Rangers Football Club was founded in 1872 and is one of the 11 original members of the Scottish Football League in 1890.[1] The club's home ground, Ibrox Stadium, is in the south-west of Glasgow, Scotland.

Rangers were the first British club to reach a UEFA tournament final and won the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1972 after being runner-up twice in 1961 and 1967. A third runners-up finish in Europe came in the UEFA Cup in 2008. A fourth runners-up finish in Europe came in the Europa League in 2022

The table details the club's achievements in all national and European first team competitions and the top scorers for each season.[2]

Overview

Although Rangers had been playing in the Scottish Cup since season 1874–75, being runners-up twice, they did not compete in an official league until 1890–91. In their very first season the club played eighteen championship matches, also a play-off which they drew and so shared the first ever league title with Dumbarton.

The Scottish League Cup did not begin until season 1946–47, Rangers won the inaugural competition by defeating Aberdeen 4–0 in the final. The 1956–57 season saw the club enter the European arena.

Key
Colour coding
Champions Runners-up Promoted Relegated

Seasons

Prior to league formation (1872–1890)

Season League Scottish
Cup 		FA Cup Top goalscorer Notes
Division Pld W D L GF GA Pts Pos Name Goals
1874–75 n/a[3] R2 n/a[4] Moses McNeil
David Gibb 		1
1875–76 R2 John Campbell 3
1876–77 RU Peter Campbell 5 [5]
1877–78 R4 Peter Campbell 7
1878–79 RU William Struthers 6 [6]
1879–80 R1 Archibald Steel
William Struthers 		2
1880–81 SF George Angus 5 [7]
1881–82 SF David Hill 5
1882–83 R2 W Corbett
William Pringle
James Watson 		2
1883–84 SF James Gossland 5 [8]
1884–85 QF James Gossland
Alick McKenzie
Peter Morton 		3 [9]
1885–86 R1 R1 No goals scored 0
1886–87 R3 SF Matthew Lawrie 5 [10]
1887–88 R2 n/a[4] John Gow 5 [11]
1888–89 R2 Thomas Wylie 8 [12]
1889–90 R3 Donald Gow
Thomas Wylie 		5 [13]

League football era, Pre-war (1890–1939)

