Born on this day, Alan Morton

dh1963

dh1963

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There is no definitive answer to the question of who is the greatest ever Rangers player. Our club has a history full of great names whose legend will last forever. But on this day in 1893, a man was born in Glasgow who must have as good a claim to the Greatest Ranger title as anyone else. The legendary Alan Morton.
These are just a few facts about the Wee Blue Devil's time as a Ranger.

Bill Struth's first signing, from Queens Park in the summer of 1920, after he turned professional on completion of his studies to become a fully qualified mining engineer. Alan Morton remained a part time footballer, refusing to give up his career outside the game.
He made his debut against Airdrie, a club who had rejected him after a trial with them prior to his Queens Park days.
He scored his first Rangers goal at Parkhead in a Glasgow Cup tie against Celtic.
Only 5 feet 4 inches tall, his speed, trickery and incredible ability with either foot made him an automatic choice for Scotland as well as a creator and scorer of goals for Rangers.
He won 31 Scotland caps, and played in 11 out of 12 games against England, only missing 1926 through injury.
His starring role in the famous 1928 5-1 thrashing of England made him one of the most famous Wembley Wizards.
Alan Morton won 10 league championships in his 13 seasons with the club.
He played in the Rangers team of 1928 who finally ended the club's 25 year hoodoo, hammering Celtic 4-0. He went on to play in 2 more winning Scottish Cup teams.
He played 470 times for Rangers, scoring 109 goals, and was never booked.
Alan Morton was considered by many football judges in the 1920s to not only be the best player in Scotland, but the best in the world.
His last appearance for the club was in January 1933 at the age of 39, and like his debut it was against Airdrie. He scored in a 5-1 victory.
.
On retiring, Alan Morton became a Director of the club, and he served on the board right up to his death in 1971.
The iconic marble staircase at Ibrox has an oil painting at the top. Of all the figures it could be, it is of the great Alan Morton.

Born April 24th 1893.
Died December 12th 1971

A Ranger on and off the field. A legend immortal.

Alan Lauder Morton.
 
Last edited:
dh1963 said:
There is no definitive answer to the question of who is the greatest ever Rangers player. Our club has a history full of great names whose legend will last forever. But on this day in 1893, a man was born in Glasgow who must have as good a claim to the Greatest Ranger title as anyone else. The legendary Alan Morton.
These are just a few facts about the Wee Blue Devil's time as a Ranger.

Bill Struth's first signing, from Queens Park in the summer of 1920, after he turned professional on completion of his studies to become a fully qualified mining engineer. Alan Morton remained a part time footballer, refusing to give up his career outside the game.
He made his debut against Airdrie, a club who had rejected him after a trial with them prior to his Queens Park days.
He scored his first Rangers goal at Parkhead in a Glasgow Cup tie against Celtic.
Only 5 feet 4 inches tall, his speed, trickery and incredible ability with either foot made him an automatic choice for Scotland as well as a creator and scorer of goals for Rangers.
He won 31 Scotland caps, and played in 11 out of 12 games against England, only missing 1926 through injury.
His starring role in the famous 1928 5-1 thrashing of England made him one of the most famous Wembley Wizards.
Alan Morton won 10 league championships in his 13 seasons with the club.
He played in the Rangers team of 1928 who finally ended the club's 25 year hoodoo, hammering Celtic 4-0. He went on to play in 2 more winning Scottish Cup teams.
He played 470 times for Rangers, scoring 109 goals, and was never booked.
Alan Morton was considered by many football judges in the 1920s to not only be the best player in Scotland, but the best in the world.
His last appearance for the club was in January 1933 at the age of 39, and like his debut it was against Airdrie. He scored in a 5-1 victory.
.
On retiring, Alan Morton became a Director of the club, and he served on the board right up to his death in 1971.
The iconic marble staircase at Ibrox has an oil painting at the top. Of all the figures it could be, it is of the great Alan Morton.

Born April 24th 1893.
Died December 12th 1971

A Ranger on and off the field. A legend immortal.

Alan Lauder Morton.
Click to expand...
didn't realise he was always part time, good read mate
 
dh1963 said:
There is no definitive answer to the question of who is the greatest ever Rangers player. Our club has a history full of great names whose legend will last forever. But on this day in 1893, a man was born in Glasgow who must have as good a claim to the Greatest Ranger title as anyone else. The legendary Alan Morton.
These are just a few facts about the Wee Blue Devil's time as a Ranger.

Bill Struth's first signing, from Queens Park in the summer of 1920, after he turned professional on completion of his studies to become a fully qualified mining engineer. Alan Morton remained a part time footballer, refusing to give up his career outside the game.
He made his debut against Airdrie, a club who had rejected him after a trial with them prior to his Queens Park days.
He scored his first Rangers goal at Parkhead in a Glasgow Cup tie against Celtic.
Only 5 feet 4 inches tall, his speed, trickery and incredible ability with either foot made him an automatic choice for Scotland as well as a creator and scorer of goals for Rangers.
He won 31 Scotland caps, and played in 11 out of 12 games against England, only missing 1926 through injury.
His starring role in the famous 1928 5-1 thrashing of England made him one of the most famous Wembley Wizards.
Alan Morton won 10 league championships in his 13 seasons with the club.
He played in the Rangers team of 1928 who finally ended the club's 25 year hoodoo, hammering Celtic 4-0. He went on to play in 2 more winning Scottish Cup teams.
He played 470 times for Rangers, scoring 109 goals, and was never booked.
Alan Morton was considered by many football judges in the 1920s to not only be the best player in Scotland, but the best in the world.
His last appearance for the club was in January 1933 at the age of 39, and like his debut it was against Airdrie. He scored in a 5-1 victory.
.
On retiring, Alan Morton became a Director of the club, and he served on the board right up to his death in 1971.
The iconic marble staircase at Ibrox has an oil painting at the top. Of all the figures it could be, it is of the great Alan Morton.

