The Greatest Managers in Rangers FC History

Rangers Football Club was founded in March, 1872 by four teenage boys in Glasgow, Scotland. Today, the fourth-oldest club in the country stands proud as one of the most successful, prestigious, and widely-supported institutions in world football.

The club has been blessed across the decades not only with great players—both domestic and international—but also with excellent managers who have shaped and defined its history through inspirational leadership.

There have been 19 permanent managers over the last 125 years, including the incumbent Philippe Clement. Prior to June 1899, when Rangers incorporated, the club employed five match secretaries who performed what later became the managers’ role.

William Wilton is the only person to have held both roles: Match Secretary [1889-1899] and Manager [1899-1920].

Only two managers—Jock Wallace [1972-78 and 1983-86] and Walter Smith [1991-98 and 2007-11]—have held the permanent manager post twice.

Bill Struth [May 1920 to June 1954]

The most successful manager in Rangers FC—and Scottish football—history, with the longest tenure at the club [34 years, 26 days].

William Struth, born 16th June 1875 in Leith, Scotland, holds the records for ‘Manager to Win Most First-Division Titles [18]’ and ‘Manager to Win Most Finals [64]’. He succeeded William Wilton in 1920, and over the next three decades, won 18 league titles, 10 Scottish Cups, and two League Cups.

He became the first Scottish manager to win the domestic treble in 1948-49, having already won the club’s first league-and-cup double.

The Bill Struth Main Stand at Ibrox has been named in his honor, where a bronze bust depicting him was unveiled in 2005. He passed away in September 1956, after he was appointed vice-chairman upon retiring as manager in 1954.

Walter Smith [April 1991 to June 1998 and January 2007 to May 2011]

Perhaps the greatest manager in Rangers history, and certainly one of the most popular amongst the fan base, Smith managed the club across two spells.

Walter Ferguson Smith OBE was born on 24th February 1948 in Lanark, Scotland. He led the Gers to the last seven of their nine successive league titles from 1988-89 to 1996-97, having helped Graeme Souness win the first two.

Smith succeeded Souness, initially as interim manager, in April 1991. In total, he won 10 league titles, five Scottish Cups, and six League Cups during his two spells at the club—1991 to 1998 and 2007 to 2011. He managed Scotland from December 2004 to January 2007.

Rangers FC unveiled Smith’s statue in front of Ibrox Stadium’s Copland Road Stand on 25th May 2024, nearly three years after his passing in October, 2021.

William Wilton [May 1889 to May 1920]

The first ever manager of Rangers Football Club, Wilton was also one of the most successful, and laid the foundation for the club’s success.

William Wilton was born on 9th June 1865 in Largs, Ayrshire, Scotland. He was match secretary of the first team at Rangers from 1889 to 1899, and then the club’s first manager from 1899 to 1920.

Wilton won two league titles [1890-91, 1898-99] as match secretary, another eight as manager between 1899 and 1920, and the Scottish Cup in 1902-03. He died in May 1920, aged just 54, drowned in an unfortunate boating accident in Gourock harbor, Renfrewshire.

Scot Symon [July 1954 to November 1967]

The third manager in Rangers history, Symon had incredibly massive shoes to fill, following William Wilton and Bill Struth, and he performed admirably.

James Scotland Symon was born on 9th May 1911 in Perthshire, Scotland. A former player at Rangers, before and after World War II, he played cricket for Scotland too in 1938.

Symon succeeded Bill Struth as manager in 1954, and won six league titles, five Scottish Cups, and four League Cups. He passed away in Glasgow, aged 73, on 30th April, 1985.

Honorable Mentions

Jock Wallace won three league titles, three Scottish Cups, and four League Cups in two spells as Rangers manager—1972 to 1978 and 1983 to 1986.

Graeme Souness won three league titles—including the first two in Rangers’ nine successive titles—and four League Cups between 1986 and 1991.

Dick Advocaat, the first non-Scottish manager in Rangers history, won two league titles, two Scottish Cups, and one League Cup between 1998 and 2001.

Alex McLeish won two league titles, two Scottish Cups, and three League Cups between 2001 and 2006.

Steven Gerrard won just the one league title in 2020-21 but it was the first since Rangers were relegated to the Third Division in 2012, and it happened to prevent Celtic becoming the first club to win 10 successive league titles.

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