# 1971–72 Rangers F.C. season

The 1971–72 season was the 92nd season of competitive football by Rangers.

## Overview

Rangers played a total of 56 competitive matches during the 1971–72 season. They won their first and only European trophy this season. The side won the European Cup Winners' Cup in Barcelona, Spain. The match was effectively over by half time thanks to goals from Colin Stein and a double from Willie Johnston. The Soviet team Dynamo Moscow scored twice in the second half, but the Rangers held on for a famous victory.
Domestically, Waddell's side finished a disappointing third in the Scottish League Division One. The club ended the season without the Scottish Cup or League Cup after being knocked out of the former by Hibernian at the semi-final stage. They never progressed from the sectional rounds in the League Cup.

## Results

All results are written with Rangers' score first.

### Scottish First Division

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 4 September 1971 | Partick Thistle | A | 2–3 | 30,000 | MacDonald, Stein |
| 11 September 1971 | Celtic | H | 2–3 | 80,211 | Johnston (pen.), Stein |
| 18 September 1971 | Falkirk | A | 3–0 | 24,000 | Greig (2), Stein |
| 25 September 1971 | Aberdeen | H | 0–2 | 41,236 | |
| 2 October 1971 | Heart of Midlothian | A | 1–2 | 29,301 | Johnston |
| 9 October 1971 | East Fife | H | 3–0 | 25,000 | Jardine (pen.), Fyfe, MacDonald |
| 16 October 1971 | Dundee United | A | 5–1 | 17,000 | MacDonald (2), Stein, Greig, Jardine |
| 23 October 1971 | Motherwell | H | 5–1 | 25,000 | Fyfe (2), MacDonald, Jardine |
| 30 October 1971 | Kilmarnock | H | 3–1 | 25,442 | MacDonald (2), Stein |
| 6 November 1971 | St Johnstone | A | 4–1 | 27,000 | Johnston (3, 2 pens), MacDonald |
| 13 November 1971 | Dundee | H | 2–3 | 33,200 | Johnston (2) |
| 20 November 1971 | Greenock Morton | A | 2–1 | 12,500 | Johnston, Greig |
| 27 November 1971 | Ayr United | A | 2–1 | 15,100 | Stein, Henderson |
| 4 December 1971 | Clyde | H | 1–0 | 25,000 | Stein |
| 11 December 1971 | Dunfermline Athletic | A | 2–0 | 13,500 | Greig, Johnston |
| 18 December 1971 | Airdrieonians | H | 3–0 | 25,000 | Stein, Jardine (pen.), Fyfe |
| 25 December 1971 | Hibernian | A | 1–0 | 30,000 | Stein |
| 1 January 1972 | Partick Thistle | H | 2–1 | 38,200 | Greig, Johnstone |
| 3 January 1972 | Celtic | A | 1–2 | 77,811 | Stein |
| 8 January 1972 | Falkirk | H | 3–1 | 23,000 | Greig, Jackson, McDonald |
| 15 January 1972 | Aberdeen | A | 0–0 | 33,608 | |
| 22 January 1972 | Heart of Midlothian | H | 6–0 | 29,776 | Johnstone (3), Johnston, Greig, Conn |
| 29 January 1972 | East Fife | A | 1–0 | 12,018 | Johnstone |
| 12 February 1972 | Dundee United | H | 1–0 | 25,000 | Smith |
| 19 February 1972 | Motherwell | A | 0–2 | 16,192 | |
| 4 March 1972 | Kilmarnock | A | 2–1 | 14,707 | Jardine, Conn |
| 11 March 1972 | St Johnstone | H | 2–0 | 25,000 | Johnstone, McLean |
| 25 March 1972 | Greenock Morton | H | 1–2 | 20,000 | Jackson |
| 8 April 1972 | Clyde | A | 1–1 | 7,500 | Johnston |
| 10 April 1972 | Dundee | A | 0–2 | 13,000 | |
| 22 April 1972 | Airdrieonians | A | 2–0 | 10,000 | Penman (2), Fyfe |
| 27 April 1972 | Dunfermline Athletic | H | 3–4 | 5,000 | MacDonald (2), Stein |
| 29 April 1972 | Hibernian | H | 1–2 | 11,000 | Johnstone |
| 1 May 1972 | Ayr United | H | 4–2 | 4,000 | Conn, Penman, MacDonald, Fyfe |

