The dust has settled, the new season has begun and Rangers are once again back to winning ways. The new management team are in place and all is well at Ibrox again. Now that the Gers fans are enjoying life again disposing of Championship opposition professionally we remember the man who got the club back on its feet and started the long road back to the top. However it is not his managerial exploits that should be focused on as Ally McCoist’s real area of expertise was putting the ball in the net and it is important to remember just how good he was. He cemented his legendary status not just at Rangers Football Club but also through his efforts for Scottish football general.
Alistair Murdoch McCoist found his way to Rangers Football Club via St Johnstone and Sunderland in 1983. McCoist was 21 years old when he signed and arrived with an average striking record of one goal in just over every three games. John Grieg however fancied the young striker, despite being small in stature and he was signed for a fee of £150,000. When roughly calculated the maths works out at £259 per appearance and £423 per goal which has to be one of Rangers greatest ever investments.
Spending a total of 15 seasons as a player at Ibrox, Super Ally racked up an impressive 581 total appearances which is 3rd on the all time list behind John Greig and Sandy Jardine, which is the sort of esteem Ally McCoist deserves. The total goals scored by Ally McCoist is what elevated him to legend status becoming Rangers all time record goal scorer with 355 goals, 94 ahead of nearest Bob McPhail. This tally included an impressive 28 hat tricks and a fans favourite 27 goals against Celtic.
Super Ally endeared himself to the fans in scoring a hat trick against the Old Firm rivals in the 1983-84 Scottish League Cup Final. McCoist was a man for the big occasion scoring 7 goals in 10 victorious Cup finals and when taken along with the 10 League Titles he won as a player with the Gers, including the entire “Nine in a Row” it becomes easier to forget the troubled end to his managerial reign and remember the true brilliance of the man.
When his playing days came to a difficult end, praise was rightfully so heaped on Super Ally. This was after all the first player to win Europe’s Golden Shoe in successive seasons having scored 34 goals in the 1992 and 1993 seasons, helping Rangers secure the Title in both campaigns. McCoist was voted Rangers 2nd Greatest Ever Player behind only Sandy Jardine and became an inaugural member of the Rangers Hall of Fame in tribute to his wonderful service. This service was further recognised at national level when Ally McCoist was inducted into both the Scottish Football Hall of Fame and the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame in 2007 showing that the man reached further than just Ibrox.
The Rangers Legend that is Ally McCoist should always be remembered for his fantastic service to the club. Instances such as the “gardening leave” can muddy the waters of opinion, However, Super Ally always acted with Rangers best interest at heart. McCoist played key roll in winning many trophies and as Gers fans we must never forget the skill, craft and finishing ability of such a fantastic striker that is thoroughly deserving of the label “LEGEND.”
