Even The Rangers' first game of the season became a prolonged test of nerve.
Supporters were mostly defiant, but as this Ramsdens Cup first-round tie moved into extra time and the rain began to fall in torrents, the fans taking shelter beneath their flags must have felt momentarily subdued. They had been spirited as they arrived in the town, and their appreciation of the players and the manager was rousing, but there will be moments of grim realisation during Rangers' journey back to the top flight.
The obligation was to be unreserved, and inevitably there were brief lapses in restraint. There were two offensive songs before kick-off, then during the first half a supporter clambered up one of the Glebe Park floodlights. He was only guilty of over-exuberance, and a sense of absurdity when he then began to conduct the Rangers fans' singing with one of his shoes, but the surreal sight was in itself a sign of the club's changed circumstances.
Frivolity will surely be part of the support's coping mechanism over the coming months, particularly after the weeks of uncertainty about their league place and their SFA membership. Glebe Park would seem a novelty to fans used to the stadium requirements of the SPL, and many will have relished standing, even during the intermittent downpours. They cheered, too, when a Dorin Goian clearance landed on top of the hedge that runs along one side of the ground, before being shaken down by some intrepid fans.
The occasion was significant, not least because it was the club's first game outwith the top flight in 140 years. There would have been a sense of relief, since a conditional agreement to transfer the SFA licence from Rangers Football Club plc to the club's new owners, Sevco Scotland, was only taken late on Friday night, but the nature of the match itself, rugged, hard-fought, unsophisticated, was an indication of the reality of life in the lower leagues.
"We're a wee bit more rough than they're used to," said Gerry McLauchlan, the Brechin City centre-back. "They got less time on the ball, but they'll be fine [this season], they've got players who can handle that. Coming to a wee ground like this will have been a culture shock for them. The changing rooms will be smaller than half of their bedrooms, and they'll need to get used to that."
Rangers will encounter rough edges, and the need will be to treat them as mundane. Supporters had their photographs taken next to the Welcome To Brechin City sign near Glebe Park, and they chanted: "F*** you, Celtic, you'll never win this cup", but their intention was most commonly to express their admiration for the players who stayed at the club, those who joined and, in particular, Ally McCoist.
Ian Black must have felt bewildered at the extent of the fans' acclaim, since they had once considered him a pariah. There will be other new arrivals, as McCoist looks to build a squad before the 12-month registration embargo is imposed. The sheer size of the club's support brings financial wherewithal, but also the feeling of playing for a significant club.
"Not everybody gets a chance to play for a club as big as this," said Lee McCulloch, who scored the winner in extra time. "An amazing amount of players want to play for the club in the third division. That's because of the size of [Rangers]."
The two youngsters in the side, Barrie McKay and Lewis McLeod were bright and lively, but the two experienced centre-backs, Goian and Carlos Bocanegra, were sluggish. The initial novelty of Rangers being in the lower leagues can be relished by fans, but some players might feel it is something to endure. This visit to Glebe Park was made out of necessity but the opportunity exists for Rangers to rebuild as a club and an institution.
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