1972–73 Rangers F.C. season

Rangers 1972-73 football season

Rangers1972-73 season

Chairman| John Lawrence
Manager| Jock Wallace
Ground| Ibrox Park
Scottish League Division One| 2nd
P34 W26 D4 L4 F74 A30 Pts56
Scottish Cup| Winners
League Cup| Semi-finals
European Super Cup| Runners-up
Top goalscorer| League:
Derek Parlane (19)
All:
Derek Parlane (27)

← 1971–72

1973–74 →

The 1972–73 season was the 93rd season of competitive football by Rangers.

## Overview

[edit]

Rangers played a total of 53 competitive matches during the 1972–73 season. The season was the club's centenary year. After a stuttering start to the league campaign, three defeats and a draw from the first six matches, the sides fortunes greatly improved. From October to the end of the season Rangers suffered only one league defeat, at home to Hearts on 2 December 1972, and went on a run of sixteen wins. However this run was not enough to become league champions as the side finished second, one point behind Celtic.

In the cup competitions, the Scottish Cup campaign was to culminate in a 3–2 win over Celtic.[1] The final was attended by Princess Alexandra along with 122,714 other spectators. It was Rangers first Scottish Cup win in seven years. The League Cup run was ended in the semi-finals at the hands of Hibernian after a 1–0 defeat.

This season also saw Rangers compete in the first ever European Super Cup. The side played the European Cup holders Ajax in January 1973. The Dutch side were the only continental opposition the side faced that season due to the club's European competition ban. In the end Ajax proved too strong and recorded a 6–3 aggregate win, with Rangers losing 1–3 at Ibrox and 3–2 in Amsterdam.[2]

## Results

[edit]

All results are written with Rangers' score first.

### Scottish First Division

[edit]

Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers

|
|
|
|
|

2 September 1972 | Ayr United | A | 1–2 | 14,500 | Johnston
9 September 1972 | Partick Thistle | H | 2–1 | 35,000 | MacDonald, Johnston
16 September 1972 | Celtic | A | 1–3 | 50,416 | Greig
23 September 1972 | Falkirk | H | 1–0 | 28,798 | McLean (pen.)
30 September 1972 | Kilmarnock | A | 1–2 | 10,643 | McLean
7 October 1972 | Morton | H | 1–1 | 30,000 | Fyfe
14 October 1972 | Motherwell | A | 2–0 | 17,621 | Young, Parlane (pen.)
21 October 1972 | Arbroath | A | 2–1 | 8,400 | Parlane, Mason
28 October 1972 | St. Johnstone | H | 5–1 | 24,202 | Conn (2), Parlane (2), Johnstone
4 November 1972 | Dundee | A | 1–1 | 19,600 | Conn
11 November 1972 | Airdrieonians | H | 1–0 | 22,201 | Conn
18 November 1972 | Hibernian | A | 2–1 | 33,356 | Conn, Fyfe
25 November 1972 | Dumbarton | H | 3–1 | 24,500 | Young, Conn, Jardine
2 December 1972 | Heart of Midlothian | H | 0–1 | 27,350 |
9 December 1972 | Dundee United | A | 4–1 | 12,500 | Parlane (2), Conn, Jardine
16 December 1972 | Aberdeen | H | 0–0 | 26,375 |
23 December 1972 | East Fife | A | 4–0 | 8,608 | Johnstone (2), Young, Parlane
30 December 1972 | Ayr United | H | 2–1 | 27,653 | Conn, Parlane
1 January 1973 | Partick Thistle | A | 1–0 | 18,500 | Young
6 January 1973 | Celtic | H | 2–1 | 72,479 | Parlane, Conn
13 January 1973 | Falkirk | A | 4–2 | 17,000 | Young (2), Parlane (pen.), Conn
20 January 1973 | Kilmarnock | H | 4–0 | 24,515 | Parlane (2), Young, Greig
27 January 1973 | Morton | A | 2–1 | 16,000 | MacDonald, Young
10 February 1973 | Motherwell | H | 2–1 | 27,000 | Young, Jardine
19 February 1973 | Arbroath | H | 5–0 | 25,662 | Parlane (2), Young, Greig, Miller
3 March 1973 | St. Johnstone | A | 2–1 | 12,000 | Miller, Mason
10 March 1973 | Dundee | H | 3–1 | 32,500 | Parlane (2), MacDonald
20 March 1973 | Airdrieonians | A | 6–2 | 20,000 | Parlane, Greig, Johnstone, McLean, MacDonald, Young
24 March 1973 | Hibernian | H | 1–0 | 51,226 | McLean
31 March 1973 | Dumbarton | A | 2–1 | 13,000 | Young, Parlane
7 April 1973 | Heart of Midlothian | A | 1–0 | 24,064 | Greig
14 April 1973 | Dundee United | H | 2–1 | 38,000 | Greig (2)
21 April 1973 | Aberdeen | A | 2–2 | 33,000 | McLean, Conn
28 April 1973 | East Fife | H | 2–0 | 27,544 | Young, Conn

