1978–79 Rangers F.C. season

The 1978–79 season was the 99th season of competitive football by Rangers.

Rangers
1978–79 season
ChairmanRae Simpson
ManagerJohn Greig
GroundIbrox Park
Scottish Premier Division2nd
P36 W18 D9 L9 F52 A35 Pts45
Scottish CupWinners
League CupWinners
European CupQuarter-finals
Glasgow CupWinners
Tennent Caledonian CupWinners
Top goalscorerLeague:
Gordon Smith (11)
All:
Gordon Smith (18)

Overview

Rangers played a total of 61 competitive matches during the 1978–79 season. The early season league form was terrible as the team failed to win any of the first six league matches but a run was put together. Things began to unravel, however, as leadership of the league evaporated. The team had to settle for second place behind champions Celtic. The pivotal match was a 4-2 Old Firm defeat a Parkhead. There was success for Greig in the national cup competitions. Victory in the 1979 Scottish Cup Final over Hibernian required a second replay to separate the sides before Rangers eventually won 3-2. The 1979 Scottish League Cup Final ended in a 2-1 win for Rangers over a strong Aberdeen with goals from Alex MacDonald and Colin Jackson.

Wallace's treble-winning team of the previous season performed well in the European Cup. Rangers eliminated Juventus after defeating the Italians 2–1 on aggregate - the first time Rangers had ever recovered from a first-leg defeat to win a two-legged European tie. Dutch side PSV Eindhoven, the then UEFA Cup holders, were overcome in the next round (the club's first home defeat in European competition), before an injury-stricken Rangers side lost to Cologne at the quarter-final stage.

Results

All results are written with Rangers' score first.

Scottish Premier Division
DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
12 August 1978St MirrenH0–128,000
19 August 1978HibernianA0–023,000
26 August 1978Partick ThistleH0–024,500
9 September 1978CelticA1–360,000Parlane
16 September 1978AberdeenH1–127,000A.Forsyth (pen.)
23 September 1978Greenock MortonA2–216,500Parlane, Johnstone
30 September 1978MotherwellH4–126,000Smith (2), McLean, Johnstone
7 October 1978Dundee UnitedH1–127,000A.MacDonald
14 October 1978Heart of MidlothianA0–018,159
21 October 1978St MirrenA1–026,000A.Forsyth (pen)
28 October 1978HibernianH2–124,750A.Forsyth (pen), Smith
4 November 1978Partick ThistleA0–120,641
11 November 1978CelticH1–152,330A.Forsyth (pen)
18 November 1978AberdeenA0–026,000
25 November 1978Greenock MortonH3–021,500Johnstone, Cooper, Smith
9 December 1978Dundee UnitedA0–315,247
16 December 1978Heart of MidlothianH5–316,250Johnstone (4), Watson
23 December 1978St MirrenH1–022,500Johnstone
20 January 1979Greenock MortonA2–016,312A.MacDonald, Watson
10 February 1979Dundee UnitedH1–023,500Robertson
24 February 1979Heart of MidlothianA2–316,500Smith, Parlane
14 March 1979HibernianH1–016,000Smith
17 March 1979Partick ThistleA2–018,685Cooper, Urquhart
27 March 1979St MirrenA2–120,000Urquhart (2)
7 April 1979Greenock MortonH1–115,750Cooper
10 April 1979MotherwellH3–012,000Cooper, A.MacDonald, Smith
14 April 1979MotherwellA0–214,612
21 April 1979Dundee UnitedA2–120,264Dawson, Smith
25 April 1979AberdeenA1–220,000Smith
28 April 1979Heart of MidlothianH4–020,050Russell (3), Parlane
2 May 1979MotherwellA2–113,052Smith, Jackson
5 May 1979CelticH1–052,841A.MacDonald
7 May 1979AberdeenH2–032,000Smith, Cooper
21 May 1979CelticA2–452,000A.MacDonald, Russell
23 May 1979Partick ThistleH1–06,087Johnstone
31 May 1979HibernianA1–25,000Urquhart

European Cup
DateRoundOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
13 September 1978R1JuventusA0–170,000
27 September 1978R1JuventusH2–044,000A.MacDonald, Smith
18 October 1978R2PSV EindhovenH0–044,000
1 November 1978R2PSV EindhovenA3–229,000A.MacDonald, Johnstone, Russell
6 March 1979QFCologneA0–150,000
22 March 1979QFCologneH1–144,000McLean

Scottish Cup
DateRoundOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
12 February 1979R3MotherwellH3–119,000Johnstone, Jackson, Cooper
21 February 1979R4KilmarnockH1–117,500A.MacDonald
26 February 1979R4 RKilmarnockA1–019,493Urquhart
10 March 1979QFDundeeH6–328,000Jardine (pen.), A.MacDonald, Smith, T.Forsyth,
Russell, Cooper
4 April 1979SFPartick ThistleN0–026,232
16 April 1979SF RPartick ThistleN1–032,294Johnstone
12 May 1979FHibernianN0–050,610
16 May 1979F RHibernianN0–033,504
28 May 1979F 2RHibernianN3–230,602Johnstone (2), Duncan (o.g.)

League Cup
DateRoundOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
16 August 1978R1Albion RoversH3–010,000Parlane, Johnstone, Smith
23 August 1978R1Albion RoversA1–06,500Parlane
30 August 1978R2Forfar AthleticH3–09,000Cooper, McLean, Smith
2 September 1978R2Forfar AthleticA4–15,919Smith (2), A.MacDonald, Cooper
4 October 1978R3St MirrenH3–220,000Cooper, Miller, Johnstone
11 October 1978R3St MirrenA0–024,000
8 November 1978QFArbroathH1–010,000Wells (o.g.)
15 November 1978QFArbroathA2–14,000Smith, Russell
13 December 1978SFCelticN3–249,432Jardine (pen.), Jackson, Casey (o.g.)
31 March 1979FAberdeenN2–160,000A.MacDonald, Jackson


Non-competitive

Tennent Caledonian Cup
DateRoundOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
5 August 1978SFHeartsH3–1
6 August 1978FSouthamptonH4–1

Glasgow Cup
DateRoundOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
24 March 1979SFPartick ThistleH3–3*9,250Urquhart, McDonald
17 May 1979FCelticH3–13,000J. MacDonald, Forsyth, Strickland

*Rangers won the match 4–3 on penalties

Appearances
Player Position Appearances Goals
Peter McCloy GK 610
Sandy Jardine DF 602
Alex Forsyth DF 294
Tom Forsyth DF 331
Colin Jackson DF 464
Alex MacDonald MF 5811
Tommy McLean MF 563
Bobby Russell MF 617
Derek Johnstone FW 5316
Gordon Smith FW 5718
Kenny Watson MF 222
Billy Urquhart FW 205
Derek Parlane FW 436
Alex Miller DF 331
Davie Cooper MF 4910
Ally Dawson DF 361
Chris Robertson FW 21
John MacDonald FW 20
Davie Armour DF 30
Billy MacKay MF 10
Eric Morris DF 10
Derek Strickland FW 20
Jim Denny DF 30

League table
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Celtic (C) 36 21 6 9 61 37 +24 48 Qualification for the European Cup first round
2 Rangers 36 18 9 9 52 35 +17 45 Qualification for the Cup Winners' Cup first round
3 Dundee United 36 18 8 10 56 37 +19 44 Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round
4 Aberdeen 36 13 14 9 59 36 +23 40
5 Hibernian 36 12 13 11 44 48 −4 37
Source: Statto and RSSSF
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
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See also
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