1948–49 Rangers F.C. season
{{one source|date=October 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox football club season
| club = Rangers
| logo =
| season = 1948–49
| manager= Bill Struth
| chairman = John Wilson
| stdtitle = Ground
| stadium = Ibrox Park
| league = Scottish League Division One
| league result = 1st
P30 W20 D6 L4 F63 A32 Pts46
| cup1 = Scottish Cup| cup1 result = Winners
| cup2 = League Cup | cup2 result = Winners
| season topscorer =
Willie Thornton (34)
| league topscorer =
Willie Thornton (23)
| prevseason = 1947–48
| nextseason = 1949–50
}}
The 1948–49 season was the 69th season of competitive football by Rangers.
Overview
Rangers played a total of 44 competitive matches during the 1948–49 season becoming the first club to win The Treble.
Rangers won the league by a single point over second placed Dundee, winning 20 of the 30 matches.
The Scottish Cup was won thanks to a 4–1 win over Clyde with goals from Billy Williamson, Jimmy Duncanson and a brace from George Young.
The club won the League Cup with a 2–0 win over Raith Rovers.{{cite web |url=https://rangers.co.uk/news/features/rangers-history-5-blue-steel/ |title=Rangers History #5: Blue Steel |publisher=Rangers FC |date=1 January 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160412084851/https://rangers.co.uk/news/features/rangers-history-5-blue-steel/ |archive-date=12 April 2016 |access-date=4 October 2020}}
Transfers
16 August 1948:
Billy Arnison to Luton Town.
21 September 1948:
Charlie Watkins to Luton Town.
Results
All results are written with Rangers' score first.
=Scottish League Division A=
| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:100%; text-align:center"
!Date!!Round!!Venue!!Result!!Attendance!!Scorers | |||||
| bgcolor = "#FFFFEE"
| {{left}}14 Aug 1948 | {{left}}Motherwell | A | 1–1 | 35,000 | {{left}}Thornton |
| bgcolor = "#EEFFEE"
| {{left}}18 Aug 1948 | {{left}}Falkirk | H | 4–3 | 40,000 | {{left}}Gillick (2), Thornton, Findlay |
| bgcolor = "#EEFFEE"
| {{left}}21 Aug 1948 | {{left}}Celtic | A | 1–0 | 50,000 | {{left}}Findlay |
| bgcolor = "#FFFFEE"
| {{left}}28 Aug 1948 | {{left}}Dundee | H | 1–1 | 55,000 | {{left}}Findlay |
| bgcolor = "#FFFFEE"
| {{left}}1 Sep 1948 | {{left}}Partick Thistle | A | 1–1 | 40,000 | {{left}}Thornton |
| bgcolor = "#EEFFEE"
| {{left}}4 Sep 1948 | {{left}}Third Lanark | H | 2–1 | 35,000 | {{left}}Williamson, Duncanson |
| bgcolor = "#FFEEEE"
| {{left}}23 Oct 1948 | {{left}}Hearts | A | 0–2 | 42,000 | |
| bgcolor = "#FFEEEE"
| {{left}}6 Nov 1948 | {{left}}Hibernian | H | 2–4 | 50,000 | {{left}}Thornton, Gillick |
| bgcolor = "#EEFFEE"
| {{left}}13 Nov 1948 | {{left}}St Mirren | A | 2–0 | 40,000 | {{left}}Gillick, Waddell |
| bgcolor = "#EEFFEE"
| {{left}}27 Nov 1948 | {{left}}East Fife | A | 2–1 | 20,737 | {{left}}Thornton, Duncanson |
| bgcolor = "#EEFFEE"
