1988–89 Rangers F.C. season

March 2026 January 2021 Rangers 1988–89 Graeme Souness David Holmes Ground Ibrox Stadium Scottish Premier Division 1st (champions) Scottish Cup Runners-up League Cup Winners UEFA Cup Second round Kevin Drinkell (11) Kevin Drinkell (19) 1987–88 1989–90 The 1988–89 season was the 109th season of competitive football by Rangers. Overview Rangers played a total of 53 competitive matches during the 1988–89 season. They regained the Scottish Premier Division title, winning the first of nine consecutive league titles. England international right back, Gary Stevens was signed from Everton and Kevin Drinkell was brought in to partner Ally McCoist up front. Results against Celtic were pivotal in the Championship race, winning 5–1 and 4–1 at Ibrox. They also secured their first win at Parkhead since 1980, 2–1 in March. The league was won at Ibrox with a 4–0 demolition of Hearts. In the cup competitions, they lost the Scottish Cup final 1–0 to Celtic. The team won the Scottish League Cup (Skol Cup) for the third season in a row defeating Aberdeen 3–2. The European campaign was disappointing. The team qualified for the UEFA Cup and after a fine aggregate win over Polish side GKS Katowice, they were knocked out in the second round by Köln of West Germany. Lawrence Marlborough sold his controlling interest in Rangers to Scottish businessman David Murray in November 1988. Murray would later take over as chairman from David Holmes. Transfer In DatePlayerFromFee30 June 1988ENG Kevin Drinkell ENG Norwich City £500,00019 July 1988ENG Gary Stevens ENG Everton £1,000,00029 July 1988NIR John Morrow NIR Linfield Free17 September 1988SCO Andy Gray ENG West Bromwich Albion Free3 October 1988SCO Neale Cooper ENG Aston Villa £250,0006 February 1989SCO Tom Cowan SCO Clyde £100,0004 March 1989ENG Mel Sterland ENG Sheffield Wednesday £750,000 Out DatePlayerFromFee 31 May 1988ISR Avi Cohen ISR Maccabi Tel Aviv Free1 July 1988DEN Jan Bartram DEN Brøndby £300,00026 August 1988ENG Graham Roberts ENG Chelsea £475,00026 August 1988ENG Jimmy Phillips ENG Oxford United £100,000 Expenditure: £2,600,000 Income: £875,000 Total loss/gain: £1,725,000 Results Scottish Premier Division 1988–89 Scottish Premier Division DateRangers FC » Schedule https://www.worldfootball.net/teams/te893/rangers-fc/vs1988-1989/all-matches/ 2026-03-17 worldfootball.net enOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 13 August 1988Hamilton AcademicalA2–010,500Stevens, McCoist 20 August 1988HibernianH0–041,955 27 August 1988CelticH5–142,858McCoist (2), Wilkins, Drinkell, Walters 3 September 1988MotherwellA2–020,112Drinkell, Durrant 17 September 1988Heart of MidlothianA2–125,501Durrant (pen.), Nisbet 24 September 1988St MirrenH2–135,523D.Cooper (pen.), Walters 27 September 1988 Dundee UnitedA1–020,071I.Ferguson 1 October 1988 DundeeH2–040,768Drinkell, Walters 8 October 1988 AberdeenA1–223,370N.Cooper 12 October 1988 HibernianA1–026,000McCoist 29 October 1988 St MirrenA1–120,903Gray 1 November 1988 Heart of MidlothianH3–036,505Gough, Walters (pen.), Gray 5 November 1988 MotherwellH2–136,060Brown, Drinkell 12 November 1988 CelticA1–360,113Walters 16 November 1988 Hamilton AcademicalH3–133,684Gray, Ferguson, Drinkell 19 