The afternoon started early with a Rangers Legends XI taking on a Chelsea Legends XI. It was great to see players like Hucker, Macca, Maddix, Waddock, Francis, Olly, Wilkins, Fereday, Les and Stainrod back on the pitch in the blue and white hoops and the 6-0 scoreline had everyone thinking of the Easter Monday hammering back in ’86. This time though the goals came from Fereday, Ferdinand (2), Holloway and two of the e-bay auction winners grabbed the goals. Gallen made a couple of brief cameo appearances as did Stan Bowles who kicked the game off wearing a suit!

On to more serious matters and Olly picked as strong a side as he could given the injuries we seem to be collecting. Royce was in goal behind a back four of Bignot, Shittu, Santos and Rose. Moore, Bircham, Doherty and Brown lined up in midfield with man of the moment Gallen, partnering Furlong up front. The players formed a guard of honour for Gallen as he came out to take the applause.

The game started fairly evenly with Rangers more than containing a very strong Birmingham side. Shittu was not giving Emile Heskey a sniff and Santos was doing an able job against Mikael Forsell. This meant that Royce was getting little chance to test out his bad back other than claiming some routine crosses and kicking the ball up field. He sliced one horrendously into South Africa Road and then next time he nailed one he celebrated with the fans behind the goal.

Santos registered the first shot in anger of the game when Rangers won a freekick outside the area. An intricate series of dummy runs ended with the ball being rolled to Georges and he sent a stinging drive goalward. It got a slight deflection en route and Maik Taylor had to be at his best to tip it round the post. At the other end Forsell managed to seize on Shittu’s only poor moment of the game. He sent a ball into Doherty in midfield that saw him get closed down immediately and a pass was slipped into the Finish striker. He failed to find the target though and his shot was dragged well wide.

Rangers were soon threatening again and this time Furlong chased what seemed to be a lost cause before hooking a shot from the acutest of angles over Taylor and off the top of the bar. It drew warm applause from the small pocket of Blues fans behind the goal who remember him warmly from the half century of goals he bagged for them.

There were still more chances for Rangers to take the lead before the break. Bircham flighted a freekick into the box that Shittu headed well over the bar before Stefan Moore just failed to reach a through ball before Taylor. 0-0 at the break and a vast improvement on what we had seen on Tuesday night against Charlton. It didn’t take long after the break though for Rangers to edge ahead.

Some neat passing football saw the ball move from back to front and across midfield before Gallen picked up the ball on the right. He exchanged passes with Bignot before shooting goalward only to see the ball strike Stefan Moore on his head and looping past the helpless Taylor. Gallen claimed the goal, and who would deny him on his special day, but I think in a competitive game then Moore would have been awarded it.

The expected response from Birmingham never came as they struggled to register a shot on target. Izzet nodded wide before the trumpy Jermaine Pennant sent a scissors kick over Cole’s bar. Cole had been introduced at half time as Royce was given a chance to rest his back.

It was 2-0 to Rangers after 73 minutes when Furlong grabbed a goal against his former employers. A ball was played into the box and both Furlong and Bircham set off after it. Bircham clearly fouled his man, I am sure I heard a whistle and the Birmingham players seemed to stop momentarily. The ball rolled to Furs and he barrelled his way past Taylor before shooting into the unguarded net. The Birmingham players were understandably miffed and protested to Dermot Gallagher in vain.

Pennant almost dragged Birmingham back into it when he saw a whipped freekick glance off the post and away to safety. It took until injury time for Birmingham to get a shot on target and this came from the penalty spot. Ugo Ukah, on as a sub for Bignot, felled Pennant and the same man picked himself up to slot the ball past Cole.

This was a much improved display after the poor showing against Charlton last time out. Royce showed no signs of the back problems that have plagued him since Ibiza, the back four all played well especially Shittu who was awesome again. Doherty and Bircham teamed up well in midfield and it looks as though some of the good work of The Doc is rubbing off on Birch. Gallen and Furlong both did well, Gallen switched with Moore throughout the game and certainly showed his young team mate the way to play both wide right and up top. Sub wise, Cole had little to do so it is hard to judge him again but Shimmin was excellent when he came on and I think Olly has a real headache now to choose between him and Georges for the opening day at Hull with Evatt out.

So that’s it, pre-season done for another year and now onto serious matters. From the comments of the Hull fans on the various message boards you would think we are going to be playing Brazil on the opening day. Let’s hope we can get in there and wipe some smiles off of some smug faces.

simon@qprnet.com