Season League Scottish
Cup 		Top goalscorer Notes
Division Pld W D L GF GA Pts Pos Name Goals
1890–91 Scottish League 18 13 3 2 58 25 29 1st R1 John McPherson 15 [14][15]
1891–92 Scottish League 22 11 2 9 59 46 24 5th SF John McPherson 12
1892–93 Scottish League 18 12 4 2 41 27 28 2nd QF Hugh McCreadie 13
1893–94 Division One 18 8 4 6 44 30 20 4th W James Steel 12 [16]
1894–95 Division One 18 10 2 6 41 26 22 3rd R1 John McPherson]]
John Barker 		9
1895–96 Division One 18 11 4 3 57 39 26 2nd QF Alex Smith 16
1896–97 Division One 18 11 3 4 64 30 25 3rd W Tommy Hyslop
John McPherson 		15
1897–98 Division One 18 13 3 2 71 15 29 2nd W Robert Hamilton 26
1898–99 Division One 18 18 0 0 79 18 36 1st RU Robert Hamilton 25
1899–1900 Division One 18 15 2 1 69 27 32 1st SF Robert Hamilton 23
1900–01 Division One 20 17 1 2 60 25 35 1st R1 Robert Hamilton 20
1901–02 Division One 18 13 2 3 43 29 28 1st SF Robert Hamilton 11
1902–03 Division One 22 12 5 5 56 30 29 3rd W Robert Hamilton 18
1903–04 Division One 26 16 6 4 80 33 38 3rd RU Robert Hamilton 31
1904–05 Division One 26 19 3 4 83 28 41 2nd RU Robert Hamilton 19
1905–06 Division One 30 15 7 8 58 48 37 4th QF Robert Hamilton 10
1906–07 Division One 34 19 7 8 69 33 45 3rd QF Jimmy Speirs 14
1907–08 Division One 34 21 8 5 74 40 50 3rd R2 Robert Campbell 25
1908–09 Division One 34 19 7 8 91 38 45 4th F Robert Campbell 17 [17]
1909–10 Division One 34 20 6 8 70 35 46 3rd R2 Willie Hunter 19
1910–11 Division One 34 23 6 5 90 34 52 1st QF Willie Reid 41
1911–12 Division One 34 24 3 7 86 34 51 1st R2 Willie Reid 34
1912–13 Division One 34 24 5 5 76 41 53 1st R3 Willie Reid 23
1913–14 Division One 38 27 5 6 79 31 59 2nd R3 Willie Reid 25
1914–15 Division One 38 23 4 11 74 47 50 3rd n/a[18] Willie Reid 28
1915–16 Division One 38 25 6 7 87 39 56 2nd Willie Reid 21
1916–17 Division One 38 24 5 9 68 32 53 3rd Charlie Duncan 15
1917–18 Division One 34 25 6 3 66 24 56 1st Tommy Cairns
Jimmy Gordon 		11
1918–19 Division One 34 26 5 3 86 16 57 2nd David McLean 29
1919–20 Division One 42 31 9 2 106 25 71 1st SF Andy Cunningham 25
1920–21 Division One 42 35 6 1 91 24 76 1st RU Andy Cunningham 27
1921–22 Division One 42 28 10 4 83 26 66 2nd RU Geordie Henderson 27
1922–23 Division One 38 23 9 6 67 29 55 1st R2 Geordie Henderson 24
1923–24 Division One 38 25 9 4 72 29 59 1st R3 Geordie Henderson 23
1924–25 Division One 38 25 10 3 76 26 60 1st SF Geordie Henderson 32
1925–26 Division One 38 19 6 13 79 55 44 6th SF Andy Cunningham
Jimmy Fleming 		20
1926–27 Division One 38 23 10 5 85 41 56 1st QF Jimmy Fleming 21
1927–28 Division One 38 26 8 4 109 36 60 1st W Jimmy Fleming 37 [19][20]
1928–29 Division One 38 30 7 1 107 32 67 1st RU Jimmy Fleming 40
1929–30 Division One 38 28 4 6 94 32 60 1st W Jimmy Fleming 33 [21]
1930–31 Division One 38 27 6 5 96 29 60 1st R2 Bob McPhail 22
1931–32 Division One 38 28 5 5 118 42 61 2nd W Sam English 53 [22]
1932–33 Division One 38 26 10 2 113 43 62 1st R3 Jimmy Smith 35
1933–34 Division One 38 30 6 2 118 41 66 1st W Jimmy Smith 46 [22][21]
1934–35 Division One 38 25 5 8 96 46 55 1st W Jimmy Smith 44
1935–36 Division One 38 27 7 4 110 43 61 2nd W Jimmy Smith 37
1936–37 Division One 38 26 9 3 88 32 61 1st R1 Jimmy Smith 31
1937–38 Division One 38 18 13 7 75 49 49 3rd SF Jimmy Smith 25
1938–39 Division One 38 25 9 4 112 55 59 1st R3 Alex Venters 37
1939–40 Division One 5 4 1 0 14 3 9 Willie Thornton 5 [23]

Football during and after the Second World War (1940–1955)

Season League Scottish
Cup 		League
Cup 		Top goalscorer Notes
Division Pld W D L GF GA Pts Pos Name Goals
No competitive football was played between 1939 and 1946 due to the Second World War. Rangers entered unofficial competitions including the 1939–40 Emergency League, the 1940 Emergency Cup, the Southern League, the Summer Cup, the Southern League Cup and the 1946 Victory Cup, winning most of them.[24]
1946–47 Division A 30 21 4 5 76 26 46 1st R2 W Willie Thornton
Jimmy Duncanson 		25
1947–48 Division A 30 21 4 5 64 28 46 2nd W SF Willie Thornton 22
1948–49 Division A 30 20 6 4 63 32 46 1st W W Willie Thornton 34
1949–50 Division A 30 22 6 2 58 26 50 1st W SF Willie Findlay 18
1950–51 Division A 30 17 4 9 64 37 38 2nd R2 Sect Willie Thornton 19
1951–52 Division A 30 16 9 5 61 31 41 2nd QF RU Willie Thornton 27
1952–53 Division A 30 18 7 5 80 39 43 1st W SF Derek Grierson 31
1953–54 Division A 30 13 8 9 56 35 34 4th SF SF Willie Paton 22
1954–55 Division A 30 19 3 8 67 33 41 3rd R6 QF Billy Simpson 23
1955–56 Division One 34 22 8 4 85 27 52 1st QF SF Johnny Hubbard 27

