2009–10 Rangers F.C. season

Overview

Rangers played a total of 54 competitive matches during the 2009–10 season. A quiet summer in terms of transfer arrivals contrasted to the outgoings. The club removed eleven players who had made first team appearances from the wage bill on permanent and loan deals. The only addition to the playing staff was Jérôme Rothen on a season loan, Rothen was the first player to sign for the club in over a year. On 26 August, chairman David Murray stepped down and was replaced by non-executive director Alastair Johnston. Johnston stated that one of his main priorities was to find a buyer for owner Murray's shares. On 24 October, Rangers manager Walter Smith was reported to say that Lloyds Banking Group, who the club was in debt to, was "effectively running the club". On 12 November, the extent of the club's financial problems was shown to be £31m in debt, a rise of £10m from the previous year.

On the field, Rangers' Scottish Premier League title defence got off to a stuttering start, three wins in the league was followed by three draws, the first Old Firm victory of the season was followed by poor performances against St Johnstone and dropped points at home to Hibernian. The side lost their first league match of the season away to Aberdeen on 28 November but then embarked on a six-match winning run, scoring 26 goals in the process. At the start of 2010, Rangers sat at the top of the league. The second Old Firm fixture finished in a 1–1 draw. Rangers had a ten-point lead by mid February. Rangers won the third Old Firm match 1-0 thanks to an injury time winner from Maurice Edu which all but secured the title. The side had to wait nearly two months to be confirmed as champions due to dropping points to St Johnstone and Dundee United. On 25 April Rangers won their 53rd league title after defeating Hibernian 1–0 at Easter Road, with Kyle Lafferty scoring the only goal.

In the domestic cup competitions, Rangers won the League Cup after a 1–0 victory over St Mirren in the final, despite being reduced to nine men with Danny Wilson and Kevin Thomson being sent-off. However, Rangers were unable to retain the Scottish Cup after losing 1–0 to eventual winners Dundee United in a quarter-final replay.

Rangers were seeded in pot two of the UEFA Champions League group stage for the first time. The club was drawn against Spanish team Sevilla, German outfit VfB Stuttgart and Romanian champions Unirea Urziceni. A 1–1 away draw in Germany was followed by two consecutive 4–1 defeats at home to Sevilla and Unirea, the latter being regarded as one of the club's worst ever European results. Rangers were left with a small chance of qualifying from the group after a 1–1 draw in the return leg with Unirea, a match that saw trouble in the Rangers fans section of the stadium; the club was later charged by UEFA for inappropriate conduct and following an investigation fined €20,000 plus ordered to pay the cost of repairing the damage to the stadium infrastructure caused by its supporters. The side finished bottom of their group and was knocked out of European football altogether after two defeats from in the final two matches.

Players

Squad information

Football Squads (for appearances, goals and player's number)|date=August 2013}}

Transfers

In

Total spending: £0

Out

Total income: £4,350,000

Squad statistics

Goal scorers

Last updated: 9 May 2010

Source: Match reports

Only competitive matches

Disciplinary record

Last updated: 9 May 2010

Source: Match reports

Only competitive matches

Club

Board of directors

Coaching staff

Other staff

Matches

Pre-season and friendlies

Novo Ñíguez Ñíguez Eduardo Wilshere Petrov Miller Weir Piquionne

Scottish Premier League

Miller Miller Naismith

McCulloch Boyd

Boyd Boyd Whittaker

Miller

Papac

Boyd

Miller Whittaker

Boyd Miller

Boyd Novo

Miller Miller

Boyd Miller Lafferty Beasley Lafferty

Boyd Novo Miller

Boyd Boyd Miller Whittaker Boyd Boyd Bougherra

Novo

Fleck Whittaker

Boyd Miller

McCulloch Novo

Miller

Miller Naismith Naismith

Millar Craig Davidson

Lafferty Miller

Miller

Novo

Fortuné McCulloch

Lafferty Lafferty Jennings Jutkiewicz

Scottish League Cup

Novo MacKenzie (o.g.) Fleck McCulloch Wilson Miller

Scottish Cup

Paixão Antoine-Curier Miller Miller Whittaker Boyd Novo Whittaker Kovačević

UEFA Champions League

Adriano Luís Fabiano Kanouté Lafferty McCulloch Brandán Kuzmanović

Competitions

Overall

Scottish Premier League

Main article: 2009–10 Scottish Premier League

Standings

Results summary

Results by round

UEFA Champions League

[[2009–10 UEFA Champions League#Group G|Group G]]

