On this day: Rangers hero Davie Wilson reflects on famous European win at Ibrox against Wolves to set up final

dh1963

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DAVIE WILSON began his Euro adventure with Rangers trying to sneak a bicycle on board a flight home from France.

But things really took off when he helped Gers topple English football’s giants, to become the first British team to reach a European final.

Legend Wilson, now 81, still recalls that historic European Cup Winners’ Cup semi-final win over Stan Cullis’ all-conquering Wolves team 59 years ago today.

It was a triumph which propelled the Ibrox side into the final against Fiorentina, — and spawned fans’ anthem ‘When The Rangers Came To Wolverhampton Town’.

But Wilson, a 60-game ever-present in Scot Symon’s 1960/61 side, remembers it as just one of Gers’ great Euro wins of the era.

He told SunSport: “We had some great European games back in those days.

“Not long after I signed for Rangers, I scored my first goal away at St Etienne in the European Cup in 1957, and after the game for some reason, they gave me a bike!

“All the way to the airport, I thought, ‘How the hell am I going to get a bike on a plane?’ But I did.

The Wolves games were great. Stan Cullis had created a famous team, one of the best in England — but we knocked them out.

“It finished 3-1 on aggregate. I played in both games, and it was fantastic for Rangers to reach the final of a European competition.”

Wolves bagged three league titles between 1954 and 1959, and were FA Cup holders when they arrived in Glasgow on March 29, 1961.

The Battle of Britain clash had certainly caught the imagination with 80,000 tickets sold and more disappointed fans locked out.

Glasgow’s Evening Citizen newspaper devoted its entire broadsheet front page to the match that night.

Symon’s selection was hampered by injuries to key men Jimmy Millar, Ian McMillan and Max Murray, prompting him to put centre-half Doug Baillie up front.

Wilson added: “Doug was a big man, so it made sense to put him up there to try and unsettle Wolves.”

Symon’s plans were further hindered when Harold Davis was injured after just ten minutes, and, with no subs back then, had to limp through the rest of the game.

Alex Scott, who would also score in the 1-1 second-leg at Molineux, and the final itself, opened the scoring.

Ralph Brand gave Gers breathing space when he notched a second goal six minutes from time.

But the journey to the Midlands three weeks later was a different challenge.

Welcome notes in the Wolves programme read: “We have been privileged to receive distinguished clubs from other countries to our ground.

“None of them, however, have been more welcome than the famous Rangers.

We can promise another 90 minutes when the roars from the terraces will be urging the English side into action, just as the crowd at Ibrox sought to inspire their favourites three weeks ago.”

Wilson, who hit 23 goals in 1960/61, was named Man of the Match at Molineux.

The historic Euro campaign ended end in agony with a 4-1 aggregate defeat against Fiorentina in the final. But Wilson will always remember Gers’ great run with pride.

The Rangers line-up against Wolves in 1961

Ritchie, Caldow, Paterson, Shearer, Davis, Baxter, Baillie, Brand, Hume, Scott, Wilson.
 
I like to think I know a wee bit about our history but I would never have got the team line up against Wolverhampton at Ibrox. Such a famous game, I had no idea Jimmy Millar and Ian McMillan were missing.
 
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