European football era

Season League Scottish
Cup 		League
Cup 		European Top goalscorer Notes
Division P W D L F A Pts Pos Name Goals
1956–57 Division One 34 26 3 5 96 48 55 1st R6 SR European Cup - R2 Max Murray 36
1957–58 Division One 34 22 5 7 89 49 49 2nd SF RU European Cup - R1 Max Murray 35
1958–59 Division One 34 21 8 5 92 51 50 1st R3 SR — Max Murray 24
1959–60 Division One 34 17 8 9 72 38 42 3rd W SR European Cup - SF Jimmy Millar 36
1960–61 Division One 34 23 5 6 88 46 51 1st R3 W Cup Winners' Cup - RU Ralph Brand 40
1961–62 Division One 34 22 7 5 84 31 51 2nd W W European Cup - QF Ralph Brand 40
1962–63 Division One 34 25 7 2 94 28 57 1st W SF Cup Winners' Cup - R1 Jimmy Millar 43
1963–64 Division One 34 25 5 4 85 31 55 1st W W European Cup - QR Jim Forrest 39
1964–65 Division One 34 18 8 8 78 35 44 5th QF W European Cup - QF Jim Forrest 57
1965–66 Division One 34 25 5 4 91 29 55 2nd W RU — George McLean 39
1966–67 Division One 34 24 7 3 92 31 55 2nd R1 RU Cup Winners' Cup - RU Alex Smith 23
1967–68 Division One 34 28 5 1 93 34 61 2nd QF SR Inter-Cities Fairs Cup - QF Alex Ferguson 22
1968–69 Division One 34 21 7 6 81 32 49 2nd RU SR Inter-Cities Fairs Cup - SF Willie Johnston 23
1969–70 Division One 34 19 7 8 67 40 45 2nd QF SR Cup Winners' Cup - R2 Colin Stein 27
1970–71 Division One 34 16 9 9 58 34 41 4th RU W Inter-Cities Fairs Cup - R1 Colin Stein 20
1971–72 Division One 34 21 2 11 71 38 44 3rd SF SR Cup Winners' Cup - W Colin Stein 25
1972–73 Division One 34 26 4 4 74 30 56 2nd W SF — Derek Parlane 27
1973–74 Division One 34 21 6 7 67 34 48 3rd R4 SF Cup Winners' Cup - R2 Derek Parlane 22
1974–75 Division One 34 25 6 3 86 33 56 1st R3 SR — Derek Parlane 18
1975–76 Premier Division 36 23 8 5 60 24 54 1st W W European Cup - R2 Derek Johnstone 31 [25]
1976–77 Premier Division 36 18 10 8 62 37 46 2nd RU SF European Cup - R1 Derek Johnstone 21
1977–78 Premier Division 36 24 7 5 76 39 55 1st W W Cup Winners' Cup - R1 Derek Johnstone 38
1978–79 Premier Division 36 18 9 9 52 35 45 2nd W W European Cup - QF Gordon Smith 17
1979–80 Premier Division 36 15 7 14 50 46 37 5th RU R3 Cup Winners' Cup - R2 Derek Johnstone 21
1980–81 Premier Division 36 16 12 8 60 32 44 3rd W R3 — Colin McAdam 21
1981–82 Premier Division 36 16 11 9 57 45 43 3rd RU W Cup Winners' Cup - R1 John MacDonald 22
1982–83 Premier Division 36 13 12 11 52 41 38 4th RU RU UEFA Cup - R2 John MacDonald 20
1983–84 Premier Division 36 15 12 9 53 41 42 4th QF W Cup Winners' Cup - R2 Ally McCoist 20
1984–85 Premier Division 36 13 12 11 47 38 38 4th R4 W UEFA Cup - R2 Ally McCoist 18
1985–86 Premier Division 36 13 9 14 53 45 35 5th R3 SF UEFA Cup - R1 Ally McCoist 27
1986–87 Premier Division 44 31 7 6 85 23 69 1st R3 W UEFA Cup - R3 Ally McCoist 38
1987–88 Premier Division 44 26 8 10 85 34 60 3rd R4 W European Cup - QF Ally McCoist 42
1988–89 Premier Division 36 26 4 6 62 26 56 1st RU W UEFA Cup - R2 Kevin Drinkell 19
1989–90 Premier Division 36 20 11 5 48 19 51 1st R4 RU European Cup - R1 Ally McCoist 18
1990–91 Premier Division 36 24 7 5 62 23 55 1st QF W European Cup - R2 Mo Johnston 19
