’s a cliche, but to think of where the club has come from to where we are now it’s amazing, I remember going to watch Stranraer V Rangers when we were in the lower divisions and the amount of supporters who travelled was astounding, the fan loyalty shouldn’t go unnoticed and it’s something I think I’ll always remember. 

Now that I’ve experienced a taste of success, I’d love to witness more and hopefully go on a great campaign again next season. 

Mark Weir, 26

Last Saturday was just incredible for me, the media can try and make us out to be big bad Rangers but our fan base is honestly the biggest and best in the world for me. I had a good feeling that we would hammer Aberdeen and complete the unbeaten league season, I even won a wee bit of money betting on it. 

You just had to see George Square and take it all in, the past 10 years we’ve been through every emotion possible. Not every fan will agree with me but some of the days out in the past 10 years doing ‘the journey’ were days out I’ll never forget, used to roll out the nightclubs at 3am go home and make the bus for Elgin or Peterhead away at 6am!! 

I could never do that again but at my age now, I’m a bit proud of myself in a way that I’ve seen Rangers play in the majority of Scottish league grounds. We need to draw Edinburgh City and Cove in the cups in the next few years to complete the lot!

Honestly, the money I’ve spent over the past 10 years growing up from 16 to 26 where I am now to watch us lift that league trophy and be back at the top of Scottish football was all worth it. 

Like every fan, I was absolutely gutted that we couldn’t have been in Ibrox watching it with 50,000 others. Fingers crossed, we are back in the grounds for Flag Day and the European Qualifiers.

Amy Boyd, 22, Glasgow

Saturday the 15th of May is a day I will never forget, a day that I have been waiting so long for. 

Over the recent years, I have had ups and downs with Rangers but mostly downs as there hasn’t been much success. I watched my team improve since Gerrard became manager but our consistency within the team wasn’t there and that only led to heartbreak for me, every year, every competition, every game I thought this is it this is our year and it still never was. 

My first cup final at Hampden Park was Rangers vs Celtic in December 2019. I watched my team dominate the game, each minute passed and I was convinced the League Cup was ours and it would be the start of regaining our place in Scotland. 

But, again, we lost and to this day it still hurts. Although, this was only one of the very few heartbreaks I have experienced as a Rangers fan. 

As the new season approached, I was nervous. As negative as it sounds, I was convinced Celtic would win 10IAR. As the season went on, I was certain that we were going to have our downfall that we experienced over the last few years but it never came, the points kept piling on and it started feeling like my dream would come true. 

The game that stands out for me this season is the 19th of December game against Motherwell at Ibrox, it was the day before my birthday. We went 1-0 down and Motherwell played with every single player behind the ball, it had gotten to the 70 odd minute and we still hadn’t found the equaliser, I thought that my birthday weekend was ruined and I’d have to cancel my plans, very dramatic but that’s how it is! 

However, we got that equaliser and went on to win 3-1 and that’s the exact moment I felt, “This is our year, Rangers.” That game would’ve been one we would’ve lost the season before, it showed the shift in mentality that this season sprung on us! 

When we officially won the league in March, it didn’t feel real. I knew it was over and that the trophy was ours but it didn’t feel real, it hadn’t quite hit me and to be honest I think it’s still hitting me right now. From the start of March all I could think about was trophy day, the day that I had been waiting for, for so long. 

The day that I would genuinely just think about all the time and how amazing it would be, but I had to watch Celtic do it for years and it hurt but our time came. 

On Saturday the 15th of May, I was up for 6am, I could hardly sleep. On the Friday before I drove over to Ibrox, I don’t know why, I just wanted to have a look at the famous stadium, the home of the champions, before the big day.  As I drove by Ibrox, I burst out crying. The thought of James Tavernier lifting that trophy made me very emotional. 

But, on the Saturday I was buzzing, I was nervous, I didn’t know what to do, or what to expect. This was the first proper trophy I could remember us winning and it really was the biggest day of my life, it sounds sad but that’s how much Rangers mean to me. 

I went over to Ibrox before the game started, the sea of red, white and blue all around the stadium, the buzz outside, the singing, the dancing and the celebrations, this is how it really feels to be a Rangers fan, not that heartbreak I’d be feeling before this season. 

