2008–09 Rangers F.C. season

Overview

Rangers played a total of 49 competitive matches during the 2008–09 season. The season began disastrously as the club exited the UEFA Champions League and European football altogether, losing 2–1 on aggregate to Lithuanian side FBK Kaunas in the second qualifying round. The first leg at Ibrox finished goalless, but the return leg ended in defeat for Rangers after an 87th-minute header from Linas Pilibaitis. The financial consequences of the failures to qualify for the Champions League were revealed when the club posted a loss of £3.9m for the six months to December 2008, and in March decided to offer staff the option of voluntary redundancy as a way of cutting costs. There was also mounting pressure on the manager to reduce the first team squad from 28 players to a more manageable figure. The player excess was eased slightly with the departures of Chris Burke, Jean-Claude Darcheville and a couple out on loan deals but the increased debt meant that the club needed to find a cash injection. This resulted in the attempted sale of Kris Boyd to Birmingham City which fell through due to the players wage demands.

In the first Old Firm game of the season, Rangers won 4–2, with Pedro Mendes scoring his first goal for the club, and Kenny Miller scoring a double against his former employers. But the team's league form stuttered thereafter. Despite a run of five wins from six matches following the Old Firm victory, the side trailed Celtic by seven points in the league at the turn of the year. For the first few months of 2009 both sides dropped and gained points on the other and Rangers briefly took over top spot of the Scottish Premier League on 21 February after a win against Kilmarnock. The spell as league leaders lasted less than a fortnight. A defeat and a draw, both at home, to Inverness and Hearts respectively, saw Smith's side sit second in the table, one point behind Celtic, at the split. The fourth Old Firm league meeting of the season finished with a 1–0 win to Rangers, thanks to a Steven Davis strike. This meant that, with three league games remaining, Rangers were two points ahead of Celtic. Further twists and turns followed, both Old Firm sides drew their matches against Hibernian at Easter Road, and so Rangers were ahead by two points with one round of matches remaining. Smith's side just needed a win against Dundee United to guarantee the club's 52nd league title. That is exactly what they got, goals from Kyle Lafferty, Pedro Mendes and Kris Boyd sealed a 3–0 win and the club's first league championship in four seasons.

The club played in the finals of both of the domestic cup competitions for the second season running. The 2009 Scottish League Cup Final was reached by defeating Partick Thistle, Hamilton and Falkirk en route but the final ended in a 2–0 defeat at the hands of Old Firm rivals Celtic. The match was Walter Smith's first ever Old Firm final and was marred by a Kirk Broadfoot sending off deep into extra time for a foul on Aidan McGeady inside the penalty box. Celtic were subsequently awarded a penalty which McGeady himself converted.

Rangers qualified for the 2009 Scottish Cup Final after beating St Mirren 3–0 in the semi-final. The second goal of the game was scored by Kris Boyd and was his 100th goal for Rangers. The team faced Falkirk at Hampden Park on 30 May 2009 in what was the club's 51st Scottish Cup Final appearance. A Nacho Novo strike in the first minute of the second half gave Rangers a 1–0 win and completed the domestic double.

Players

Squad information

Football Squads (for appearances, goals and player's number)|date=December 2010}}

