1977–78 Rangers F.C. season

The 1977–78 season was the 98th season of competitive football by Rangers.

Rangers
1977–78 season
ChairmanRae Simpson
ManagerJock Wallace
GroundIbrox Park
Scottish Premier Division1st
P36 W24 D7 L5 F76 A39 Pts55
Scottish CupWinners
League CupWinners
Cup Winners' CupFirst Round
Glasgow CupNot completed
Tennent Caledonian CupRunners-up
Top goalscorerLeague:
Derek Johnstone (25)
All:
Derek Johnstone (38)

Overview

Rangers played a total of 53 competitive matches during the 1977–78 season. Wallace presided over the club's fourth domestic treble and second in three years. During the close season Rangers spent heavily in the transfer market, bringing in Davie Cooper from Clydebank for £100,000 and Gordon Smith from Kilmarnock for £65,000. They were joined at the club by Bobby Russell who arrived from Shettleston Juniors for free.

However, even with these expensive signings the side did not make the best start to the league campaign, losing the opening two matches to Aberdeen and Hibernian. Order was restored the following week with a 4-0 defeat of Partick Thistle. A resounding 3-2 win over Celtic in the first Old Firm match of the season set the tone of the season. Rangers had been 2-0 down at half-time but recovered to win the game after outclassing Jock Stein's side in the second 45 minutes. In March 1978, second placed Aberdeen won 3-0 at Ibrox to set up a tense title run in. Rangers dropped seven points from twenty-one but held on winning the final four fixtures and the league.

The League Cup was won by defeating Celtic 2-1 after extra time. Goals from season new boys Davie Cooper and Gordon Smith completed the first leg of the treble. The 2-1 1978 Scottish Cup Final win over Aberdeen made Wallace the first and only Rangers' manager to win two domestic treble's. Surprisingly despite this unprecedented success Wallace resign from his position on 23 May 1978.

Results

All results are written with Rangers' score first.

Scottish Premier Division
DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
13 August 1977AberdeenA1–321,500Russell
20 August 1977HibernianH0–220,800
27 August 1977Partick ThistleA4–018,584Smith (2), Miller (pen.), Russell
10 September 1977CelticH3–248,788Smith (2), Johnstone
17 September 1977St. MirrenA3–326,000Jardine, Cooper, Johnstone
24 September 1977Ayr UnitedH2–020,000Smith (2)
1 October 1977ClydebankH4–113,250Cooper (2), Smith (2)
8 October 1977Dundee UnitedA1–018,658Russell
15 October 1977MotherwellA4–120,050Johnstone (3), Smith
22 October 1977AberdeenH3–140,000Jardine (pen.), Smith, MacDonald
29 October 1977HibernianA1–022,750Jardine (pen.)
5 November 1977Partick ThistleH3–328,200Parlane (2), MacDonald
12 November 1977CelticA1–157,000Johnstone
19 November 1977St. MirrenH2–125,000Johnstone, Miller (pen.)
26 November 1977Ayr UnitedA5–015,300Johnstone (3), Jackson, Parlane
10 December 1977Dundee UnitedH2–025,000McLean, Smith
17 December 1977MotherwellH3–115,300Smith (2), Johnstone
24 December 1977AberdeenA0–421,000
31 December 1977HibernianH0–025,000
2 January 1978Partick ThistleA2–130,000Johnstone, Smith
7 January 1978CelticH3–154,000Smith, Grieg, Parlane
14 January 1978St. MirrenA2–024,300Johnstone, Smith
4 February 1978ClydebankH1–016,492Johnstone
19 February 1978ClydebankA3–010,000Johnstone (2), Cooper
25 February 1978MotherwellA5–320,387Johsntone (2), Smith, Cooper, McVie (o.g.)
4 March 1978AberdeenH0–334,500
21 March 1978Partick ThistleH2–120,000MacDonald, Jardine
25 March 1978CelticA0–251,000
29 March 1978HibernianA1–121,245Parlane
1 April 1978St. MirrenH1–120,500Johnstone
8 April 1978Ayr UnitedA5–213,400Johnstone (2), Smith (2), Greig
12 April 1978Ayr UnitedH1–112,282Johnstone
15 April 1978ClydebankA2–09,800Johnstone (2)
19 April 1978Dundee UnitedA1–017,293Johnstone
22 April 1978Dundee UnitedH3–027,050Jackson, Jardine (pen.), Cooper
29 April 1978MotherwellH2–043,500Jackson, Smith

Cup Winners' Cup
DateRoundOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
17 August 1977QRYoung Boys BernH1–030,000Greig
31 August 1977QRYoung Boys BernA2–221,000Johnstone, Smith
14 September 1977R1FC TwenteH0–040,000
28 September 1977R1FC TwenteA0–320,000

Scottish Cup
DateRoundOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
28 January 1978R3Berwick RangersA4–210,500Jackson (2), Johnstone (2)
18 February 1978R4Stirling AlbionH1–015,500Johnstone
11 March 1978QFKilmarnockH4–128,000Johnstone, Hamilton, MacDonald, Cooper (pen.)
5 April 1978SFDundee UnitedN2–025,619Johnstone, Greig
6 May 1978FAberdeenN2–161,563MacDonald, Johnstone

League Cup
DateRoundOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
24 August 1977R2St. JohnstoneH3–110,000Johnstone (2), Parlane
3 September 1977R2St. JohnstoneA3–011,200Parlane, Miller (pen.), Smith
5 October 1977R3AberdeenH6–125,000Smith (3), Johnstone, Miller (pen.), MacDonald
26 October 1977R3AberdeenA1–315,600Smith
9 November 1977QFDunfermline AthleticH3–112,000McLean (2), Jackson
16 November 1977QFDunfermline AthleticA3–18,274Greig, Jardine (pen.), Johnstone
27 February 1978SFForfar AthleticN5–212,799Johnstone (2), Parlane (2), MacDonald
18 March 1978FCelticN2–160,158Cooper, Smith


Non-competitive

Tennent Caledonian Cup
DateRoundOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
6 August 1977SFSouthamptonH3–1
7 August 1977FWest Bromwich AlbionH0–2

Glasgow Cup
DateRoundOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
18 October 1977SFPartick ThistleH2–2*✝9,000Forsyth, McLean

*Rangers won the match 4–3 on penalties ✝Competition not completed

Appearances
Player Position Appearances Goals
Peter McCloy GK 210
Sandy Jardine DF 486
Alex Miller DF 365
Tom Forsyth DF 460
Colin Jackson DF 516
Alex MacDonald MF 597
Billy MacKay MF 30
Bobby Russell MF 483
Derek Parlane FW 318
Chris Robertson FW 40
Davie Cooper MF 528
Bobby McKean MF 150
Tommy McLean MF 443
Gordon Smith FW 5227
Derek Johnstone FW 4738
John Greig DF 415
Kenny Watson MF 80
Stewart Kennedy GK 320
Ally Dawson DF 20
Johnny Hamilton MF 30
Eric Morris DF 10
Martin Henderson FW 20

League table
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Rangers (C) 36 24 7 5 76 39 +37 55 Qualification for the European Cup first round
2 Aberdeen 36 22 9 5 68 29 +39 53 Qualification for the Cup Winners' Cup first round
3 Dundee United 36 18 8 10 42 32 +10 44 Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round
4 Hibernian 36 15 7 14 51 43 +8 37
5 Celtic 36 15 6 15 63 54 +9 36
Source: Statto
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champion.
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See also
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