There is a certain team from the immediate post WW2 era that trips off the tongue. It is - Brown, Young, Shaw. McColl, Woodburn and Cox. Waddell, Gillick, Thornton, Duncanson and Caskie.
In truth this mythical side with the ‘Iron Curtain’ defence did not play that many times together. Most likely around the dozen mark. Jimmy Caskie for instance fading from the scene. There were a smattering of games for him in both 46/47 and 47/48.
Yet for Rangers fans of a certain vintage, that team still holds a timeless appeal. So if the Rangers team(s) of that era are thought of as one of the most successful and iconic Rangers teams of the 20th Century, then why is that the case?
Well, I can give you a few good reasons. They are; Billy Williamson, Willie Rae, Willie Findlay, Willie Paton and Willie McCulloch.
Not household names by Rangers standards I suppose, yet they all played a significant part, and carved for themselves a certain wee niche in the history of the Rangers teams of that immediate post war era, as I will try to explain.
1 – We will start at the beginning with Billy (Sailor) Williamson. Now the stats will tell you that between 1946/51 ‘Sailor’ scored 65 goals for Rangers in 120 appearances (inc war time) but that it is nowhere near telling the whole story.
What makes Billy Williamson stand out is that in 1947/48 Billy played in only one Scottish Cup tie and that was in the final replay versus Morton. Billy scored the only goal of the game.
The following season, Billy appeared in only one Scottish Cup tie and again it was in the final this time against Clyde. Billy scored once again. Therefore, in two seasons, Billy Williamson played in only two SC cup-ties, scored two goals and therefore had two winning medals to his name. Not a bad return for 180 minutes work. Incidentally, Billy also scored in our first League Cup final victory. He scored the second in our four goal win over Aberdeen in 1946/47.
2 - Willie Rae came to Ibrox in 1946 and was mainly considered to be a half back. Any half back at Ibrox at that time was always going to be prepared to play a waiting game because Ian McColl and Sammy Cox were the first picks.
Yet despite it all Willie played that waiting game as is testified by the fact that he made 181 appearances all told (inc war time) and won his two league badges in 46/47 and 55/56. That’s perseverance and loyalty to that blue jersey for you. Willie also had one League Cup (46/47) and one Scottish Cup badge (49/50) to add to his major domestic haul.
3 – Willie Findlay came to Ibrox from Albion Rovers in 1947 and made 114 appearances and scored 65 goals for the club. Not bad going for a midfielder in anyone’s language.
However, like Billy Williamson before him, Willie Findlay certainly has his own wee personal piece of Ibrox history (and I would think Scottish football also) all to himself at time of writing.
Who scored Rangers fastest Scottish Cup final goal? Most Rangers fans would probably plump for Derek Johnstone’s 42 second smasher against Hearts in 1976 versus Hearts. Well if that poser comes up in the pub, I would advise you not to invest your cash in any ensuing argument.
You see it is actually Willie (big banana feet) Findlay who holds the record with a 30 second opener against East Fife in 1950. That’s right, THIRTY seconds. Too bad if you were wanting a ‘Russell Nash’ just before kick off that day.
4 – Willie Paton came to Ibrox from Kirkintilloch Rob Roy in 1947.(as I’m sure George Young did beforehand). Willie was to serve the club for ten years. He played 164 times for the club and scored 68 goals. Once again, that is a phenomenal tally for a midfielder.
Willie won the full set of Scottish medals in his ten years at Ibrox. However, that tells only part of the story. In addition, it is a remarkable one at that. Willie not only played in the League Cup final of 48/49 versus Raith Rovers. He scored our second goal in a 2-0 victory. Therefore, he’s already part of our folklore in that he scored a goal in the final, which was the first leg of the first ever domestic treble (of L, SC and LC) won in Scotland.
In season 1951/52 Willie scored a brace at CP in the traditional Jan 1st league fixture. In doing so he became only the third Rangers player of the 20th Century to do so. (Bob McPhail and Jimmy Smith both getting there before him in 1936)
But hey it gets better. In September 1953, Willie scored another brace at CP in the Glasgow Cup. He would also score in the final itself in a 3-0 triumph over Third Lanark. Not a big deal you would think. But history will show that this was to be the last trophy Rangers would win under Bill Struth. As everyone knows, season 1953/54 would prove to be his last season in charge.
However, the Willie Paton story does not stop there. Later in that same month of September 1953 (the 19th to be exact) Willie Paton scored Rangers goal in the 1-1 draw with Celtic at Ibrox. Given that we lost the Ne’erday game at CP 1-0, that means Willie Paton scored, Rangers last OF league goal under the management of Bill Struth.
I am not finished though. On April 26th 1954, Willie scored Rangers second goal in a 2-2 draw at Easter Road on the final league game of the season. So that means Willie Paton’s wee part in Rangers history can be remembered thus;
1 – Scored a goal in the final of Rangers first Cup win, that was part of a domestic treble.
2 – Was only the third Rangers player of the 20th century to score a double at CP in the traditional Ne’erday clash.
3 – Scored Rangers last OF league goal under Bill Struth’s management.
4 – Scored Rangers last ever league goal under Bill Struth’s management.
5 - Scored a goal in Rangers last ever Cup final victory under Bill Struth's management.
Willie Paton, take a bow son. I’m pretty sure Bill Struth would have been fond of you.
5 – Willie McCulloch. Now Willie signed for Rangers in 1949 from Strathclyde Juniors and would only play 68 games for the club over the next six years. In that time he amassed 15 goals. Once again a decent amount for a winger, especially one who was on the periphery of the side.
Willie McCulloch’s claim to fame is that he scored our goal in a 1-1 draw at CP in the Ne’erday clash of 1949/50. So therefore, Willie's wee claim to fame is is that he scored our first goal of the 1950s.
So there you go, a wee quick look at players you would say played a bit part in Rangers history. But look at the part they played? Truly phenomenal.
Tell you what, there must have been an awful lot of frightened players at Ibrox In the late 40s/early 50s, if someone was told Mr Struth wants to see William upstairs immediately. I mean apart from the famous five in this wee blatt, there was also Willie Woodburn, Willie Waddell and of course Willie Thornton. Add in Billy Arnison and Billy Simpson, then we were indeed the Billy Boys.
We talk often and long about the greats down the years on this forum. We talk of legends, real and imagined. I would humbly suggest that one of the reasons for our greatness down the years is because the unstinting loyalty and devotion to the club as displayed by those ‘Holy Willies’ who make up the majority of this scribble. Never first pick at times, but always able to step up to the plate when asked; and as you can see in this instance all had the abilty to carve their own wee personal place in Rangers' history.
Yours in Rangers,
t_gg