How Rangers tried - and failed - to copy Real Madrid

Jacque Talbot

• Updated: 1 Oct 2023 16:02 BST
• 4 min read

Rangers aimed to emulate Real Madrid by incorporating other sports, such as basketball, into their institution.

The Scottish Sun reports that the club had plans to branch out but they ended up parking the idea, instead signing Mark Walters, who joined from Aston Villa in 1987.

The England international arrived into Graeme Souness’s setup along with a number of other English players.

When David Murray took over the Gers, he had to choose between continuing to make big statement signings for the Premiership club, or venture out into other sports.

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Jim Morrison, captain of the basketball team told A View from the Terrace on BBC Scotland: It was quite an easy decision. He’d just bought Mark Walters for half a million, and it was taking half a million to run a basketball at that time. So, buy a Mark Walters each season or have a basketball team?"

Eventually, Murray pulled his funding for Scottish basketball and the enterprise collapsed. Morrison added: "It cost a lot of money to run a basketball team - he was running two.

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Rangers copying Real

"I just felt it was either run a basketball team or put all your focus into the football team. Real Madrid had it at the time, a few German teams had it. Manchester United were starting to do it as well."

"I remember 1988. I walked into training and the Americans were all buzzing about the news thinking we'd be the basketball team.

Former @RangersFC player & Manager Graeme Souness announced @TheBHF as our new #NationalCharityPartner for this season. ❤💙

Ahead of #WorldHeartDay, we’ve pledged to raise £25K for BHF & encourage 50,000 people to learn lifesaving CPR.

More👉https://t.co/dSM9LECZuL pic.twitter.com/AEWoejbnAB

— Rangers Charity Foundation (@RFC_Charity) September 28, 2023

"I thought no we won't. I walked up to Kevin Cadle and only the two of us knew the significance of David Murray buying Rangers - we realised that'd be us finished."

Team-mate Tony McDaid said: "There’s a common model across Europe where lots of sporting clubs are more than just football – they’re basketball, volleyball and that model really works."

Rangers did face Real Madrid at the Bernabeu for a basketball match. Morrison added: "Real Madrid, the European Cup in the Bernabeu, and you’re playing for Rangers. That’s the dream. We had the Rangers strip with the name on the front and a take on the Rangers FC badge. I was 6’5” but felt 10-feet tall as a Rangers player.

Real Madrid won comfortably - but it was still a moment to cherish for the players.