Robert Cumming Hamilton was born in Elgin on May 13th 1877, and was one of the first Highlanders to play a prominent role in a Rangers jersey. Although already a free scoring team in season 1896/97 it was felt the team lacked an out-and-out centre forward. That heralded the arrival from Queens Park of the highly rated RC Hamilton. Over the coming seasons Hamilton showed supreme goalscoring ability, setting records which still take the breath away.
He scored twice in his competitive debut, a 4-2 win at St Bernards and proceeded to score 26 goals in 22 games in his first season in Royal Blue. Although not enough to take the title off Celtic, the team improved as the season progressed, and ended with a Scottish Cup Final 2-0 victory over Kilmarnock. Hamilton, of course, was on the scoresheet when he clinched the cup with the second goal.
Season 1898/99 was one where the ultimate record was achieved, Rangers completing the entire season without dropping a single point. And RC Hamilton was a massive reason that historic world record was set. He started the season with a hat-trick in a 6-2 win over Partick Thistle, scored another hat-trick in the best performance of the season when Celtic were thrashed 4-0, and completed a hat-trick of hat-tricks when Dundee were hammered 7-0 at Ibrox to clinch the title with 4 games to spare. He was one of only 5 players to start all 18 league games that season, and notched 22 goals as well as being club captain.
Over the following 3 seasons, Rangers dominated the Scottish game, sweeping up 4 successive titles. RC Hamilton was top scorer in each of these seasons, and was in fact top scorer at the club every season he played until he left the club in 1906 for Fulham.
During this spell, he won another Scottish Cup in 1903, again scoring the decisive second goal in a 2-0 win, this time over Hearts. He went on to play for Hearts, Morton and Dundee as well as one more season at Ibrox in 1907/08, but he couldn't recapture his former glories as age advanced on him.
RC Hamilton wasn't just the King of Goalscorers at club level. His prolific scoring rate earned him 11 international caps for Scotland, and in those games he hit a highly impressive 15 goals. The last of these caps was as a Dundee player in 1911, when he scored both Scotland goals in a 2-2 draw with Wales at Ninian Park at the age of 34.
Overall RC Hamilton scored an incredible 184 goals in 209 competitive appearances, as well as many other goals in competitions now regarded as minor. In all games he played for Rangers against Celtic, he notched 35 goals, a record number for the fixture for any player of either side, and a record that still stands to this day.
Robert Hamilton was a teacher by profession, and after retiring from football he returned to Elgin where he ran his family business. He became active in local politics, and served Elgin Council from 1914 to 1937, the last 6 years holding the position of Lord Provost. He died in 1948 at the age of 71.
A man who succeeded in all walks of life - international footballer, school master, politician, businessman. And a man who rightly has his name in the Rangers Hall of Fame as one of the greatest goalscorers in the history of the Scottish game.
Robert Cumming Hamilton, Rangers FC 1897 - 1906 & 1907-08.
Appearances 207
Goals 184
4 League Titles
2 Scottish Cups
11 Scotland caps, 15 Scotland goals
35 goals v Celtic
Rangers top scorer in 9 different seasons
Top scorer in Scotland's top division 6 times
One of the all-time greats.
He scored twice in his competitive debut, a 4-2 win at St Bernards and proceeded to score 26 goals in 22 games in his first season in Royal Blue. Although not enough to take the title off Celtic, the team improved as the season progressed, and ended with a Scottish Cup Final 2-0 victory over Kilmarnock. Hamilton, of course, was on the scoresheet when he clinched the cup with the second goal.
Season 1898/99 was one where the ultimate record was achieved, Rangers completing the entire season without dropping a single point. And RC Hamilton was a massive reason that historic world record was set. He started the season with a hat-trick in a 6-2 win over Partick Thistle, scored another hat-trick in the best performance of the season when Celtic were thrashed 4-0, and completed a hat-trick of hat-tricks when Dundee were hammered 7-0 at Ibrox to clinch the title with 4 games to spare. He was one of only 5 players to start all 18 league games that season, and notched 22 goals as well as being club captain.
Over the following 3 seasons, Rangers dominated the Scottish game, sweeping up 4 successive titles. RC Hamilton was top scorer in each of these seasons, and was in fact top scorer at the club every season he played until he left the club in 1906 for Fulham.
During this spell, he won another Scottish Cup in 1903, again scoring the decisive second goal in a 2-0 win, this time over Hearts. He went on to play for Hearts, Morton and Dundee as well as one more season at Ibrox in 1907/08, but he couldn't recapture his former glories as age advanced on him.
RC Hamilton wasn't just the King of Goalscorers at club level. His prolific scoring rate earned him 11 international caps for Scotland, and in those games he hit a highly impressive 15 goals. The last of these caps was as a Dundee player in 1911, when he scored both Scotland goals in a 2-2 draw with Wales at Ninian Park at the age of 34.
Overall RC Hamilton scored an incredible 184 goals in 209 competitive appearances, as well as many other goals in competitions now regarded as minor. In all games he played for Rangers against Celtic, he notched 35 goals, a record number for the fixture for any player of either side, and a record that still stands to this day.
Robert Hamilton was a teacher by profession, and after retiring from football he returned to Elgin where he ran his family business. He became active in local politics, and served Elgin Council from 1914 to 1937, the last 6 years holding the position of Lord Provost. He died in 1948 at the age of 71.
A man who succeeded in all walks of life - international footballer, school master, politician, businessman. And a man who rightly has his name in the Rangers Hall of Fame as one of the greatest goalscorers in the history of the Scottish game.
Robert Cumming Hamilton, Rangers FC 1897 - 1906 & 1907-08.
Appearances 207
Goals 184
4 League Titles
2 Scottish Cups
11 Scotland caps, 15 Scotland goals
35 goals v Celtic
Rangers top scorer in 9 different seasons
Top scorer in Scotland's top division 6 times
One of the all-time greats.
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