On the 3rd of March 1920, a century ago, Willie Thornton was born in the tiny West Lothian village of Winchburgh. A precocious talent on the football pitch, he was spotted by the Ibrox scouting team playing for the local Albion team, and was quickly signed up for Rangers joining the club straight from school in March 1936.
Thornton's quick thinking, natural ability and amazing aerial ability was soon impossible for manager Bill Struth to ignore, and he made his first team debut on January 2nd 1937 in 1-0 away win over Partick Thistle at the tender age of 16 years and 305 days. His second appearance a week later saw him score his first goal in a 4-0 home win over Arbroath, making him the youngest player ever to score a competitive goal for the club. He remained back-up to first choice centre forward until the start of season 1938/39, proving a very able deputy with 9 goals in 24 appearances up till then, the highlight being his first goal against Celtic in a 3-1 win at Ibrox in September 1937. In 1938/39, Thornton at 18 years of age became the club's first choice attacking spearhead, and he scored 23 goals in 36 league games to help bring the title back to Ibrox after a disappointing 3rd place the previous year.
Like many of his generation, the outbreak of War in September 1939 put his career on hold, with Thornton enlisting as a Trooper in the 80th (The Scottish Horse) Regiment of the Royal Artillery, seeing combat in Tripoli, Sicily, Anzio and Monte Cassino. In 1943, he was awarded The Military Medal for coolness under heavy shell and mortar fire in the battle for the Sferro Hills in Sicily. As this was awarded while he was in active service abroad, the medal could not be handed over in person by King George VI, who sent an apology by letter for being unable to shake the soldier's hand. His citation says everything:
"On the night of 31/7 , 586278 Gunner Thornton, accompanied his Battery Commander as signaller to an O.P on Point 22. He maintained constant communication for 18 hours and passed down Fire Orders often under heavy shelling and mortar fire.
By his coolness and devotion to duty Gunner Thornton gave great assistance to his Battery Commander in bringing down his fire on the enemy."
Gunner Thornton was one of only nineteen members of the regiment to receive this award over the duration of the Second World War.
He did enjoy some leave during the conflict, and appeared occasionally for Rangers during wartime competitions, playing 35 games over a 6 year period, scoring 16 goals in the process.
After the war was won, Willie Thornton returned to civilian life, and returned to the place he loved - Ibrox. He seemed determined to make up for lost time, resuming his brilliant goalscoring form from years earlier. Although a fine all-round centre forward, comfortable on the ball, able to link play and with a powerful shot in both feet, there is no doubt he is best remembered as one of the greatest headers of a ball in the history of the club. His lethal partnership with winger Willie Waddell is still regarded by many today as the best crosser - header combination ever seen in Scottish football.
Season 1946/47 saw him score 25 goals in 35 starts as the league title was won, along with the first ever Scottish League Cup. In 1948, Thornton won his first Scottish Cup medal when Rangers defeated Morton 1-0 in front of over 133,000 fans. Although this was lower than the semi-final, when Thornton scored the only goal of the game at Hampden when the great Iron Curtain kept out the "Famous Five" of Hibernian as 143,570 watched on.
Season 1948/49 probably saw Willie Thornton at his peak, scoring 34 goals as Rangers swept to a first ever Scottish domestic treble. This included 2 hugely important hat-tricks. First all 3 goals in the Scottish Cup semi final against the excellent East Fife team of the time, and a historic 3 goal haul at Cliftonhill against Albion Rovers when Rangers won the league title on the last day in dramatic circumstances to pip Dundee and claim the clean sweep of honours.
He went on to score 2 in the 1950 Scottish Cup Final victory over East Fife the following year as the club won the premier cup competition for the 3rd successive year as well as scoring vital goals to retain the championship.
He scored goals right up till his decision to retire in June 1954, although he won no further major medals, not playing enough games in the league campaign of 1952-53 or being selected in the Cup Final that season as the club's new first choice number 9 Billy Simpson was given the jersey. He did, however, win the individual honour of being voted Scotland's Player of the Year in 1952.
Willie Thornton never played for any other club, his Rangers career spanning 18 years and 390 first team appearances. He represented Scotland 7 times, scoring 1 goal for his country in a friendly against Denmark. Remarkably, over such a long career, he was never once booked or sent off. His total of 238 goals in all appearances puts him up there with the greatest strikers in over 145 years of the club.
After retirement, Willie Thornton enjoyed spells as manager at both Dundee and Partick Thistle, before returning to Rangers as Assistant manager to Davie White in September 1968. He briefly was caretaker manager of the club on White's departure, winning both matches in charge to be the only manager in club history to have a 100% winning record, before the old on-field partnership was restored off the field, when the club appointed Willie Waddell as team manager. Willie Thornton remained at the club as Assistant Manager, then matchday host and trophy room tour guide until his death at the age of 71 on 26th August 1991.
A true one club legend on the pitch, a Rangers man to his death, and a real life War Hero.
