# 1972–73 Rangers F.C. season

The 1972–73 season was the 93rd season of competitive football by Rangers.

## Overview

Rangers played a total of 53 competitive matches during the 1972–73 season. The season was the club's centenary year. After a stuttering start to the league campaign, three defeats and a draw from the first six matches, the sides fortunes greatly improved. From October to the end of the season Rangers suffered only one league defeat, at home to Hearts on 2 December 1972, and went on a run of sixteen wins. However this run was not enough to become league champions as the side finished second, one point behind Celtic.
In the cup competitions, the Scottish Cup campaign was to culminate in a 3–2 win over Celtic. The final was attended by Princess Alexandra along with 122,714 other spectators. It was Rangers first Scottish Cup win in seven years. The League Cup run was ended in the semi-finals at the hands of Hibernian after a 1–0 defeat.
This season also saw Rangers compete in the first ever European Super Cup. The side played the European Cup holders Ajax in January 1973. The Dutch side were the only continental opposition the side faced that season due to the club's European competition ban. In the end Ajax proved too strong and recorded a 6–3 aggregate win, with Rangers losing 1–3 at Ibrox and 3–2 in Amsterdam.

## Results

All results are written with Rangers' score first.

### Scottish First Division

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 2 September 1972 | Ayr United | A | 1–2 | 14,500 | Johnston |
| 9 September 1972 | Partick Thistle | H | 2–1 | 35,000 | MacDonald, Johnston |
| 16 September 1972 | Celtic | A | 1–3 | 50,416 | Greig |
| 23 September 1972 | Falkirk | H | 1–0 | 28,798 | McLean (pen.) |
| 30 September 1972 | Kilmarnock | A | 1–2 | 10,643 | McLean |
| 7 October 1972 | Morton | H | 1–1 | 30,000 | Fyfe |
| 14 October 1972 | Motherwell | A | 2–0 | 17,621 | Young, Parlane (pen.) |
| 21 October 1972 | Arbroath | A | 2–1 | 8,400 | Parlane, Mason |
| 28 October 1972 | St. Johnstone | H | 5–1 | 24,202 | Conn (2), Parlane (2), Johnstone |
| 4 November 1972 | Dundee | A | 1–1 | 19,600 | Conn |
| 11 November 1972 | Airdrieonians | H | 1–0 | 22,201 | Conn |
| 18 November 1972 | Hibernian | A | 2–1 | 33,356 | Conn, Fyfe |
| 25 November 1972 | Dumbarton | H | 3–1 | 24,500 | Young, Conn, Jardine |
| 2 December 1972 | Heart of Midlothian | H | 0–1 | 27,350 | |
| 9 December 1972 | Dundee United | A | 4–1 | 12,500 | Parlane (2), Conn, Jardine |
| 16 December 1972 | Aberdeen | H | 0–0 | 26,375 | |
| 23 December 1972 | East Fife | A | 4–0 | 8,608 | Johnstone (2), Young, Parlane |
| 30 December 1972 | Ayr United | H | 2–1 | 27,653 | Conn, Parlane |
| 1 January 1973 | Partick Thistle | A | 1–0 | 18,500 | Young |
| 6 January 1973 | Celtic | H | 2–1 | 72,479 | Parlane, Conn |
| 13 January 1973 | Falkirk | A | 4–2 | 17,000 | Young (2), Parlane (pen.), Conn |
| 20 January 1973 | Kilmarnock | H | 4–0 | 24,515 | Parlane (2), Young, Greig |
| 27 January 1973 | Morton | A | 2–1 | 16,000 | MacDonald, Young |
| 10 February 1973 | Motherwell | H | 2–1 | 27,000 | Young, Jardine |
| 19 February 1973 | Arbroath | H | 5–0 | 25,662 | Parlane (2), Young, Greig, Miller |
| 3 March 1973 | St. Johnstone | A | 2–1 | 12,000 | Miller, Mason |
| 10 March 1973 | Dundee | H | 3–1 | 32,500 | Parlane (2), MacDonald |
| 20 March 1973 | Airdrieonians | A | 6–2 | 20,000 | Parlane, Greig, Johnstone, McLean, MacDonald, Young |
| 24 March 1973 | Hibernian | H | 1–0 | 51,226 | McLean |
| 31 March 1973 | Dumbarton | A | 2–1 | 13,000 | Young, Parlane |
| 7 April 1973 | Heart of Midlothian | A | 1–0 | 24,064 | Greig |
| 14 April 1973 | Dundee United | H | 2–1 | 38,000 | Greig (2) |
| 21 April 1973 | Aberdeen | A | 2–2 | 33,000 | McLean, Conn |
| 28 April 1973 | East Fife | H | 2–0 | 27,544 | Young, Conn |