References

References

1. (26 August 2009). "Murray relinquishes Rangers role". BBC Sport.
2. (28 September 2009). "Johnston reveals Gers objectives". BBC Sport.
3. (27 October 2009). "Clarity required for Rangers sale". BBC Sport.
4. (26 October 2009). "Smith admits he could leave Ibrox". BBC Sport.
5. (12 November 2009). "Rangers' debts increase to £31m". BBC News.
6. (14 February 2010). "Rangers 3-0 Hibernian". BBC Sport.
7. (28 February 2010). "Rangers 1-0 Celtic". BBC Sport.
8. (25 April 2010). "Hibernian 0-1 Rangers". BBC Sport.
9. (3 November 2009). "Walter Smith urges Rangers to avenge 'worst ever' defeat". The Guardian.
10. (21 October 2009). "Rangers suffer their worst humiliation". The Scotsman.
11. (5 November 2009). "Rangers charged over fan violence". BBC Sport.
12. (12 November 2009). "Rangers and Unirea fined by Uefa". BBC Sport.
13. Bougherra was born in [[Longvic]], France.
14. (1 September 2009). "Rangers tie up Rothen loan deal". BBC Sport.
15. (1 June 2009). "Weir poised for new Rangers deal". BBC Sport.
16. (31 July 2009). "Addicks bring in veteran Dailly". BBC Sport.
17. (30 June 2009). "Furman exits Rangers for Oldham". BBC Sport.
18. Tony Bugby. (30 June 2009). "Latics pay up for Furman". Oldham Chronicle.
19. (9 June 2009). "Rangers' Lowing given deal chance". BBC Sport.
20. (4 September 2009). "Fans Fund McLachlan Capture". Clyde Football Club.
21. (4 August 2009). "Sons add two former Gers youths". BBC Sport.
22. (13 July 2009). "Killie land keeper Robinson". 4thegame.
23. (25 August 2009). "Defender Harvey signs for Sons". BBC Sport.
24. (2 June 2009). "Rangers ace Pedro Mendes: I'm not going anywhere". Evening Times.
25. (10 July 2009). "Saints sign Gers goalkeeper Smith". BBC Sport.
26. (16 July 2009). "Webster eager for United chance". BBC Sport.
27. (17 July 2009). "Birmingham clinch Ferguson deal". BBC Sport.
28. Original fee was £500,000, but Rangers were entitled to a 10% sell-on fee when Adam completed a move to [[Liverpool F.C.. Liverpool]], which was a total of £850,000
29. (4 August 2009). "Adam completes move to Blackpool". BBC Sport.
30. (8 July 2011). "Ian Durrant: Rangers can use Charlie Adam windfall to help boost summer buying power". Daily Record.
31. (14 August 2009). "Plymouth sign Rangers striker Gow". BBC Sport.
32. (17 August 2009). "Velicka secures Bristol City loan". BBC Sport.
33. (28 August 2009). "Oxford sign Rangers pair on loan". BBC Sport.
34. (30 August 2009). "Aaron exits Ibrox for Celta Vigo". BBC Sport.
35. "İsa Bağcı: Gol makinesi". tff.org.
36. (1 September 2009). "Mickael Antoine-Curier checks in at Hamilton Accies on short term loan". Daily Record.
37. (31 December 2009). "Queen of the South out to extend loan deals". Daily Record.
38. (2 March 2010). "New faces add strength as derby day beckons". Fife Today.
39. (28 January 2010). "Andrew Shinnie joins Dundee on loan again from Rangers". BBC Sport.
40. (29 January 2010). "Mendes leaves Rangers for Sporting Lisbon in £1.5m deal". Daily Record.
41. (29 January 2010). "Rangers striker Rory Loy joins St Mirren on loan". BBC Sport.
42. (30 January 2010). "Sporting Lisbon sign Pedro Mendes from Rangers". BBC Sport.
43. (1 February 2010). "Lincoln City sign Rangers' Lennon as Brown and Fagan go". BBC Sport.
44. (1 February 2010). "Peterhead's Gers loan player faces place fight". Press and Journal.
45. (11 August 2015). "Tom Miller Completes Dundalk Move".
46. (18 October 2009). "Rangers make boardroom changes with appointment of Muir and McGill". The Scotsman.
47. [https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/scot_prem/8333828.stm Original date was 1 November 2009 - abandoned at half-time because of heavy rain]
48. [https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/scot_prem/8525381.stm Original date was 20 February 2010 - postponed due to a frozen and unplayable pitch]
49. [https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/scot_cups/8583381.stm Original date was 24 March 2010 - postponed due to Rangers Scottish Cup quarter-final replay with Dundee United]