Rangers History Eric Caldow

MO_TxTruBlu

Well-Known Member
Eric Caldow was at Rangers from 1952 until 1966, playing in 407 competitive games for the Club.
He never once received a booking. He never once scored from open play, but managed to find the net 25 times from the penalty spot.
He played for Scotland on 40 occasions, He was Captain of his Country 16 times.
And but for that horrific triple leg fracture suffered at Wembley in 1963, whilst at the peak of his career,
Caldow would have surely surpassed the record number of Scotland Caps
(54, held by George Young, from 1957 until Denis Law reached 55 in 1974)
He was the first Rangers player to represent his country at the World Cup Finals.
He also captained Rangers to their first European Final.

Rangers paid the princely sum of £20 to secure the services of Eric Caldow in 1952.
Caldow made his Rangers debut as a 19 year old, in Bill Struth's final season as Manager in 1953-54, in a League Cup Quarter final tie (first leg) v Ayr United in place of the injured George Young at right back. He also played in the return game four days later.
The Rangers side that won the tie 6-5 on aggregate included such stars as McColl, Woodburn, Cox and Waddell.
Three days later, Caldow made his Old Firm debut in a 1-1 draw at Ibrox.
It would be six months and 25 games later before Caldow would get his chance again, in a League match v Hamilton Accies.
Incidentally, Hamilton's right back that day was a local lad by the name of Bobby Shearer.
(these two would go on to form a formidable full back partnership for Rangers for the best part of the next decade).
Two days later and Rangers were involved in a Scottish Cup (second replay) v Third Lanark
at Ibrox, and Caldow was in the Line up again, this time it was at the expense of the injured Willie Woodburn.
George Young took over at centre half with the young Caldow slotting in at right back.
Half an hour into the game with Third Lanark leading 1-0, Rangers were awarded a penalty.
George Young, Rangers penalty king at the time, had missed one in the 4-4 draw a week previously, and to everyone's surprise the young 19 year old Caldow stepped up to slot the spot kick home.
Rangers would go on to win the match 3-2.
The following Saturday Rangers beat Berwick Rangers 4-0 in the next round of the cup in front of 60,000 plus at Ibrox, with Caldow again netting from the penalty spot.
Four days later, and Caldow would score his third penalty in as many games, in a 2-2 draw with Raith Rovers in a League match at Ibrox.
Caldow would score one more penalty before the season ended in disappointment, trophyless and a 4th place finish in the League.

Scot Symon took over the reigns as Manager in the summer of 54', and after only one League game of the season had to contend with the Sine Die ban handed to the Legendary Willie Woodburn.
This forced Symon to eventually switch his new Captain George Young to Centre half.
His full backs for the most part were Little and Cox.
It would be the end of February before Caldow got a chance again, and he played in all 10 of Rangers remaining League games that season.
Caldow was now pretty much established as Rangers right back, though the signing of Shearer the following season forced him to operate on the left.
There would be no more penalties for the youngster for the foreseeable future.
This task was now handed to the very able Johhny Hubbard,
who would score an incredible 42 penalties over the next four seasons.
Caldow won his first International cap at the age of 22 at Wembley in 1957.
Very much the baby of the National side, he was four years younger than anyone else in the team, and would go on to play in 40 of the next 42 Internationals that Scotland were involved in.
This included three appearances at the World Cup Finals in 1958.
Rangers saw out the1950's winning 3 league titles in 4 seasons, though they failed to bring home a Cup.
58-59 saw a poor start to the season as Rangers failed to make it out of the Qualifying section of the League Cup.
In the League, 1 win in their first 5 games saw Rangers slump to 12th place in the Table.
Ian McMillan was finally signed from Airdrie at the start of October, and Rangers then went on a run of 27 League games with only 1 defeat.
They signaled their intent on Dec 13th, when Champions and League leaders Hearts came to Ibrox.
Rangers exploded on them and annihilated Hearts by five goals to nil in front of 60,000 at Ibrox.
(all 5 goals coming in the opening 34 mins)
With Hubbard fading out of the picture, Caldow was reinstated as Rangers penalty taker on New Years day, and scored the winner from the spot in a 2-1win over Celtic at Ibrox.
Caldow would score 24 penalties for Rangers and Scotland over the next four seasons.
With only two League games remaining, Rangers were in the comfortable position of being 4 points ahead of Hearts, needing only one point to reclaim the Title.
The first of these two games was at Tyncastle and as ridiculous as it may seem today, Rangers were forced to play this title decider without Caldow,
as he was busy playing for Scotland at Wembley.
Rangers were forced to play an untried 18 year old Davie Provan at full back that day, and suffered a 0-2 defeat.
This put both teams on identical goal average (and identical goal differential 91-49)
Still 1 game to go. 1 point needed.
It was against Aberdeen, who themselves needed 1 point to avoid relegation.
A draw would have been a happy conclusion for both teams,
but it was not to be,
Aberdeen would win 2-1 and the Rangers players were booed off the park with their heads bowed in shame, assuming that the title had been thrown away,
totally unaware that Hearts (who had collected 19 out of 20 points in their last 10 games),
had buckled to our neighbours across the city.
Celtic had defeated Hearts 2-1, thereby handing the Championship to Rangers.
 
