Rangers 1986–91: Souness’ Ibrox RevolutionHow did Graeme Souness transform Rangers overnight — and change Scottish football’s culture, money, and power balance forever?In this episode of By Far The Greatest Team, hosts Graham Dunn and Jamie Rooney are joined by Stuart Murray to revisit one of the most explosive turning points in British football: Rangers from 1986 to 1991, the era when Graeme Souness arrived at Ibrox and changed the direction of Scottish football in real time.Rangers entered the mid-1980s with a sense of drift — a giant club needing a reset — and Souness arrived like a thunderclap. What followed wasn’t just a return to winning: it was a shift in recruitment, ambition, and identity. The conversation charts how Rangers used financial power and high-profile signings to tilt the league’s centre of gravity, dragging Scottish football into a more modern, media-driven, transfer-fuelled age.Along the way, we explore the Old Firm pressure cooker, how Rangers’ resurgence intensified the rivalry with Celtic, and how this period intersected with wider cultural change — including football’s evolving relationship with race, identity, and public perception. The episode also examines the bridge from Souness into the early Walter Smith years, the domestic dominance that followed, and the lingering “what if?” of Europe — where Rangers often came close without landing the knockout blow.And then there’s the moment that still echoes decades later: Mo Johnston’s move to Rangers — a transfer that detonated certainties, rewired Scottish football’s cultural landscape, and became one of the most controversial signings the British game has ever seen.It’s a story of power, pressure, and transformation — and a Rangers side that didn’t just chase greatness… they changed the game around them.TakeawaysSouness’ arrival sparked a rapid cultural and footballing reset at Rangers.Big-name transfers and financial muscle shifted Scottish football’s power balance.The Old Firm rivalry intensified as Rangers reasserted dominance.Rangers’ European near-misses shaped how this era is remembered.Mo Johnston’s transfer remains one of British football’s most significant flashpoints.Call To ActionIf you enjoyed this episode, follow By Far The Greatest Team and leave us a rating or review — it genuinely helps more football history fans find the show.If you enjoy these podcasts, please don't forget to subscribe and give us a rating and also tell everyone about them!

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