Hi everyone,
I signed up to the forum (usually only have a read!) after seeing this topic and being reminded of an amazing post by Neil Stobie on The Rangers Archives Facebook group.
I’m sure a few of you will have seen this before but it’s an incredible piece of work.
I tried to get a link to post but I can’t seem to do that (probably because it’s a closed group) so I’ll just copy and paste as below (really sorry if this makes a massive post on the page!)....
This should be the complete list of where League titles have been won and our opponents on these days. I have corrected a couple of obvious errors from my original post:
League Titles
Goal average introduced in 1921/22.
Goal difference introduced in 1971/72.
We were involved in two play-off matches after finishing level at the top of the table. The first time was the first Championship, in 1890/91. That match with Dumbarton was drawn 2-2 after Rangers had led 2-0. The second league decider was in 1904/05. We lost 1-2 to Celtic at (Third) Hampden Park.
If goal average or goal difference had applied in 1890/91, Dumbarton would have been Champions. In 1904/05, Rangers would have taken the title.
1890/91 (First) Cathkin Park. Rangers 2 Dumbarton 2 (play-off). Championship shared.
1898/99 (First) Ibrox. Rangers 9 Dundee 0.
1899/1900 Ibrox. Rangers 2 Third Lanark 1.
1900/01 St Mirren Park. St Mirren 1 Rangers 4.
1901/02 Ibrox. Rangers 3 Dundee 1.
1910/11 Ibrox. Rangers 3 Third Lanark 1.
1911/12 Stark’s Park. Raith Rovers 0 Rangers 1.
1912/13 Dens Park. Dundee 0 Rangers 0.
1917/18 Ibrox. Rangers 2 Clyde 1.
1919/20 Boghead Park. Dumbarton 0 Rangers 0.
1920/21 Ibrox. Rangers 3 Clyde 1.
1922/23 Ibrox. Rangers 1 Kilmarnock 0.
1923/24 Ibrox. Rangers 2 Hibernian 1.
1924/25 Ibrox. Rangers 1 Ayr United 0.
1926/27 Ibrox. Rangers 0 Dundee 0.
1927/28 Ibrox. Rangers 5 Kilmarnock 1.
1928/29 Ibrox. Rangers 1 Falkirk 1.
1929/30 Ibrox. Rangers 3 Clyde 0.
1930/31 Bayview Park. East Fife 0 Rangers 4.
1932/33 Ibrox. Rangers 1 Queen’s Park 0.
The Championship was not secured until nearest challengers Motherwell drew 1-1 at Third Lanark the following midweek. This was the game in which Rangers recorded the points total that Motherwell could not match when they drew at Cathkin Park.
1933/34 Brockville Park. Falkirk 1 Rangers 3.
1934/35 Pittodrie Park. Aberdeen 1 Rangers 3.
1936/37 Douglas Park. Hamilton Academical 1 Rangers 5.
1938/39 Shawfield. Clyde 1 Rangers 1.
1946/47 Ibrox. Rangers 4 Hamilton Academical 1.
1948/49 Cliftonhill Park. Albion Rovers 1 Rangers 4.
1949/50 Cathkin Park. Third Lanark 2 Rangers 2.
1952/53 Palmerston Park. Queen of the South 1 Rangers 1.
Willie Waddell’s famous late equaliser on a Thursday evening at Palmerston gave Rangers the point they required. Rangers and Hibernian, who had completed their programme, finished level on points. Rangers had a superior goal average. Had goal difference applied, Hibernian would have been Champions by one goal.
1955/56 Ibrox. Rangers 1 Aberdeen 0.
1956/57 East End Park. Dunfermline Athletic 3 Rangers 4.
This game was played on a Monday evening. Runners-up Hearts had completed their programme on the Saturday, defeating Aberdeen 3-0 at Tynecastle. The same afternoon, Rangers defeated Queen of the South at Palmerston Park with a similar scoreline. Rangers had a superior goal average so to all intents and purposes, they were champions that afternoon. I have used arithmetical certainty throughout so have taken East End Park to be the place Rangers became Champions. The winning goal was scored by Billy Simpson in the last minute after an error by the Pars goalkeeper. That goal relegated the Fifers.
1958/59 Ibrox. Rangers 3 Queen of the South 1.