1991–92 Premier Division 44 33 6 5 101 31 72 1st W SF European Cup - R1 Ally McCoist 39
1992–93 Premier Division 44 33 7 4 97 35 73 1st W W Champions League - GS Ally McCoist 49
1993–94 Premier Division 44 22 14 8 74 41 58 1st RU W Champions League - R1 Mark Hateley 30
1994–95 Premier Division 36 20 9 7 60 35 69 1st R4 R3 Champions League - QR Mark Hateley 15
1995–96 Premier Division 36 27 6 3 85 25 87 1st W SF Champions League- GS Gordon Durie 23
1996–97 Premier Division 36 25 5 6 85 33 80 1st QF W Champions League - GS Brian Laudrup 21
1997–98 Premier Division 36 21 9 6 76 38 72 2nd RU QF Champions League - QR2
UEFA Cup - R1 		Marco Negri 37
1998–99 Premier League 36 23 8 5 78 31 77 1st W W UEFA Cup - R3 Rod Wallace 27
1999–2000 Premier League 36 28 6 2 96 26 90 1st W QF Champions League - GS
UEFA Cup - R3 		Rod Wallace 21
2000–01 Premier League 38 26 4 8 76 36 82 2nd QF SF Champions League - GS
UEFA Cup - R3 		Jörg Albertz 15
2001–02 Premier League 38 25 10 3 82 27 85 2nd W W Champions League - QR3
UEFA Cup - R4 		Tore André Flo 25
2002–03 Premier League 38 31 4 3 101 28 97 1st W W UEFA Cup - R1 Ronald de Boer 20
2003–04 Premier League 38 25 6 7 76 33 81 2nd QF SF Champions League - GS Shota Arveladze 15
2004–05 Premier League 38 29 6 3 78 22 93 1st R3 W UEFA Cup - GS Nacho Novo 25
2005–06 Premier League 38 21 10 7 67 37 73 3rd R4 QF Champions League - L16 Kris Boyd 20
2006–07 Premier League 38 21 9 8 61 32 72 2nd R3 QF UEFA Cup - L16 Kris Boyd 26
2007–08 Premier League 38 27 5 6 84 33 86 2nd W W Champions League - GS Kris Boyd 25
UEFA Cup - RU
2008–09 Premier League 38 26 8 4 77 28 86 1st W RU Champions League - QR2 Kris Boyd 31
2009–10 Premier League 38 26 9 3 82 28 87 1st QF W Champions League - GS Kris Boyd 26
2010–11 Premier League 38 30 3 5 88 29 93 1st R5 W Champions League - GS
Europa League - Ro16 		Kenny Miller 22
2011–12 Premier League 38 26 5 7 77 28 73† 2nd ↓↓↓ R5 R3 Champions League - QR3
Europa League - POR 		Nikica Jelavić 17 [26]
2012–13 Third Division 36 25 8 3 87 29 83 1st ↑ R5 QF Challenge Cup - QF Lee McCulloch 26
2013–14 League One 36 33 3 0 106 18 102 1st ↑ SF R1 Challenge Cup - RU Jon Daly 25
2014–15 Championship 36 19 10 7 69 39 67 3rd R5 SF Challenge Cup - SF Nicky Law 13 [27]
2015–16 Championship 36 25 6 5 88 34 81 1st ↑ RU R4 Challenge Cup - W Martyn Waghorn 28
2016–17 Premiership 38 19 10 9 56 44 67 3rd SF SF — Martyn Waghorn 16
2017–18 Premiership 38 21 7 10 76 50 70 3rd SF SF Europa League - QR1 Alfredo Morelos
Josh Windass 		18
2018–19 Premiership 38 23 9 6 82 27 78 2nd QF SF Europa League - GS Alfredo Morelos 30
2019–20 Premiership 29 21 4 4 64 19 67 2nd* QF RU Europa League - Ro16 Alfredo Morelos 29
2020–21 Premiership 38 32 6 0 92 13 102 1st QF QF Europa League - Ro16 James Tavernier 19
2021–22 Premiership 38 27 8 3 80 31 89 2nd W SF Europa League - RU Alfredo Morelos
James Tavernier 		18
2022–23 Premiership 38 29 5 4 93 37 93 2nd SF RU Champions League - GS James Tavernier
Antonio Čolak 		18
2023–24 Premiership 38 W Champions League - POR
Europa League - Ro16