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At the end of Sept 1959, Rangers and Manchester United agreed a fee to take Caldow south to join Matt Busby as he sought to rebuild his United team, following the Munich air disaster, the previous year.
One week later, Caldow himself called off the transfer, preferring to stay at Ibrox and battle for his place.
Although he was the only recognised international at Ibrox at that time, his place in the Rangers side was not guaranteed.
Having gone with Shearer and Caldow as their full backs the previous three seasons,
59-60 saw John Little reclaim his position at left back, which left Shearer and Caldow vying for the right back spot.
Caldow regained his permanent spot in Jan 60' and Rangers would go on to lift the Scottish Cup, and also went all the way to the Semi Finals of the European Cup.
12 times that season Rangers would command a crowd upwards of 60,000, for 9 games at Ibrox and 3 at Hampden.

With Caldow installed as captain at the start of the 60-61 season Rangers went onto win the League Cup and the League Championship.
Rangers also reached their first European Final, the Cup Winners Cup Final in it's inaugural year.
With the signing of the great Jim Baxter at the start of the season,
Rangers had a formidable team, that was highlighted with a left side that included Caldow, Baxter, Brand and Wilson.
Ralph Brand scored 40 goals in all competitions that season, with left winger Davy Wilson weighing in with 22 goals himself.
Between them, Alex Scott, Ian McMillan and Jimmy Millar added a further 60 goals to Rangers credit that season.
Unfortunately, in the European Cup Winners Cup Final first leg at Ibrox, mistakes by Davis and Shearer allowed Fiorentina to score in the 11th and 90th minute.
Caldow also missed a penalty in the first half with the score at 0-1, that might well have made a difference.
Caldow played in 54 of the 55 games that season.

61-62 saw Rangers collect the League Cup in October, beating Hearts 3-1 in the Final.
By the middle of March, Rangers were very much on for the coveted Treble.
They were in the Semis of the Scottish Cup, and following a 0-0 draw at Dens Park, they sat 3 points clear at the top of the League, with only 7 games to play.
April of that season was a pretty significant one for Caldow.
On the 14th, Caldow, Baxter, Scott and Wilson were selected for the annual Scotland v England game.
Wilson scored after 13 mins and Caldow made certain with a penalty 2 mins from time as Scotland recorded their first win over England in 11 long years.
A week later Caldow was back at Hampden as Rangers wrapped up the Scottish Cup with a relatively easy 2-0 win over St Mirren.(who despite retaining their status in the top Division only by virtue of goal average, had destroyed Celtic 3-1 in the Semi Final at Ibrox).
More than 260,000 fans had witnessed these two games at Hampden.
Having dropped 3 points in the last 5 League games, whilst Dundee had collected all 10,
Rangers were sat on top of the League with a far superior goal average with 2League games to play.
If Rangers were to win these 2 games they would complete the treble.
Unbelievably, Rangers lost at Aberdeen and were held at home by Kilmarnock, as Dundee won both their games, and took the title by 3 points.

Knowing they had thrown it away, Rangers were determined to regain the Championship,
and won 8 and drew 1 of their first 9 League games in the 62-63 campaign.
They lost out in the League Cup to Kilmarnock in the Semi Final.
Following that loss in the League Cup in October, Rangers would lose only one more time that season domestically (to Kilmarnock again),
as they took both the League Championship and Scottish Cup with some style.
Unfortunately, tragedy struck for Eric Caldow on April 6th 1963, when a horrendous tackle from Bobby Smith of England broke Caldow's leg in three places, only 6 mins into the annual England v Scotland match at Wembley.
Scotland with only ten men would go on to record a fantastic 2-1 victory, that was best remembered for Davy Wilson going to left back, and Jim Baxter running the show, twice putting the ball beyond Banks of England.

