Andy Goram (1991 to 1998)
Voted goalkeeper of the greatest Rangers XI of all time, external circumstances provided Andrew Goram with the opportunity to join the Club in 1991. Whilst naturally keen to build his own side, changes in football regulations forced manager Walter Smith’s hand as he embarked on his first full season in charge of Britain’s top side.
In a normal close season trading environment, moving on England’s No.1 goalkeeper, Chris Woods, would not have been seen as a priority—or indeed a particularly wise move. However, Woods’ clearly defined status as a “non national” for European competition brought his Ibrox career to an abrupt end, despite him having been a crucial component of the ‘1986 Revolution’.
Ironically, the big winner in this somewhat unwanted situation was a man born in the very same county as Woods. A cricket fanatic, with arguably a more prominent English accent than his predecessor, Andrew Lewis Goram was the ‘obvious’ replacement. Already a full internationalist in both football and cricket, Andy had qualified to represent Scotland through the grandparent rule and had not hesitated in doing so. That decision, taken some years previously, was paying dividends by the summer of 1991.
Born in Bury, Lancashire, in 1964, Andy followed in the footsteps of his father, Lewis, to become a professional footballer and a fellow member of the goalkeepers’ ‘union’. By the age of 16—and despite an early rejection by West Bromwich Albion due to concerns over his lack of height—Andy was playing in the second tier of the Football League with Oldham Athletic. There, he firmly established himself as manager Joe Royle’s first choice goalkeeper. His performances caught the attention of both England, where he was named in Under 21 squads, and Scotland. His eligibility to represent either nation potentially ‘fast tracked’ his full debut for Scotland in 1985. Caretaker manager Alex Ferguson handed the 21 year old his first cap against East Germany, cementing his allegiance to Scotland, and the following summer he was selected for the World Cup squad bound for Mexico.
Still only 23, Andy made a big money move to Hibernian in October 1987 for a fee of £325,000. Although a Rangers and Manchester United supporter as a child, there was an emotional attachment to the Easter Road club, with his father having spent time there in the late 1940s. Andy would spend four seasons in Edinburgh and, during that period, establish himself as one of the top performers in the Premier Division, despite Hibernian underachieving in terms of league placings.
Rangers spent £1 million to prize Andy from Hibernian and, having already received £1.2 million for the sale of Woods, it was a palatable deal for all parties. Andy’s debut came in the opening game of the 1991/92 season, as St Johnstone were dismantled 6–0 at Ibrox, with the home support also treated to the unfurling of the championship flag pre match. If this was a routine start to his Rangers career, the following months were anything but, as several high profile individual errors contributed to an unconvincing start to his time in Govan.
League points were dropped at Tynecastle just seven days after his debut, as he misjudged an early Scott Crabbe shot, and Rangers’ assaults on both the League Cup and European Cup were over by the start of October, with Andy firmly in the firing line. Whether due to the massive change in expectations, or perhaps as a consequence of having far less to do over the course of 90 minutes, Andy’s confidence and concentration appeared to be in question. Whilst Walter Smith reiterated the requirements of being a Rangers player, he stood by his new signing and, at Andy’s request, sanctioned the introduction of goalkeeping coach Alan Hodgkinson to the backroom staff. A mentor and somewhat of a father figure, Hodgkinson would soon have Goram back in the right mindset—one that would ultimately see him go on to earn legendary status.
Those early season blips were long forgotten by the end of the 1991/92 campaign, as Rangers clinched a fourth successive league championship and their first Scottish Cup in 11 years. Andy finished the season strongly, but the best was yet to come. The 1992/93 season would prove to be one of the greatest in the club’s history. A domestic treble was secured for the first time in 15 years, as Rangers embarked on a 44 match unbeaten run that saw them come within 90 minutes of the inaugural Champions League Final.
Whilst the 1992/93 squad was littered with standout performers, Andy appeared to be operating on a different level. In matches where Rangers were running on empty and under sustained pressure, it often felt as though ‘The Goalie’ could single handedly keep the opposition at bay. The bigger the occasion, the bigger the performance, with an incredible night at Elland Road the pick of the bunch. Whilst Andy was always the first to credit his teammates—and there were many heroes that season—it would be no exaggeration to say that his individual performances were world class. Although Mark Hateley (1993/94), Brian Laudrup (1994/95) and Paul Gascoigne (1995/96) are often credited with delivering subsequent titles, there is a strong argument that Andy surpassed them all. Voted both Footballer of the Year and Players’ Player of the Year for 1992/93, his brilliance was recognised across Scotland.
Of course, making your mark in an Old Firm match is a sure way to attain hero status among the Rangers support, and Andy regularly saved his 10/10 performances for those occasions. Former Celtic boss Tommy Burns famously groaned, “Put it on my tombstone – Andy Goram broke my heart.” Many of the saves he produced in those powder keg encounters simply defied belief, with the point blank stop from Van Hooijdonk at Ibrox standing out.
Although there were periods of frustration due to injury and fitness issues, Andy remained a stalwart of Walter Smith’s NIAR side and won six league titles during his seven seasons at the club. Allied with regular Scottish Cup and League Cup success, it was an incredible haul for ‘The Goalie’, who proudly represented Rangers’ first team on 260 occasions.
Latterly featuring for Motherwell and several other clubs on a short term basis, Andy fulfilled another great ambition in 2001 when he played for Manchester United, answering an emergency SOS call to cover an injury crisis at Old Trafford.
Following his retirement, Andy remained extremely close to the club, and the ‘Rangers Family’ were stunned when he announced in early 2022 that he was battling cancer.
Andy Goram died on 2 July 2022, aged 58.
by Rick Plews
