1968–69 Rangers F.C. season

Rangers

1968–69 season
Chairman	John Lawrence
Manager	David White
Ground	Ibrox Park
Scottish League Division One	2nd P34 W21 D7 L6 F81 A32 Pts49
Scottish Cup	Runners-up
League Cup	Sectional round
Inter-Cities Fairs Cup	Semi-finals
Top goalscorer	League: Willie Johnston (18) All: Willie Johnston (23)

The 1968–69 season was the 89th season of competitive football by Rangers.

Overview

Rangers played a total of 55 competitive matches during the 1968–69 season.

Forward Willie Johnston finished as Rangers Top Goalscorer with 28 goals (inc. Glasgow Cup games). Seven of his goals were scored at Ibrox Stadium, eight were scored at Parkhead. A brace in a 4–2 league win v Celtic 14 September was followed on 21 March with a hat-trick against Aberdeen in a 6–1 Scottish Cup tie. Three weeks later he returned to Parkhead on 11 April for a Glasgow Cup tie against Celtic and netted 3 more in a 4–3 victory. His eight goals there during the season resulted in him scoring more at Parkhead than Celtic's 2nd all-time top scorer Bobby Lennox.

Colin Stein was signed in a £100,000 Scottish record transfer deal from Hibernian on 31 October. His first three games for the club saw him score 3 (Arbroath 5–1),3 (Hibs 6–1) & 2 (Dundalk 3–0) in just eleven days.

Results

All results are written with Rangers' score first.

Scottish First Division

Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Scorers
7 September 1968	Partick Thistle	H	2–0	30,000	Sandy Jardine (78,88)
14 September 1968	Celtic	A	4–2	75,008	Örjan Persson (15) Willie Johnston (17,89), Andy Penman (65)
21 September 1968	Kilmarnock	H	3–3	40,245	Willie Johnston (65), Sandy Jardine (72), Willie Henderson (80)
28 September 1968	Hearts	A	1–1	33,000	Andy Penman (87)
5 October 1968	Falkirk	H	2–1	30,078	Örjan Persson (37), Willie Johnston (87)
12 October 1968	St Johnstone	A	0–2	21,000
19 October 1968	Dunfermline Athletic	H	3–0	35,732	Örjan Persson (26), Sandy Jardine (45), Alex Ferguson (86)
26 October 1968	Aberdeen	H	2–3	32,089	Alex Ferguson (83), Willie Henderson (84)
2 November 1968	Arbroath	A	5–1	9,653	Willie Johnston (15,29) *Colin Stein (62,63,66)
9 November 1968	Hibernian	H	6–1	50,109	Willie Johnston(7), Colin Stein (21,55,60), Willie Henderson (58), Örjan Persson (83)
16 November 1968	St Mirren	A	0–1	43,500
23 November 1968	Clyde	A	1–1	12,000	Colin Stein (53)
30 November 1968	Airdrieonians	H	1–1	20,199	Colin Stein (25)
7 December 1968	Raith Rovers	A	3–0	15,000	Alex MacDonald (47), Colin Stein (75), Bobby Watson (83)
14 December 1968	Dundee United	H	2–1	30,648	John Greig (37), Willie Johnston (57)
28 December 1968	Morton	A	2–0	20,000	Andy Penman (16), Willie Johnston (74)
1 January 1969	Partick Thistle	A	2–0	24,000	Willie Johnston (33), Colin Stein (70)
2 January 1969	Celtic	H	1–0	85,349	John Greig (60 Pen)
4 January 1969	Kilmarnock	A	3–3	32,000	Andy Penman (7), Beattie (o.g. 27) Örjan Persson (61)
11 January 1969	Hearts	H	2–0	40,102	Andy Penman (8), Willie Johnston (28)
18 January 1969	Falkirk	A	3–0	22,000	Willie Johnston (6) Andy Penman (75,83)
1 February 1969	St Johnstone	H	3–0	28,007	Andy Penman (20), Alex Ferguson (76), Willie Henderson (86)
5 March 1969	Hibernian	A	2–1	30,000	John Greig (34 Pen), Willie Johnston (90)
8 March 1969	St Mirren	H	6–0	33,899	Kaj Johansen (25), Dave Smith (38), John Greig (61 Pen), Alex Ferguson (73), Örjan Persson (79), Andy Penman (84)
11 March 1969	Arbroath	H	2–0	18,303	Örjan Persson (19), Andy Penman (68)
15 March 1969	Clyde	H	6–0	35,020	Dave Smith (3), Penman (30), Colin Stein (35,40,48), Alex Ferguson (45)
24 March 1969	Airdrieonians	A	2–3	20,000	Andy Penman (47), Caldwell (o.g. 85)
29 March 1969	Raith Rovers	H	2–1	28,990	Andy Penman (46), Willie Johnston (89)
5 April 1969	Dundee United	A	1–2	20,000	John Greig (49)
9 April 1969	Aberdeen	A	0–0	20,000
19 April 1969	Morton	H	3–0	25,072	Sweeney (o.g. 15), Örjan Persson (32), Andy Penman (81)
22 April 1969	Dundee	A	2–3	7,000	John Greig (22), Willie Henderson (82)
28 April 1969	Dundee	H	1–1	16,800	Willie Johnston (90)
1 May 1969	Dunfermline Athletic	A	3–0	11,700	Willie Johnston (19,43), Andy Penman (82)

