Big Dunc

RandyMac

RandyMac

Well-Known Member
Following on from reading the disappointing players thread - what was Big Duncan Ferguson like as a player back then?

I would only have been a few years old at the time, but to think we paid Dundee Hivs(!) roughly the same money we paid Lazio for Paul Gascoigne(!) 2 years later..it just seems unbelievable in this day and age.

Was the transfer fee for DF justified? Who could he be compared to in more recent times?
 
Partickger said:
His problems were threefold.

Hateley was undroppable
Injury
SFA

It’s a shame as I still think he’d have gone on to be a Rangers great under the right circumstances.
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You forgot about the 4th problem which was himself, he certainly didn’t help himself with some of his behaviour in his younger days. Injuries played a part as well, he wasn’t always fit.

As to the OP, incredible as it sounds it would be the equivalent of us paying about £60million or so for a player just now, that’s how crazy prices are these days.
 
Jim McLean seemed to have a policy of either not selling or getting as much as possible out of us at that time

Leeds were offering around £2.5m at that time for Duncan Ferguson while had to pay £4m

Ferguson as stated had his fair share of issues both on and off the field
 
He was injury prone pretty much from the second he left Dundee Utd. Did he ever start 20 league games in season after that?
 
Walter played him left mid, principally because he couldn't drop Hateley. He was as good on the deck (for a big guy) as he was in the air.

Disgracefully treated by the SFA (and not supported by the club)

Should have been ten times the player he was for us, but did very well at Everton when he left
 
It probably wasn't really justified at the time, but Jim McLean was having almost none of selling to us, which really bumped up the fee if I recall correctly.

Ferguson was an outstanding talent. I think Hateley was about 33 at the time, and we thought we were going to be needing to be replacing him fairly soon. Ferguson was the obvious choice.

However, when we signed him, McCoist was injured, and we ended up playing him up front with Hateley. Two of them were going for the same balls etc etc, and it just never worked. Dunc even found himself out on the left wing at one point.

The biggest factor was probably that Hateley raised his game big time, and Dunc couldn't get in the team due to a variety of issues, both on and off the field.

In an ideal world, we'd have loaned Dunc out until Hateley was done, and then brought him in in Hateley's place, but the timing, among other things just meant it wasn't to be.

If you're looking for a comparison in recent times, he was like an overly aggressive Peter Crouch, or maybe even Edin Dzeko. Big and ungainly looking, but a ferocious competitor and he could play as well. Had a good touch and was strong as an ox.
 
His legend at Rangers was greater than his football in my opinion. Went on to have a decent career and is well liked by most players and fans at the clubs he played for. Must be a decent coach as he’s been at Everton under a few regimes now.
 
Some insightful posts Bears, cheers.

It’s just hard to fathom paying another Scottish club, especially those cunts, £4m when players like Alan Shearer and Eric Cantona were going for much less around the same time.
 
rangeral said:
Jim McLean seemed to have a policy of either not selling or getting as much as possible out of us at that time

Leeds were offering around £2.5m at that time for Duncan Ferguson while had to pay £4m
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There was also the Murray factor, i.e. our illustrious captain of industry and erstwhile chair person just kinda liked the idea of Rangers holding the British transfer record.

What a guy!
 
He was unlucky for all of the reasons already posted.

But, as a footballer, he was something special. When I watched him for Dundee United against us I thought that we had to get him at any price.

The only other Scottish player I ever felt that strongly about was his namesake, Ian.
 
walter played him wide left the odd time, once against the sheep at home where he almost lobbed snelders with a lovely effort. I liked him a lot and felt he was dreadfully treated by nearly everyone.
 
An outstanding talent,he had that lot.
Pace,aggression,touch and self belief he had them all,but he was never 100% fit on leaving Tannadice.
Hateley was immense in 93/94 and was quite rightly No1.

I just feel that we,as a club,let Big Dunc down. He was shamefully treated by the SFA as well.

A case of what might've been.
 
Oduwa said:
This old chestnut.

What more could Rangers have done for a serial offender who was on his last warning from the crown and assaulted someone very publicly?
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It wasn’t assault and actions on a football field unless truly exceptional should never result in police action, however you are correct about the rest, once it became a police matter there was nothing the club could have done. And he was on his last chance as it was. None of that was the clubs doing.
 
Seem to remember a cup game against Falkirk (?) where he played up top with Hateley and they were literally bumping into each other making the same runs, and we lost.
 
RandyMac said:
Following on from reading the disappointing players thread - what was Big Duncan Ferguson like as a player back then?

I would only have been a few years old at the time, but to think we paid Dundee Hivs(!) roughly the same money we paid Lazio for Paul Gascoigne(!) 2 years later..it just seems unbelievable in this day and age.

Was the transfer fee for DF justified? Who could he be compared to in more recent times?
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Fuckin hell, I feel old now. :eek::D

Duncan Ferguson at Dundee United was a cracking centre forward, towering and aggressive, score some goals (couple against us as well at Ibrox)

His problem when he came to Rangers was that he was up against Mark Hateley who was similar in style yet more of a powerhouse as he upped his game considerably and Ferguson also had injuries. Playing them together was a bit of an error as was Ferguson being played out wide on occasion.

