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List of Third Lanark A.C. seasons

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This is a list of Third Lanark A.C. seasons in Scottish football, from their foundation in 1872 to their dissolution in 1967. It details the club's achievements in senior league and cup competitions and the top scorers for each season, where known.

Third Lanark were formed in 1872, playing at the original Cathkin Park in Glasgow's Crosshill neighbourhood. The club soon became members of the Scottish Football Association and initially began competing in the Scottish Cup from its first season in 1873. They played in the inaugural season of the Scottish Football League, in 1890–91 where they finished in 5th place. In their early years, Thirds existed in the shadow of their neighbours Queen's Park, and even took over the Spiders home ground Hampden Park in 1903 – renaming it New Cathkin Park – when Queen's Park moved out to a larger replacement further south (which was also named Hampden Park and is the earliest version of the extant stadium bearing that name). By the time of the stadium move, Third Lanark had already won the Scottish Cup (in 1889) and celebrated their new surroundings by winning the League Championship for what would prove to be the only time in the 1903–04 season.[1][2] Another cup win followed in 1905, but from then on, major honours would elude them as the other Glasgow clubs Rangers and Celtic became increasingly more successful and popular, although they reached further finals and maintained their presence in the top division for the majority of the next 60 years.

Third Lanark reached the 1959 Scottish League Cup Final, losing to Heart of Midlothian, and finished in third place in the 1960–61 Scottish League.[1] However, despite winning the Glasgow Cup for the fourth time and building a new stand at their ground in 1963, they suffered relegation two years later. A drop in spectator numbers and financial mismanagement and possible embezzlement led to them being liquidated just two years later in 1967.[1][2] Their rapid demise was in stark contrast to the fortunes of their old Glasgow rivals that year, as Celtic finished that season as European champions, Rangers also reached the final of the Cup Winners' Cup and Clyde finished in third place behind the Old Firm.

The club's Cathkin Park home still exists as a municipal park surrounded by crumbling remains of the terracing.[1]

