Born on this day, the 2 greatest goalscorers in Rangers history.

dh1963

dh1963

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The 2 greatest goalscorers in the 150 year history of our great club share the same birthday.

Jimmy Smith, born September 24th 1911.
381 goals for Rangers*, his debut in March 1929 and his last appearance in May 1946.

Ally McCoist, born September 24th 1962.
362 goals for Rangers*, his debut in August 1983 and his last appearance in May 1998.

2 absolute legends, with the medals and the Hall of Fame membership to go along with their goals.
I doubt we will see anyone score more for Rangers in another 150 years.

*goals in both the Glasgow and Charity Cups included,as well as those in the various wartime competitions for Smith. A competitive Rangers goal is a competitive Rangers goal.
 
I take umbridge with they goals being counted, as they aren’t reflected in most official records because they don’t count as competitive but I am a complete pedant. :))

Quite a coincidence that they were both born on 24/09, regardless!. I agree, nobody will equal their records due to the lack of longevity at club level these days - unless it’s a super club.
 
Talking about another Rangers goal scorer, third top scorer in Rangers History, I think, Ralph Brand.

He was a taxi driver in Edinburgh and living in Currie, a few years ago I was told he was in a home.

Has anyone heard how he is ?
 
erskine bear said:
I take umbridge with they goals being counted, as they aren’t reflected in most official records because they don’t count as competitive but I am a complete pedant.

Quite a coincidence that they were both born on 24/09, regardless!.
Click to expand...
I've been to a few Old Firm Glasgow Cup finals, they were most certainly as competitive as any other back in the day.
All these tournaments played a massive part in football at the time, and in the glory of our club.

Don't take umbrage, celebrate it.
 
dh1963 said:
I've been to a few Old Firm Glasgow Cup finals, they were most certainly as competitive as any other back in the day.
All these tournaments played a massive part in football at the time, and in the glory of our club.

Don't take umbrage, celebrate it.
Click to expand...
Of course, I wasn’t being derogatory by any means but I don’t like counting them as competitive goals when numerous historians, like McElroy don’t.

Regardless, remarkable achievements.
 
dh1963 said:
The 2 greatest goalscorers in the 150 year history of our great club share the same birthday.

Jimmy Smith, born September 24th 1911.
381 goals for Rangers*, his debut in March 1929 and his last appearance in May 1946.

Ally McCoist, born September 24th 1962.
362 goals for Rangers*, his debut in August 1983 and his last appearance in May 1998.

2 absolute legends, with the medals and the Hall of Fame membership to go along with their goals.
I doubt we will see anyone score more for Rangers in another 150 years.

*goals in both the Glasgow and Charity Cups included,as well as those in the various wartime competitions for Smith. A competitive Rangers goal is a competitive Rangers goal.
Click to expand...


I can't believe I never knew these 2 massive Rangers legends were born on the same day of the same month.

Schooling me as usual, @dh1963.
 
erskine bear said:
Of course, I wasn’t being derogatory by any means but I don’t like counting them as competitive goals when numerous historians, like McElroy don’t.

Regardless, remarkable achievements.
Click to expand...
I'm just one unimportant Rangers fanatic, but I'd argue all day that Mr McElroy is wrong.

I expect they don't get put in official records as they weren't national competitions open to all clubs.
But they were massive in their day, and hugely important to the fans and the club.

As 2 examples.

In season 1938/39 Jimmy Smith scored in front of over 40,000 in the Glasgow Cup final v Third Lanark. The equivalent home league game against them that season attracted 12,000. Old Firm matches in the tournament regularly saw crowds well over 50,000 and it was full strength teams who played.

In season 1985/86, we played Celtic in a Glasgow Cup final, our first game under Graeme Souness. Ibrox nearly sold out, McCoist scored a hat trick against a full strength Celtic team who had just won the league. Our home league game the previous Saturday attracted half as many.
 
dh1963 said:
I'm just one unimportant Rangers fanatic, but I'd argue all day that Mr McElroy is wrong.

I expect they don't get put in official records as they weren't national competitions open to all clubs.
But they were massive in their day, and hugely important to the fans and the club.

As 2 examples.

In season 1938/39 Jimmy Smith scored in front of over 40,000 in the Glasgow Cup final v Third Lanark. The equivalent home league game against them that season attracted 12,000. Old Firm matches in the tournament regularly saw crowds well over 50,000 and it was full strength teams who played.

In season 1985/86, we played Celtic in a Glasgow Cup final, our first game under Graeme Souness. Ibrox nearly sold out, McCoist scored a hat trick against a full strength Celtic team who had just won the league. Our home league game the previous Saturday attracted half as many.
Click to expand...


