Adam Little was born in Blantyre, the son of a miner, just after the end of the Great War, the family moved to Glasgow when the 1926 General Strike dictated that the father seek alternative employment as a joiner in Cambuslang. Adam was educated at Rutherglen Academy, where he played football for the school team, for Lanarkshire Schools, and finally was honoured with a Scotland Schoolboy International cap.
A visit to the family home from Bill Struth duly followed - and Adam Little signed for the Ibrox club at the age of 17, farmed out to Blantyre Victoria in the Junior ranks.
There was more than football on the youthful Adam Little's mind however - after successfully completing his Higher examinations he studied medicine at Glasgow University (Anderson's Medical College). Struth positively encouraged his young signing: "We always like to have a doctor in the club," he stressed - and so they did, for both James Paterson and Jimmy Marshall had followed a similar path.
His brother Gilbert, 10 years his senior, had graduated with a double first-class honours degree at Glasgow University. During the course of his career, he worked on the wing design of the Wellington bomber aircraft, then later was president of the British Water Board, being honoured with the award of a CBE for services to the water industry.
Little's introduction to the Rangers first team was gradual - his debut came at Stoke in October 1937 in a benefit match for the victims of the Holditch Colliery Disaster Fund, every player donating a week's wages to the fund. Four League appearances followed the next season (his league debut came in the unglamorous surroundings of Gayfield Park Arbroath), but then the outbreak of war in September 1939 turned the world - and Adam Little's career - upside down.
Medical studies continued. Struth encouraged his young player. "Sport and education - this is something every boy should do - combine both." Most certainly while he was a student in Glasgow he was available to play for the club. He formed a formidable half-back line with George Young and Scot Symon that is remembered to this day, and would in all play a total of 204 games for the club. In an era of tough, physical defenders, he was a cultured and skillful wing-half, an intelligent player who used the ball with imagination.
Seventeen winners' medals were accrued by the medical student as the Ibrox men dominated war-time football. Adam Little featured in some memorable games, most notably the traditional New Year's Day fixture when Rangers overwhelmed their great rivals Celtic 8-1, a record score for a competitive fixture between the two clubs that stands to this day.
Little played one international match in the Dark Blue of Scotland - sadly, it resulted in another heavy defeat at the hands of the great England side of the era, 0-8 at Maine Road, Manchester, on October 16, 1943. The Ibrox wing-half replaced Preston North End's Bill Shankly who, in his own unique, ebullient fashion, commented: "When I heard the team I said two prayers, one of thanks to the Scots for leaving me out, and one on behalf of Adam Little, who had taken my place."
Regrettably, not even the power of prayer could save the Scots against a side containing such outstanding talents of the ilk of Frank Swift, Raich Carter, Stanley Matthews and Tommy Lawton (who scored four). Little had earlier found himself on the same side as Matthews in May 1941 when the English winger guested for Rangers in the 3-0 Glasgow Merchants Charity Cup Final victory over Partick Thistle at Hampden.
After qualifying as a doctor in 1944 Little joined the Royal Medical Corps, and was stationed firstly at Aldershot before being posted to the Middle East, to GHQ Egypt. He played football for the British Army as well as Arsenal while stationed down south.
At the end of the war Dr Little found that his medical calling restricted the opportunities at Ibrox and after several years in the reserves he signed for Morton in 1951.
He was now a GP in Port Glasgow, and remained so until he retired, continuing to live happily and peacefully in rural Renfrewshire and enjoying curling and golf. As a member of Kilmacolm Golf Club, he played off a handicap of four.
His wife May predeceased him in 2004, following 53 years of marriage, with Dr Adam Little passing away at the age of 88 on June 12th 2008. When he died Little was believed to be the oldest living former Rangers player at the time. He was also the last surviving Rangers player from that legendary 8-1 victory.
Adam Little, 1919-2008
We remember another great Son of Struth.
A visit to the family home from Bill Struth duly followed - and Adam Little signed for the Ibrox club at the age of 17, farmed out to Blantyre Victoria in the Junior ranks.
There was more than football on the youthful Adam Little's mind however - after successfully completing his Higher examinations he studied medicine at Glasgow University (Anderson's Medical College). Struth positively encouraged his young signing: "We always like to have a doctor in the club," he stressed - and so they did, for both James Paterson and Jimmy Marshall had followed a similar path.
His brother Gilbert, 10 years his senior, had graduated with a double first-class honours degree at Glasgow University. During the course of his career, he worked on the wing design of the Wellington bomber aircraft, then later was president of the British Water Board, being honoured with the award of a CBE for services to the water industry.
Little's introduction to the Rangers first team was gradual - his debut came at Stoke in October 1937 in a benefit match for the victims of the Holditch Colliery Disaster Fund, every player donating a week's wages to the fund. Four League appearances followed the next season (his league debut came in the unglamorous surroundings of Gayfield Park Arbroath), but then the outbreak of war in September 1939 turned the world - and Adam Little's career - upside down.
Medical studies continued. Struth encouraged his young player. "Sport and education - this is something every boy should do - combine both." Most certainly while he was a student in Glasgow he was available to play for the club. He formed a formidable half-back line with George Young and Scot Symon that is remembered to this day, and would in all play a total of 204 games for the club. In an era of tough, physical defenders, he was a cultured and skillful wing-half, an intelligent player who used the ball with imagination.
Seventeen winners' medals were accrued by the medical student as the Ibrox men dominated war-time football. Adam Little featured in some memorable games, most notably the traditional New Year's Day fixture when Rangers overwhelmed their great rivals Celtic 8-1, a record score for a competitive fixture between the two clubs that stands to this day.
Little played one international match in the Dark Blue of Scotland - sadly, it resulted in another heavy defeat at the hands of the great England side of the era, 0-8 at Maine Road, Manchester, on October 16, 1943. The Ibrox wing-half replaced Preston North End's Bill Shankly who, in his own unique, ebullient fashion, commented: "When I heard the team I said two prayers, one of thanks to the Scots for leaving me out, and one on behalf of Adam Little, who had taken my place."
Regrettably, not even the power of prayer could save the Scots against a side containing such outstanding talents of the ilk of Frank Swift, Raich Carter, Stanley Matthews and Tommy Lawton (who scored four). Little had earlier found himself on the same side as Matthews in May 1941 when the English winger guested for Rangers in the 3-0 Glasgow Merchants Charity Cup Final victory over Partick Thistle at Hampden.
After qualifying as a doctor in 1944 Little joined the Royal Medical Corps, and was stationed firstly at Aldershot before being posted to the Middle East, to GHQ Egypt. He played football for the British Army as well as Arsenal while stationed down south.
At the end of the war Dr Little found that his medical calling restricted the opportunities at Ibrox and after several years in the reserves he signed for Morton in 1951.
He was now a GP in Port Glasgow, and remained so until he retired, continuing to live happily and peacefully in rural Renfrewshire and enjoying curling and golf. As a member of Kilmacolm Golf Club, he played off a handicap of four.
His wife May predeceased him in 2004, following 53 years of marriage, with Dr Adam Little passing away at the age of 88 on June 12th 2008. When he died Little was believed to be the oldest living former Rangers player at the time. He was also the last surviving Rangers player from that legendary 8-1 victory.
Adam Little, 1919-2008
We remember another great Son of Struth.