Seasons

[edit]
Season League[3] Cup / other competitions Top goalscorer[a]
Division P W D L F A Pts Pos Scot Lge
[b]
Glas
[4]
Char
[5]
Other
[c]
Player Gls
1873–74 [d] QF [e] [f] [g] W. Dick 1[h]
1874–75 QF
1875–76 F[i]
1876–77 R3 R1[j]
1877–78 F[k] R1[l]
1878–79 R5 R1
1879–80 R1 DNE
1880–81 R1 DNE
1881–82 R1 DNE
1882–83 QF DNE
1883–84 R2 F[m]
1884–85 R3 DNE
1885–86 SF DNE R2[n]
1886–87 R6 DNE R2[o]
1887–88 R1 R1 DNE
1888–89 W[p] R3 R1
1889–90 SF R3 W[q]
1890–91 1 SFL[r] 18 8 3 7 38 39 15[s] 5th SF F[t] DNE
1891–92 1 SFL 22 8 5 9 44 47 21 =6th R6 R1 DNE
1892–93 1 SFL 18 9 1 8 54 40 19 4th QF SF R1
1893–94 1 Div 1[u] 18 7 3 8 37 45 17 7th SF QF R1
1894–95 1 Div 1 18 10 1 7 51 39 21 4th R1 R2[v] R1
1895–96 1 Div 1 18 7 1 10 47 51 15 =6th QF R2 R1 3rd
1896–97 1 Div 1 18 5 1 12 29 46 11 8th QF R1 F[w] 4th
1897–98 1 Div 1 18 8 2 8 37 38 18 =5th SF SF W[x] 5th
1898–99 1 Div 1 18 7 3 8 33 38 17 6th R2 SF R1 4th
1899–1900 1 Div 1 18 5 5 8 31 38 15 =6th QF R1 R1 2nd
1900–01 1 Div 1 20 6 6 8 20 29 18 =5th QF SF W[y] 1st[z]
1901–02 1 Div 1 18 7 5 6 30 26 19 4th R2 SF SF 4th William Maxwell 10[aa]
1902–03 1 Div 1 22 8 5 9 34 27 21 7th QF W[ab] SF 3rd
1903–04 1 Div 1 26 20 3 3 61 26 43 1st SF W[ac] SF 1st[ad]
1904–05 1 Div 1 26 14 7 5 60 28 35 3rd W[ae] SF SF 1st[af]
1905–06 1 Div 1 30 16 2 12 62 39 34 6th F[ag] F[ah] SF
1906–07 1 Div 1 34 15 9 10 57 48 39 6th R2 F[ai] SF
1907–08 1 Div 1 34 13 7 14 45 50 33 9th R1 SF R1
1908–09 1 Div 1 34 11 10 13 56 49 32 12th QF W[aj] SF
1909–10 1 Div 1 34 16 7 11 59 53 39 7th R2 SF F[ak]
1910–11 1 Div 1 34 16 7 11 59 53 39 8th R5 SF SF
1911–12 1 Div 1 34 12 7 15 40 57 31 11th SF SF R1
1912–13 1 Div 1 34 8 12 14 31 41 28 15th R2 R1 SF
1913–14 1 Div 1 38 13 10 15 42 51 36 8th SF F[al] F[am]
1914–15 1 Div 1 38 10 12 16 51 57 32 16th [an] R1 SF QF
1915–16 1 Div 1 38 9 11 18 38 56 29 17th SF R1
1916–17 1 Div 1 38 19 11 8 53 37 49 5th SF R1
1917–18 1 Div 1 34 10 7 17 56 62 27 13th SF SF QR
1918–19 1 Div 1 34 11 9 14 60 60 31 12th R1 R1 R2[ao]
1919–20 1 Div 1 42 16 11 15 57 62 43 8th QF SF R1
1920–21 1 Div 1 42 19 6 17 74 61 44 8th R1 R1 R1
1921–22 1 Div 1 42 17 12 13 58 52 46 9th R2 SF SF
1922–23 1 Div 1 38 11 8 19 40 59 30 17th SF SF SF
1923–24 1 Div 1 38 11 8 19 54 78 30 18th R1 F[ap] R1
1924–25 1 Div 1 38 11 8 19 53 84 30 20th (↓) R1 SF R1
1925–26 2 Div 2 38 19 8 11 72 47 46 6th QF R1 SF