* Colin Stein Rangers debut match

Inter-Cities Fairs Cup

Date	Round	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Scorers
18 September 1968	R1 1	Vojvodina	H	2–0	66,328	John Greig (28 Pen), Sandy Jardine (84)
2 October 1968	R1 2	Vojvodina	A	0–1	7,000
30 October 1968	R2 1	Dundalk	H	6–1	26,251	Willie Henderson (13,26), John Greig (50), Alex Ferguson (55,90), Brennan (o.g. 88)
13 November 1968	R2 2	Dundalk	A	3–0	10,000	Willie Mathieson (45), Colin Stein (64,81)
15 January 1969	R3 1	DWS Amsterdam	A	2–0	18,000	Willie Johnston (38), Willie Henderson (53)
22 January 1969	R3 2	DWS Amsterdam	H	2–1	51,790	Dave Smith (8), Colin Stein (22)
19 March 1969	QF 1	Athletic Bilbao	H	4–1	62,842	Alex Ferguson (7), Andy Penman (27), Örjan Persson (86), Colin Stein (87)
2 April 1969	QF 2	Athletic Bilbao	A	0–2	40,000
14 May 1969	SF 1	Newcastle United	H	0–0	75,229
21 May 1969	SF 2	Newcastle United	A	0–2	59,611

Scottish Cup

Date	Round	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Scorers
25 January 1969	R1	Hibernian	H	1–0	58,141	Colin Stein (67)
24 February 1969	R2	Heart of Midlothian	A	2–0	47,337	Willie Johnston (32), Örjan Persson (49)
1 March 1969	QF	Airdrieonians	H	1–0	46,726	John Greig (2 Pen)
22 March 1969	SF	Aberdeen	N	6–1	66,197	Andy Penman (14,51), Willie Henderson (38) Willie Johnston (47,72,84)
26 April 1969	F	Celtic	N	0–4	132,870	**

**Alex Ferguson final match

League Cup

Date	Round	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Scorers
10 August 1968	SR	Celtic	H	0–2	80,119
14 August 1968	SR	Partick Thistle	A	5–1	40,000	Alex Smith (4,19), Alex Ferguson (49,59), Örjan Persson (62)
17 August 1968	SR	Morton	H	2–0	40,000	Colin Jackson (28,84)
24 August 1968	SR	Celtic	A	0–1	75,000
28 August 1969	SR	Partick Thistle	H	2–1	21,000	Wille Henderson (12), Sandy Jardine (88)
31 August 1968	SR	Morton	H	5–0	15,000	Sandy Jardine (22,47), Willie Henderson (37,88), Andy Penman (75)

See also

• 1968–69 in Scottish football
• 1968–69 Scottish Cup
• 1968–69 Scottish League Cup
• 1968–69 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup