1948–49 Rangers F.C. season
# 1948–49 Rangers F.C. season

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.

## 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

| Date | Round | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 14 Aug 1948 | Motherwell | A | 1–1 | 35,000 | Thornton |
| 18 Aug 1948 | Falkirk | H | 4–3 | 40,000 | Gillick (2), Thornton, Findlay |
| 21 Aug 1948 | Celtic | A | 1–0 | 50,000 | Findlay |
| 28 Aug 1948 | Dundee | H | 1–1 | 55,000 | Findlay |
| 1 Sep 1948 | Partick Thistle | A | 1–1 | 40,000 | Thornton |
| 4 Sep 1948 | Third Lanark | H | 2–1 | 35,000 | Williamson, Duncanson |
| 23 Oct 1948 | Hearts | A | 0–2 | 42,000 | |
| 6 Nov 1948 | Hibernian | H | 2–4 | 50,000 | Thornton, Gillick |
| 13 Nov 1948 | St Mirren | A | 2–0 | 40,000 | Gillick, Waddell |
| 27 Nov 1948 | East Fife | A | 2–1 | 20,737 | Thornton, Duncanson |
| 4 Dec 1948 | Clyde | A | 3–1 | 25,000 | Thornton (2), Paton |
| 11 Dec 1948 | Morton | H | 4–1 | 25,000 | Thornton (2), Findlay, Rutherford |
| 18 Dec 1948 | Queen of the South | A | 2–0 | 20,200 | Thornton, Rutherford |
| 25 Dec 1948 | Falkirk | A | 2–2 | 21,000 | Paton, Waddell |
| 1 Jan 1949 | Celtic | H | 4–0 | 95,000 | Thornton, Duncanson (3) |
| 3 Jan 1949 | Dundee | A | 1–3 | 39,000 | Marshall |
| 8 Jan 1949 | Motherwell | H | 2–0 | 55,000 | Paton, Thornton |
| 15 Jan 1949 | Third Lanark | A | 1–2 | 35,000 | Thornton |
| 29 Jan 1949 | Partick Thistle | H | 2–2 | 55,000 | Thornton, Cox |
| 12 Feb 1949 | Aberdeen | A | 2–0 | 42,000 | Thornton, Paton |
| 19 Feb 1949 | Hibernian | A | 1–0 | 50,000 | Paton |
| 26 Feb 1949 | St Mirren | H | 2–1 | 40,000 | Thornton, Duncanson |
| 19 Mar 1949 | Clyde | H | 4–1 | 50,000 | Paton (2), Thornton, Duncanson |
| 2 Apr 1949 | Queen of the South | H | 3–0 | 28,000 | Thornton (2), Duncanson |
| 5 Apr 1949 | Hearts | H | 2–1 | 45,000 | Cox, Paton |
| 13 Apr 1949 | East Fife | H | 3–1 | 35,000 | Young (2, 2 pen), Paton |
| 16 Apr 1949 | Aberdeen | H | 1–1 | 45,000 | Duncanson |
| 18 Apr 1949 | Albion Rovers | H | 3–1 | 16,000 | Williamson, Waddell, Young (pen) |
| 25 Apr 1949 | Morton | A | 1–0 | 40,000 | Thornton |
| 30 Apr 1949 | Albion Rovers | A | 4–1 | 15,000 | Thornton (3), Duncanson |

### Scottish Cup

| Date | Round | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 22 Jan 1949 | R1 | Elgin City | H | 6–1 | 29,000 | Thornton (2), Duncanson (2), Cox, Rutherford |
| 5 Feb 1949 | R2 | Motherwell | A | 3–0 | 31,000 | Young (pen), Paton, Thornton |
| 5 Mar 1949 | QF | Partick Thistle | H | 4–0 | 65,000 | Thornton (2), Duncanson, Paton |
| 26 Mar 1949 | SF | East Fife | N | 3–0 | 104,958 | Thornton (3) |
| 23 Apr 1949 | F | Clyde | N | 4–1 | 120,162 | Young (2, 2 pen), Williamson, Duncanson |

### League Cup

| Date | Round | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 11 Sep 1948 | SR | Clyde | H | 1–1 | 50,000 | Findlay |
| 18 Sep 1948 | SR | Hibernian | A | 0–0 | 47,000 | |
| 25 Sep 1948 | SR | Celtic | A | 1–3 | 65,000 | Findlay |
| 2 Oct 1948 | SR | Clyde | A | 3–1 | 27,000 | Waddell (3, 2 pen) |
| 9 Oct 1948 | SR | Hibernian | H | 1–0 | 76,466 | Thornton |
| 16 Oct 1948 | SR | Celtic | H | 2–1 | 105,000 | Williamson, Waddell |
| 30 Oct 1948 | QF | St Mirren | H | 1–0 | 50,000 | Thornton |
| 20 Nov 1948 | SF | Dundee | N | 4–1 | 50,996 | Rutherford, McColl, Duncanson, Thornton |
| 12 Mar 1949 | F | Raith Rovers | N | 2–0 | 57,450 | Gillick, Paton |

## Appearances

| Player | Position | Appearances | Goals |
| - | - | - | - |
| Bobby Brown | GK | 44 | 0 |
| George Young | DF | 42 | 6 |
| Jock Shaw | DF | 41 | 0 |
| Ian McColl | DF | 41 | 1 |
| Willie Woodburn | DF | 42 | 0 |
| Sammy Cox | DF | 43 | 3 |
| William Waddell | MF | 33 | 7 |
| Willie Findlay | FW | 16 | 6 |
| Willie Thornton | FW | 43 | 34 |
| Jimmy Duncanson | FW | 37 | 15 |
| Jimmy Caskie | MF | 2 | 0 |
| Eddie Rutherford | MF | 35 | 4 |
| Torrance Gillick | MF | 12 | 5 |
| John Lindsay | DF | 6 | 0 |
| Jimmy Frame | MF | 1 | 0 |
| Dave Marshall | FW | 6 | 1 |
| Billy Williamson | FW | 11 | 4 |
| Willie Rae | MF | 4 | 0 |
| Willie Paton | MF | 24 | 12 |
| Willie Walmsley | MF | 1 | 0 |
