1977–78 Rangers F.C. season
Introduction The '''1977–78 season''' was the 98th season of competitive '''football''' by '''Rangers'''.
Overview Rangers played a total of 53 competitive matches during the 1977–78 season. Wallace presided over the club's fourth domestic treble and second in three years. During the close season Rangers spent heavily in the transfer market, bringing in Davie Cooper from Clydebank for £100,000 and Gordon Smith from Kilmarnock for £65,000.They were joined at the club by Bobby Russell who arrived from Shettleston Juniors for free.However, even with these expensive signings the side did not make the best start to the league campaign, losing the opening two matches to Aberdeen and Hibernian. Order was restored the following week with a 4–0 defeat of Partick Thistle. A resounding 3–2 win over Celtic in the first Old Firm match of the season set the tone of the season. Rangers had been 2–0 down at half-time but recovered to win the game after outclassing Jock Stein's side in the second 45 minutes. In March 1978, second placed Aberdeen won 3–0 at Ibrox to set up a tense title run in. Rangers dropped seven points from twenty-one but held on winning the final four fixtures and the league.The League Cup was won by defeating Celtic 2–1 after extra time. Goals from season new boys Davie Cooper and Gordon Smith completed the first leg of the treble. The 2–1 1978 Scottish Cup final win over Aberdeen made Wallace the first and only Rangers' manager to win two domestic treble's. Surprisingly despite this unprecedented success Wallace resign from his position on 23 May 1978.
Results All results are written with Rangers' score first.===Scottish Premier Division===DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 13 August 1977AberdeenA1–321,500Russell 20 August 1977HibernianH0–220,800 27 August 1977Partick ThistleA4–018,584Smith (2), Miller (pen. ), Russell 10 September 1977CelticH3–248,788Smith (2), Johnstone 17 September 1977St. MirrenA3–326,000Jardine, Cooper, Johnstone 24 September 1977Ayr UnitedH2–020,402Smith (2) 1 October 1977ClydebankH4–123,250Cooper (2), Smith (2) 8 October 1977Dundee UnitedA1–018,658Russell 15 October 1977MotherwellA4–120,050Johnstone (3), Smith 22 October 1977AberdeenH3–140,102Jardine (pen. ), Smith, MacDonald 29 October 1977HibernianA1–022,750Jardine (pen.) 5 November 1977Partick ThistleH3–328,200Parlane (2), MacDonald 12 November 1977CelticA1–157,000Johnstone 19 November 1977St. MirrenH2–125,000Johnstone, Miller (pen.) 26 November 1977Ayr UnitedA5–015,300Johnstone (3), Jackson, Parlane 10 December 1977Dundee UnitedH2–025,000McLean, Smith 17 December 1977MotherwellH3–115,300Smith (2), Johnstone 24 December 1977AberdeenA0–421,000 31 December 1977HibernianH0–025,000 2 January 1978Partick ThistleA2–130,000Johnstone, Smith 7 January 1978CelticH3–154,302Smith, Grieg, Parlane 14 January 1978St. MirrenA2–024,300Johnstone, Smith 4 February 1978ClydebankH1–016,492Johnstone 19 February 1978ClydebankA3–010,000Johnstone (2), Cooper 25 February 1978MotherwellA5–320,387Johsntone (2), Smith, Cooper, McVie (o.g.) 4 March 1978AberdeenH0–334,500 21 March 1978Partick ThistleH2–120,000MacDonald, Jardine 25 March 1978CelticA0–251,000 29 March 1978HibernianA1–121,245Parlane 1 April 1978St. MirrenH1–120,500Johnstone 8 April 1978Ayr UnitedA5–213,400Johnstone (2), Smith (2), Greig 12 April 1978Ayr UnitedH1–112,282Johnstone 15 April 1978ClydebankA2–09,800Johnstone (2) 19 April 1978Dundee UnitedA1–017,293Johnstone 22 April 1978Dundee UnitedH3–027,050Jackson, Jardine (pen. ), Cooper 29 April 1978MotherwellH2–043,500Jackson, Smith===Cup Winners' Cup===DateRoundOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 17 August 1977QRYoung Boys BernH1–030,000Greig 31 August 1977QRYoung Boys BernA2–221,000Johnstone, Smith 14 September 1977R1FC TwenteH0–040,000 28 September 1977R1FC TwenteA0–320,000===Scottish Cup===DateRoundOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 28 January 1978R3Berwick RangersA4–210,500Jackson (2), Johnstone (2) 18 February 1978R4Stirling AlbionH1–015,500Johnstone 11 March 1978QFKilmarnockH4–128,000Johnstone, Hamilton, MacDonald, Cooper (pen.) 5 April 1978SFDundee UnitedN2–025,619Johnstone, Greig 6 May 1978FAberdeenN2–161,563MacDonald, Johnstone===League Cup===DateRoundOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 24 August 1977R2St. JohnstoneH3–110,000Johnstone (2), Parlane 3 September 1977R2St. JohnstoneA3–011,200Parlane, Miller (pen. ), Smith 5 October 1977R3AberdeenH6–125,000Smith (3), Johnstone, Miller (pen. ), MacDonald 26 October 1977R3AberdeenA1–315,600Smith 9 November 1977QFDunfermline AthleticH3–112,000McLean (2), Jackson 16 November 1977QFDunfermline AthleticA3–18,274Greig, Jardine (pen. ), Johnstone 27 February 1978SFForfar AthleticN5–212,799Johnstone (2), Parlane (2), MacDonald 18 March 1978FCelticN2–160,158Cooper, Smith===Non-competitive=======Tennent Caledonian Cup====DateRoundOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 6 August 1977SFSouthamptonH 7 August 1977FWest Bromwich AlbionH====Glasgow Cup====DateRoundOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 18 October 1977 SFPartick ThistleH2–2*✝9,202Forsyth, McLean*Rangers won the match 4–3 on penalties✝Competition not completed
Appearances PlayerPositionAppearancesGoals Peter McCloyGK210 Sandy JardineDF486 Alex MillerDF365 Tom ForsythDF460 Colin JacksonDF516 Alex MacDonaldMF597 Billy MacKayMF30 Bobby RussellMF483 Derek ParlaneFW318 Chris RobertsonFW40 Davie CooperMF528 Bobby McKeanMF150 Tommy McLeanMF443 Gordon SmithFW5227 Derek JohnstoneFW4738 John GreigDF415 Kenny WatsonMF80 Stewart KennedyGK320 Ally DawsonDF20 Johnny HamiltonMF30 Eric MorrisDF10 Martin HendersonFW20
League table
See also * 1977–78 in Scottish football* 1977–78 Scottish Cup* 1977–78 Scottish League Cup* 1977–78 European Cup Winners' Cup
References