Off field his younger misdemeanours and him being a target I suppose hampered him as well, once he got out of Glasgow his career flourished.
 
Chester Perry said:
Add in Rangers threw him to the wolves
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Big Duncan was handing out the trophy’s at a football tournament at Haggerston Castle last weekend my son took part in, my son had never heard of him so I told him who he was and what happened that day against raith rovers and said that rangers threw him to the wolves and my son wasn’t impressed his words were we should protect our own and that’s coming from a 13year old .... WATP
 
Wasn't the 3 foreigners rule in place at the time and we had to pay over the odds for home grown talent? He was the best Scottish striking prospect around at the time so Walter played him left wing !!!!
 
It wasn't the McStay thing he went to jail for. Didn't he violate probation a couple of years later and that's why he went to barlinnie?
 
Largely played out of position at us - you don't have many successful 6ft 4 inch left wingers.

Always remember his goal against Motherwell (2-1) in the last minute of the opening day of the season (94 perhaps?) when Laudrup skinned everyone from the half way line and Ferguson slid home (from the left wing :D)

I was young at the time when he signed but by all accounts he was brilliant with Dundee Utd, terrorising defences with movement and power - often getting on to the end of his own flick ons!
 
Barrymoped said:
It wasn’t assault and actions on a football field unless truly exceptional should never result in police action, however you are correct about the rest, once it became a police matter there was nothing the club could have done. And he was on his last chance as it was. None of that was the clubs doing.
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I seem to remember Duncs case was immediately after the announcement of some ludicrous drive to get that the police involved in on-field incidents.

Am i imagining that ? anyone remember that
 
Duranman said:
It wasn't the McStay thing he went to jail for. Didn't he violate probation a couple of years later and that's why he went to barlinnie?
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It was the incident with McStay he was jailed for but only as, sadly, it was the latest in a long line of convictions for him.

The rights and wrongs of police involvement aside it was more than likely that Ferguson would have ended up in jail due his off field arseholeness.
 
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Was a British record transfer at the time, similar fee to that paid by United for Keane. I think United got more value for their money
 
I worked beside John McStay a while ago.If you asked him about the incident he just smirked.
 
A case of what could have been had as an earlier poster put it so eloquently he not been a fud.

Probably the Pena of his day, although usually ending up scuffling at taxi ranks when pished.

Contrary to common belief he didn't get the jail for the alleged headbutt. He was no stranger to the Court system.

Had he not already accrued a number of charges for assault no action would have been taken. No one is above the law.

Not having this the club threw him to the wolves pish. He let himself down he let the Club down and most importantly the fans down.

Truth be told he was a waster and a ned too fond of the drink.

For someone with the potential he had to win only a couple of medals in his career is criminal.
 
Highlanderger said:
Did he not cut the sleeves of hateleys versace suit or something like that and earned himself a doing off hateley.
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I'm sure I read that story in a Rangers player's autobiography, not sure which one. And that he paid £75,000 for a racing pigeon!:eek:

There was also a story about him on the team bus boasting that he could, "Drink like a chimney!" It wasn't clear whether the big man was being genuinely daft or just having a laugh. You can't be sure either way with Duncan, he's kept his personal life and his personality very private over the years.
 
I saw him play in a friendly against Germany the season before he signed. Think it was at Ibrox. We lost 1-0 but big Dunc gave the German defence a torrid time and nearly scored a belter of an overhead kick.

Germany were world champions at time and nobody bullied their defence like that. Genuinely thought he was going to be a superstar and was delighted when we got him.
 
YorkshireBlue said:
Remember reading about Gary Neville saying they used to chat away to him, ask what he's up to after the match and keep him generally chilled out. No point in noising him up because when he was angry he was unplayable.
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I can just imagine Gary Neville and Phil Neville standing around the big man like Jimmy Bullard, smiling, shitting themselves, “you alright big fella” :D
 
Baz said:
I saw him play in a friendly against Germany the season before he signed. Think it was at Ibrox. We lost 1-0 but big Dunc gave the German defence a torrid time and nearly scored a belter of an overhead kick.

Germany were world champions at time and nobody bullied their defence like that. Genuinely thought he was going to be a superstar and was delighted when we got him.
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I just happened to be sat behind the Directors Box that night with my old man and big brother.
Murray and Smith were sat together watching, only to be joined by Avery late Super Ally.
They were all smiling and nodding and winking at each other when big Dunc did that overhead kick. We thought it looked fairly clear that they were thinking “we need to get this guy”
It was obvious all over the place that we wanted him anyway, but was nice to be there seeing that going on. At the end of the day they were just like us, sitting watching a fantastic talent and thinking he’d be a great signing. Shame it never worked out!
 
rangeral said:
Jim McLean seemed to have a policy of either not selling or getting as much as possible out of us at that time

Leeds were offering around £2.5m at that time for Duncan Ferguson while had to pay £4m

Ferguson as stated had his fair share of issues both on and off the field
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Was a british record at the time so it’s like paying Hearts 97million for their Lafferty today lol
 
The SFA had it in for him big time. Even before his hearing, the disciplinary committee had made up their minds they wanted to make an example of him and throw the book at big Dunc
 
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