John Greig Scottish footballer Date of Birth: 11.09.1942 Country: Great Britain

1. John Greig: Legendary Rangers Captain and Manager
2. Early Career and Playing Achievements
3. European Success and Captaincy
4. International Career
5. Managerial Career
6. Post-Rangers Career and Legacy

John Greig: Legendary Rangers Captain and Manager

John Greig, a Scottish footballer, dedicated his entire career to Rangers Football Club in Glasgow, both as a player and later as manager.

Early Career and Playing Achievements

Greig, a determined and powerful defender, played a remarkable 755 official matches for Glasgow Rangers. He made 498 appearances in the league, 72 in the Scottish Cup, 121 in the Scottish League Cup (a club record), and 64 in the European Cup Winners' Cup. Throughout his playing career, he scored 120 goals for the club and notably led Rangers to three domestic "trebles" (winning the league and both domestic cups in the same season).

European Success and Captaincy

Greig captained the Rangers team that won the 1972 European Cup Winners' Cup, defeating Dynamo Moscow 3-2 in the final in Barcelona. Despite his team's success, his captaincy coincided with the period of dominance of Rangers' arch-rivals, Celtic, from the late 1960s to the mid-1970s. Greig's resilience during this period further cemented his reputation as one of Rangers' greatest-ever captains. He was awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) on November 15, 1977.

International Career

Greig represented Scotland 44 times between 1964 and 1971, including 15 appearances as captain. One of the highlights of his international career was his goal against Italy in a match at Hampden Park on November 9, 1965, which secured a 1-0 victory for Scotland.

Managerial Career

Greig retired as a player in 1978 and was immediately appointed manager of Rangers, replacing Jock Wallace. His tenure as manager was less successful than his playing days. Rangers failed to win the league championship under his leadership. However, there were some notable achievements. In his first season in charge, Rangers reached the quarter-finals of the 1978/79 European Cup, defeating Italian champions Juventus and becoming the first club to win a European tie at PSV Eindhoven's Philips Stadion. They were eventually knocked out by German side Köln. Domestically, the club had more success, winning two Scottish Cups and two Scottish League Cups. Greig also signed a future club legend, Ally McCoist, from Sunderland in England. Despite these successes, Greig resigned in October 1983 due to pressure from fans, club officials, and the Scottish press. He was replaced by former manager Jock Wallace.

Post-Rangers Career and Legacy

After leaving Rangers, Greig worked as a commentator for BBC Radio Scotland and BBC television. He returned to Rangers in 1990 as a liaison officer. Dick Advocaat, the club's manager from 1998 to 2001, brought Greig onto the coaching staff, where he worked with the youth teams. In 2003, he became a director of Rangers. In a 1999 poll, Rangers fans voted Greig as their "Greatest Ranger Ever," and he was inducted into the Rangers Hall of Fame. In June 2008, he received an honorary degree from the University of Glasgow alongside Celtic legend Billy McNeill.