THE hoisting of a flag confirmed that Rangers had returned to the Premiership. The raising of one will confirm they are champions once again.

The message of ‘Going for 55’ - spelled out across the Sandy Jardine Stand - didn’t just become a mantra, it was a way of life for supporters. It was the target that all managers had to aim for, the ambition that players had to strive to achieve.

Five years on, another league flag will be unfurled at Ibrox. This one is simply the best, better than all the rest.

No other achievement carries the same burden of history nor the weight of expectation and the deeds of Steven Gerrard and his players will forever be spoken about in the fondest of terms.

As the cord is pulled this afternoon, the emotions of March and May will course through the veins of supporters once again. The smiles will be broad, the roars visceral and tears may well fill eyes.

Embraces can be shared with fellow fans around them in the stands, while thoughts will naturally turn to those – from family members to former players - who saw Rangers fall but not rise once again. The toast today is to Absent Friends.

The late, great Sandy Jardine would unfurl the Third Division flag as Rangers took their first steps on the road to recovery. It would sadly be the last he would see.

Twelve months on, the League One flag would flutter from the stand that now bears his name as Ally McCoist paid tribute to Jardine and Lee McCulloch took his place to do the honours.

It was an emotionally charged occasion. The next one will be too, but for different reasons, as Rangers prepare for their first top flight unfurling in a decade.

The decision to move flag day from its traditional date on the opening weekend of the campaign allows for Ibrox to be at its best. It will be an afternoon to savour, one that is as important to Rangers’ past as its future.

The Premiership was won and celebrated in isolation. Today, fans will be together in body rather than just spirit as Gerrard, his staff and his players take acclaim from a capacity Ibrox.

Others before them had failed. Indeed, on two occasions they too had come up short and only added to the tale of woe rather than closing a chapter in Rangers’ history.

Their success was not a case of third time lucky. It was a reward for their improvement and their perseverance and a justification for the loyalty of those who followed near and far.

Football, like life itself, owes nobody anything, but there is not a support in the country who have endured as much as Rangers fans over the last decade.

No matter the colour of your scarf, it would be churlish not to recognise the part they have played and the sacrifices – both personal and financial – that were made along the way.

When the Third Division and League One flags were raised, it was a case of boxes being ticked and marker posts on the road to recovery being reached. The hat-trick proved to be more difficult to attain, but not nearly as stressful as the one that completed the set.

The years were painful to live through and are agonising to recall, yet they have been enveloped by the relief and joy that 55 has brought.

Those feelings will never subside, and Rangers continue to bask in the glory ahead of the sixth match of their title defence at home to Motherwell.

There are moments from recent seasons that will live with supporters forever and events that will be passed down the generations to those who will next follow in the footsteps of their team.

Dave King, John Gilligan and Paul Murray winning the AGM. Steven Gerrard’s appointment as manager. Victory over St Mirren in March. James Tavernier holding the trophy aloft in May.

Each is as vivid in the mind today as it was when witnessed live. They are important chapters, but don’t tell the whole Rangers story.

The day when the Championship flag was unfurled and that famous slogan was held aloft was an important juncture in Rangers’ history. Few would have believed it would take quite as long for the next one to arrive.

The action that followed the ceremony in 2016 was an appetiser of what was to follow for Rangers. The most tumultuous period in their history was behind them, but the immediate future wouldn’t bring the success that was so sought after.

Mark Warburton later admitted that his heart ‘sank’ when he saw the message emblazoned in red, white and blue across the Sandy Jardine Stand. Just 90 minutes later, his fears were reaffirmed as Rangers were held to a 1-1 draw by Hamilton Accies.

Through all the trials and tribulations, the false dawns and the crushing embarrassments, Rangers’ focus remained the same. Through it all, they were still going for 55.

That number would carry a unique significance for supporters. It wasn’t just about the silverware or the status, it represented the end of ‘The Journey’, the moment where a club, an institution, that had become the ultimate fallen giant would stand tall and proud once again.

Rangers will be forever indebted to those that achieved and facilitated title 55. Some contributed more, but every effort made was important in its own right.

The three points on offer against Motherwell are more integral to Rangers’ future, but the pre-match recollections and celebrations define the past. Gerrard must ensure the party isn’t wrecked by visitors like it was five seasons ago.

The focus has, and had to, shift towards 56 for Rangers. The challenge now is to keep the blue flag flying high.