Though Caldow would eventually recover, he would play only 4 times in the wonderful 63-64 Treble season,
He was recalled to the team in Oct of the 64-65 season, collecting the League Cup by beating Celtic 2-1 in the Final in only his second game of the season.
He would play in 34 of Rangers next 36 games, as they marched towards the Quarter Finals of the European Cup, before losing out 2-3 on aggregate to World Club Champions and holders Inter Milan, who would go on to retain the European Cup .
Eric would make only 3 scattered appearances in the 65-66 campaign.
Three days after Rangers won the Scottish Cup replay with that Kai Johansen special,
Eric Caldow was given a free transfer from Rangers on April 30th 1966.

Eric Caldow had the most distinguished of careers,
as a Player he was equally at ease at either Full Back position,
read the game brilliantly, had blistering pace, that rarely required him to make a tackle,
as his incredible record of never been booked will testify.
(apparantly, he was never even spoken to by a referee).
The legendary Real Madrid winger, Gento branded him the fastest defender he had ever faced.
Celtic's greatest ever winger Jimmy Johnstone was once asked
'Did you ever go past Eric Caldow'
Johnstone replied ' Yes,...but I was in my Jaguar at the time'.

Eric Caldow's personal haul of medals was
5 League Championships
2 Scottish Cups
3 League Cups
 
Was my hero when I was a boy I met him in the main stand at Ibrox Rangers V Falkirk in 2006 as he was coming back after half time it was great to just shake hands and meet the man.
 
"Celtic had defeated Hearts 2-1, thereby handing the Championship to Rangers."
Get it roon ye, ya bunch of inbred mentally challenged bastarts.
Sometimes it is imposible to show a little gratitude.
 
Seen him loading shopping into his car in the car park in Mauchline about 4-5 years ago. I was running in my Rangers shirt and bottled stopping to say hi to him. I regret that now.
 
Cheers Mo - fantastic read as always
Met the great man a few times at dinners
Got a great picture of Mrs Hec sitting on his knee - his smile lit up the room
 
An excellent,informative piece,OP.
Too young to see this team;
however Eric Caldow is one of my most treasured autographs.
 
One of our fastest full backs ever. A winger might beat him occasionally but naebody ran away from him. Also a gentleman both on and off the pitch.
 
Thanks Mo. As always, a well researched piece on one of our greatest players. Possibly the first modern full-back at Rangers. Epitomised the over-lapping technique. That left side in the 60’s had Davy Wilson in front of him and Slim Jim in midfield. Counter that with an almost strong right-hand side of Wee Willie on the wing and Ian Macmillan as wing half supporting a front two of Jimmy Millar and Ralphie Brand behind him to his left. Now, that was a team I watched and loved.
 
Eric Caldow was at Rangers from 1952 until 1966, playing in 407 competitive games for the Club.
He never once received a booking. He never once scored from open play, but managed to find the net 25 times from the penalty spot.
He played for Scotland on 40 occasions, He was Captain of his Country 16 times.
And but for that horrific triple leg fracture suffered at Wembley in 1963, whilst at the peak of his career,
Caldow would have surely surpassed the record number of Scotland Caps
(54, held by George Young, from 1957 until Denis Law reached 55 in 1974)
He was the first Rangers player to represent his country at the World Cup Finals.
He also captained Rangers to their first European Final.

Rangers paid the princely sum of £20 to secure the services of Eric Caldow in 1952.
Caldow made his Rangers debut as a 19 year old, in Bill Struth's final season as Manager in 1953-54, in a League Cup Quarter final tie (first leg) v Ayr United in place of the injured George Young at right back. He also played in the return game four days later.
The Rangers side that won the tie 6-5 on aggregate included such stars as McColl, Woodburn, Cox and Waddell.
It would be six months and 25 games later before Caldow would get his chance again, in a League match v Hamilton Accies.
Incidentally, Hamilton's right back that day was a local lad by the name of Bobby Shearer.
(these two would go on to form a formidable full back partnership for Rangers for the best part of the next decade).
Two days later and Rangers were involved in a Scottish Cup (second replay) v Third Lanark
at Ibrox, and Caldow was in the Line up again, this time it was at the expense of the injured Willie Woodburn.
George Young took over at centre half with the young Caldow slotting in at right back.
Half an hour into the game with Third Lanark leading 1-0, Rangers were awarded a penalty.
George Young, Rangers penalty king at the time, had missed one in the 4-4 draw a week previously, and to everyone's surprise the young 19 year old Caldow stepped up to slot the spot kick home.
Rangers would go on to win the match 3-2.
The following Saturday Rangers beat Berwick Rangers 4-0 in the next round of the cup in front of 60,000 plus at Ibrox, with Caldow again netting from the penalty spot.
Four days later, and Caldow would score his third penalty in as many games, in a 2-2 draw with Raith Rovers in a League match at Ibrox.
Caldow would score one more penalty before the season ended in disappointment, trophyless and a 4th place finish in the League.