### European Super Cup

[edit]

Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers

|
|
|
|
|

16 January 1973 | Ajax | H | 1–3 | 58,199 | MacDonald
24 January 1973 | Ajax | A | 2–3 | 43,000 | MacDonald, Young

### Scottish Cup

[edit]

Date | Round | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers

|
|
|
|
|
|

3 February 1973 | R3 | Dundee United | H | 1–0 | 35,657 | Young
24 February 1973 | R4 | Hibernian | H | 1–1 | 63,889 | Johnstone
28 February 1973 | R4 R | Hibernian | A | 2–1 | 49,007 | McLean (2, 1 pen.)
17 March 1973 | QF | Airdrieonians | H | 2–0 | 35,500 | Parlane (pen.), Young
4 April 1973 | SF | Ayr United | N | 2–0 | 51,815 | Parlane (2)
5 May 1973 | F | Celtic | N | 3–2 | 122,714 | Parlane, Conn, Forsyth

### League Cup

[edit]

Date | Round | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers

|
|
|
|
|
|

12 August 1972 | SR | Clydebank | H | 2–0 | 26,240 | Conn, MacDonald
16 August 1972 | SR | St. Mirren | A | 4–0 | 15,000 | Johnstone, Greid, Stein, Conn
19 August 1972 | SR | Ayr United | H | 2–1 | 25,000 | Johnstone, Parlane
23 August 1972 | SR | St. Mirren | H | 1–4 | 20,000 | Conn
26 August 1972 | SR | Clydebank | A | 5–0 | 9,000 |
30 August 1972 | SR | Ayr United | A | 2–1 | 15,000 | Johnston, Johnstone
20 September 1972 | R2 | Stenhousemuir | A | 5–0 | 3,650 | Johnstone (3), Parlane, Greig
4 October 1972 | R2 | Stenhousemuir | H | 1–2 | 6,000 | Fyfe
11 October 1972 | QF | St. Johnstone | H | 1–1 | 15,000 | Parlane
1 November 1972 | QF | St. Johnstone | A | 2–0 | 12,300 | Young, Parlane (pen.)
22 November 1972 | SF | Hibernian | N | 0–1 | 46,513 |

## Appearances

[edit]

Player  | Position  | Appearances  | Goals

|
|
|

Peter McCloy | GK | 52 | 0
Sandy Jardine | DF | 53 | 2
Willie Mathieson | DF | 53 | 0
John Greig | DF | 48 | 10
Colin Jackson | DF | 14 | 0
Derek Johnstone | DF | 47 | 10
Tommy McLean | MF | 38 | 8
Jim Denny | DF | 9 | 0
Willie Johnston | FW | 9 | 5
Colin Stein | FW | 8 | 2
Graham Fyfe | MF | 13 | 3
Alex MacDonald | MF | 45 | 7
Dave Smith | MF | 45 | 1
Alfie Conn | MF | 30 | 14
Derek Parlane | FW | 45 | 27
George Donaldson | MF | 9 | 0
Quinton Young | MF | 37 | 17
Tom Forsyth | MF | 29 | 1
Joe Mason | FW | 17 | 2
Gerry Neef | GK | 1 | 0
Alex Miller | DF | 4 | 2
Andy Penman | MF | 2 | 0
Iain McDonald | MF | 1 | 0
Phil Bonnyman | MF | 1 | 0

## See also

[edit]

* 1972–73 in Scottish football
* 1972–73 Scottish Cup
* 1972–73 Scottish League Cup
* 1972 European Super Cup

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Great Scottish Cup Finals". news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
2. ^ Jack, Christopher. "How Rangers and Ajax gave birth to the European Super Cup at Ibrox". heraldscotland.com. Retrieved 1 June 2025.

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* v
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1972–73 in Scottish football

« 1971–72

1973–74 »

Domestic leagues|

* Football League
* Division One
* Division Two
* Highland League

Domestic cups|

* Scottish Cup
* Final
* League Cup
* Final
* Drybrough Cup
* Junior Cup

European competitions|

* European Cup
* European Cup Winners' Cup
* UEFA Cup
* European Super Cup
* Texaco Cup

Related to national team|

* Results
* 1974 World Cup qualifying (Group 8)
* British Home Championship

Club seasons

Division One|

* Aberdeen
* Airdrieonians
* Arbroath
* Ayr United
* Celtic
* Dumbarton
* Dundee
* Dundee United
* East Fife
* Falkirk
* Heart of Midlothian
* Hibernian
* Kilmarnock
* Morton
* Motherwell
* Partick Thistle
* Rangers
* St. Johnstone

Division Two|

* Albion Rovers
* Alloa Athletic
* Berwick Rangers
* Brechin City
* Clyde
* Clydebank
* Cowdenbeath
* Dunfermline Athletic
* East Stirlingshire
* Forfar Athletic
* Hamilton Academical
* Montrose
* Queen of the South
* Queen's Park
* Raith Rovers
* St. Mirren
* Stenhousemuir
* Stirling Albion
* Stranraer

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