† Rangers were deducted 10 points when the club entered administration.[28]
* Season finished early due to COVID-19 pandemic.[29]

Notes

  1. ^ Gammelsæter, Hallgeir; Senaux, Benoit (2011). The Organisation and Governance of Top Football Across Europe. Routledge. p. 48. ISBN 9781136705335. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
  2. ^ "Welcome to Rangers@FitbaStats". fitbastats.com. Retrieved 25 June 2013.
  3. ^ The club did not start playing league football until 1890.
  4. ^ a b The club did not play.
  5. ^ Scorers of 3 goals in this season are unknown.
  6. ^ Scorers of 4 goals in this season are unknown.
  7. ^ Scorers of 8 goals in this season are unknown.
  8. ^ Scorers of 20 goals in this season are unknown.
  9. ^ Scorers of 19 goals in this season are unknown.
  10. ^ Rangers also reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup.
  11. ^ Scorers of 5 goals in this season are unknown.
  12. ^ Scorers of 2 goals in this season are unknown.
  13. ^ Scorers of 12 goals in this season are unknown.
  14. ^ From goals in the League and in the Scottish Cup
  15. ^ Shared with Dumbarton after a play off finished 2–2
  16. ^ Rangers win their first Scottish Cup, thanks to a 3–1 win over Celtic
  17. ^ Final between Rangers and Celtic was abandoned due to a riot. The trophy was withheld.
  18. ^ The competition was withdrawn due to the outbreak of the First World War. Unofficial wartime tournaments included the Navy and Army War Fund Shield and the 1919 Victory Cup.
  19. ^ Club wins its first ever double, the league and Scottish Cup
  20. ^ Also won the Glasgow Merchants Charity Cup for three trophies in a season.
  21. ^ a b Also won the Glasgow Cup and Glasgow Merchants Charity Cup, winning all four tournaments entered.
  22. ^ a b Season saw the joint greatest number of goals scored in the league
  23. ^ The 1939–40 season was suspended following the outbreak of the Second World War, see below for details of wartime season
  24. ^ Rangers dominated wartime football but should their titles be recognised in the record books?, The Scotsman, 21 March 2020
  25. ^ Also won the Glasgow Cup, winning all four domestic tournaments entered.
  26. ^ Following administration and pending liquidation of the club's commercial entity, the team was refused entry to the top division and was instead admitted to the fourth tier of Scottish Football.
  27. ^ Rangers lost 6-1 on aggregate in the play-off final against Motherwell.
  28. ^ "Rangers Football Club enters administration". BBC News. Retrieved 14 February 2012.
  29. ^ "Celtic champions & Hearts relegated after SPFL ends season". BBC Sport. 18 May 2020. Retrieved 18 May 2020.

External links

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