Rangers kick start new season with commanding victory over Championship club in closed door friendly

Rangers manager Philippe Clement is on the verge of confirming his fifth signing of the summer windowRangers manager Philippe Clement is on the verge of confirming his fifth signing of the summer window
Rangers manager Philippe Clement is on the verge of confirming his fifth signing of the summer window | Getty Images
There were five different goal scorers on target for Philippe Clement’s side at the Rangers Training Centre

Rangers got their 2024/25 campaign up and running with a 5-2 victory over Scottish Championship side Hamilton Accies in a behind-closed doors friendly at Auchenhowie on Saturday.

Manager Philippe Clement fielded an experimental XI against last season’s SPFL League One runners-up, who earned promotion via the play-offs, as both clubs step up preparations ahead of a return competitive action.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

No supporters were in attendance at the club’s training centre, but it’s believed that five separate goal scorers were on target with Ross McCausland, Cyriel Dessers, Scott Wright, Cole McKinnon and Todd Cantwell all getting on the scoresheet.

Accies boss John Rankin split his squad for the match as he looks to get minutes into the legs of his players, with an Accies XI featuring several trialists also in action against Kelty Hearts later in the day. News of the result broke on social media this afternoon, with the Gers first-team squad now scheduled to fly out to the Netherlands for a pre-season training camp on Sunday.

It’s understood the Light Blues have arranged another closed-door match in midweek before they take on Dutch giants Ajax at a neutral venue in Wezep on Saturday, July 13 with the game due to kick-off at 3pm (UK time). Former Ibrox coach Dave Vos recently joined the coaching staff of the Eredivisie side under new manager Francesco Farioli.

Upon their return to the UK, Clement will take his side to Edinburgh for a glamour fixture against Manchester United at BT Murrayfield, before travelling down south the following midweek to play EFL League One outfit Birmingham City at St Andrews in a memorial game for the late Trevor Francis. Rangers then round off their warm-up programme on Saturday, July 27 with a trip to Germany to face Bundesliga side Union Berlin at the Stadion An der Altern Foresterie.

Meanwhile, a Rangers B-team recorded a 2-1 win over Queen’s Park reserves with goals from Alex Lowry and Archie Stevens proving decisive.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.

Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice