Robert Fleck (1983 to 1987)
A product of Rangers Youth system, Robert came through the Ibrox ranks in the early 1980’s and, along with Ian Durrant, Hugh Burns and Derek Ferguson, would go on to achieve regular first team football with Rangers.
Robert was just a few months shy of his 19th Birthday when he made his first team debut on April 7th 1984 (during a goalless draw with Hearts at Ibrox), providing the attacking options with Ally McCoist and Bobby Williamson before being replaced by the more experienced Sandy Clark. It would be his only run-out that season and whilst he could only equal that number of starts during 1984/85 (v Morton at Ibrox), there were plenty of cameo roles from the bench.
With Ally McCoist starting to demonstrate his true goal scoring abilities during season 1985/86 (netting over 20 league goals for the first time since joining), Fleck found himself competing with Williamson for that second striker role. His first senior goal came on 7th September 1985 as St.Mirren were defeated 3-0 at Ibrox (Davie Cooper and Hugh Burns also on the scoresheet). The league campaign had started reasonably well with 5 wins and 1 draw in the first 6 league fixtures. Sadly, that run of form was not to continue and Fleck would find himself in and out of the side. He did manage another goal in the 5-0 win over Dundee at the turn of the year but his biggest highlight was netting an equaliser in the classic 4-4 Old Firm encounter in March 1986. His deflected shot at the Copland Road end levelled the score at 3-3 when Rangers had looked dead and buried trailing 3-1 just after half time.
Like many local boys making the jump to first team duties over the years, Robert had his moments of indiscipline and his future at Ibrox was less than certain going into season 1986/87 following the arrival of Graeme Souness. The signing of Colin West as a target man to partner Ally McCoist was a clear indication of the style Souness wished to adopt and Fleck soon found himself back on the substitutes bench. The turning point came on 27th August when the unfortunate West suffered a serious injury in a League Cup tie with East Fife. By the time Clydebank came to Ibrox on League duty, Fleck was back in the starting line up and he seized his chance netting a hat-trick in a 4-0 win. Incredibly, just 4 days later he repeated the feat in a UEFA cup win over Ilves Tampere (on this day 37 years ago) in which both Davie Cooper and then Ted Mcminn mesmerised the Finish defenders. A hat-trick of hat-tricks was achieved at Brockville the following month as Falkirk were demolished 5-1. Unfortunate to miss out on a starting place the following weekend, he did secure his first medal as a substitute in the 2-1 League Cup Final victory over Celtic at Hampden.
The agonising wait for a league championship win ended that season and ‘Flecky’ played as big a part in that success as any high profile signing. He scored 19 goals in 35 league starts and appeared in every match after coming into the side in the aforementioned fixture against Clydebank. Fittingly, it was his early strike in the last game of the season that got Ibrox into full party mode as St.Mirren were defeated 1-0. At just 5’6” tall, Robert was anything but the target man Souness so craved to lead his attack. However, his work rate, strength on the ball and blistering running power made him a great foil for McCoist and with 53 league goals between them they were clearly a potent and successful partnership.
Ominously, Souness replaced West with Mark Falco during the summer of 1987 as he continued his quest for a more physical striker. Robert was still featuring regularly although many appearances were as a substitute. A second successive League Cup Winners medal was secured v Aberdeen and this time not only did he start the Hampden showpiece, he also scored. It was his late equaliser that took the game into extra time (at 3-3) before Rangers ran out winners in a penalty shootout classic (in which he also netted).
With McCoist, Fleck and Falco all scoring fairly frequently during the opening months of the season, Rangers seemed in decent shape from an attacking perspective but, curiously, Falco left to return South after just a few short months in Glasgow. With the championship winning strikeforce of McCoist and Fleck now reinstated, Rangers recovered from the loss of Terry Butcher to a leg break to secure 11 points out of a possible 12. The only blemish was a 2-2 draw with Dunfermline at Ibrox on December 15th 1987. It proved to be Fleck’s final appearance for the Club.
Although rumours of an uneasy relationship with Souness persisted, his sudden (and one suspects enforced) departure to Norwich City for just over £500k left the Rangers supporters shocked and bemused. It also left the Club woefully short of striking options when the European Cup competition recommenced in the New Year. With Mark Walters ineligible to play until the Semi-Final stage and Ally McCoist being rushed back from injury, Rangers lost to Steaua Bucharest in the Quarter Finals with many questioning the wisdom of both Fleck and Falco’s departure.
Robert went on to earn legendary status at Carrow Road over two successful spells interrupted by a big money move to Chelsea.
His nephew, John, went on to emulate Robert by breaking into the Rangers first team and representing Scotland at full International level. John also enjoyed a long career in England football on leaving his boyhood side.
by Rick Plews