Was that the famous Friday night game?
 
dh1963 said:
I'm just one unimportant Rangers fanatic, but I'd argue all day that Mr McElroy is wrong.

I expect they don't get put in official records as they weren't national competitions open to all clubs.
But they were massive in their day, and hugely important to the fans and the club.

As 2 examples.

In season 1938/39 Jimmy Smith scored in front of over 40,000 in the Glasgow Cup final v Third Lanark. The equivalent home league game against them that season attracted 12,000. Old Firm matches in the tournament regularly saw crowds well over 50,000 and it was full strength teams who played.

In season 1985/86, we played Celtic in a Glasgow Cup final, our first game under Graeme Souness. Ibrox nearly sold out, McCoist scored a hat trick against a full strength Celtic team who had just won the league. Our home league game the previous Saturday attracted half as many.
Click to expand...
I respect that DH, must have been some bright days in what was a relatively dark period (pre Souness).

As a side point, I always thought the 1984 final where Ally scored a hat trick was the Glasgow cup, but to my embarrassment- just realised that was the league cup!.
 
erskine bear said:
I respect that DH, must have been some bright days in what was a relatively dark period (pre Souness).

As a side point, I always thought the 1984 final where Ally scored a hat trick was the Glasgow cup, but to my embarrassment- just realised that was the league cup!.
Click to expand...


I'm sure big Jock's famous "We've got the battle fever on" interview, outside Hampden, is from that game.

I love seeing any old footage of him.
Imagine playing for a manager like that?

You'd run through brick walls for him.
 
dh1963 said:
I'm just one unimportant Rangers fanatic, but I'd argue all day that Mr McElroy is wrong.

I expect they don't get put in official records as they weren't national competitions open to all clubs.
But they were massive in their day, and hugely important to the fans and the club.

As 2 examples.

In season 1938/39 Jimmy Smith scored in front of over 40,000 in the Glasgow Cup final v Third Lanark. The equivalent home league game against them that season attracted 12,000. Old Firm matches in the tournament regularly saw crowds well over 50,000 and it was full strength teams who played.

In season 1985/86, we played Celtic in a Glasgow Cup final, our first game under Graeme Souness. Ibrox nearly sold out, McCoist scored a hat trick against a full strength Celtic team who had just won the league. Our home league game the previous Saturday attracted half as many.
Click to expand...
Got my teeth into this now :))

This YouTube video is brief footage of the 1921 Glasgow Cup final between us and them. Look at the size of the crowd.

We won 1-0 with a Davie Meiklejohn goal. Attendance 77,000.
The 2 league games had crowds of 50,000 and 60,000 that season, and both grounds could have held more.

It's wrong not to call these games competitive.

As an aside, I so wish there was more film of the 1920s Rangers team.

 
dh1963 said:
The 2 greatest goalscorers in the 150 year history of our great club share the same birthday.

Jimmy Smith, born September 24th 1911.
381 goals for Rangers*, his debut in March 1929 and his last appearance in May 1946.

Ally McCoist, born September 24th 1962.
362 goals for Rangers*, his debut in August 1983 and his last appearance in May 1998.

2 absolute legends, with the medals and the Hall of Fame membership to go along with their goals.
I doubt we will see anyone score more for Rangers in another 150 years.

*goals in both the Glasgow and Charity Cups included,as well as those in the various wartime competitions for Smith. A competitive Rangers goal is a competitive Rangers goal.
Click to expand...
That’s quite the coincidence with the birth dates of two utter giants in the history of Rangers.
 
Davie Dodds, Paulo Rossi and myself were born on 23rd September.
What a strikforce that would have been. :))


.....the things you remember from a panini sticker book!
 
Smith is another of the players from that era I'd loved to have seen playing. He'd have run through Hell to score for Rangers and I'm thinking he would be comparable to Mark Hateley in that he put the fear of God into goalkeepers around the country. Rangers Legend, thanks @dh1963
 
dh1963 said:
Got my teeth into this now :))

This YouTube video is brief footage of the 1921 Glasgow Cup final between us and them. Look at the size of the crowd.

We won 1-0 with a Davie Meiklejohn goal. Attendance 77,000.
The 2 league games had crowds of 50,000 and 60,000 that season, and both grounds could have held more.

It's wrong not to call these games competitive.

As an aside, I so wish there was more film of the 1920s Rangers team.

Click to expand...
Marvellous footage mate.
 
erskine bear said:
I respect that DH, must have been some bright days in what was a relatively dark period (pre Souness).

As a side point, I always thought the 1984 final where Ally scored a hat trick was the Glasgow cup, but to my embarrassment- just realised that was the league cup!.
Click to expand...
Great record on the league cup in the 80s, not so good in Scottish Cup
 
dh1963 said:
The 2 greatest goalscorers in the 150 year history of our great club share the same birthday.

