# 1939–40 Rangers F.C. season

The 1939–40 season was the 66th season of competitive football by Rangers, although with the outbreak of the Second World War, the competitive season was abandoned.

## Overview

With the outbreak of the War on 3 September 1939, the season was suspended after five rounds of games played in the Scottish League Division One. The league was not officially competed for until season 1946–47 but there were unofficial regional leagues played during these years. This saw the club play what was known as wartime football.
Rangers played a total of five official competitive matches during the 1939–40 season.

## Results

All results are written with Rangers' score first.

### Scottish League Division One

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 12 August 1939 | St Mirren | H | 5–1 | 35,000 | Venters (2, 1 pen.), Thornton, Woodburn, Fiddes |
| 19 August 1939 | Ayr United | A | 4–0 | 20,000 | Thornton (2), Waddell, Venters |
| 22 August 1939 | St Mirren | A | 0–0 | 25,000 | |
| 26 August 1939 | Arbroath | H | 3–1 | 15,000 | Waddell, Thornton, Venters |
| 2 September 1939 | Third Lanark | A | 2–1 | 30,000 | Thornton, Gilmour |

### Emergency Western League

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result |
| 21 October 1939 | Motherwell | A | 1-0 |
| 28 October 1939 | Third Lanark | H | 6-0 |
| 11 November 1939 | St Mirren | H | 4-0 |
| 18 November 1939 | Airdrieonians | A | 1-0 |
| 25 November 1939 | Dumbarton | H | 2-1 |
| 2 December 1939 | Kilmarnock | H | 4-1 |
| 9 December 1939 | Clyde | A | 1-0 |
| 16 December 1939 | Albion Rovers | H | 2-1 |
| 23 December 1939 | Hamilton Academical | A | 0-2 |
| 30 December 1939 | Morton | A | 0-3 |
| 1 January 1940 | Celtic | H | 1-1 |
| 6 January 1940 | Queen's Park | H | 4-0 |
| 13 January 1940 | Queen of the South | A | 2-1 |
| 20 January 1940 | Motherwell | H | 1-2 |
| 10 February 1940 | St Mirren | A | 6-4 |
| 17 February 1940 | Airdrieonians | H | 3-1 |
| 16 March 1940 | Albion Rovers | A | 3-3 |
| 25 March 1940 | Partick Thistle | H | 2-2 |
| 30 March 1940 | Morton | H | 1-0 |
| 6 April 1940 | Celtic | A | 2-1 |
| 17 April 1940 | Ayr United | H | 3-1 |
| 20 April 1940 | Queen's Park | A | 3-2 |
| 22 April 1940 | Third Lanark | A | 1-0 |
| 24 April 1940 | Dumbarton | A | 3-2 |
| 27 April 1940 | Queen of the South | H | 5-1 |
| 8 May 1940 | Clyde | H | 3-1 |
| 15 May 1940 | Kilmarnock | A | 1-3 |
| 18 May 1940 | Hamilton Academical | H | 2-2 |
| 25 May 1940 | Partck Thistle | A | 3-1 |

### Emergency War Cup

| Date | Round | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 24 February 1940 | R1 L1 | Alloa Athletic | A | 4–1 | 7,000 | |
| 2 March 1940 | R1 L2 | Alloa Athletic | H | 2–2 | 8,000 | |
| 9 March 1940 | R2 L1 | Falkirk | A | 0–0 | 16,000 | |
| 11 March 1940 | R2 L2 | Falkirk | H | 3–2 | 46,000 | |
| 23 March 1940 | QF | St Mirren | H | 3–1 | 60,000 | |
| 13 April 1940 | SF | Motherwell | N | 4–1 | 50,000 | |
| 4 May 1940 | F | Dundee United | N | 1–0 | 75,000 | Smith |

### Play off final between West and East Divisions

| Date | Round | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 1 June 1940 | PO | Falkirk | H | 2–1 | | |

## Official appearances

(declared void along with fixtures)
| Player | Position | Appearances | Goals |
| Jerry Dawson | GK | 5 | 0 |
| Dougie Gray | DF | 5 | 0 |
| Bobby Bolt | DF | 5 | 0 |
| William Waddell | MF | 5 | 2 |
| Scot Symon | MF | 5 | 0 |
| Willie Thornton | FW | 5 | 5 |
| Alex Venters | FW | 5 | 4 |
| Jock Shaw | DF | 4 | 0 |
| Willie Woodburn | DF | 4 | 1 |
| Chris McNee | MF | 4 | 0 |
| Jim Fiddes | MF | 3 | 1 |
| Thomas Gilmour | MF | 1 | 1 |
| David Kinnear | MF | 1 | 0 |
| Jimmy Simpson | DF | 1 | 0 |
| Ralph Cowan | DF | 1 | 0 |
| Ian McPherson | MF | 1 | 0 |