by Aleks V |

On this day in 1972, Rangers FC won their sole European trophy, the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, in a dramatic 3-2 battle against Dynamo Moscow at Camp Nou in Barcelona. In honor of the 45th anniversary of the historic final, here are some lesser-known facts about the game:

1. The first Soviet team in a European final

Dynamo Moscow in the 1972 Cup Winners' Cup Final. Photo: fcdynamo.ru

Dynamo Moscow became the first team from the Soviet Union to compete in the final of a European competition.

2. The managers met again

Rangers FC manager, Willie Waddell, played against Dynamo Moscow manager, Konstantin Beskov, in Dynamo's 1945 tour of Britain. In the post-war friendly vs Dynamo, Waddell's penalty kick was saved by goalkeeper, Alexei "Tiger" Khomich. Dynamo Captain, Beskov, contributed to both of his team's goals against Rangers, earning the free kick for Kartsev's 3rd minute opener and assisting his second goal. The match ended in a 2-2 draw.

3. The managers' records still stand

As manager of Kilmarnock in 1964-65, Willie Waddell led the club to its only championship in Scotland's top tier to date. Konstantin Beskov led Dynamo Moscow to victory in the 1994-95 Russian Cup, the club's last trophy while playing in the Premier League.

4. The lone foreigner

Rangers only had one foreign player on their roster in the 1972 Cup Winners' Cup Final - goalkeeper, Gerry Neef, who was on the bench for the duration of the game.

5. 45 years later, the Captains still support their clubs 



Both Captains remain active for their clubs. Rangers defender, John Greig, is the club's honorary life president. He's also on the board of the club's Youth Development Program. Dynamo Moscow defender, Valeri Zykov, attended the Blue-and-Whites' game against Shinnik on May 14, performing the ceremonial kick-off in honor of the 45th anniversary of the match against Rangers.

6. An artist is present

Fans hold up posters for the Rangers vs Dynamo Moscow game. Photo via cenotaph on forum.followfollow.com

Although there was no official match programme for the game, the famous match poster remains a favorite among collectors. The artwork used for the poster is by Spanish artist José Cros Estrems, who was known for his bullfighting illustrations.

7. The NASL connection

Willie Johnston playing for the NASL's Vancouver Whitecaps, 1980. Photo: John Denniston

Rangers' Willie Johnston, Alfie Conn, and Dave Smith all left their mark in the North American Soccer League. Johnston, who scored two goals in the Cup Winners' Cup Final against Dynamo, had two spells for the original Vancouver Whitecaps. The Scot made 59 appearances, tallying three goals and 19 assists. After a successful year playing indoor soccer at the Pittsburgh Spirit (15 goals and 8 assists in 21 games), Conn joined the NASL's San Jose Earthquakes, making two appearances in 1980. Smith played 15 games for the Los Angeles Aztecs and five for the Seattle Sounders during the 1976 NASL Season.

8. One-club men

Rangers manager Willie Waddell. Photo: rangers.co.uk

Rangers skipper John Greig homecoming & fans celebrate 1972 ECWC final win pic.twitter.com/800xyHcBgk

— RetroScotsFitbapics (@RetroScotsFitba) August 3, 2015

Rangers manager, Willie Waddell, was a one-club man during his playing career. Rangers captain, John Greig, was a one-club man both as a player and manager. His involvement with the club continues to this day.

9. A record still stands

Rangers and Dynamo Moscow have played each other on six occasions - three friendlies and three official games. The Gers have never lost to Dynamo, winning five matches and drawing one (the 1945 friendly). The teams last met in 2001, in the UEFA Cup Round of 16.

10. Success for both teams

The 1972 Cup Winners' Cup Final remains both Rangers and Dynamo's greatest success in European competition. Rangers came close to a second European trophy in 2008, but lost to Zenit Saint Petersburg in the Final of the 2007-08 UEFA Cup.

by Aleks V |

2017 marks the 160th anniversary of the world's first football club, Sheffield FC. Sheffield 160 is a bi-weekly series that goes behind the scenes of the historic club through interviews with players and staff.

This week, Aleks chats with former Sheffield FC Ladies defender, Natasha Cooke, on her time at the club.

Cooke was instrumental in helping the team win the treble in the 2013-14 season, as the SFC Ladies became champions of the FA Women's Premier League Northern Division, also taking home the FA Women's Premier League Cup as well as the Sheffield & Hallamshire County Women's Challenge Cup. In 2014, she became the 15th player to make 100 appearances for the club. Her individual awards include 2011/12 Manager's Player.

Natasha Cooke playing for Sheffield FC Ladies away at Bradford City, 2014.

What were your first impressions of Sheffield (the city and club)?
When I first turned up to a training session, I found the players to be very friendly. They made me feel at ease straight away. The players showed real togetherness, which was great to feel and be a part of. The club was also very professional, and I got a good feel for the club immediately.

What made the experience at SFC unique?
If it wasn't for [General Manager] Helen Mitchell, then there wouldn't have been a club. She lived and breathed the club. She wore many different hats; being the manager, club secretary, coach, marketing/PR, to even washing the kit! She was very well respected, and if we ever needed a reason to perform to our best (which we did anyways), then she was the reason.

