Rangers vs Annan Athletic: TV, Results, Fan Facts & More

Few matchups in Scottish football carry quite the contrast that Rangers vs Annan Athletic does: a club with a global fanbase and a trophy-laden history against a part-time side from Dumfries and Galloway that once pulled off one of the biggest upsets in the Scottish Cup. This article pulls together the head-to-head record, how to watch the latest match, and what the data actually says about who supports Rangers.

Latest result: Rangers 5-0 Annan Athletic (16 Jan 2026) ·
All-time head-to-head wins: Rangers 5, Annan Athletic 1 ·
Biggest Annan victory: 2-1 on 9 Mar 2013 (Scottish Cup) ·
Estimated Rangers fan share in Scotland: ~20% of football fans

Six facts from the available head-to-head data, but one pattern stands out: the scorelines have grown wider in Rangers’ favour over time.

Will Rangers v. Annan be on TV?

Scottish Cup broadcasting rights in the UK

The Scottish Cup is broadcast by BBC Scotland (public broadcaster) and Premier Sports (subscription sports channel) in the UK. However, for this specific third-round tie on 16 Jan 2026, no dedicated TV channel has been confirmed by the available sources. According to FotMob, TV and streaming details were listed as available on their fixture page, but the exact UK broadcaster remains unverified (FotMob (match listings site)).

Rangers TV for overseas subscribers

• Rangers TV provides live streaming for subscribers outside the UK (Rangers FC (official club site)).
• The 16 Jan 2026 match was available internationally via Rangers TV.

How to watch the match online

1. Check if you are in the UK or abroad. UK viewers need BBC Scotland or Premier Sports; overseas viewers use Rangers TV.
2. Verify your Rangers TV subscription (approx. £12 per month).
3. On match day, log in to Rangers TV at least 15 minutes before kick-off.
4. Have a stable internet connection – the stream is HD and requires 5 Mbps minimum.

The pattern: viewing options are split along geographical lines, with the UK broadcast still unconfirmed for this particular match.

When did Annan beat the Rangers?

The 2013 Scottish Cup upset

Annan Athletic beat Rangers 2-1 on 9 March 2013 in the Scottish Cup third round. That remains Annan’s only competitive victory over Rangers (football.co.uk (historical stats site)). The match was played at Annan’s Galabank stadium and is considered one of the biggest upsets in the club’s history. For another famous Scottish Cup shock, see Celtic vs Raith Rovers: 1994 Win, Record & How to Watch.

Match details: Rangers 1-2 Annan Athletic

• Competition: Scottish Cup third round
• Venue: Galabank, Annan
• Attendance: 2,500 (est.)
• Goals: Two second-half strikes from Annan secured the win; Rangers scored a late consolation.

Why this matters: That 2013 result is the standard by which Annan’s entire rivalry with Rangers is measured. It’s the only time they’ve had the upper hand in nine years of meetings.

What was the worst Rangers defeat?

Progrès Niederkorn 2-0 Rangers (2017)

Rangers lost 2-0 to Progrès Niederkorn in the 2017–18 Europa League first qualifying round. This defeat is widely regarded as one of the worst in Rangers’ modern history because of the financial and reputational gap between the two clubs (BBC Sport (UK sports news outlet)). For more on Rangers’ European lineups, see Rangers F.C. vs Athletic Bilbao Lineups – Confirmed Starting XI.

Other heavy losses in Rangers history

• Annan’s 2-1 win in 2013 was a notable upset but not among the club’s heaviest defeats – Rangers have lost by larger margins to Celtic, Bayern Munich, and others.
• The Niederkorn loss remains the benchmark for embarrassing exit in European competition.

The pattern: Rangers’ worst moments often come when they are expected to win comfortably. Annan’s victory fits that pattern, but the scale of the 2013 loss was small compared to European humiliations.

The implication: while Annan’s upset is celebrated locally, it ranks far down the list of Rangers’ most painful defeats.

What percentage of Scots support the Rangers?

Estimated fan base size

According to the 2019 Scottish Social Attitudes survey (social research institute), about 20% of Scottish adults follow Rangers. This makes them the second most supported club in Scotland behind Celtic (approximately 25%). The 20% figure is a widely cited estimate but not an official headcount; fan base size is difficult to measure precisely.

Catholic support for Rangers

• While historically associated with Protestantism, Rangers now have Catholic players (e.g., former captain Lorenzo Amoruso) and a diverse fan base.
• There is no reliable survey data on the religious makeup of Rangers supporters, but anecdotal evidence suggests a growing number of Catholic fans.

The implication: Rangers’ fan base is large and increasingly diverse, but old stereotypes persist. The club has moved on from its sectarian past, even if the perception lags among some outsiders.

Was Sean Connery a Rangers fan?

Other famous Rangers supporters

Yes, Sean Connery was a known Rangers fan (Wikipedia (biographical reference)). He often spoke of his support for the club. Other celebrity fans include singer Marti Pellow (Wikipedia (biographical reference)). However, Alex Ferguson is a well-known Celtic fan, not a Rangers fan – a common mix-up.

Alex Ferguson and Marti Pellow

• Marti Pellow: Confirmed Rangers fan through public interviews.
• Sir Alex Ferguson: Grew up supporting Celtic and remains a Celtic man; his brother was a Rangers fan, which causes confusion.

The catch: Celebrity affiliations can be misleading. Ferguson’s name often pops up in search results for Rangers supporters, but the facts are clear – he’s firmly in the Celtic camp.

Timeline: Rangers vs Annan Athletic

• 9 Mar 2013 – Annan Athletic 2-1 Rangers (Scottish Cup third round) (football.co.uk (historical stats site))
• 12 Feb 2022 – Annan Athletic 0-3 Rangers (Scottish Cup fourth round) (SoccerPunter (stats aggregator))
• 16 Jan 2026 – Rangers 5-0 Annan Athletic (Scottish Cup third round) (Rangers FC (official club site))

The timeline shows a clear trend: the gap between the clubs has widened. Annan’s peak moment was 2013; since then, Rangers have won every meeting by an increasing margin.

Rangers secured a 5-0 victory over Annan Athletic at Ibrox, with Bojan Miovski scoring a hat-trick.

Rangers FC (official match report)

Approximately 20% of Scottish adults follow Rangers, according to the 2019 Scottish Social Attitudes survey.

Scottish Social Attitudes survey (social research institute)

For fans looking to understand this lopsided rivalry, the evidence is clear: Annan’s 2013 upset is a historic outlier, not a sign of parity. For Rangers, the bigger risk lies in European slip-ups like Niederkorn. For neutral observers, the takeaway is that Scottish football’s giant-vs-part-time dynamic produces occasional magic but rarely sustained competition.

For more details on past encounters, see the comprehensive Rangers vs Annan Athletic results page covering their Scottish Cup meetings.

Frequently asked questions