Blether: Rangers signed two Smiths in quick succession

It’s very unusual for a team to sign two players with the same surname within a few days of each other.

Even if the surname is Smith!

But that’s exactly what Rangers did in 1966.

Ibrox boss Scott Symon took advantage of a situation at Dunfermline on August 8 when he signed Pars rebel Alex Smith.

The wing-half or inside-forward had steadfastly refused to sign for the East End Park club for the new season.

So, when the Ibrox club came in with a £40,000 offer, the Fife club’s board decided it was probably the best move for all parties. This was the biggest deal either club had been involved in.

A couple of weeks earlier, Rangers had failed in a bid to convince Aberdeen to part company with their talented left-half Dave Smith.

So, with Alex of that ilk in the bag, three days later they approached the Dons once again, dangling a fee reckoned to again be around £40,000.

Both signings were made with the knowledge that Rangers had just a few days to make signings ahead of the registration deadline for players eligible to compete in the European tourneys.