As the game went on, all I cared about was the game finishing and our captain getting his hands on that trophy. As it ended and the trophy presentation was getting closer, I was feeling nervous and emotional.

Fans on the gate next to the park celebrated, indicating the trophy had been lifted and at that moment, I didn’t know what to do. I stopped and I cried. I expected to come out with a big celebration but I didn’t, I cried. I did carry on with the celebrations after they 30 seconds of emotion but it was THE moment that I had waited YEARS for, like every other Rangers fan. 

The time had come and the trophy came back home and Rangers were back to were we belong. 

It’s a feeling I will never forget but as we celebrated, I thought to myself, I want to do this every single year. These are the celebrations I crave and I can’t wait to be a part of many more.   

James, 20, Ballymena

I have followed Rangers for as long as I can remember, like many other supporters. This is down to my Dad and his love for the club. I can remember being wakened to watch the penalty shoot out of the 2008 Uefa cup semi-final and then taken to an Old Firm at Ibrox in the 2009/10 season as a young boy.

As the years went on my love for the club grew stronger, even through the lower divisions. As my dad entered a period of ill health I continued going to matches albeit not as often. In the 2016 season when I left school and became an apprentice joiner, the first thing I saved up for was a season ticket and began going as much as I could. 

I was excited by Warburtons arrival to the club and his first season which got us promoted back to where we belong was the first I’d felt like a wee boy looking up to players like I did with Steven Davis and Barry Ferguson years before.

I attended most games in the Warburton Premiership season and continued on throughout Murty and Caixinha.

Unfortunately towards the start of the 2017 premiership season, my Dad passed away. He had shown me the way of following Rangers with pride and had given me the love of our institution. 

This season was one of the worst I had following Rangers witnessing chinnings from the other half of the Old Firm and teams fighting relegation, Motherwell in the League cup Semi final was a particularly disappointing result that comes to mind.

Come the end of the 2017/18 season when we lost on an aggregate of 9-0 in the space of 2 weeks against Celtic, I thought we would never win the league again.

However that didn’t stop me renewing for another season and shortly after I felt rewarded with the prompt announcement of Steven Gerrard.

The first season of the current Gerrard era was the most excited I felt going to games since Warburton in the Championship, the club was galvanised and I had many great days (and nights) following us from Northern Ireland.

The standout moments from games I was at were the two Old Firms at Ibrox, beating Rapid Vienna in the Europa League group stages and Ufa in the playoffs where we missed the boat coming home and I didn’t walk into the house until 7am the next morning. I also recall taking a good friend of myself and my late Dad, to the Club Cooper hospitality suite against Hearts for a great day out.

Last season, similarly to the first, I couldn’t get enough of Rangers and followed them every second Saturday, I ended up going away too, to Kilmarnock, Easter Road, Hampden, Perth and Tynecastle.

I couldn’t get enough, I saw some disappointing results particularly the League Cup Final and Hearts away in January 2020. But there were many great days and nights along that journey.

We went over to Glasgow last weekend, a group of 8 of us. We got a taxi from the airport with a Hearts fan driving us, also happy to have been back where they belong. We couldn’t have felt more welcome or excited to be back in Scotland. 

On Saturday, we went to Ibrox to celebrate and had a brilliant time throughout the match cheering as the word spread of the goals in the match. An even bigger roar was heard at full time when the season was done, we were lifting the title.

We walked round to Kinning Park to take part in the march to George Square and it was fantastic, we ended up towards the front and sang and danced to every song sang about our great club.

It is an unbelievable feeling that our club is finally back where we belong, my season ticket is renewed and I am looking forward to next season. At the time of writing, my Dad would have been 55 today. I’m so glad we won the league this year for many reasons, but especially for my Dad.

For me this league title means so much along with the players and staff deserving this themselves. It is for the fans who have been there every step of the journey and for those no longer with us, Sandy Jardine, Fernando Ricksen and on a personal level for me, my dad, who showed me the way.

—–

A lot has been said about the fans celebrations in the press and by politicians, serving a range of vested interests and pursuing their own prejudice in some instances. 

We are human, we are football supporters, we have suffered, we have lost, we also have some idiots, much like the rest of society.

We are mums and dads, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters – we are key workers, we are NHS staff, we are ordinary people, we are successful business people, we are everything in between.

We are Rangers, We are the people.

Graeme Hanna
@graeme818 

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