To Barcelona and beyond - Paul Smith

Of the 113 trophies Glasgow Rangers boast, only one was claimed on foreign shores. The triumph over Moscow Dynamo in the 1972 European Cup Winners' Cup final in the famous Nou Camp Stadium is the achievement four decades of Rangers teams have tried, and failed to emulate. Forty years on,To Barcelona and Beyondcharts the twists and turns of that famous European campaign and tells the real story of the men who made it happen. Through in-depth interviews with the Nou Camp heroes and comprehensive profiles, this unique collection of tales reveals how each of the eleven homegrown players found themselves at the centre of one of Scotland's rare European triumphs and just where football's rollercoaster took them in the 40 years that followed. The class of '72 included Scottish player of the year winners Sandy Jardine, John Greig, David Smith and Derek Johnstone, as well as fellow internationals Peter McCloy, Alfie Conn, Colin Stein, Alex McDonald and Willie Johnston. They fused together on a May night in Spain to create football history. Each has a fascinating story to tell of the ups and downs that life in the Old Firm goldfish bowl created. For the generations of football fans too young to have witnessed the success of '72, this expanded and updated edition, originally published by Breedon Press, is an unmissable guide to the men who conquered Europe with Rangers. For the tens of thousands who celebrated all those years ago, it represents an emotional stroll down memory lane.