| {{left}}4 Dec 1948 | {{left}}Clyde | A | 3–1 | 25,000 | {{left}}Thornton (2), Paton |
| bgcolor = "#EEFFEE"
| {{left}}11 Dec 1948 | {{left}}Morton | H | 4–1 | 25,000 | {{left}}Thornton (2), Findlay, Rutherford |
| bgcolor = "#EEFFEE"
| {{left}}18 Dec 1948 | {{left}}Queen of the South | A | 2–0 | 20,200 | {{left}}Thornton, Rutherford |
| bgcolor = "#FFFFEE"
| {{left}}25 Dec 1948 | {{left}}Falkirk | A | 2–2 | 21,000 | {{left}}Paton, Waddell |
| bgcolor = "#EEFFEE"
| {{left}}1 Jan 1949 | {{left}}Celtic | H | 4–0 | 95,000 | {{left}}Thornton, Duncanson (3) |
| bgcolor = "#FFEEEE"
| {{left}}3 Jan 1949 | {{left}}Dundee | A | 1–3 | 39,000 | {{left}}Marshall |
| bgcolor = "#EEFFEE"
| {{left}}8 Jan 1949 | {{left}}Motherwell | H | 2–0 | 55,000 | {{left}}Paton, Thornton |
| bgcolor = "#FFEEEE"
| {{left}}15 Jan 1949 | {{left}}Third Lanark | A | 1–2 | 35,000 | {{left}}Thornton |
| bgcolor = "#FFFFEE"
| {{left}}29 Jan 1949 | {{left}}Partick Thistle | H | 2–2 | 55,000 | {{left}}Thornton, Cox |
| bgcolor = "#EEFFEE"
| {{left}}12 Feb 1949 | {{left}}Aberdeen | A | 2–0 | 42,000 | {{left}}Thornton, Paton |
| bgcolor = "#EEFFEE"
| {{left}}19 Feb 1949 | {{left}}Hibernian | A | 1–0 | 50,000 | {{left}}Paton |
| bgcolor = "#EEFFEE"
| {{left}}26 Feb 1949 | {{left}}St Mirren | H | 2–1 | 40,000 | {{left}}Thornton, Duncanson |
| bgcolor = "#EEFFEE"
| {{left}}19 Mar 1949 | {{left}}Clyde | H | 4–1 | 50,000 | {{left}}Paton (2), Thornton, Duncanson |
| bgcolor = "#EEFFEE"
| {{left}}2 Apr 1949 | {{left}}Queen of the South | H | 3–0 | 28,000 | {{left}}Thornton (2), Duncanson |
| bgcolor = "#EEFFEE"
| {{left}}5 Apr 1949 | {{left}}Hearts | H | 2–1 | 45,000 | {{left}}Cox, Paton |
| bgcolor = "#EEFFEE"
| {{left}}13 Apr 1949 | {{left}}East Fife | H | 3–1 | 35,000 | {{left}}Young (2, 2 pen), Paton |
| bgcolor = "#FFFFEE"
| {{left}}16 Apr 1949 | {{left}}Aberdeen | H | 1–1 | 45,000 | {{left}}Duncanson |
| bgcolor = "#EEFFEE"
| {{left}}18 Apr 1949 | {{left}}Albion Rovers | H | 3–1 | 16,000 | {{left}}Williamson, Waddell, Young (pen) |
| bgcolor = "#EEFFEE"
| {{left}}25 Apr 1949 | {{left}}Morton | A | 1–0 | 40,000 | {{left}}Thornton |
| bgcolor = "#EEFFEE"
| {{left}}30 Apr 1949 | {{left}}Albion Rovers | A | 4–1 | 15,000 | {{left}}Thornton (3), Duncanson |
=Scottish Cup=
| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:100%; text-align:center"
!Date!!Round!!Opponent!!Venue!!Result!!Attendance!!Scorers | ||||||
| bgcolor = "#EEFFEE"
| {{left}}22 Jan 1949 | R1 | {{left}}Elgin City | H | 6–1 | 29,000 | {{left}}Thornton (2), Duncanson (2), Cox, Rutherford |
| bgcolor = "#EEFFEE"
| {{left}}5 Feb 1949 | R2 | {{left}}Motherwell | A | 3–0 | 31,000 | {{left}}Young (pen), Paton, Thornton |
| bgcolor = "#EEFFEE"
| {{left}}5 Mar 1949 | QF | {{left}}Partick Thistle | H | 4–0 | 65,000 | {{left}}Thornton (2), Duncanson, Paton |
| bgcolor = "#EEFFEE"