1926–27 2 Div 2 38 17 10 11 67 48 44 4th R1 R1 R1
1927–28 2 Div 2 38 18 9 11 99 66 45 2nd (↑) R2 SF SF
1928–29 1 Div 1 38 10 6 22 71 102 26 19th (↓) R2 SF SF
1929–30 2 Div 2 38 23 6 9 92 53 52 4th R1 R1 SF
1930–31 2 Div 2 38 27 7 4 107 42 61 1st (↑) QF R1 R1
1931–32 1 Div 1 38 21 4 13 92 81 46 4th R1 R1 F[aq]
1932–33 1 Div 1 38 14 7 17 70 80 35 13th R2 SF R1
1933–34 1 Div 1 38 8 9 21 62 103 25 19th (↓) R2 R1 SF
1934–35 2 Div 2 34 23 6 5 94 43 52 1st (↑) R2 R1 R1
1935–36 1 Div 1 38 14 5 19 63 71 33 9th F[ar] SF R1
1936–37 1 Div 1 38 20 6 12 79 61 46 6th R2 R1 R1
1937–38 1 Div 1 38 11 13 14 68 73 35 9th R1 F[as] SF
1938–39 1 Div 1 38 12 8 18 80 96 32 15th QF R1 F[at]
1939–40 ELW[au] 30 10 5 15 53 78 25 12th [an] SF R1 R2
1940–41 South[av] 30 9 7 14 56 80 25 13th Grp4th R1 SF R2
1941–42 South 30 14 2 14 79 90 30 8th Grp4th R1 R1 R2
1942–43 South 30 8 4 18 58 83 20 13th SF F[aw] F[ax] R1
1943–44 South 30 7 3 20 60 100 17 16th Grp4th SF R1 R1
1944–45 South 30 11 3 16 55 65 25 12th Grp3rd SF R1 R1
1945–46 A Div[ay] 30 14 2 14 63 68 30 9th Grp3rd R1 SF R2
1946–47 1 Div A 30 11 6 13 56 64 28 9th R3 Grp4th F[az] SF Bobby Mitchell 22[aa]
1947–48 1 Div A 30 10 6 14 56 73 26 11th R2 Grp4th F[ba] SF
1948–49 1 Div A 30 13 5 12 56 52 31 7th R2 Grp3rd F[bb] SF
1949–50 1 Div A 30 11 3 16 44 62 25 12th R2 Grp2nd SF SF
1950–51 1 Div A 30 11 2 17 40 51 24 13th R2 Grp2nd R1 SF
1951–52 1 Div A 30 9 8 13 51 62 26 12th SF Grp3rd SF =W[bc] R1
1952–53 1 Div A 30 8 4 18 52 75 20 16th (↓) SF QF SF SF
1953–54 2 Div B 30 13 10 7 78 48 36 3rd R3 QF F[bd] W[be]
1954–55 2 Div B 30 13 7 10 63 49 33 5th R6 Grp2nd R1 R1
1955–56 2 Div 2 36 16 3 17 80 64 35 10th R5 Grp3rd SF W[bf]
1956–57 2 Div 2 36 24 3 9 105 51 51 2nd (↑) R4 Grp4th SF SF
1957–58 1 Div 1 34 13 4 17 69 88 30 14th QF QF F[bg] R1
1958–59 1 Div 1 34 11 10 13 74 83 32 11th SF Grp4th SF R1
1959–60 1 Div 1 34 13 4 17 75 83 30 12th R1 F[bh] R1 SF
1960–61 1 Div 1 34 20 2 12 100 80 42 3rd R3 Grp3rd SF SF Alex Harley 42[aa]
1961–62 1 Div 1 34 13 5 16 59 60 31 11th QF Grp3rd F[bi] [bj] RU[bk]
1962–63 1 Div 1 34 9 8 17 56 68 26 14th R3 Grp4th W[bl]
1963–64 1 Div 1 34 9 7 18 47 74 25 16th R1 Grp3rd SF Grp
1964–65 1 Div 1 34 3 1 30 22 99 7 18th (↓) R2 Grp3rd SF Grp
1965–66 2 Div 2 36 12 8 16 55 65 32 14th R1 SR n/a[bm]
1966–67 2 Div 2 38 13 8 17 67 78 34 11th 2P Grp4th R1
1967–68 Club liquidated (✝)[bn]

