1980–81 Rangers F.C. season

May 2025 December 2020 Rangers 1980–81 John Greig Rae Simpson Ground Ibrox Park Scottish Premier Division 3rdP36 W16 D12 L8 F60 A32 Pts44 Scottish Cup Winners League Cup Third round Anglo-Scottish Cup Quarter-finals Glasgow Cup Semi-finals Colin McAdam (21) Colin McAdam (12) 1979–80 1981–82 The 1980–81 season was the 101st season of competitive football by Rangers. Overview Rangers played a total of 47 competitive matches during the 1980–81 season. The summer of 1980 saw Greig bring in Jim Bett from Lokeren for £150,000. Bett was joined by Colin McAdam a £165,000 signing from Partick Thistle. The side got off to a good start in the league, going on a fifteen match unbeaten run, including two Old Firm wins, was to end in November. A disastrous run in November and December all but ended the title challenge as the team finished third, twelve points behind champions Celtic. The League Cup campaign was halted after a controversial defeat to Aberdeen in a match where the Dons were awarded two contentious penalties. Due to having no European participation, Rangers entered the Anglo-Scottish Cup which led to a defeat at the hands of English minnows, Chesterfield. The Third Division side held Rangers to a 1–1 draw at Ibrox before defeating Rangers 3–0 in the away leg at Saltergate. Rangers did win the 1981 Scottish Cup Final after beating Dundee United 4–1 in a final replay. After a tedious 0–0 draw where Ian Redford missed a last minute penalty, Rangers won the replay with goals from Davie Cooper, a John MacDonald double and Bobby Russell.Season 1980 - 81 - The Rangers Archives https://therangersarchives.co.uk/season-1980-81/ 2025-05-24 en-GB Results All results are written with Rangers' score first. Scottish Premier Division DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 9 August 1980AirdrieoniansA1–116,000MacDonald 16 August 1980Partick ThistleH4–025,898Cooper, McAdam, MacDonald, Jardine 23 August 1980CelticA2–158,102Bett, Miller 6 September 1980Dundee UnitedA4–216,269Cooper, McAdam, MacDonald, Hegarty (o.g.) 13 September 1980AberdeenH1–134,000McAdam 20 September 1980KilmarnockA8–115,021MacDonald (3), Redford (2, 1 (pen.)), McAdam, Jardine, Bett 27 September 1980St MirrenH2–030,000Bett, Cooper 4 October 1980MortonA2–215,000Miller (pen), McAdam 11 October 1980Heart of MidlothianH3–122,443McAdam (2), Jefferies (o.g.) 18 October 1980AirdrieoniansH0–023,000 25 October 1980Partick ThistleA1–114,250McAdam 1 November 1980CelticH3–036,000McAdam (2), MacDonald 8 November 1980St MirrenA0–017,362 15 November 1980KilmarnockH2–025,791Johnston, Jardine 22 November 1980Heart of MidlothianA0–016,315 29 November 1980MortonH0–120,000 13 December 1980AberdeenA0–222,500 20 December 1980KilmarnockA1–19,172Russell 1 January 1981Partick ThistleH1–121,326McAdam 3 January 1981AirdrieoniansA1–111,800Dawson 10 January 1981MortonA2–013,000MacDonald, Redford 31 January 1981AberdeenH1–032,500Johnstone 7 February 1981Dundee UnitedA1–214,328MacDonald 21 February 1981CelticA1–352,800Johnstone 28 February 1981AirdrieoniansH2–012,200MacDonald, Redford 14 March 1981Heart of MidlothianA1–211,500Redford 18 March 1981Dundee UnitedH1–414,000McAdam 21 March 1981KilmarnockH2–08,488Redford, Russell 28 March 1981St MirrenA1–29,988Dawson 1 April 1981MortonH4–07,202Johnstone (2), Redford, MacDonald 4 April 1981Dundee UnitedH2–116,000Russell, Redford (pen.) 15 April 1981St MirrenH1–010,000Russell 18 April 1981CelticH0–136,000 22 April 1981AberdeenA0–011,500 25 April 1981Partick ThistleA1–17,077Russell 2 May 1981Heart of MidlothianH4–09,770Bett, Russell, Redford, Johnston Scottish Cup DateRoundOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 24 January 1981R3AirdrieoniansA5–016,054Johnstone (2), Stevens, Redford, Bett 14 February 1981R4St JohnstoneA3–317,595Redford (2), McAdam 18 February 1981R4 RSt JohnstoneH3–130,000McAdam (2), Stevens 7 March 1981QFHibernianH3–126,345Russell, McAdam, MacDonald 11 April 1981SFMortonN2–127,050Jackson, Russell 9 May 1981FDundee UnitedN0–053,346 12 May 1981F RDundee UnitedN4–143,099MacDonald (2), Cooper, Russell League Cup DateRoundOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 27 August 1980R2 L1Forfar AthleticA2–04,500McAdam (2) 30 August 1980R2 L2Forfar AthleticH3–115,500Miller (pen.), Johnstone, McAdam (pen.) 3 September 1980R3 L1AberdeenH1–033,000McAdam 24 September 1980R3 L2AberdeenA1–323,926McAdam Anglo-Scottish Cup DateRoundOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 30 July 1980R1 L1Partick ThistleH3–1MacDonald (2), Jardine 6 August 1980R1 L2Partick ThistleA2–3 13 October 1980R2 L1ChesterfieldH1–1Dalziel 28 October 1980R2 L2ChesterfieldA0–3 Glasgow Cup DateRoundOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 12 January 1981 SFPartick ThistleA0–14,000 Appearances PlayerPositionAppearancesGoalsSCO Peter McCloyGK340SCO Jim StewartGK130SCO Sandy JardineDF423SCO Alex ForsythDF10SCO Tom ForsythDF300SCO Colin JacksonDF381SCO Alex MillerDF333SCO Gregor StevensDF142SCO Ally DawsonDF292SCO Jim BettMF455SCO Davie CooperMF344SCO Bobby RussellMF359SCO Colin McAdamFW4021SCO Ian RedfordMF4612SCO John MacDonaldFW3814SCO Willie JohnstonMF372SCO Derek JohnstoneFW337SCO Tommy McLeanMF340SCO Billy MacKayMF60SCO Robert ClarkDF10 League table RAN See also 1980–81 in Scottish football 1980–81 Scottish Cup 1980–81 Scottish League Cup References Category:Rangers F.C. seasons Rangers