The Founders Plaque and Billy Simpson.

The Founders Plaque and Billy Simpson.

The Founders Plaque,marking the spot where our Club was born,was unveiled in the Glasgow Green Football Centre in September 2009,we were honoured to be joined by Heather Lang the Grand-daughter of Founder Peter McNeil and the late great Sandy Jardine.

A couple of weeks before the event the club gave me contact details for Rangers legends Johnny Hubbard and Billy Simpson to invite them along, so i very nervously rang both men. Unfortunately Mr Hubbard couldn’t attend as he was going to be away on holiday, Mr Simpson said he would check if he had anything on and then asked for my address which I thought was maybe his way of checking if this was genuine so I of course duly obliged.

A few days later I was stunned to receive a letter from Billy, he sadly couldn’t attend the unveiling event but this Rangers great and gentleman had actually taken the time to write to tell us.

A couple of years later I had the pleasure of meeting Billy Simpson and got the opportunity to thank him for his letter,he again apologised and wished the Founders Project every success in the future.

Billy Simpson was a Belfast boy who joined Rangers from Linfield in 1950 for £11,500. He spent nine years at our Club and scored an incredible 163 goals in 239 appearances,winning three league titles and a Scottish Cup. He was capped for Northern Ireland on twelve occasions scoring five goals. He was still attending Ibrox later in life supporting his beloved Rangers.

Sadly Billy Simpson passed in Glasgow in 2017 but us supporters celebrate him every week when we sing that wonderful song I Took a Trip to Ibrox.

Oh play up the Glasgow Rangers, Sammy Cox is on the ball, He slips it through to Willy Woodburn And on to Iain McCall. Ian McCall to Billy Simpson, Oh here come the boys in blue. Simpson beats the Celtic center half And in goes number 2. Now the Rangers fans are roaring As Geordie Young he takes a free. Onto the head of Billy Simpson And in goes number 3. 3:1 to the Glasgow Rangers And that was the final score, A happy new year at Ibrox park For Rangers beat the Celtic once more, A happy new year at Ibrox park For Rangers beat the Celtic once more.

That hand written letter from Billy Simpson will be framed this week and treasured forever.