Key

[edit]

League performance summary

[edit]

The Scottish Football League was founded in 1890 and, other than during seven years of hiatus during the Second World War, the national top division has been played every season since.

Over the course of 77 completed league seasons, Third Lanark competed in 58 seasons of the Scottish Football League Division One (1890–1925, 1928–29, 1931–34, 1935–39, 1946–53 and 1957–65), 12 seasons of the Scottish Football League Division Two (1925–28, 1929–31, 1934–35, 1953–57 and 1965–67) and seven seasons of wartime competition (1939–46).

The following is a summary of Third Lanark's total league performance statistics until their liquidation in 1967:

Sea P W D L F A Pts High Low Ave P↑ R↓
Division One 1 58[bo] 1,810 667 358 785 3,093 3,407 1,673 1st 20th 10th 5
Division Two 2 12[bp] 430 218 85 127 979 654 521 1st 14th 5th 4
War Leagues 7[bq] 210 76 26 111 424 564 172 8th 16th 12th
Total 77 2,450 961 469 1,023 4,496 4,625 2,366 4 5

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Goals in all competitions are counted, where available.
  2. ^ Scottish War Emergency Cup 1939–40, Scottish Southern League Cup 1940–46 and Scottish League Cup 1946–67.
  3. ^ Other competitions recorded: English FA Cup 1885–87, Glasgow Football League 1895–99 and 1904–06, Inter City Football League 1899–04, War Fund Shield 1914–15 and 1917–18, Victory Cup 1919, Scottish War Emergency Cup 1939–40, Summer Cup 1940–46 and 1963–65, Saint Mungo Cup 1951 and Franco Scottish Cup 1961–62.
  4. ^ Scottish League football did not start until 1890 when the Scottish Football League was formed.
  5. ^ No league cup competition was held until 1940.
  6. ^ The Glasgow Cup was first contested in the 1887–88 season.
  7. ^ The Glasgow Merchants' Charity Cup was first contested in the 1878–79 season.
  8. ^ W. Dick captained the side and scored their only goal of the game in their Scottish Cup quarter-final draw with Clydesdale. The replay ended 0–0 and Thirds lost the second replay 2–0, making Dick's goal the only one scored in competition by the club in 1873–74.
  9. ^ Thirds reached their first Scottish Cup final in 1876, losing 2–0 to Glasgow rivals Queen's Park in a replay after the original tie had ended in a 1–1 draw.
  10. ^ 3rd Lanark RV lost 3–0 to Queen's Park in the first round of the inaugural Glasgow Merchants' Charity Cup. The first round tie was essentially the semi-final, as the winners reached the final, as was the case until the 1901–02 competition.
  11. ^ Thirds reached their second Scottish Cup final in 1878 but again failed to win, this time losing 1–0 to Vale of Leven.
  12. ^ Despite winning their first round tie 2–1 against Rangers, Thirds later scratched from the Glasgow Merchants' Charity Cup and did not play in the final.
  13. ^ Beaten 8–0 in Glasgow Merchants' Charity Cup final replay by Queen's Park at Titwood Park after original tie ended 1–1.
  14. ^ Third Lanark were due to play Church in the English FA Cup second round but scratched the tie.
  15. ^ Beaten 3–2 by Bolton Wanderers in the English FA Cup second round.
  16. ^ Third Lanark won their first Scottish Cup in 1889. Celtic were beaten 3–0 in the original tie, but due to the poor conditions and the unplayable nature of the pitch through snow, the match was ordered to be replayed the following week. Third Lanark claimed a 2–1 victory in the replayed tie.
  17. ^ Beat Queen's Park 2–1 at Hampden Park in Glasgow Merchants' Charity Cup final.
  18. ^ The Scottish Football League had only one division until the 1893–94 season
  19. ^ Third Lanark were deducted four points for fielding ineligible players.
  20. ^ Reached first Glasgow Cup final but were beaten 4–0 by Celtic at Hampden Park.
  21. ^ For the 1893–94 season a second tier of the Scottish Football League was formed by the inclusion of a number of clubs previously in the Scottish Football Alliance, with the leagues named Division One and Division Two.
  22. ^ Thirds beat Northern 5–0 in the first round but no record exists of any subsequent rounds played by the club in the 1894–95 season.
  23. ^ Lost the Glasgow Merchants' Charity Cup final 6–1 to Rangers at Hampden Park.
  24. ^ Won the Glasgow Merchants' Charity Cup after 1–0 win over Rangers at 'Old' Cathkin Park.
