User:VanguardScot/sandbox2
Crest and colours
[edit]Crest
[edit]Unusually for a football club, Rangers have two different official crests. Today the original scroll crest appears on the clubs strips whereas the lion rampant club crest is used by the media, on club merchandise and on official club documents. Both crests have undergone minor variations since their introduction. It is believed that the scroll crest, representing the letters RFC overlapping, has been used since the club's formation in 1872, although the oldest remaining piece of memorabilia containing this crest is from the 1881-82 season. The scroll crest was replaced in 1959 with the lion rampant club crest which featured a lion rampant, an old-style football and the club's motto Ready, which was shortened from Aye Ready (meaning Always Ready in Scots), all surrounded by the team name, Rangers Football Club. The lion rampant club crest was modernised in 1968; the lion rampant, team name, club motto and old style football all remained. The modern circular crest is regularly used on club merchandise and by the media; it has never featured prominently on the club strip. Since 1968 Rangers have had two crests, the scroll crest made a return appearing on the chest of the club shirt for the first time while the modernised club crest was still the clubs official logo. The scroll crest first appeared on the teams shorts for the start of the 1978-79 season.[1][2]
The way the scroll crest has appeared on the club shirt has varied slightly through the years. Between 1990 and 1994 'Rangers Football Club' and the 'Ready' motto appeared above and below the Crest respectively. Between 1997 and 1999 the scroll crest featured within a shield. After a successful end to the season in 2003, which delivered Rangers a Domestic Treble and their 50th league title; five stars were added to the top of the scroll crest, one for every ten titles won by the club. The team wore a special crest on 8 December 2012 in a home league match against Stirling Albion, to commemorate the 140th anniversary of their formation. '1872-2012' appeared above the scroll crest with the words '140 years' featuring below.[3][4]
Colours
[edit]The club colours of Rangers F.C. are royal blue, white and red. However, for the majority of the first forty-eight years of Rangers existence the club played in a plain lighter blue home shirt. The only deviation from this was a four season period from 1879 when the side wore the lighter shade of blue and white in a thin hooped style. Traditionally this is accompanied by white shorts (often with royal blue and/or red trim) and black socks with red turn-downs. Rangers moved from the lighter shade of blue to royal blue in 1921, and have had a royal blue home shirt every year since. Black socks were first included in 1883 for five seasons before disappearing for eight years but became a more permanent fixture from 1896 onwards. When the red turn-downs were added to the socks in 1904, the strip began to look more like the modern day Rangers home kit. Occasionally the home kit will be altered by the shorts and socks, sometimes replacing the black socks with white ones; or replacing the white shorts and black socks combination with royal blue shorts and socks.[4]
The basic design of Rangers away strips has changed far more than the traditional home strip. Rangers original change strip, used between 1876 and 1879, was all white featuring blue and white hooped socks and a light blue blue six pointed star on the chest. White and red have been the most common colours for Rangers alternate strips, though dark and light blue have also featured highly. In 1994 Rangers introduced a third kit. This is usually worn if both the home and away kits clash with their opponents. The colours used in the third kits have included combinations of white, red, dark and light blue as well as black.[5]
| Selection of Rangers home kits through history[4] | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
     The blue shirt, white shorts and blue & white hooped socks. Worn 1873–1879 |
The blue shirt, white shorts and black socks. Worn 1883–1888 and 1896–1904 |
The royal blue shirt with white collar and black socks with red tops. Worn 1921–1968 |
The royal blue shirt and red socks with white tops. Worn 1968–1973. |
The royal blue shirt and black socks with red tops. Worn 1973–1978 | ||
Sponsors and manufacturers
[edit]Since 1978 when Rangers signed a deal with umbro they have had a specific kit manufacturer and since 1984 have had a kit sponsor. When Rangers played French sides AJ Auxerre and RC Strasbourg in the 1996–97 Champions League and the UEFA Cup respectively, due to a French ban on alcohol advertising the team wore the logo of Center Parcs instead of McEwan's Lager.[6] The following tables detail the shirt sponsors and kit suppliers of Rangers by year:[4]
| Kit suppliers[4] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dates | Supplier | |
| 1978-90 | Umbro | |
| 1990-92 | Admiral | |
| 1992-97 | Adidas | |
| 1997–2002 | Nike | |
| 2002–05 | Diadora | |
| 2005-13 | Umbro | |
| Shirt sponsors[4] | |
|---|---|
| Dates | Sponsor |
| 1984–87 | CR Smith |
| 1987–99 | McEwan's Lager |
| 1999–2003 | NTL |
| 2003–10 | Carling |
| 2010–13 | Tennent's |
References
[edit]- ^ "The Badges of Rangers Football Club". Danbury Mint. Archived from the original on 21 January 2013. Retrieved 21 January 2013.
The earliest badge featured the celebrated RFC scroll crest believed to have been used since 1872. Then there's the lion rampant and the club motto 'READY', which have appeared on Rangers' badges since 1959. Finally, see the evolution into the current badge, with the famous blue, white and red colours.
- ^ "The Rangers Crest". Rangers FC. Retrieved 21 January 2013.
Although the 'RFC' Scroll Crest was omitted in 1959 it made a welcome return in 1968 when it was placed on the club's home jersey for the very first time. It was later added to the shorts a decade later for the start of the 1978-79 season.
- ^ "The Rangers Crest". Gersnet Online. Retrieved 21 January 2013.
From 1990 to 1994 'Rangers Football Club' and the 'Ready' motto were placed above and below the Crest respectively. In 1997-98 the Crest was placed in a shield but perhaps the most significant change was before the start of the 2003/04 campaign. Having clinched their 50th League Championship, a year in which Rangers secured a domestic Treble, the Club decided to add five stars above the Scoll Crest, one for every ten titles won.
- ^ a b c d e f "Rangers". Historical Football Kits. Archived from the original on 24 August 2012. Retrieved 17 August 2012.
- ^ "Rangers Change Kits". Historical Football Kits. Archived from the original on 24 August 2012. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
- ^ Devlin, John (3 July 2009). "An alternative to alcohol". True Colours. Archived from the original on 18 August 2012. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
Rangers have actually sported the Center Parcs logo during the course of two seasons. It was first worn in the 1996–97 Champions League match at Auxerre that the French side won 2–1. Then in 97–98 a new style Center Parcs logo was worn in the UEFA Cup first round first leg game in Strasbourg where again the 'Gers lost 2–1 (also wearing their change blue shorts)