### Cup Winners' Cup

| Date | Round | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 15 September 1971 | R1 | Stade Rennais | A | 1–1 | 13,993 | Johnston |
| 28 September 1971 | R1 | Stade Rennais | H | 1–0 | 46,521 | MacDonald |
| 20 October 1971 | R2 | Sporting Lisbon | H | 3–2 | 50,411 | Stein (2), Henderson |
| 3 November 1971 | R2 | Sporting Lisbon | A | 3–4 | 60,233 | Stein (2), Henderson |
| 8 March 1972 | QF | Torino | A | 1–1 | 40,000 | Johnston |
| 22 March 1972 | QF | Torino | H | 1–0 | 75,303 | MacDonald |
| 5 April 1972 | SF | Bayern Munich | A | 1–1 | 44,000 | Zobel (o.g.) |
| 19 April 1972 | SF | Bayern Munich | H | 2–0 | 80,102 | Jardine, Parlane |
| 24 May 1972 | F | Dynamo Moscow | N | 3–2 | 45,000 | Johnston (2), Stein |

### Scottish Cup

| Date | Round | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 5 February 1972 | R1 | Falkirk | A | 2–2 | 20,000 | Johnstone, Greig |
| 9 February 1972 | R1 R | Falkirk | H | 2–0 | 43,000 | Stein, McLean |
| 26 February 1972 | R2 | St Mirren | A | 4–1 | 29,376 | McLean (2, 1 pen.), MacDonald, Stein |
| 18 March 1972 | QF | Motherwell | A | 2–2 | 28,557 | MacDonald, Stein |
| 27 March 1972 | QF R | Motherwell | H | 4–2 | 44,800 | Stein (2), McLean, Fallon (o.g.) |
| 15 April 1972 | SF | Hibernian | N | 1–1 | 75,884 | MacDonald |
| 24 April 1972 | SF R | Hibernian | N | 0–2 | 67,547 | |

### League Cup

| Date | Round | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 14 August 1971 | SR | Celtic | A | 0–2 | 72,505 | |
| 18 August 1971 | SR | Ayr United | H | 4–0 | 33,502 | Johnstone (2), Stein, McLean (pen.) |
| 21 August 1971 | SR | Morton | H | 2–0 | 41,120 | Johnstone, MacDonald |
| 25 August 1971 | SR | Ayr United | A | 4–0 | 20,000 | Stein (2), MacDonald, Johnstone |
| 28 August 1971 | SR | Celtic | H | 0–3 | 85,019 | |
| 1 September 1971 | SR | Morton | A | 1–0* | 7,000 | Stein |
*Rangers failed to reach the Quarter-finals

## Appearances

| Player | Position | Appearances | Goals |
| Peter McCloy | GK | 56 | 0 |
| Alex MacDonald | FW | 54 | 18 |
| Sandy Jardine | DF | 53 | 6 |
| Willie Mathieson | DF | 50 | 0 |
| Colin Stein | FW | 49 | 25 |
| John Greig | DF | 48 | 9 |
| Willie Johnston | FW | 45 | 15 |
| Dave Smith | MF | 44 | 1 |
| Colin Jackson | DF | 43 | 2 |
| Tommy McLean | MF | 42 | 6 |
| Derek Johnstone | FW | 35 | 12 |
| Alfie Conn | MF | 34 | 3 |
| Willie Henderson | MF | 18 | 3 |
| Ronnie McKinnon | DF | 17 | 0 |
| Graham Fyfe | MF | 15 | 6 |
| Andy Penman | MF | 14 | 3 |
| Jim Denny | DF | 12 | 0 |
| Iain McDonald | MF | 7 | 1 |
| Derek Parlane | FW | 4 | 1 |
| Alex Miller | DF | 2 | 0 |