AFTER Gary McAllister had his penalty kick for Scotland saved by David Seaman in a defeat to England at Wembley during Euro '96, he believed nothing he experienced in football would ever compare to the crushing disappointment.

 

He was mistaken. Being beaten 1-0 by Doncaster Rovers in the League One play-off final at the same stadium during his spell as Leeds United manager in 2008 proved to be every bit as a painful.

"We had lost 2-1 at home to Carlisle in the first leg of the play-off semi final and then won 2-0 at their place to go through," said McAlllister. "So it was great to reach Wembley.

"Leeds fans probably outnumbered the Doncaster fans 8-1 in the final. But it turned out to be probably one of the worst days I've had in football. It was right up there with my penalty miss at Wembley. There's no doubt, it was equal to that.

"Leeds had dropped to the third tier of English football and here was the chance to get back into the Championship. So to see the disappointment on the faces of the Leeds fans that afternoon was tough to take."

There is exactly the same level of expectation on Rangers, another of football's fallen giants, at the moment as there was on Leeds seven years ago and the failure to secure promotion will also be keenly felt.

McAllister, now the leading Scottish football analyst with BT Sport, will be a fascinated observer at Ibrox on Sunday for the second leg of their SPFL Premiership play-off quarter-final with Queen of the South.

He appreciates from bitter personal experience just how difficult it will be for the club currently being managed by Stuart McCall, his former Scotland team mate, if a place in the top flight is not attained.

"The summer after the play-off final was extremely long," he said. "You're looking forward to another season in a division where Leeds United should never have been. It was hard to get your head round fixtures like Leeds v Yeovil . No disrespect, but it was tough.

"That's very much where Rangers are at. You've got to produce. That's the big test. Everyone wants your scalp. Even in the lower tiers, the big name club comes under pressure because people are after you."

McAllister has been impressed with how Rangers have performed since the arrival of McCall as interim manager back in March and with how they played in the first leg of the play-off quarter-final at Palmerston Park on Saturday.

"It was a difficult gig for Stuart to take over," he said. "It would have been a tough gig for anyone to go in there and just win all the games. I think he'd have had a feeling there would be some ups and downs along the way.

"There is still a fragility there. If you look at it over the piece then I think we've seen evidence of that lack of a little bit of confidence in the Rangers ranks. But they're in a strong position leading 2-1 going into the second game."

McAlllister, though, is unsure if McCall will be appointed permanently even if Rangers negotiate this game against Queen of the South, the semi-final games against Hibs and the final matches against either Motherwell, Ross County or Kilmarnock.

"Has he done enough?" he asked. "My feeling would be that getting into the Premiership, there might still be a decision to be made.

"I don't know where the new owners are going to take the club. All Stuart can try and do is win these games. It was a quick fit to try and get the job up a division. It's a long drawn process this play-off system, but the first step has been taken pretty well."

McAllister took part in the memorable encounter between English champions Leeds and their Scottish counterparts Rangers in the second round of the inaugural Champions League at the start of the 1992/93 season in what was a far more prosperous era for both clubs.

The 50-year-old knows just what an intimidating arena Ibrox can be for a visiting side or, if they are struggling, the home team. With a sell-out crowd expected after ticket prices were set at just £5, he believes whoever copes best with the atmosphere will prevail.

"It can work both ways," he said. "But I think the Rangers fan will be buoyed by the result in Dumfries and reckon they would look beyond that to get their team over the line."

Rangers v Queen of the South is exclusively live on BT Sport 2 from 3pm on Sunday. BT Sport will show every game from the Premiership Play-Offs live, covering the semi-finals on May 20 and 23 and the final on May 28 and 31