Billy McPhee (1966 to 1970)

Scot Symon signed the teenager from Bowhill Youth Club in October 1966 and the fringe player would go on to make 4 first team appearances during as many years at Ibrox.

Inside-forward McPhee’s competitive debut came on the 14th August 1968 during a 5-1 win over Partick Thistle at Firhill during a League Cup tie by which time David White was in the Gers hotseat. The two Alex’s, Smith and Ferguson, each helped themselves to a double with Orjan Persson also on target.

Billy did enough to keep his place when Thistle made the opposite journey two weeks later in the same competition, goals from Willie Henderson and Sandy Jardine this time securing a slender 2-1 victory at Ibrox. John Hansen, brother of Liverpool legend Alan, was on target for the Jags.

With the exception of a substitute appearance during a 7-1 Glasgow Cup tie win over Queen’s Park, all of Billy’s appearances in blue came against the Maryhill side. His final match for the Club came on 27th September 1969, goals from Willie Henderson and Willie Johnston securing the two points in a league win at Firhill after Jimmy Bone looked to have done enough to earn Thistle a draw.

Born in Methill, Billy grew up watching his older brother Bobby play for local side East Fife and quickly became a supporter of the ‘black and gold’. The Rangers scout for the Fife region was Bobby Kinnear (brother of Gers stalwart Davie Kinnear) and he spotted Billy starring in an Under-18 match. Following the game he instructed 15-year-old Billy to report to Ibrox the following Monday morning where he would meet with Mr Symon to discuss joining the Glasgow giants.

The arrival of Willie Waddell as manager seemed to signal the end for Billy at Ibrox, “he just took a dislike to me and that was it pretty much over for me at Rangers”. McPhee would leave Rangers on the same day as Jim Baxter ended his second spell with the Club.

On leaving Rangers, Billy returned home and signed for his boyhood heroes in July 1970. He would go on to score 72 goals in 233 appearances and is very much considered a Bayview Legend having been voted into their post 1970’s All Time Greats team. He would later serve as Club secretary and attended matches regularly.

Billy McPhee died in November 2023, aged 74.

by Rick Plews