| {{left}}26 Mar 1949 | SF | {{left}}East Fife | N | 3–0 | 104,958 | {{left}}Thornton (3) |
| bgcolor = "#EEFFEE"
| {{left}}23 Apr 1949 | F | {{left}}Clyde | N | 4–1 | 120,162 | {{left}}Young (2, 2 pen), Williamson, Duncanson |
=League Cup=
| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:100%; text-align:center"
!Date!!Round!!Opponent!!Venue!!Result!!Attendance!!Scorers | ||||||
| bgcolor = "#FFFFEE"
| {{left}}11 Sep 1948 | SR | {{left}}Clyde | H | 1–1 | 50,000 | {{left}}Findlay |
| bgcolor = "#FFFFEE"
| {{left}}18 Sep 1948 | SR | {{left}}Hibernian | A | 0–0 | 47,000 | |
| bgcolor = "#FFEEEE"
| {{left}}25 Sep 1948 | SR | {{left}}Celtic | A | 1–3 | 65,000 | {{left}}Findlay |
| bgcolor = "#EEFFEE"
| {{left}}2 Oct 1948 | SR | {{left}}Clyde | A | 3–1 | 27,000 | {{left}}Waddell (3, 2 pen) |
| bgcolor = "#EEFFEE"
| {{left}}9 Oct 1948 | SR | {{left}}Hibernian | H | 1–0 | 76,466 | {{left}}Thornton |
| bgcolor = "#EEFFEE"
| {{left}}16 Oct 1948 | SR | {{left}}Celtic | H | 2–1 | 105,000 | {{left}}Williamson, Waddell |
| bgcolor = "#EEFFEE"
| {{left}}30 Oct 1948 | QF | {{left}}St Mirren | H | 1–0 | 50,000 | {{left}}Thornton |
| bgcolor = "#EEFFEE"
| {{left}}20 Nov 1948 | SF | {{left}}Dundee | N | 4–1 | 50,996 | {{left}}Rutherford, McColl, Duncanson, Thornton |
| bgcolor = "#EEFFEE"
| {{left}}12 Mar 1949 | F | {{left}}Raith Rovers | N | 2–0 | 57,450 | {{left}}Gillick, Paton |
Appearances
| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: center;" | |
| Player
!Position !Appearances !Goals | |
|---|---|
| align="left" |{{flagicon|SCO}} Bobby Brown
|GK |44 | 0 |
| align="left" |{{flagicon|SCO}} George Young
|DF |42 | 6 |
| align="left" |{{flagicon|SCO}} Jock Shaw
|DF |41 | 0 |
| align="left" |{{flagicon|SCO}} Ian McColl
|DF |41 | 1 |
| align="left" |{{flagicon|SCO}} Willie Woodburn
|DF |42 | 0 |
| align="left" |{{flagicon|SCO}} Sammy Cox
|DF |43 | 3 |
| align="left" |{{flagicon|SCO}} William Waddell
|MF |33 | 7 |
| align="left" |{{flagicon|SCO}} Willie Findlay
|FW |16 | 6 |
| align="left" |{{flagicon|SCO}} Willie Thornton
|FW |43 | 34 |
| align="left" |{{flagicon|SCO}} Jimmy Duncanson
|FW |37 | 15 |
| align="left" |{{flagicon|SCO}} Jimmy Caskie
|MF |2 | 0 |
| align="left" |{{flagicon|SCO}} Eddie Rutherford
|MF |35 | 4 |
| align="left" |{{flagicon|SCO}} Torrance Gillick
|MF |12 | 5 |
| align="left" |{{flagicon|SCO}} John Lindsay
|DF |6 | 0 |
| align="left" |{{flagicon|SCO}} Jimmy Frame
|MF |1 | 0 |
| align="left" |{{flagicon|SCO}} Dave Marshall
|FW |6 | 1 |
| align="left" |{{flagicon|SCO}} Billy Williamson
|FW |11 | 4 |
| align="left" |{{flagicon|SCO}} Willie Rae
|MF |4 | 0 |
| align="left" |{{flagicon|SCO}} Willie Paton
|MF |24 | 12 |
| align="left" |{{flagicon|SCO}} Willie Walmsley
|MF |1 | 0 |
See also
References
{{reflist}}
{{1948–49 in Scottish football}}
{{Rangers F.C. seasons}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:1948-49 Rangers F.C. season}}