A football from a fiercely contested Old Firm derby more than six decades ago has been given a new lease of life. The match ball, awarded to Rangers great Ian McMillan after the 1963 Scottish Cup Final, has been expertly restored on the popular BBC programme The Repair Shop.
The Historic Match
The leather ball was used in the replay between Rangers and their arch-rivals Celtic, a match that Rangers won 3-0. As it was likely to be McMillan's last cup final before retirement, his teammate Jim Baxter smuggled the ball off the pitch as a keepsake for him. The Scottish Football Association initially demanded its return but later relented, allowing McMillan to keep the ball as a memento of his illustrious career.
Ian McMillan's Legacy
McMillan, who played for Rangers from 1958 to 1964 and earned six caps for Scotland, passed away in 2024 at the age of 92. His grandsons, Iain and Kirk Russell, were unaware of the ball's historic significance when they were young. They used it in family kickabouts, leaving McMillan's autograph barely legible.
Recently, they learned of the ball's storied past and, concerned about its deteriorating condition, sought assistance from The Repair Shop. Leather expert Suzie Fletcher worked her magic on the piece of footballing history, which is now proudly displayed in the Ibrox trophy room.
