Ted McMinn (1984 to 1987)
Born Kevin Clifton McMinn in Castle Douglas, Dumfriesshire, 'Ted' began his professional career at local side Queen of the South.
It was while playing with Glenafton Juniors that Ted began to attract interest from both QOTS and Kilmarnock and, although the latter offered a more lucrative deal, in November 1982 he opted to sign for the local side whom he had grown up supporting. His debut came at East Stirling in Division Two and he scored his first goal against Stenhousemuir on only his third outing. He left Palmerston Park in October 1984 having made 68 first team appearances, scoring a total of five goals.
Rangers Manager Jock Wallace paid £100,000 to secure the services of McMinn and he would make his Gers debut on 13th October 1984 coming off the bench in a 2-0 win over St. Mirren at Love Street with both Ian Redford and Iain Ferguson scoring late in the game.
The Rangers support quickly warmed to Ted, his unique, awkward, and unorthodox running style caught the eye and he was a player that excited. Capable of moments of greatness, he could also fail to do even the most basic of tasks and it was that unpredictability that made him such a favourite. For those who saw Ted in action, the mere mention of his name is guaranteed to raise a smile. If his hero and Gers team mate, Davie Cooper, was coolness personified, Ted was the polar opposite. Coop rarely broke sweat and seldom had a hair out of place whereas Ted was all 'arms and legs' complimenting his raw skills with pace and power. It was soon stated that defenders had no chance of knowing what Ted was going to do next when, on the face of it, neither did he. His entertaining style was off the cuff and the fans absolutely loved it.
If ever a match summed up Ted it was the UEFA Cup tie versus Ilves Tampere at Ibrox during season 1986/87. With Ted on one flank and Cooper on the other, the Rangers wingers ripped their opponents apart in a 4-0 victory in which Robert Fleck netted a hat trick. In one attack, McMinn raced down the left wing where he set himself to cross with his left foot. Just as he did so, he unfortunately got the faintest of touches with his right foot causing him to take a fresh air swing which resulted in him ending up on his back side. It still generated a standing ovation from the support with Ted later commenting that the ball "sometimes ends up in the net or sometimes in the Copland Road stand"!
The arrival of Graeme Souness created a lot of uncertainty within the playing staff at the end of season 1985/86 and Ted was, perhaps, an unlikely fit for the new manager. An injury to new signing Colin West at the beginning of 1986/87 presented Ted with an opportunity in the new look side and he initially flourished along side fellow youngsters Derek Ferguson and Ian Durrant. There were man of the match performances in League Cup ties over Dundee and Dundee United in which he scored in both matches as Rangers progressed to the Final. However, the semi-final win over United at Hampden came at a personal cost to Ted who sustained a broken ankle in the process. Playing his best football since arriving in Glasgow, Ted was fearful of losing his place and played through the pain barrier as Rangers welcomed Aberdeen to Ibrox just three days later.
Whilst the gamble paid off and the team defeated Alex Ferguson's Dons side (shortly before Ferguson headed for Manchester), McMinn required three injections to get through the game. Desperate to make the Old Firm League Cup Final just four weeks later, McMinn removed his recently applied plaster cast earlier than instructed in order to make the match. Understandably struggling for fitness, Ted took his place in the starting line up and whilst it was not his best performance, he was very much part of the side which kick started the Rangers revolution under both Souness & Smith. It was a moment that could never be taken from the likeable Ted.
Off the field, Ted had already incurred the wrath of Souness following a public house incident in East Kilbride also involving local boy Ally McCoist and Ian Durrant. Although McMinn received a 'not proven' verdict following an alleged assault, he appeared to be made the proverbial scapegoat and by January 1987 his time at Ibrox was over. There was no doubt that Souness wished to raise the standards of professionalism at the Club and this was a good opportunity to lay down a marker. Perhaps the constant flow of goals from McCoist and the rising stock of midfielder Durrant made Ted the inevitable fall guy. Whilst McCoist and Durrant would both remain at Ibrox for another decade, Ted was soon on a plane out of Scotland.
It was former manager Jock Wallace who signed Ted for a second time in less than three years when Jock took him to Spain to join Seville. Almost immediately, Ted suffered another injury and struggled to settle whilst Wallace faired no better.
McMinn was soon back in the UK when another long term admirer, Arthur Cox, swooped to take him to Derby County. The Tin Man was an instant hit South of the border, scoring on his debut against Ferguson's Manchester United following a £300,000 transfer. He would go onto become a fans favourite at the Baseball Ground before experiencing stints at Birmingham City and Burnley prior to heading, briefly, to Australia.
In July 2005, Ted's life change dramatically when he began to experience discomfort on his right foot following a holiday in Greece. It was discovered that there was bacteria eating his bone and he was forced to have three toes removed. Sadly, this was not the end of the matter and in an attempt to prevent the infection spreading further the decision was reached to have the lower leg amputated. Despite such a traumatic experience, Ted continued to show the same spirit, determination and humour that had epitomised his playing career.
The Rangers family rallied around Ted in his initial hour of need and a squad of Gers legends travelled to Derby on 1st May 2006 to take part in a benefit match for their former team mate. It was an incredible occasion with Derby's Pride Park stadium recording a record attendance whilst the local pubs declared they had ran out of alcohol.
Ted remains hugely popular with both the Rangers and Derby fanbase. Living in England, he regularly attends Derby County Q&A events with his good friend, former England internationalist Mark Wright. In November 2024, Ted was reunited with former Gers team mates Derek Ferguson and Ian Durrant at a Rangers speakers night in Shieldhill, Falkirk. Former Assistant Manager, Alex Totten, also took the opportunity to meet up with his old colleague. The Tin Man remains as popular as ever with the Gers support.
By Rick Plews