Jimmy Smith, born September 24th 1911.
381 goals for Rangers*, his debut in March 1929 and his last appearance in May 1946.

Ally McCoist, born September 24th 1962.
362 goals for Rangers*, his debut in August 1983 and his last appearance in May 1998.

2 absolute legends, with the medals and the Hall of Fame membership to go along with their goals.
I doubt we will see anyone score more for Rangers in another 150 years.

*goals in both the Glasgow and Charity Cups included,as well as those in the various wartime competitions for Smith. A competitive Rangers goal is a competitive Rangers goal.
Click to expand...
Quite a coincidence those two legends sharing a birthdate.
 
erskine bear said:
I take umbridge with they goals being counted, as they aren’t reflected in most official records because they don’t count as competitive but I am a complete pedant. :))
Click to expand...

Not wishing to be as pedantic as your good self, but I'm guessing you mean umbrage? ;)

The 1912 English FA CUP Final, thee most prestigious football tournament, attracted 54,434 fans.
The 1912 Glasgow Cup Final attracted 90,000

A record crowd for a club match in Scotland.
90,000 attended this Glasgow Cup Final.
To give you an idea of the significance the Glasgow Cup held back then, the record attendance for a Scottish Cup Final was 70,000, set some three years earlier for the 1909 Final, between Rangers and Celtic (the year the Cup was withheld), which was the 36th season of Scotland's supposedly most prestigious football knockout competition.
81,000 had attended the 1907 Glasgow Cup Final which ended in a 2-2 draw.
Rangers biggest home crowd for that 1912-13 season was 67,000 for the ne'erday fixture v Celtic.
This was the tenth meeting between the clubs in the Glasgow Cup Final.

Rangers History - 1912 Glasgow Cup Final. Att. 90,000

Glasgow Cup Final October 12th 1912 Hampden Park. Attendance 90,000 Glasgow Rangers 3-1 Celtic Hogg, Smith, Bennett...............................half time 0-1 Glasgow Rangers (2-3-5): John Hempsey, Robert Campbell, John Nicol Robertson, Robert Brown, Jimmy Logan, Jimmy Gordon, Billy Hogg...
www.followfollow.com www.followfollow.com
 
Last edited:
dh1963 said:
Got my teeth into this now :))

This YouTube video is brief footage of the 1921 Glasgow Cup final between us and them. Look at the size of the crowd.

We won 1-0 with a Davie Meiklejohn goal. Attendance 77,000.
The 2 league games had crowds of 50,000 and 60,000 that season, and both grounds could have held more.

It's wrong not to call these games competitive.

As an aside, I so wish there was more film of the 1920s Rangers team.

Click to expand...
There is no doubt the Charity and Glasgow Cup games were competitive and these games only paled into insignificance with the advent of European competitions. Great fact about Jimmy Smith and Ally McCoist sharing the same birth date.
 
dh1963 said:
The 2 greatest goalscorers in the 150 year history of our great club share the same birthday.

Jimmy Smith, born September 24th 1911.
381 goals for Rangers*, his debut in March 1929 and his last appearance in May 1946.

Ally McCoist, born September 24th 1962.
362 goals for Rangers*, his debut in August 1983 and his last appearance in May 1998.

2 absolute legends, with the medals and the Hall of Fame membership to go along with their goals.
I doubt we will see anyone score more for Rangers in another 150 years.

*goals in both the Glasgow and Charity Cups included,as well as those in the various wartime competitions for Smith. A competitive Rangers goal is a competitive Rangers goal.
Click to expand...
No Jim Forrest ? :oops:
 
dh1963 said:
I'm just one unimportant Rangers fanatic, but I'd argue all day that Mr McElroy is wrong.

I expect they don't get put in official records as they weren't national competitions open to all clubs.
But they were massive in their day, and hugely important to the fans and the club.

As 2 examples.

In season 1938/39 Jimmy Smith scored in front of over 40,000 in the Glasgow Cup final v Third Lanark. The equivalent home league game against them that season attracted 12,000. Old Firm matches in the tournament regularly saw crowds well over 50,000 and it was full strength teams who played.

In season 1985/86, we played Celtic in a Glasgow Cup final, our first game under Graeme Souness. Ibrox nearly sold out, McCoist scored a hat trick against a full strength Celtic team who had just won the league. Our home league game the previous Saturday attracted half as many.
Click to expand...
To be fair, that was a bit of a one off for the simple reason that Souness was in the dugout for the first time. Had it not been for that I doubt the attendance would have been anywhere near what it was, or indeed that both sides would have fielded full strength sides.