Describe your most memorable game at Sheffield. 
I was a part of so many memorable games at the club and have a variety of silverware. But for me, it has to be the friendly against Doncaster Rovers Belles. I was up against [winger/forward] Sue Smith and [midfielder] Millie Bright and at the point we played them, they were in Super League One, which meant we were the underdogs. We didn't win the game, but drew 2-2, and the passion and commitment from all the players was amazing. It felt like a cup final. Prior to the game, I had been hesitating whether or not to commit for another season, and after that game, it confirmed for me that I would be making the right decision in committing myself for a further season.

Do you stay in touch with anyone at the club? Have you been back to visit?
I have been in touch with a few people, like [midfielder] Leanne de Silva, [defender] Ellie Gilliat and Wardy (SFC Ladies Captain, Carla Ward). I haven't spoken to any of them for a while now, but follow their progress on social media. I haven't yet been to watch them play, although I do keep saying I would like to, but never have got round it. However, I may get a chance to play against them in a pre-season friendly this summer!

You missed the first half of a season, traveling around Canada and the US. Can you talk a bit about that?
This had been something that I had been wanting to do for a while. My dream was to visit America. The hardest thing apart from leaving family was having to leave the club for six months. I had an amazing time over there and learnt a lot about myself. It's something I would recommend to anyone.

The intention was to go out to Canada and train with a team, but unfortunately they had finished their season, which was disappointing. So I played for a volleyball team instead.

There were many significant moments for me out there, like meeting Robert Downey Jr. at Venice Beach, being caught up in a shoot out in Hollywood. I stayed in Hollywood for a week and every day I visited the Runyon Canyon, which was full of hills and a great place for running and walking. Each time I visited that place, I would stand at the top whilst looking at the Hollywood sign, which was breathtaking. Mainly, the culture was completely different to the English. The Canadians and Americans are so laid back, happy and really friendly. It makes you realise how the English are so fast paced and are wrapped up in everything.

What has been your biggest challenge thus far?
For me, there have been two challenges that stood out. The first was coming back from travelling and joining the team halfway through the season. I felt I was forever playing catch up and didn't feel

100% fit. I remember my first game back against Manchester City and thinking, "Oh my God, what have I done?" I didn't feel or appear to be the player I was before I went away. Secondly, a big challenge for me was taking the decision to quit football due to personal reasons. Football up to then was everything to me, and it was a very hard decision to make, but it needed to be made. It was never anything about the club, as it was fantastic.
Is there one piece of advice you would give yourself before you began your career?
To give yourself the best possible chance to play at the highest level. Take the opportunities given to you. When I was younger, I had the opportunity to play at a higher level and receive top coaching, but decided to stay put and play with my mates. It is a decision that I regret a lot. Also, work just as hard off the pitch as you do on the pitch.

Natasha Cooke with the FA Women's Premier League Cup, 2014. Photo: Sheffield FC via Flickr

Natasha Cooke is a former defender for Sheffield FC Ladies.

Join the conversation on Twitter using hashtag #Sheffield160.

Conor Higginson at Sheffield FC. Photo: sheffieldfc.com

What were your first impressions of Sheffield (the club and city)? Did they change over time?
I had just left full time football a few weeks before Mark Shaw (Manager) and Ian Whitehorn (General Manager) expressed an interest in signing me for Sheffield FC. It was a no-brainer for me, the appeal to be a part of the oldest football club in the world was too great. I couldn't turn it down! I could see there was a setup and structure in place that could really go places. My impression didn't change throughout the season. The team was successful and I was playing well; we came really close that season to gaining promotion and were really unlucky not to. I often look back and think what could have been...

Describe your most memorable game at Sheffield FC.
For me, it would have to be Grantham Town at home. We won 2-0 and I scored, which always helps! They were flying form wise and they fancied themselves before kick off, but we absolutely popped them off the park. They had no answer to us going forward, we were solid at the back and a force going forward that night. The gaffer, Mark Shaw, had drilled into us a style of play that not many teams could deal with at that level, which made most games that season really enjoyable.  

Do you stay in touch with anyone from SFC? Have you been back to visit?
I still stay in touch with a few of the supporters there, they are a great bunch. I have recently played Sheffield FC twice this season for my current club, Spalding United. We have beat them twice and I've actually scored in both games. I got some stick, but it was all good natured!

What has been the biggest challenge you've had to face during your playing career?
Probably the decision to leave Worksop Town after three years. I was captain of the club and had a special relationship with the supporters there. It was like losing a limb leaving that day. I'm not going to go into detail, but sometimes things happen at clubs that you don't agree with, and it makes your job on the playing side difficult. That being said, things are moving in the right direction at the club now, and I still look out for their results every week!

What's a typical day like for you now that you're playing part-time?
I currently work at Center Parcs full time at the moment, as well as juggling my football at Spalding United. It can be tough physically when I'm out most of the week, but that's part and parcel of being a semi-professional. I wouldn't change anything for the world at the moment though, I love it!  

Is there any advice you wish you were given before you began your career?
Not really. It's only a short career, so you haven't got time to dwell on decisions you make. It's happened, you move on. I have always been told to play with a smile on my face no matter what and play every game as if it's my last. You won't go far wrong if you follow that!

Conor Higginson at Spalding United. Photo: Jake Whiteley

Join the conversation on Twitter using hashtag #Sheffield160.