Another one that is not straightforward. Rangers moved onto fifty points with two games left with this victory, a Monday evening fixture. Hearts, with three games to play, were on forty-four points. The sides met at Tynecastle the following Saturday. Remarkably, the same afternoon saw Scotland at Wembley. David Provan made his first team debut with Eric Caldow wearing a darker shade of blue. A draw would give Rangers the title. It was not to be. Hearts won 2-0 to move within four points. They followed this up with a 4-2 midweek victory at Pittodrie. Two points behind but the sides were level on goal average. The last games saw Rangers at home to Aberdeen with Hearts at Celtic Park. Aberdeen needed a win to be sure of staying up, Celtic a win to avoid finishing eighth. A poor Rangers were booed off by the fans after losing 1-2. The fans knew Hearts had led by a goal at half-time, in the days of the only score updates being courtesy of the half-time scoreboard. Nil desperandum. Goals by Auld and Smith gave Celtic the points and Rangers the title. Their winning total of fifty points was reached in that match with the Doonhamers.
1960/61 Ibrox. Rangers 7 Ayr United 3.
1962/63 Broomfield Park. Airdrieonians 0 Rangers 2.
1963/64 Ibrox. Rangers 2 Dundee United 0.
1974/75 Easter Road. Hibernian 1 Rangers 1.
1975/76 Tannadice Park. Dundee United 0 Rangers 1.
1977/78 Ibrox. Rangers 2 Motherwell 0.
1986/87 Pittodrie. Aberdeen 1 Rangers 1.
1988/89 Ibrox. Rangers 4 Heart of Midlothian 0.
1989/90 Tannadice Park. Dundee United 0 Rangers 1.
1990/91 Ibrox. Rangers 2 Aberdeen 0.
1991/92 Ibrox. Rangers 4 St Mirren.
1992/93 Broomfield Park. Airdrieonians 0 Rangers 1.
1993/94 Ibrox. Rangers 1 Celtic 1.
Rangers reached fifty-seven points in this match. The following week, Motherwell drew 3-3 with Raith Rovers at Stark’s Park meaning they could not match Rangers total. Although Aberdeen eventually finished in second place, this was due to a strong finish. On the day Rangers drew with Celtic, Aberdeen drew 1-1 at home to Dundee. That meant the maximum points total they could achieve would be fifty-six.
1994/95 Ibrox. Rangers 3 Hibernian 1.
1995/96 Ibrox. Rangers 3 Aberdeen 1.
1996/97 Tannadice Park. Dundee United 0 Rangers 1.
1998/99 Celtic Park. Celtic 0 Rangers 3.
1999/2000 Tynecastle Park. Heart of Midlothian 1 Rangers 2.
The Championship was not secured until nearest challengers Celtic drew 1-1 at home to Hibernian ten days later. This was the game in which Rangers recorded the points total that Celtic could not match when they drew at Celtic Park.
2002/03 Ibrox. Rangers 6 Dunfermline Athletic 1.
2004/05 Easter Road. Hibernian 0 Rangers 1.
2008/09 Tannadice Park. Dundee United 0 Rangers 3.
2009/10 Easter Road. Hibernian 0 Rangers 1.
2010/11 Rugby Park. Kilmarnock 1 Rangers 5.
By my calculations:
Grounds on which the Championship has been won:
Ibrox 26.
First Ibrox 1.
Tannadice Park 4.
Easter Road 3.
Broomfield Park 2.
Pittodrie Park 2.
Bayview Park 1
Boghead Park 1
Brockville Park 1
Cathkin Park 1
First Cathkin Park (neutral venue) 1.
Celtic Park 1
Cliftonhill Park 1
Dens Park 1
Douglas Park 1.
East End Park 1
Palmerston Park 1
Rugby Park 1.
Shawfield 1
St Mirren Park 1
Stark’s Park 1
Tynecastle Park 1.
Opponents when the Championship has been won:
Five times:
Aberdeen
Dundee United
Hibernian
Four times:
Clyde
Dundee
Three times:
Kilmarnock
Third Lanark
Twice:
Airdrieonians
Ayr United
Celtic
Dumbarton
Dunfermline Athletic
Falkirk
Hamilton Academical
Heart of Midlothian
Queen of the South
St Mirren
Once:
Albion Rovers
East Fife
Motherwell
Queen’s Park
Raith Rovers
