# 1975–76 Rangers F.C. season

The 1975–76 season was the 96th season of competitive football by Rangers.

## Overview

Rangers played a total of 55 competitive matches during the 1975–76 season. The club won a third domestic treble in its history and, what would become, the first of two in three seasons.
This was the first season of the new Scottish Premier Division and the previous season's league flag was hoisted much to the delight of the home support in front of the visitors who just happened to be Celtic. A tense match ensued and although the visitors took the lead, Derek Johnstone equalised and Quinton Young netted the winner. The side did not continue this good form and only won five, and lost five, of the next fourteen league matches. On 13 December the club embarked on a 26 match unbeaten run in the league and cup competitions.
Despite Celtic still having a one-point lead as late as February, Rangers eventually clinched the league at Tannadice, thanks to a Johnstone goal after just 22 seconds, during the third last league match of the season. The side had won 16 out of the final 21 matches. The final margin of the title win was six points.
On the domestic cup front, the League Cup was won in the October against Celtic in a lunchtime Old Firm final, which were a feature of that time in trying to curb crowd violence. An Alex McDonald flying header in the second half, being the difference between the sides. The 1976 Scottish Cup Final saw Rangers play Heart of Midlothian. The side got off to a great start when Johnstone netted on 42 seconds. It was all but over when Alex McDonald scored right on the stroke of half time and Derek Johnstone grabbed a brace late on.

## Results

All results are written with Rangers' score first.

### Scottish Premier Division

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 30 August 1975 | Celtic | H | 2–1 | 69,594 | Johnstone, Young |
| 6 September 1975 | Heart of Midlothian | A | 2–0 | 28,000 | Anderson (o.g.), Murray (o.g.) |
| 13 September 1975 | St. Johnstone | H | 2–0 | 25,000 | Stein, Johnstone |
| 20 September 1975 | Hibernian | H | 1–1 | 37,000 | Blackley (o.g.) |
| 27 September 1975 | Dundee | A | 0–0 | 15,087 | |
| 4 October 1975 | Aberdeen | H | 1–0 | 22,000 | McDougall |
| 11 October 1975 | Ayr United | A | 0–3 | 20,000 | |
| 18 October 1975 | Motherwell | A | 1–2 | 18,925 | Johnstone |
| 1 November 1975 | Celtic | A | 1–1 | 60,000 | Parlane |
| 8 November 1975 | Heart of Midlothian | H | 1–2 | 30,000 | Henderson |
| 12 November 1975 | Dundee United | H | 4–1 | 25,760 | Parlane, Johnstone, Jackson, MacDonald |
| 15 November 1975 | St. Johnstone | A | 5–1 | 9,500 | Parlane, McKean, McLean, Jardine, McDonald (o.g.) |
| 22 November 1975 | Hibernian | A | 1–2 | 26,547 | Young |
| 29 November 1975 | Dundee | H | 2–1 | 16,500 | Henderson (2) |
| 6 December 1975 | Aberdeen | A | 0–1 | 19,565 | |
| 13 December 1975 | Ayr United | H | 3–0 | 15,500 | Jardine (pen.), Henderson, McKean |
| 20 December 1975 | Motherwell | H | 3–2 | 25,000 | Johnstone (2), Henderson |
| 27 December 1975 | Dundee United | A | 0–0 | 11,500 | |
| 1 January 1976 | Celtic | H | 1–0 | 57,839 | Johnstone |
| 3 January 1976 | Heart of Midlothian | A | 2–1 | 24,000 | Henderson (2) |
| 10 January 1976 | St. Johnstone | H | 4–0 | 20,209 | Miller (pen.), Hamilton, Johnstone, McKean |
| 17 January 1976 | Hibernian | H | 2–0 | 40,761 | Parlane, McLean |
| 31 January 1976 | Dundee | A | 1–1 | 14,407 | Johnstone |
| 7 February 1976 | Aberdeen | H | 2–1 | 35,000 | Henderson, MacDonald |
| 21 February 1976 | Ayr United | A | 1–0 | 18,000 | McKean |
| 28 February 1976 | Motherwell | A | 1–0 | 25,241 | Johnstone |
| 20 March 1976 | Heart of Midlothian | H | 3–1 | 31,698 | Johnstone, Jackson, McLean |
| 27 March 1976 | St. Johnstone | A | 3–0 | 9,079 | Johnstone (2), Greig |
| 3 April 1976 | Hibernian | A | 3–0 | 18,820 | MacDonald, Henderson, Johnstone |
| 10 April 1976 | Dundee | H | 3–0 | 25,012 | McKean, Greig, Johnstone |
| 14 April 1976 | Aberdeen | A | 0–0 | 17,968 | |
| 17 April 1976 | Ayr United | H | 2–1 | 25,602 | MacDonald, Parlane |
| 21 April 1976 | Motherwell | H | 2–1 | 27,910 | McLean, Henderson |
| 24 April 1976 | Dundee United | A | 1–0 | 17,000 | Johnstone |
| 26 April 1976 | Celtic | A | 0–0 | 51,000 | |
| 4 May 1976 | Dundee United | H | 0–0 | 50,209 | |