All the same, it remains one of my favourite ever Old Firm matches with a superb atmosphere. Think it was on a Friday night too, was it not?

Sadly no footage exists that I’m aware of.
 
Let's count the Tennents 6's then.

McCoist is recognised by Rangers as our all time leading goalscorer on 355.

You can't go changing the rules to suit yourself!
 
dh1963 said:
In season 1985/86, we played Celtic in a Glasgow Cup final, our first game under Graeme Souness. Ibrox nearly sold out, McCoist scored a hat trick against a full strength Celtic team who had just won the league. Our home league game the previous Saturday attracted half as many.
Click to expand...
Is there any video footage of that game, it was a brilliant night at Ibrox?
 
erskine bear said:
Of course, I wasn’t being derogatory by any means but I don’t like counting them as competitive goals when numerous historians, like McElroy don’t.

Regardless, remarkable achievements.
Click to expand...
I think you are mistaken. The all-time OF goalscorer is RC Hamilton of Rangers with 36 goals. Of course that record has to include Glasgow and Charity Cup goals. Probably Glasgow league gamess too.

Of course the Glasgow Cup seems meaningless today but back in the day it was that important a GC cup tie took precedence over a league match. Hard to comprehend a century and more on, I realise.

The popularity of the Glasgow Cup? In October 1912, we played before 45k at sharkville in a league match. In the same month the Glasgow Cup final between the two teams drew an attendance of 90,000. There was 67,000 at Ibrox for the ne'erday clash.

Keep, keeping these records alive, DH.
 
wee bud's pit boots said:
I think you are mistaken. The all-time OF goalscorer is RC Hamilton of Rangers with 36 goals. Of course that record has to include Glasgow and Charity Cup goals. Probably Glasgow league gamess too.

Of course the Glasgow Cup seems meaningless today but back in the day it was that important a GC cup tie took precedence over a league match. Hard to comprehend a century and more on, I realise.

The popularity of the Glasgow Cup? In October 1912, we played before 45k at sharkville in a league match. In the same month the Glasgow Cup final between the two teams drew an attendance of 90,000. There was 67,000 at Ibrox for the ne'erday clash.

Keep, keeping these records alive, DH.
Click to expand...
Of course, I’m well aware.

I’ve read books on Rangers history since I can remember, but regardless they don’t count in official records though, so seems rather pointless discussing them.
 
erskine bear said:
Of course, I’m well aware.

I’ve read books on Rangers history since I can remember, but regardless they don’t count in official records though, so seems rather pointless discussing them.
Click to expand...
What doesn't count in official records?

I genuinely believe you are getting your thoughts mixed up with Rangers not counting our WW2 efforts as official.

We're not arguing here, just debating.

McCoist's hat trick in the 86 GC final counts in his offical scoring record, as it was an official first team game. It's inconceivable that they don't count for all the scorers who went before him.
 
HandsomeHead said:
To be fair, that was a bit of a one off for the simple reason that Souness was in the dugout for the first time. Had it not been for that I doubt the attendance would have been anywhere near what it was, or indeed that both sides would have fielded full strength sides.

All the same, it remains one of my favourite ever Old Firm matches with a superb atmosphere. Think it was on a Friday night too, was it not?

Sadly no footage exists that I’m aware of.
Click to expand...
1975 Glasgow Cup Final attendance 70,000
1976 Glasgow Cup Final attendance 60,000
1983 Glasgow Cup Final attendance 33,000
1986 Glasgow Cup Final attendance 41,000

All of them compared with other big Cup ties we played at the time.

Never seen footage from that game, sadly. It wasn't just a terrific night, it was a really good game. Did Ally score the perfect hat trick? My fading memory has a header and one from each foot.
 
Polar bear said:
No Jim Forrest ? :oops:
Click to expand...
Only the 200 goals behind McCoist :)

But a much shorter Rangers career. Forrest is second only to Jimmy Smith for goals per game ratio of every player in Rangers history who started at least 100 games.
 
dh1963 said:
1975 Glasgow Cup Final attendance 70,000
1976 Glasgow Cup Final attendance 60,000
1983 Glasgow Cup Final attendance 33,000
1986 Glasgow Cup Final attendance 41,000

All of them compared with other big Cup ties we played at the time.

Never seen footage from that game, sadly. It wasn't just a terrific night, it was a really good game. Did Ally score the perfect hat trick? My fading memory has a header and one from each foot.
Click to expand...
I’m sure one was a penalty, but he was clearly making a statement to Souness to drop him at his peril because he was still the main man - the top scorer in Scottish football that season, IIRC, with 27 goals in all competitions (not including his GCF hat-trick) in what was one of the worst Rangers campaigns in living memory.
 
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