November 1988 DundeeA0–016,514 26 November 1988 AberdeenH1–042,239Gough 3 December 1988 Dundee UnitedH0–139,123 10 December 1988 Heart of MidlothianA0–226,424 17 December 1988 HibernianH1–036,672McCall 31 December 1988 Hamilton AcademicalA1–010,500D.Ferguson 3 January 1989CelticH4–142,515Walters (2, 1 (pen.)), Butcher, I.Ferguson 7 January 1989MotherwellA1–219,275Drinkell 14 January 1989AberdeenA2–123,000Munro, D.Ferguson 21 January 1989DundeeH3–143,202I.Ferguson, Butcher, McCoist 11 February 1989Dundee UnitedA1–122,019Munro 25 February 1989 St MirrenH3–139,021I.Ferguson, McCoist, Walters 11 March 1989Hamilton AcademicalH3–035,733I.Ferguson, Sterland, Gough 25 March 1989HibernianA1–023,321Drinkell 1 April 1989CelticA2–160,171Drinkell, I.Ferguson 8 April 1989MotherwellH1–033,782McCoist 22 April 1989St MirrenA2–022,096I.Ferguson, McCoist 29 April 1989Heart of MidlothianH4–042,856Drinkell (2), Sterland (2) 2 May 1989 Dundee UnitedH2–039,068Drinkell, McCoist 6 May 1989 DundeeA2–114,889Gray (2) 13 May 1989 AberdeenH0–342,480 Scottish League Cup 1988–89 Scottish League Cup DateRoundOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 17 August 1988R2ClydeA3–014,699Drinkell, Walters, D.Ferguson 24 August 1988R3ClydebankH6–034,376McCoist, Gough, Walters, Wilkins, Drinkell, Durrant 31 August 1988QFDundeeH4–139,667McCoist, Walters, I.Ferguson, Forsyth (o.g.) 21 September 1988SFHeart of MidlothianN3–053,623Walters (2), Nisbet 23 October 1988FAberdeenN3–272,122McCoist (2, 1 (pen.)), I.Ferguson Scottish Cup 1988–89 Scottish Cup DateRoundOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 28 January 1989R3Raith RoversA1–110,500I.Ferguson 1 February 1989R3 RRaith RoversH3–040,307Walters, Drinkell, Fraser (o.g.) 18 February 1989R4StranraerH8–041,198Drinkell (2), Brown (2), McCoist (2, 1 (pen.)I.Ferguson, Walters 21 March 1989QFDundee UnitedH2–242,177Drinkell, McCoist 27 March 1989QF RDundee UnitedA1–021,872McCoist 15 April 1989SFSt JohnstoneN0–047,374 18 April 1989SF RSt JohnstoneN4–044,205Walters, Stevens, Drinkell, McCoist 20 May 1989 FCelticN0–172,069 UEFA Cup 1988–89 UEFA Cup DateRoundOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 7 September 1988R1POL GKS KatowiceH1–041,120Walters 5 October 1988R1POL GKS KatowiceA4–240,000Butcher (2), Durrant, I.Ferguson 26 October 1988R2GER KölnA0–242,000 9 November 1988R2GER KölnH1–142,204Drinkell Appearances PlayerPositionAppearancesGoalsSCO Nicky WalkerGK140ENG Chris WoodsGK390SCO John BrownDF423ENG Terry ButcherDF514SCO Tom CowanDF40SCO Richard GoughDF514SCO John McGregorDF10SCO Stuart MunroDF334NIR Jimmy NichollDF30SCO Scott NisbetDF102ENG Gary StevensDF522SCO Davie CooperMF331SCO Neale CooperMF171SCO Ian DurrantMF144SCO Derek FergusonMF243SCO Ian FergusonMF3313SCO Davie KirkwoodMF20SCO Ian McCallMF71SCO Kevin MacDonaldMF30SCO Sandy RobertsonMF20SCO Graeme SounessMF100ENG Mark WaltersMF4817ENG Ray WilkinsMF452ENG Kevin DrinkellFW4719SCO Andy GrayFW165SCO Ally McCoistFW3318SCO Gary McSweganFW10ENG Mel SterlandFW133 League table RAN See also 1988–89 in Scottish football 1988–89 Scottish Cup 1988–89 Scottish League Cup 1988–89 UEFA Cup Nine in a row References Category:Rangers F.C. seasons Rangers Category:Scottish football championship-winning seasons