### European Super Cup

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 16 January 1973 | Ajax | H | 1–3 | 58,199 | MacDonald |
| 24 January 1973 | Ajax | A | 2–3 | 43,000 | MacDonald, Young |

### Scottish Cup

| Date | Round | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 3 February 1973 | R3 | Dundee United | H | 1–0 | 35,657 | Young |
| 24 February 1973 | R4 | Hibernian | H | 1–1 | 63,889 | Johnstone |
| 28 February 1973 | R4 R | Hibernian | A | 2–1 | 49,007 | McLean (2, 1 pen.) |
| 17 March 1973 | QF | Airdrieonians | H | 2–0 | 35,500 | Parlane (pen.), Young |
| 4 April 1973 | SF | Ayr United | N | 2–0 | 51,815 | Parlane (2) |
| 5 May 1973 | F | Celtic | N | 3–2 | 122,714 | Parlane, Conn, Forsyth |

### League Cup

| Date | Round | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 12 August 1972 | SR | Clydebank | H | 2–0 | 26,240 | Conn, MacDonald |
| 16 August 1972 | SR | St. Mirren | A | 4–0 | 15,000 | Johnstone, Greid, Stein, Conn |
| 19 August 1972 | SR | Ayr United | H | 2–1 | 25,000 | Johnstone, Parlane |
| 23 August 1972 | SR | St. Mirren | H | 1–4 | 20,000 | Conn |
| 26 August 1972 | SR | Clydebank | A | 5–0 | 9,000 | |
| 30 August 1972 | SR | Ayr United | A | 2–1 | 15,000 | Johnston, Johnstone |
| 20 September 1972 | R2 | Stenhousemuir | A | 5–0 | 3,650 | Johnstone (3), Parlane, Greig |
| 4 October 1972 | R2 | Stenhousemuir | H | 1–2 | 6,000 | Fyfe |
| 11 October 1972 | QF | St. Johnstone | H | 1–1 | 15,000 | Parlane |
| 1 November 1972 | QF | St. Johnstone | A | 2–0 | 12,300 | Young, Parlane (pen.) |
| 22 November 1972 | SF | Hibernian | N | 0–1 | 46,513 | |

## Appearances

| Player | Position | Appearances | Goals |
| Peter McCloy | GK | 52 | 0 |
| Sandy Jardine | DF | 53 | 2 |
| Willie Mathieson | DF | 53 | 0 |
| John Greig | DF | 48 | 10 |
| Colin Jackson | DF | 14 | 0 |
| Derek Johnstone | DF | 47 | 10 |
| Tommy McLean | MF | 38 | 8 |
| Jim Denny | DF | 9 | 0 |
| Willie Johnston | FW | 9 | 5 |
| Colin Stein | FW | 8 | 2 |
| Graham Fyfe | MF | 13 | 3 |
| Alex MacDonald | MF | 45 | 7 |
| Dave Smith | MF | 45 | 1 |
| Alfie Conn | MF | 30 | 14 |
| Derek Parlane | FW | 45 | 27 |
| George Donaldson | MF | 9 | 0 |
| Quinton Young | MF | 37 | 17 |
| Tom Forsyth | MF | 29 | 1 |
| Joe Mason | FW | 17 | 2 |
| Gerry Neef | GK | 1 | 0 |
| Alex Miller | DF | 4 | 2 |
| Andy Penman | MF | 2 | 0 |
| Iain McDonald | MF | 1 | 0 |
| Phil Bonnyman | MF | 1 | 0 |