The Nearly Men by David Herd

The Nearly Men by David Herd

The Nearly Men is the story of Rangers in the late 1960s, when the club won no trophies and lived in the shadow of the greatest Celtic side in history. Yet this was a Rangers team that possessed some of the club’s most revered players, a side that came agonisingly close to glory both at home and in Europe. In Europe they reached a final, a semi?final and a quarter?final. Domestically, they gathered more points than in most title-winning seasons and claimed several Old Firm victories. But they lost when it mattered most, with many crucial moments on and off the pitch highlighting the fine line between success and failure. It was an era of upheaval: legendary manager Scot Symon was sacked while the team were top of the league, and his successor, Davie White, lost his job despite an impressive win ratio and a team playing great football. This may well have been the greatest unsuccessful Scottish side of all time.

David Herd is an acclaimed author on the history of Rangers FC, whose four previous books have been lauded by club fans. He writes regularly for various fan media groups, and is a popular speaker at Rangers fan events and on Rangers podcasts. As an expert on the Gers’ history, he has appeared many times on official club TV documentaries, as well as on Sky Sports News and STV News.