Scot Symon took over the reigns as Manager in the summer of 54', and after only one League game of the season had to contend with the Sine Die ban handed to the Legendary Willie Woodburn.
This forced Symon to eventually switch his new Captain George Young to Centre half.
His full backs for the most part were Little and Cox.
It would be the end of February before Caldow got a chance again, and he played in all 10 of Rangers remaining League games that season.
Caldow was now pretty much established as Rangers right back, though the signing of Shearer the following season forced him to operate on the left.
There would be no more penalties for the youngster for the foreseeable future.
This task was now handed to the very able Johhny Hubbard,
who would score an incredible 42 penalties over the next four seasons.
Caldow won his first International cap at the age of 22 at Wembley in 1957.
Very much the baby of the National side, he was four years younger than anyone else in the team, and would go on to play in 40 of the next 42 Internationals that Scotland were involved in.
This included three appearances at the World Cup Finals in 1958.
Rangers saw out the1950's winning 3 league titles in 4 seasons, though they failed to bring home a Cup.
58-59 saw a poor start to the season as Rangers failed to make it out of the Qualifying section of the League Cup.
In the League, 1 win in their first 5 games saw Rangers slump to 12th place in the Table.
Ian McMillan was finally signed from Airdrie at the start of October, and Rangers then went on a run of 27 League games with only 1 defeat.
They signaled their intent on Dec 13th, when Champions and League leaders Hearts came to Ibrox.
Rangers exploded on them and annihilated Hearts by five goals to nil in front of 60,000 at Ibrox.
(all 5 goals coming in the opening 34 mins)
With Hubbard fading out of the picture, Caldow was reinstated as Rangers penalty taker on New Years day, and scored the winner from the spot in a 2-1win over Celtic at Ibrox.
Caldow would score 24 penalties for Rangers and Scotland over the next four seasons.
With only two League games remaining, Rangers were in the comfortable position of being 4 points ahead of Hearts, needing only one point to reclaim the Title.
The first of these two games was at Tyncastle and as ridiculous as it may seem today, Rangers were forced to play this title decider without Caldow,
as he was busy playing for Scotland at Wembley.
Rangers were forced to play an untried 18 year old Davie Provan at full back that day, and suffered a 0-2 defeat.
This put both teams on identical goal average (and identical goal differential 91-49)
Still 1 game to go. 1 point needed.
It was against Aberdeen, who themselves needed 1 point to avoid relegation.
A draw would have been a happy conclusion for both teams,
but it was not to be,
Aberdeen would win 2-1 and the Rangers players were booed off the park with their heads bowed in shame, assuming that the title had been thrown away,
totally unaware that Hearts (who had collected 19 out of 20 points in their last 10 games),
had buckled to our neighbours across the city.
Celtic had defeated Hearts 2-1, thereby handing the Championship to Rangers.
Great read. Thanks for the Memories.
 
Great post,always heard great things about Eric Caldow,would loved to have seen him play in the blue jersey.
 
In my mind it was green so that'd be the Citizen but I'm talking mid-sixties so it's a bit hazy now:rolleyes:
Also think it may have been in a Scotland top.
I actually posted a wee smiling emoji
but it didn’t appear. Saturday night is
not the same now without the Pink Times, the Green Citizen and the Evening News is it ?
 
I saw him playing many times for both the Rangers and for Scotland. He was class both as a fullback and as a gentleman. I also saw him many times in the Club Deck.
 
Thank you so much for that.

I would have loved to have seen that early sixties Rangers side

I feel privileged after reading your comment. I was a young teenager then and never missed a chance to visit Ibrox, even going to the sporting athletics (Glasgow police sports etc.) that were held there on a regular basis. I just felt so good to be inside Ibrox.

W.A.T.P.
 
Great piece about a great man, I watched him often,but never really appreciated just how good he was. The problem was that that team was probably our best ever side and he just "seemed part of it". Maybe the first genuinely overlapping full back. I met him in later years and he was a real gentleman, modest and self effacing. A true Rangers great.
 
