Rangers 1960's

Rangers in the 1960s

The 1960s were a decade of major success, dramatic highs, painful setbacks and enormous change for Rangers. In domestic terms, they remained one of the dominant forces in Scottish football, while in Europe they repeatedly pushed into new territory, becoming one of the first British clubs to make a serious impact on continental competition.

At the start of the decade, Rangers were still under the management of Scot Symon, who had succeeded the legendary Bill Struth and continued the club’s winning tradition with remarkable authority. Under Symon, Rangers won six league championships, five Scottish Cups and four League Cups, and in 1963–64 they completed a domestic treble, becoming only the second Rangers manager to achieve that feat. Yet this was not a decade of unbroken dominance. It was also a period in which the club experienced some of its most severe disappointments, including the humiliation of a 7–1 Old Firm defeat and the growing challenge posed by the rise of Jock Stein’s Celtic.

One of the defining moments of the early 1960s was the arrival of Jim Baxter from Raith Rovers in 1960 for a Scottish record fee. “Slim Jim” would become one of the finest footballers ever to wear the Rangers shirt — elegant, daring, supremely gifted, and central to the side’s identity in its most celebrated period of the decade. With Baxter pulling the strings, Rangers won the 1960–61 league title and the League Cup, while also reaching the final of the inaugural European Cup Winners’ Cup. Their run in that competition marked Rangers out as continental pioneers. Victories over Ferencváros, Borussia Mönchengladbach and Wolves took them all the way to the final, where they were beaten by Fiorentina over two legs.

The following season, 1961–62, Rangers retained the League Cup and added the Scottish Cup, though they lost out on the league title to Dundee. It was a season of further strength at home, but also one that underlined how fiercely contested Scottish football had become. Dundee, under Bob Shankly, emerged as serious rivals, while Rangers themselves continued to combine attacking power with resilience. Davie Wilson and Ralph Brand were among the key figures, and the side remained formidable both at Ibrox and beyond.

In 1962–63 Rangers regained the league championship in style, finishing well clear at the top and remaining unbeaten at Ibrox in league football. They also retained the Scottish Cup, defeating Celtic 3–0 in a replayed final in which Baxter was utterly dominant. This was a side of real flair and force, driven by Baxter’s invention and the goals of Jimmy Millar, Davie Wilson and Ralph Brand. Although the League Cup was surrendered and Europe brought disappointment against Tottenham Hotspur, Rangers were once again the leading side in Scotland.

If 1962–63 reasserted their authority, then 1963–64 represented the domestic peak of the Symon era. “Make Mine a Treble” became the cry as Rangers swept all three major domestic honours. The League Cup was secured first, with Jim Forrest emerging as a major scoring force. The league title followed after a strong second half of the season, and the Scottish Cup completed the treble after a final win over Dundee. Rangers defeated Celtic five times out of five during that campaign, scoring eleven goals and conceding only one, underlining the extent of their domestic superiority at that moment. Yet even in that triumphant season, Europe exposed their limitations, with Real Madrid proving far too strong in the European Cup.

The next season, however, signalled the beginning of change. In 1964–65 Rangers won the League Cup again, defeating Celtic in the final, but their challenge in the league faltered and they finished fifth — their lowest placing for decades. It was the first clear sign that the balance of power in Scotland was shifting. Baxter’s broken leg in Vienna was a major blow, and although Rangers reached the quarter-finals of the European Cup, losing narrowly to Inter Milan, the campaign marked the end of an era for several great players.

In 1965–66 Rangers recovered somewhat, finishing second in the league and winning the Scottish Cup after a replayed final against Celtic, settled by Kai Johansen’s famous long-range strike. That victory gave Rangers their eleventh major domestic honour in just six seasons, an extraordinary return by any standard. Yet even here there were warning signs. Celtic, revitalised under Jock Stein, were beginning to gather unstoppable momentum.

The contrast between the two clubs became starker in 1966–67. Rangers still reached both the League Cup Final and the European Cup Winners’ Cup Final, losing the latter after extra time to Bayern Munich, and they finished second in the league. On another timeline, it might have been considered a respectable season. But across the city Celtic swept the board, winning every domestic trophy and the European Cup itself. Rangers, by comparison, suddenly looked like the club being overtaken. Scot Symon came under huge pressure, and with hindsight the handling of key forwards such as Jim Forrest and George McLean may have cost Rangers silverware in a season defined by narrow margins.

In an effort to close the gap, Rangers invested heavily in 1967–68, bringing in players such as Alex Ferguson, Orjan Persson and Andy Penman. Symon, however, would not see the season through, despite Rangers being top of the league when he departed. He was replaced by Davie White, under whom Rangers produced an extraordinary run of league form, yet still finished second to Celtic. They also went out of the Scottish Cup to Hearts and were beaten by Leeds United in Europe. Ferguson finished as top scorer, but once again Rangers found themselves chasing rather than leading.

The 1968–69 season was another of frustration and fine margins. Rangers lost out in the League Cup group stage but responded with a strong league run and reached the Scottish Cup Final as well as the semi-finals of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. The signing of Colin Stein from Hibernian had an immediate impact, his goals helping to revive Rangers’ challenge. But his suspension at a crucial point in the season damaged their title hopes, and Rangers again finished second to Celtic. The Scottish Cup Final ended in a crushing 4–0 defeat to their rivals, while a European final place slipped away against Newcastle United. Willie Johnston emerged strongly during this period, but the season still ended without a major honour.

By 1969–70, the pressure at Ibrox was intense. Rangers had not won a major domestic trophy since 1966, and that was simply not acceptable by the club’s standards. Davie White was dismissed during the season and replaced by Willie Waddell, whose arrival brought an immediate lift. Yet the campaign still ended in disappointment. Rangers failed to emerge from their League Cup section, lost to Celtic in the Scottish Cup, fell short in Europe, and finished a distant second in the league. The much-heralded return of Jim Baxter from Nottingham Forest did not rekindle old magic, and his second spell proved to be a sad epilogue rather than a revival.

Taken as a whole, Rangers’ 1960s were a decade of contrast. On one hand, they remained hugely successful, winning major honours in abundance during the first half of the decade and achieving a domestic treble in 1963–64. They also established themselves as serious European competitors, reaching two Cup Winners’ Cup finals and repeatedly advancing deep into continental tournaments. On the other hand, the later 1960s brought frustration, decline in domestic supremacy, and the painful experience of watching Celtic move ahead both at home and abroad.

Even so, the decade produced some of the greatest Rangers players of all time. Jim Baxter stood above all as the symbol of the era, but he was joined by outstanding figures such as John Greig, Davie Wilson, Ralph Brand, Jimmy Millar, Kai Johansen and Willie Henderson. Together they ensured that, even in a decade that ended in disappointment, Rangers remained central to the story of Scottish football.

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