Rangers' Scottish Cup opponents hope lightening strikes twice on Ibrox return - 13 years after famous triumph
SPFL League Two club aim for Scottish Cup giant killing act that would far outweigh Ibrox league win back in March 2013
It’s not every day a part-time footballer gets the opportunity to play against Rangers - but it’s an occasion that Annan Athletic skipper Tommy Muir intends to savour for a lifetime.
For the 28-year-old self-employed joiner from nearby Dalbeattie, it will be the proudest moment of his career when he gets to lead his team mates out under the light at Ibrox tonight.
And the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup fourth round tie also has added meaning for Muir’s family, the majority of which are big Celtic supporters. He jokes the fixture has already caused a minor squabble among his nearest and dearest.
“Most of my family are big Celtic fans, but my oldest brother, Robert, he's a Rangers fan,” Muir explained to GlasgowWorld. “He took it from my grandad, so he was one of the first people I phoned when I got the draw. I just tried to wind him up, saying I'm going to live his dream of playing at Ibrox!
“He was actually winding me up saying he wasn't going to bother coming to watch, but I've got him a ticket and he's going to come up. He'll maybe be able to give me a bit of stick depending on how the game goes, I suppose.
"He's going to be in the Annan end. He was telling me he was going to go in the Rangers end, which I wasn't too happy about. He got a few bites from me with that one, but he's finally folded and got a ticket in the Annan end with the rest of my family, so it'll be brilliant.
“You get all the locals from both sides. The Celtic fans have been telling me to make sure I give them a good kick, stuff like that! I know there's been a proper good buzz about the place.
“In Dalbeattie (where he is based), every time you're in a builders' merchant getting material, it's all anybody's spoke about since the draw, really. I've tried to put it to the back of my mind but it's getting really exciting now it’s finally here.”
Annan currently sit in seventh spot in SPFL League Two and have suffered a spate of recent postponements due to the cold snap, meaning they haven’t played a competitive match since December 27th.
All the signs point to a routine Rangers victory but 13 years on from recording a famous 2-1 triumph over the Light Blues in Govan, the Galabankies return this evening looking to spring a major shock.
In Muir’s case, it’s not mission impossible as he pointed to some recent cup upsets across Europe and hopes Annan can take inspiration from non-league Macclesfield knocking FA Cup holders Crystal Palace out of the competition last weekend.
“You see it happens every year, there are upsets, look at Crystal Palace last weekend,” Muir declared. “I think it was only the other night that Paris FC beat PSG in a cup. Real Madrid got beaten last night so it's always happening.
"We've got to believe that it can happen. A lot needs to go in our favour. We need to put in probably our best performance and hope Rangers have an off day.
“But we know if we can go there and frustrate them and keep it tight, if they don't score early and their fans start turning on them, that'll give us a boost. It's just trying to stay in the game as long as possible. When a chance comes, we've got to take it.”
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Asked where this would rank in terms of all-time cup shocks, Muir continued: “I think it would definitely top the Queen's Park result last season. That result gives us more belief. We know it's possible, it can be done.
“I think it might factor into Rangers' team selection tomorrow night as well, they might not make as many changes as maybe they would have. So, yeah, it's definitely possible. I think it would be the biggest shock for a good few years anyway.”
What has Annan boss Wullie Gibson said?
41-year-old player/manager Wullie Gibson has some previous history at Ibrox. In 2012, he was sent off whilst playing for Queen of the South in a Challenge Cup tie, only for the Dumfries outfit to progress on penalties after a 2-2 draw.
Rangers now find themselves in a very different place now under Danny Rohl, but that hasn’t stopped the former Kilmarnock and Dunfermline wing-back believing his side can produce a massive giant killing act.
“I think this would stand above it if we can get a result,” Gibson confessed when asked if leading Annan to a win at Ibrox would emulate lifting the sole trophy of his career - the Challenge Cup in season 2011/12. “Rangers are clearly in a very good place now. Just before the draw was made, I think everyone had written them off.
“But Danny Rohl has come in and done a right good job to get them back into the title race. For us to go there and get a result, it would surprise a lot of people. But clearly this is a very different Rangers side now. We are massive underdogs, but we need to go there and have belief in ourselves.
“There's definitely a freshness (about the squad) this week. They’ve probably found an extra 5-10% because the excitement gives you that. But like I said, it's going to be a tough, tough game and we just need to roll up our sleeves and give it our best shot.”
Despite being on the other side of 40, veteran Gibson still feels he can can contribute heavily on the pitch after starting all-bar one of Annan’s games so far this season.
“I’ve thought about it,” Gibson smiled when pressed on whether he’d consider dropping himself for the game. “The last time I was there as manager of Queen of the South, I actually dropped myself and gave a young boy his debut at Ibrox.
“But I’ve played every game bar one due to a suspension this year, so I think it would be harsh if I was to drop myself.
“It (the buzz around the town) has been good. We sold an initial allocation of 900 tickets and then had to request more. So I think we’re now taking just over 1,000 fans. That’s huge for us. Off the back of that, we can hopefully then start getting more fans through the gates at Galabank as well.”