Thanks to the OP for introducing this memory of a fine player and person. Glad that I am old enough to recall Eric Caldow break into the Rangers first team and go on to watch him play for Scotland. In the same way, as Eric Caldow, who was signed from Muirkirk Juniors, several of Eric’s teammates, were signed from junior clubs and developed into really good Rangers players. Know that times have changed but to see young blokes like Eric Caldow progress in the way that he did was great to see.
 
Great post , my Dad said he was one of the best Rangers players he had ever seen and was at Wembley when he had his leg broke, said he was never the same afterwards
was my dads favorite ,brings back memories ,i got to go to the fiorentina as an 11 year old ,dad had to work, my grandad took me, sat in the stand as grandad had a bad leg .eric missed a penalty ,the italian goalie left his line early ,Ibrox in an uproar .why did we have to wear that god awful striped strip .?
 
I absolutely hero worshipped the guy as an 8, 9, 10 year old - at a time when myself & my pals were mostly interested in attackers not defenders
But EC was such a superb player - I've judged full backs ever since - using EC as a perfect prototype- (if you know what I mean ? )
 
Magnificent article.

Sir Alex still says Eric Caldow was the best Scottish full back he has ever seen.
 
As always a fantastic read OP. Many thanks.

I am a little too young to have seen Eric Caldow play but he sounded like he was the real deal.
 
Thanks for the posting Mo. Like a lot of guys of my vintage Eric Caldow was a boyhood hero, even though we had players like Dave Wilson, Jim Baxter and Willie Henderson appearing at that time. Somehow Caldow just shone through. He was just so unlucky with the leg break at Wembley. Although big Provan, his replacement, was a real Ger and gent he was not at the same level as Eric. Eric did not look out of place in the company of Scotland and World greats like Dennis Law. What a player and Ranger.
 
Eric Caldow was in the legendary "Ritchie Shearer Caldow" team that I first supported as a Bear Pup.
One of the proudest moments of my young life was scoring a goal against him in a "beat the goalie" competition in the Barrhead Masonic Open Day that he attended.
The fact that it wasn't Billy Ritchie is irrelevant...I scored a goal against Eric Caldow!
:)) :)) :))
 
Our greatest ever left back. My old man told me he was never booked because he never made a tackle. He was so good, he never had to!!! A true legend.

Our players should be made to read threads like this to understand how legends are revered 50 years after they retire at this club. They could become the next legends this season.
 
I've been told by 2 people who saw him play, still go regularly to Ibrox and whose opinions I value, that he's the best left we've had in the past 60 years.

One of the first ever overlapping full backs and was probably the best left back in Europe before his horrific leg break.
 
Thanks Mo. As always, a well researched piece on one of our greatest players. Possibly the first modern full-back at Rangers. Epitomised the over-lapping technique. That left side in the 60’s had Davy Wilson in front of him and Slim Jim in midfield. Counter that with an almost strong right-hand side of Wee Willie on the wing and Ian Macmillan as wing half supporting a front two of Jimmy Millar and Ralphie Brand behind him to his left. Now, that was a team I watched and loved.
It was a great trip down memory lane but a slight quibble with Stanley, was it not Alex Scott on the right wing with Henderson replacing him towards the end of the era?
 
I was eight at the time Eric had his leg broken,and any footage i've seen of that game obviously centred on Baxter's two goals,but very little of the Smith tackle on Eric.
Was it a deliberate leg breaker,or badly mistimed tackle?
 
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Thanks for that, wonderful read of a genuine Ibrox legend. As a youngster I grew up on stories from my dad of just how great a player Eric Caldow was (and many others beside).

Far too many players of recent times are termed legends despite their stint at Ibrox being relatively short, not the case with Caldow.
 
I think I’m right in saying he also started the local boys club in Strathaven, when he lived there.

Could be wrong, but I’m sure I read that on here.

Like numerous others have said already, he was my Dad’s hero. Also used to quote the Ritchie Shearer Caldow team at me as a kid.

Wonderful player. Thanks for posting Mo. :)
 
Good post mate. Eric was a total gent. I was fortunate enough to meer him several times and even had dinner with him in club deck hospitality once and he proudly recalled his career without being boastful and mentioned his remarkable disciplinary record too.
 
I've been told by 2 people who saw him play, still go regularly to Ibrox and whose opinions I value, that he's the best left we've had in the past 60 years.

One of the first ever overlapping full backs and was probably the best left back in Europe before his horrific leg break.
The German,Schnellinger,might have had that accolade but Caldow must've been up there.
 
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