Rangers roll up for a Tannadice title party

CHARLIE MILLER doesn't know where to start: the £1 coin with which he was hit in the back of the head during the celebrations, a tear-stained Richard Gough taking to the podium in his suit, or Paul Gascoigne turning up in his kit at a post-match reception in the Swallow Hotel. When supporters later gathered in Glasgow's George Square, they watched as players danced on the roof of the team bus, which then wound its way back to Ibrox for another impromptu party.

So many memories, so much to be proud of, and all because of a 1-0 win against Dundee United at Tannadice on 7 May 1997, which secured Rangers their ninth title in a row, and equalled the record set by Celtic in 1974. Miller, who had missed the home defeat by Motherwell only two days earlier, didn't just start the game, he set up one of the most celebrated goals in the club's history. "I just remember crossing the ball to Brian Laudrup, and him heading it in, which was unusual for him, but it was a wonderful header. We should have won by three or four actually. It was a wonderful night, a great thing to be part of."

Initially, there was jubilation, quickly followed by relief. The burden of completing a job that had been nine years in the building was lifted at last. Miller, renowned for his service to the pubs and clubs of Glasgow, recalls sitting in one of them during the early hours of the following morning, winding down with his friend and team-mate, Derek McInnes. "I can remember turning to him and saying, 'my God, I'm glad that's over'. There had been so much pressure on us throughout the season. What we achieved didn't actually sink in until a couple of years later. I was only involved in four or five of the titles, but for the club to win nine of them in a row was unbelievable."

Rangers have an opportunity to prove that at Tannadice this afternoon where another win would ruin Celtic's bid for a fourth consecutive league crown. It would also be the third time they have won a title of their own on Dundee United's ground. Trevor Steven's header did the trick in 1990, three years before Miller had even made the debut that set in motion a Rangers career every bit as frustrating as it was flamboyant.

As gifted a playmaker as Scottish football has experienced in its modern guise, he drank and ate too much to make the most of it, which led Dick Advocaat to dispense with him in 1999. Miller is proud of his time at Rangers, where his appearances were limited by Gascoigne, but he has only one Scotland cap to show for his talents. What should have been the peak of his career was spent in Belgium and Norway. Now 33, and playing in Australia, he admits his potential was never fulfilled. "I have always had faith in my ability, but it hasn't paid off. I made mistakes. You don't know they are mistakes at the time, but they are. Off the field, I didn't do things properly. I should have achieved more in my career, but I can't do anything about it now. I can only do my best for Brisbane Roar. "

That seems to be more than good enough for coach Frank Farina, and the A League itself, which voted him foreign player of the year last season. The fans, too, have fallen for his subtle touches in the hole behind the strikers, where he has thrived since moving to Queensland last summer. If you want a player to cover every blade of grass, Miller is not your man, but let him play to his strengths, and the midfielder will express himself. Some of his best football was played at Dundee United, where their manager, Alex Smith, asked him only to patrol the area between centre circle and penalty box.

Too often, he was told to be something he wasn't, with the result that his best qualities were sacrificed. "Some people wanted me to defend better, run around and not pass the ball, but that's not what I'm good at. It's a bit like Kris Boyd. People want him to win headers, to beat four players and link up play, but he's not that kind of player. He is a goalscorer, and there are very few of them around. You cannot argue with his record."

Miller knows Boyd, and a few others at Ibrox, but his best mates are the men he played with, such as McInnes ("the next Rangers manager") and Celtic's Barry Robson, with whom he shared a dressing room at Ibrox and Tannadice. The two will confront each other in a pre-season friendly at Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium on 12 July. "A strange date for a game like that," he says. The A League is awash with former Rangers players. Miller, who lives on the Gold Coast just outside Brisbane, is in the same neighbourhood as team captain Craig Moore, with whom he travels to work every day. Kevin Muscat is captain of Melbourne Victory. Ian Ferguson, coach of North Queensland Fury, has just signed Scott Wilson.

Barry Ferguson, though, is not about to join them. The midfielder was linked with a move Down Under after his suspension earlier in the season, but Miller thinks it is too soon in the 31-year-old's career. "Each club has a marquee player who you can pay a certain amount of money for," says Miller. "They'd have to put two clubs together to be able to afford Barry. If he wants to come, he would be more than welcome, but I don't think it is time yet. He still has a year left on his contract. He could turn out to be a golden boy again. I just hope Rangers don't throw him out too soon."

Although Ferguson returned as a substitute in last week's defeat of Aberdeen, he has lost the captaincy, and with it any guarantee of a place at Tannadice this afternoon. "It will be a shame if he can't help them to lift the trophy," says Miller. "That's when he would really feel it. He should be out there playing. Barry is an intelligent footballer, and I love him to bits, but he will be disappointed in himself. I just hope he remembers how big Rangers are, and that he fights as hard as he can to stay there."

Miller, of course, has been through rough times of his own, but he seems to have come through them. The sun, he says, is good for the spirit, while his wife and two children, aged 15 and 10, are enjoying the lifestyle. He talks of setting up a business, even trying his luck as a coach. Crowds of about 15,000 turn up to see Brisbane on a good day, and most of the teams would compete with all but the Old Firm in Scotland. Asked if he would ever consider playing in his homeland again, the response is not exactly gushing. "You never say never, but it wouldn't be to any old team," he says. "I don't have to prove anything."

When today's match kicks off at 10pm Brisbane time, Miller will be round at Moore's house, hoping that history will repeat itself. He says that Walter Smith's team cannot begin to compare with that which he fielded at Tannadice 12 years ago, but then who can?

"What he has done is make them difficult to beat. I'm just glad they have moved on from the days when they were ten or 15 points behind Celtic. If, at the start of the season, someone had said to Walter that a win at Dundee United would give them the title, I'm sure he would have taken that."