page_title: Rangers F.C.
section_title: Walter Smith's return and Ally McCoist
hierarchical_section_title: Rangers F.C. / History / Walter Smith's return and Ally McCoist
caption_attribution_description: Uefa Cup Final 2008
context_page_description: Rangers Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in the Govan district of Glasgow, which plays in the Scottish Premiership. Although not its official name, it is often referred to as Glasgow Rangers. The fourth-oldest football club in Scotland, Rangers was founded by four teenage boys on the Fleshers' Haugh area of Glasgow Green in March 1872, and played its first match against the now defunct Callander in May of the same year. Rangers' home ground, Ibrox Stadium, which was designed by stadia architect Archibald Leitch and opened in 1929, is a Category B listed building and the third largest football stadium in Scotland. The club has played in royal blue shirts for the entirety of its history.
  Rangers is the second most successful club in world football in terms of trophies won, behind only Egyptian club Al Ahly. The club has won the Scottish League title 54 times, a domestic league joint world record, the Scottish Cup 33 times, the Scottish League Cup a record 27 times and the domestic treble on 7 occasions, more than any other club.
  Rangers won the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1972 after being losing finalists twice in 1961 and 1967.
context_section_description: On 10 January 2007, former boss Walter Smith resigned from his post as Scotland manager to return to the Ibrox helm, with Ally McCoist as assistant manager.
  The following season Rangers contested the UEFA Cup after dropping into the competition from the Champions League. The club reached the final, defeating Panathinaikos, Werder Bremen, Sporting Lisbon and Fiorentina along the way. The final in Manchester against Zenit St. Petersburg, who were managed by former Rangers manager Dick Advocaat, ended in a 2–0 defeat. An estimated 200,000 supporters travelled to Manchester for the event, and the 2008 UEFA Cup Final riots occurred.
  The 2008–09 season saw Rangers recover from an early exit from the UEFA Champions League to FBK Kaunas of Lithuania. The club secured its 52nd league championship on the last day of the season with a 3–0 victory at Dundee United. Rangers also successfully defended the Scottish Cup, defeating Falkirk 1–0 in the final.
  The 2009–10 season saw Rangers reach their fifth consecutive domestic final: against St Mirren in the Scottish League Cup, the club overcame a two-men deficit from red cards, a late deciding goal from Kenny Miller securing the victory. The league championship title was retained, with three matches remaining, at Easter Road, defeating Hibernian 1–0 with a Kyle Lafferty goal. The 2010–11 season, Smith's final season in charge, saw Rangers retain the League Cup, defeating Celtic at Hampden with a Nikica Jelavić goal in extra time. A third consecutive title was won by beating Kilmarnock 5–1 on the last day of the season, Smith's final match in charge of the club.
  Ally McCoist took over from Walter Smith in June 2011 but season 2011–12 started with Rangers eliminated from two European competitions before the end of August: losing to Swedish side Malmö FF in the Champions League third round qualifying match, and to Slovenian side Maribor in a Europa League qualifying match. While good league form saw Rangers in top spot after being unbeaten for the first 15 games, they were knocked out of the League Cup by Falkirk and the Scottish Cup by Dundee Utd at Ibrox. Rangers were placed into administration on 14 February 2012 resulting in the club being deducted 10 points as per SPL rules. Though Rangers avoided having Celtic win the championship at Ibrox on 25 March by winning the game 3–2, Rangers ultimately finished 20 points behind Celtic in second place.
caption: The 2008 UEFA Cup Final in Manchester which Rangers contested.
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