Willie Thornton, Rangers FC 1936 - 1954
Competitive Appearances 390
Goals 238
4 League Championships
3 Scottish Cups
2 League Cups
7 Scotland Caps
Holder of the Military Medal for gallantry
Remembered 100 years on, and for ever more.
Thornton's quick thinking, natural ability and amazing aerial ability was soon impossible for manager Bill Struth to ignore, and he made his first team debut on January 2nd 1937 in 1-0 away win over Partick Thistle at the tender age of 16 years and 305 days. His second appearance a week later saw him score his first goal in a 4-0 home win over Arbroath, making him the youngest player ever to score a competitive goal for the club. He remained back-up to first choice centre forward until the start of season 1938/39, proving a very able deputy with 9 goals in 24 appearances up till then, the highlight being his first goal against Celtic in a 3-1 win at Ibrox in September 1937. In 1938/39, Thornton at 18 years of age became the club's first choice attacking spearhead, and he scored 23 goals in 36 league games to help bring the title back to Ibrox after a disappointing 3rd place the previous year.
Like many of his generation, the outbreak of War in September 1939 put his career on hold, with Thornton enlisting as a Trooper in the 80th (The Scottish Horse) Regiment of the Royal Artillery, seeing combat in Tripoli, Sicily, Anzio and Monte Cassino. In 1943, he was awarded The Military Medal for coolness under heavy shell and mortar fire in the battle for the Sferro Hills in Sicily. As this was awarded while he was in active service abroad, the medal could not be handed over in person by King George VI, who sent an apology by letter for being unable to shake the soldier's hand. His citation says everything:
"On the night of 31/7 , 586278 Gunner Thornton, accompanied his Battery Commander as signaller to an O.P on Point 22. He maintained constant communication for 18 hours and passed down Fire Orders often under heavy shelling and mortar fire.
By his coolness and devotion to duty Gunner Thornton gave great assistance to his Battery Commander in bringing down his fire on the enemy."
Gunner Thornton was one of only nineteen members of the regiment to receive this award over the duration of the Second World War.
He did enjoy some leave during the conflict, and appeared occasionally for Rangers during wartime competitions, playing 35 games over a 6 year period, scoring 16 goals in the process.
After the war was won, Willie Thornton returned to civilian life, and returned to the place he loved - Ibrox. He seemed determined to make up for lost time, resuming his brilliant goalscoring form from years earlier. Although a fine all-round centre forward, comfortable on the ball, able to link play and with a powerful shot in both feet, there is no doubt he is best remembered as one of the greatest headers of a ball in the history of the club. His lethal partnership with winger Willie Waddell is still regarded by many today as the best crosser - header combination ever seen in Scottish football.
Season 1946/47 saw him score 25 goals in 35 starts as the league title was won, along with the first ever Scottish League Cup. In 1948, Thornton won his first Scottish Cup medal when Rangers defeated Morton 1-0 in front of over 133,000 fans. Although this was lower than the semi-final, when Thornton scored the only goal of the game at Hampden when the great Iron Curtain kept out the "Famous Five" of Hibernian as 143,570 watched on.
Season 1948/49 probably saw Willie Thornton at his peak, scoring 34 goals as Rangers swept to a first ever Scottish domestic treble. This included 2 hugely important hat-tricks. First all 3 goals in the Scottish Cup semi final against the excellent East Fife team of the time, and a historic 3 goal haul at Cliftonhill against Albion Rovers when Rangers won the league title on the last day in dramatic circumstances to pip Dundee and claim the clean sweep of honours.
He went on to score 2 in the 1950 Scottish Cup Final victory over East Fife the following year as the club won the premier cup competition for the 3rd successive year as well as scoring vital goals to retain the championship.
He scored goals right up till his decision to retire in June 1954, although he won no further major medals, not playing enough games in the league campaign of 1952-53 or being selected in the Cup Final that season as the club's new first choice number 9 Billy Simpson was given the jersey. He did, however, win the individual honour of being voted Scotland's Player of the Year in 1952.
Willie Thornton never played for any other club, his Rangers career spanning 18 years and 390 first team appearances. He represented Scotland 7 times, scoring 1 goal for his country in a friendly against Denmark. Remarkably, over such a long career, he was never once booked or sent off. His total of 238 goals in all appearances puts him up there with the greatest strikers in over 145 years of the club.
After retirement, Willie Thornton enjoyed spells as manager at both Dundee and Partick Thistle, before returning to Rangers as Assistant manager to Davie White in September 1968. He briefly was caretaker manager of the club on White's departure, winning both matches in charge to be the only manager in club history to have a 100% winning record, before the old on-field partnership was restored off the field, when the club appointed Willie Waddell as team manager. Willie Thornton remained at the club as Assistant Manager, then matchday host and trophy room tour guide until his death at the age of 71 on 26th August 1991.
A true one club legend on the pitch, a Rangers man to his death, and a real life War Hero.
Willie Thornton, Rangers FC 1936 - 1954
Competitive Appearances 390
Goals 238
4 League Championships
3 Scottish Cups
2 League Cups
7 Scotland Caps
Holder of the Military Medal for gallantry
Remembered 100 years on, and for ever more.
