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Leon Balogun hopes Old Firm win provides comfort on Ibrox disaster anniversary

Gers skipper James Tavernier and his Hoops counterpart Callum McGregor laid wreaths in the centre circle before kick-off.

Leon Balogun hopes Rangers' 1-0 win over Celtic on the 50th anniversary of the Ibrox Disaster gives some comfort to the friends and families of the fans who died that day.

There was a poignancy about Saturday's match in Govan where the tragedy in which 66 Gers supporters who lost their lives in a crush on stairway 13 following the traditional New Year's Old Firm game in 1971 was again remembered.

Gers skipper James Tavernier and his Hoops counterpart Callum McGregor laid wreaths in the centre circle before kick-off and both sets of players wore black armbands.

It was an own goal from the latter in the second half, after Hoops defender Nir Bitton was sent off, which gave the home side a crucial 1-0 win.

Steven Gerrard's side moved 19 points clear of the nine in a row champions albeit they have played three games more and Balogun, the 32-year-old defender who signed from Wigan last summer, recognised its significance.

He said: "For us, for the cause, for the mission that we are on, it is massive.

"But when you think about the club – because it's not just us players and staff, it is the fans that make the club – it is massive.

"And to win an Old Firm game on that day it is probably some kind of comfort to some of the people who have been affected, the families.

"And it is a great gift from us as representatives of the club to the supporters for the New Year, on that day

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Rangers goalkeeper Allan McGregor pictured in December 2018
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TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
Championship Group
CCeltic550095306593
2RangersRangers531187325585
3Hearts513154421268
4Kilmarnock51224644256
5St Mirren51134652-647
6Dundee50144968-1942
Relegation Group
1Aberdeen54104852-448
2Hibernian52125259-746
3Motherwell52035659-343
4St Johnstone51132954-2535
5Ross County51223867-2935
RLivingston52122970-4125
 
First Phase
CCeltic33246380265478
2RangersRangers33243672234975
3Hearts33195946341262
4Kilmarnock33131284334951
5St Mirren33127143843-543
6Dundee331011124454-1041
7Hibernian33912124451-739
8Motherwell33813124651-537
9Aberdeen33811143549-1435
10St Johnstone33710162446-2231
11Ross County3379173256-2430
RLivingston3339212259-3718


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