The day Rangers went to Anfied but NOT to play Liverpool amid mud baths and boozy antics

You can’t imagine Giovanni van Bronckhorst standing for the pre-match preparations these days. But he certainly would take the result of Rangers’ one and only trip to Anfield in their history as he prepares to take on Liverpool in the Champions League.

But the Ibrox side’s only previous game at the Merseyside ground was NOT against the Reds but instead against city rivals Everton who initially played at the iconic stadium before moving to Goodison Park due to a dispute over rent.

The light blue legions are licking their lips at the prospect of a match against Jurgen Klopp’s side. Celtic, Hearts and Aberdeen have played at Anfield on European duty but Rangers have not. However, they did play take on Everton at the ground in an FA Cup 136 years ago - 24 years after they were founded - and won an FA Cup tie 1-0 back in the days when Scottish clubs featured in the knockout tournament for English sides.

However, the Toffees had forfeited the match ahead of kick off due to the fact three players were ineligible and Rangers went all the way to the last four that year, where they lost to Aston Villa. But preparations were’t ideal as the Scots players were THROWN OUT of their digs after a lively night on the eve of the big game and had to check into another hotel on the morning of the tie to prepare.

Details of the match feature in the The Gallant Pioneers book on the origins of Rangers and it reveals: “There was certainly mischief in the mind when Rangers travelled to Merseyside the evening before the game against Everton, who had been knocked out of the FA Cup the previous season 3-0 by Partick Thistle.

“The Kinning Park squad arrived in Liverpool the worse for wear for a game in which they were overwhelming favourites.