### European Cup

| Date | Round | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 17 September 1975 | R1 | Bohemian | H | 4–1 | 25,000 | Fyfe, O'Hara, Johnstone, Burke (o.g.) |
| 1 October 1975 | R1 | Bohemian | A | 1–1 | 8,000 | Johnstone |
| 22 October 1975 | R2 | Saint-Etienne | A | 0–2 | 28,394 | |
| 5 November 1975 | R2 | Saint-Etienne | H | 1–2 | 51,411 | MacDonald |

### Scottish Cup

| Date | Round | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 24 January 1976 | R3 | East Fife | H | 3–0 | 30,106 | MacDonald, Henderson, Hamilton |
| 14 February 1976 | R4 | Aberdeen | H | 4–1 | 60,244 | Johnstone, MacDonald, Henderson, Parlane |
| 6 March 1976 | QF | Queen of the South | A | 5–0 | 18,700 | McKean (2), Johnstone (2), Henderson |
| 31 March 1976 | SF | Motherwell | N | 3–2 | 50,915 | Miller (pen.), Johnstone (2) |
| 1 May 1976 | F | Heart of Midlothian | N | 3–1 | 85,354 | Johnstone (2), MacDonald |

### League Cup

| Date | Round | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 9 August 1975 | SR | Airdrieonians | H | 6–1 | 45,000 | Jardine (3, 2 pen.), Stein, Parlane, Miller (pen.) |
| 13 August 1975 | SR | Clyde | A | 1–0 | 28,000 | Johnstone |
| 16 August 1975 | SR | Motherwell | H | 1–1 | 31,500 | Greig |
| 20 August 1975 | SR | Clyde | H | 6–0 | 16,000 | Parlane (2), Jackson, Miller (pen.), Young, Johnstone |
| 23 August 1975 | SR | Motherwell | A | 2–2 | 20,561 | Jardine, Miller (pen.) |
| 27 August 1975 | SR | Airdrieonians | A | 2–1 | 20,000 | Johnstone, Young |
| 10 September 1975 | QF | Queen of the South | H | 1–0 | 12,000 | Johnstone |
| 24 September 1975 | QF | Queen of the South | A | 2–2 | 7,500 | Johnstone, MacDonald |
| 8 October 1975 | SF | Montrose | N | 5–1 | 20,319 | Parlane, Johnstone, Miller (pen.), Scott, Jardine |
| 25 October 1975 | F | Celtic | N | 1–0 | 58,806 | MacDonald |

## Appearances

| Player | Position | Appearances | Goals |
| Gordon Boyd | FW | 1 | 0 |
| Ally Dawson | DF | 6 | 0 |
| Jim Denny | DF | 12 | 0 |
| Tom Forsyth | MF | 37 | 0 |
| Graham Fyfe | MF | 6 | 1 |
| John Greig | DF | 55 | 3 |
| Johnny Hamilton | MF | 27 | 2 |
| Martin Henderson | FW | 33 | 13 |
| Colin Jackson | DF | 52 | 3 |
| Sandy Jardine | DF | 37 | 7 |
| Derek Johnstone | DF | 51 | 31 |
| Stewart Kennedy | GK | 14 | 0 |
| Peter McCloy | GK | 41 | 0 |
| Alex MacDonald | MF | 52 | 8 |
| Ian McDougall | DF | 7 | 1 |
| Bobby McKean | MF | 43 | 7 |
| Tommy McLean | MF | 52 | 4 |
| Alex Miller | DF | 44 | 6 |
| Alex O'Hara | MF | 7 | 1 |
| Derek Parlane | FW | 40 | 10 |
| Quinton Young | MF | 19 | 4 |
| Ally Scott | FW | 3 | 1 |
| Colin Stein | FW | 15 | 2 |

## League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Rangers (C) | 36 | 23 | 8 | 5 | 60 | 24 | +36 | 54 | Qualification for the European Cup first round |
| 2 | Celtic | 36 | 21 | 6 | 9 | 71 | 42 | +29 | 48 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round |
| 3 | Hibernian | 36 | 18 | 7 | 11 | 55 | 43 | +12 | 43 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round |
| 4 | Motherwell | 36 | 16 | 8 | 12 | 57 | 49 | +8 | 40 | |
| 5 | Heart of Midlothian | 36 | 13 | 9 | 14 | 39 | 45 | −6 | 35 | Qualification for the Cup Winners' Cup first round |