Willie Thornton

{{Infobox football biography

| name= Willie Thornton

| fullname = Willam Thornton

| birth_date = {{birth date|1920|3|3|df=y}}

| birth_place = Winchburgh, Scotland

| death_date = {{death date and age|1991|08|26|1920|3|3|df=y}}

| position = Striker

| years1 = 1936–1954

| clubs1 = Rangers

| caps1 = 219

| goals1 = 138

| nationalyears1 = 1946–1952

| nationalteam1 = Scotland

| nationalcaps1 = 8

| nationalgoals1 = 1

| nationalyears2 = 1949

| nationalteam2 = Scottish Football League XI{{Cite web | url=http://www.londonhearts.com/SFL/players/williethornton.html | title=Willie Thornton - Scotland Football League Record from 23 Mar 1949 to 23 Mar 1949 clubs - Rangers }}

| nationalcaps2 = 1

| nationalgoals2 = 0

| manageryears1 = 1954–1959

| manageryears2 = 1959–1968

| manageryears3 = 1969

| managerclubs1 = Dundee

| managerclubs2 = Partick Thistle

| managerclubs3 = Rangers (caretaker)

}}

William Thornton MM (3 March 1920 – 26 August 1991) was a Scottish footballer and manager. Thornton's entire senior playing career was spent with Rangers, and Thornton is considered to be one of the greatest players in the club's history.

Football career

Thornton played for Rangers from 1936 to 1954, then became a manager with first Dundee and then Partick Thistle. Thornton later returned to Rangers as assistant manager to Davie White in the summer of 1968 and was briefly caretaker manager in 1969 after White's dismissal. Thornton then worked as assistant to William Waddell until 1972. The club won the two matches when Thornton was in charge. Thornton is one of Scotland's all-time top goalscorers, with 138 league goals.

Military career

Thornton served in World War II in the Scottish Horse fighting in the Italian campaign at the battle of Anzio, and winning the Military Medal for his bravery during the invasion of Sicily.{{Cite web | url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2009/apr/01/referee-sent-off-footballers-honoured-the-knowledge | title=Has a referee ever been sent off? | website=TheGuardian.com | date=31 March 2009 }} Later in the war, Thornton played football for a British Eighth Army team that also included George Hamilton and Tom Finney.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZTw7AwAAQBAJ&pg=PT149 |title=Gas Masks for Goal Posts: Football in Britain During the Second World War |first=Anton |last=Rippon|date=21 October 2011 |publisher=The History Press |isbn=9780752471884 }}