Born April 24th 1893.
Died December 12th 1971

A Ranger on and off the field. A legend immortal.

Alan Lauder Morton.
Click to expand...

It must have been very rare back then to see a 39 year old playing for any club
 
Attended Calderhead High School, Shotts.
Had the pleasure of being told his story through Jim 'Scoop' Rodger.
Long live the memory of The Wee Blue Devil.
 
This is the player I always name as the time machine taking me back to see in action. If only...
 
dh1963 said:
There is no definitive answer to the question of who is the greatest ever Rangers player. Our club has a history full of great names whose legend will last forever. But on this day in 1893, a man was born in Glasgow who must have as good a claim to the Greatest Ranger title as anyone else. The legendary Alan Morton.
These are just a few facts about the Wee Blue Devil's time as a Ranger.

Bill Struth's first signing, from Queens Park in the summer of 1920, after he turned professional on completion of his studies to become a fully qualified mining engineer. Alan Morton remained a part time footballer, refusing to give up his career outside the game.
He made his debut against Airdrie, a club who had rejected him after a trial with them prior to his Queens Park days.
He scored his first Rangers goal at Parkhead in a Glasgow Cup tie against Celtic.
Only 5 feet 4 inches tall, his speed, trickery and incredible ability with either foot made him an automatic choice for Scotland as well as a creator and scorer of goals for Rangers.
He won 31 Scotland caps, and played in 11 out of 12 games against England, only missing 1926 through injury.
His starring role in the famous 1928 5-1 thrashing of England made him one of the most famous Wembley Wizards.
Alan Morton won 10 league championships in his 13 seasons with the club.
He played in the Rangers team of 1928 who finally ended the club's 25 year hoodoo, hammering Celtic 4-0. He went on to play in 2 more winning Scottish Cup teams.
He played 470 times for Rangers, scoring 109 goals, and was never booked.
Alan Morton was considered by many football judges in the 1920s to not only be the best player in Scotland, but the best in the world.
His last appearance for the club was in January 1933 at the age of 39, and like his debut it was against Airdrie. He scored in a 5-1 victory.
.
On retiring, Alan Morton became a Director of the club, and he served on the board right up to his death in 1971.
The iconic marble staircase at Ibrox has an oil painting at the top. Of all the figures it could be, it is of the great Alan Morton.

Born April 24th 1893.
Died December 12th 1971

A Ranger on and off the field. A legend immortal.

Alan Lauder Morton.
Click to expand...
And as u go into Ibrox

A magnificent sight on the stairs
Of our wee blue devil

Happy birthday to all the bears up there
 
Derek76 said:
It must have been very rare back then to see a 39 year old playing for any club
Click to expand...
You would have thought so. However I started remembering names of players my grandfather told me about when I was a nipper. At least half a dozen players who were team mates of Alan Morton were nearer 40 than 30 when they left Rangers. Andy Cunningham, Davie Meiklejohn, Sandy Archibald, Billy McCandless and Tom “Tully” Craig were all in their late 30’s and Dougie Gray was over 40.

Today’s players must be more athletic than those named above but to think of the pitches, the boots, the ball and the physicality of the game in the 20-30’s that these guys had to contend with, I find it quite unbelievable to be honest.

Whether this is a credit to Bill Struth or the cigarettes that a number of our Scottish Cup winning teams are seen to have in their fingers when pictured with the Scottish Cup during that era, I don’t know.
 
Is the Umbrella story true? Remember that from a book iread, might have been Bob McPhails book.
A long shot but any footage of him playing.
 
chickenhawk said:
Is the Umbrella story true? Remember that from a book iread, might have been Bob McPhails book.
A long shot but any footage of him playing.
Click to expand...
Not sure exactly what you mean by umbrella story but Wiki says

Morton's dress was as precise as his play.[3] He was a familiar figure strolling down Paisley Road West towards training at Ibrox sporting a bowler hat and umbrella (as befitted a professional gentleman of the time), which caused locals to dub him "The Wee Society Man" (insurance salesman).
 
The Meik's Crombie said:
You would have thought so. However I started remembering names of players my grandfather told me about when I was a nipper. At least half a dozen players who were team mates of Alan Morton were nearer 40 than 30 when they left Rangers. Andy Cunningham, Davie Meiklejohn, Sandy Archibald, Billy McCandless and Tom “Tully” Craig were all in their late 30’s and Dougie Gray was over 40.

Today’s players must be more athletic than those named above but to think of the pitches, the boots, the ball and the physicality of the game in the 20-30’s that these guys had to contend with, I find it quite unbelievable to be honest.

Whether this is a credit to Bill Struth or the cigarettes that a number of our Scottish Cup winning teams are seen to have in their fingers when pictured with the Scottish Cup during that era, I don’t know.
Click to expand...

Without the fags, maybe they would have played on to 50!
 
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