Transfers

In

Total spending: £17.8m

Out

"Ibrox keeper goes on Saints loan" BBC Sport. 2 October 2008.}}

"Ibrox keeper goes on Saints loan" BBC Sport. 19 November 2008.}}

"Rangers' Efrem on loan to Dundee" BBC Sport. 1 February 2009.}}

"Norwich bring in Gow from Rangers" BBC Sport. 2 February 2009.}}

"Adam moves to Blackpool on loan" BBC Sport. 2 February 2009.}}

"Rangers defender joins Brechin" BBC Sport. 21 March 2009. }}

Total income: £12.3m

Squad statistics

List of squad players, including number of appearances by competition |}

Top Scorer

Last updated: 24 May 2009

Source: Match reports

Only competitive matches

Disciplinary record

Last updated: 24 May 2009

Source: Match reports

Only competitive matches

Club

Board of directors

Coaching staff

Other staff

Matches

Pre-season and friendlies

Boyd Fleck Cousin Ngog Benayoun Alonso Kaká Papac

Scottish Premier League

Boyd

Vennegoor of Hesselink Nakamura Miller Mendes Cousin Miller

Boyd Papac

Novo

Miller Bougherra

Boyd Novo

Boyd Boyd Boyd Miller

Sandaza Robertson Papac Thomson

Boyd Miller Whittaker

Davis

Boyd

Kingston Wallace

Boyd Boyd Boyd Lafferty Novo Davis Canning

Lafferty Feeney

Boyd Boyd

Papac Boyd Davis Cregg

Lafferty

Boyd Boyd

Ferguson Palazuelos

Edu

Boyd Boyd

Rankin Velička Edu

Boyd

Foster Miller Paton

Mendes Boyd

Scottish League Cup

Mendes Lafferty Novo Boyd McGeady

Scottish Cup

Novo Miller Aarón Miller Lafferty Aarón Davis Lafferty Boyd Miller

UEFA Champions League

Pilibaitis

Competitions

Overall

Scottish Premier League

Main article: 2008–09 Scottish Premier League

Standings

Results summary

Results by round

References

References

1. (7 March 2009). "Rangers offer redundancy packages". BBC News.
2. (8 January 2009). "Blues end bid to sign Gers' Boyd". BBC Sport.
3. (24 May 2009). "Dundee United 0–3 Rangers". BBC Sport.
4. (15 March 2009). "Celtic 2-0 Rangers". BBC Sport.
5. (30 May 2009). "Rangers 1–0 Falkirk". BBC Sport.
6. (9 June 2008). "Webster completes Rangers switch". BBC Sport.
7. (13 June 2008). "Miller makes his way back to Gers". BBC Sport.
8. (16 June 2008). "Velicka completes Rangers switch". BBC Sport.
9. (19 June 2008). "Lafferty completes Rangers move". BBC Sport.
10. (31 July 2008). "Rangers sign defender Bougherra". BBC Sport.
11. (13 August 2008). "Rangers complete Niguez transfer". BBC Sport.
12. (15 August 2008). "Rangers confirm capture of Mendes". BBC Sport.
13. (21 August 2008). "Fulham's Davis moves to Rangers". BBC Sport.
14. (17 August 2008). "Rangers sign US international Edu". BBC Sport.
15. (22 August 2008). "Rangers' Edu is given work permit". BBC Sport.
16. [http://www.sundaymail.co.uk/sport-news/sportfeed/2008/06/08/don-deal-for-thrilled-leven-78057-20599394/ "Don Deal For Thrilled Leven"] ''Sunday Mail''. 8 June 2008.
17. (April 2019)
18. (1 September 2008). "SPL ins/outs". BBC Sport.
19. (29 May 2008). "Striker Sebo completes Ibrox exit". BBC Sport.
20. [http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/7483845.stm "Buffel exits Rangers for Cercle"] BBC Sport. 1 July 2008.
21. (12 August 2008). "Cuellar seals £7.8m move to Villa". BBC Sport.
22. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/7565106.stm "Gers send youngsters out on loan"] BBC Sport. 16 August 2008.
23. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/bristol_city/7568074.stm "Bristol City land Webster on loan"] BBC Sport. 18 August 2008.
24. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/bradford_city/7586276.stm "Bradford City take Furman on loan"] BBC Sport. 28 August 2008.
25. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/clyde/7590926.stm "Clyde do loan deals for Gers duo"] BBC Sport. 31 August 2008.
26. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/cowdenbeath/7592658.stm "Cowdenbeath take SPL duo on loan"] BBC Sport. 1 September 2008
27. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/blackpool/7593000.stm "Blackpool take Gers' Gow on loan"] BBC Sport. 1 September 2008.
28. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/q/queen_of_the_south/7770365.stm "Kinniburgh joins Queens on loan"] BBC Sport. 7 December 2008.
29. (12 December 2008). "Rangers' Loy loaned out to Pars". BBC Sport.
30. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/i/inverness_ct/7803601.stm "Wilson and Robinson join Queens"] BBC Sport. 30 December 2008.
31. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/7788554.stm "Darcheville Ibrox exit confirmed"] BBC Sport. 19 December 2008.
32. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/h/hamilton_academical/7816318.stm "Accies sign Old Firm pair on loan"] BBC Sport. 7 January 2009.
33. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/cardiff_city/7816816.stm "Cardiff sign Burke from Rangers"] BBC Sport. 9 January 2009.
34. (31 March 2009). "Saints secure Rangers left back on loan". St Johnstone F.C..
35. (May 2025)
36. Boyd was officially credited with the goal but it was recorded as a [[Hristos Karipidis. Karipidis]] ([[Own goal]]) by media sources, see Boyd's page
37. [http://sport.scotsman.com/spl?articleid=4754469 Boyd gets gift of a goal for his tally, match referee awards Boyd the goal]
38. (May 2025)
39. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_cups/7872230.stm Original date was 8 February 2009 - postponed due to a frozen and unplayable pitch]