  25. ^ Beat Celtic 3–0 in Glasgow Merchants' Charity Cup final replay at Gilmorehill after original tie ended 0–0.
  26. ^ Thirds won the six team Inter City Football League in the 1900–01 season by one point ahead of Hibernian.
  27. ^ a b c League goals only; top scorer in division.[6]
  28. ^ Won first Glasgow Cup, beating Celtic 3–0 in the final at Ibrox Park.
  29. ^ Retained Glasgow Cup by beating Celtic 1–0 in the final replay, after the first tie ended 1–1.
  30. ^ Won the five team 1903–04 Glasgow Football League tournament.
  31. ^ Thirds won their second and final Scottish Cup trophy in 1905, beating Rangers 3–1 in a replay after the original tie ended goalless.
  32. ^ Won the six team 1904–05 Glasgow Football League tournament.
  33. ^ Thirds fifth Scottish Cup final ended in a 1–0 defeat to Hearts at Ibrox Stadium.
  34. ^ Beaten 3–0 by Celtic in the Glasgow Cup final.
  35. ^ Beaten 3–2 by Celtic in the Glasgow Cup final at Ibrox Park.
  36. ^ Won the Glasgow Cup for a third time, beating Celtic 4–0 in a second replay after the first two final ties ended 1–1 and 2–2 respectively.
  37. ^ Lost the Glasgow Charity Merchants' Cup final on 8–3 corner count to Clyde after 1–1 draw at Hampden Park.
  38. ^ Beaten 3–0 in the Glasgow Cup final by Rangers.
  39. ^ Lost the Glasgow Merchants' Charity Cup final 6–0 to Celtic at Hampden Park.
  40. ^ a b The Scottish Cup was not held in the 1914–15, 1915–16, 1916–17, 1917–18 or 1918–19 seasons due to the First World War, or the 1939–40, 1940–41, 1941–42, 1942–43, 1943–44, 1944–45 or 1945–46 seasons due to the Second World War.[7]
  41. ^ Reached the second round of the 1919 Victory Cup.[8]
  42. ^ Beaten 3–1 in the Glasgow Cup final by Rangers.
  43. ^ Lost the Glasgow Merchants' Charity Cup final 6–1 to Rangers at Hampden Park.
  44. ^ Thirds sixth and last Scottish Cup final in 1936 ended in a 1–0 defeat to Rangers at Hampden Park in front of a crowd of 88,859.
  45. ^ Beaten 2–1 in the Glasgow Cup final by Rangers.
  46. ^ Lost the Glasgow Merchants' Charity Cup on 7–4 corner count to Rangers after 0–0 draw at Hampden Park.
  47. ^ The official Scottish Football League was suspended after five rounds of games due to the outbreak of the Second World War. Lanark were 9th in the table at the time. To replace the Football League, unofficial competitions were held, with Third Lanark being placed in the War Emergency League West Division for 1939–40.
  48. ^ The unofficial wartime competitions were reorganised for the 1940–41 season, with a Southern Football League and Cup created. This format remained the same until 1945.
  49. ^ Beaten 5–2 by Rangers in the Glasgow Cup final.
  50. ^ Lost 3–0 to Celtic in Glasgow Merchants' Charity Cup final at Hampden Park.
  51. ^ With the war at an end, a larger two tier structure was formed for the 1945–46 season, with Third Lanark placed in the A Division. The Scottish Football League officially resumed in 1946.
  52. ^ Lost 2–1 in the Glasgow Cup final to Clyde.
  53. ^ Lost second successive Glasgow Cup final, being beaten 4–1 by Rangers.
  54. ^ Beaten in third successive Glasgow Cup final, this time losing 3–1 to Celtic in front of a competition record crowd of 87,000 at Hampden Park.
  55. ^ Played out a 2–2 draw with Clyde in the Glasgow Merchants' Charity Cup final at Hampden Park. Clyde and Third Lanark shared the trophy, each retaining it for six months.
  56. ^ Lost 3–0 in the Glasgow Cup final to Rangers.
  57. ^ Won the Glasgow Merchants' Charity Cup, beating Rangers 1–0 in the final at Hampden Park.
  58. ^ Won the Glasgow Merchants' Charity Cup, beating Partick Thistle 4–2 in the final at Hampden Park.
  59. ^ Lost 4–2 in Glasgow Cup final replay to Rangers. The original tie ended 1–1.
  60. ^ Thirds last major cup final resulted in a 2–1 defeat to Hearts in the 1959 Scottish League Cup final at Hampden Park.
  61. ^ Beaten 3–2 in Glasgow Cup final replay by Celtic after 1–1 draw in original tie.
  62. ^ Between 1962 and 1966 (when the competition was discontinued) the Glasgow Merchants' Charity Cup was competed for by a Glasgow Select XI and an invited English club.
  63. ^ France won the last edition of the Franco-Scottish trophy by winning the series, 2 aggregate victories to 1. Third Lanark lost their tie 6–1 on aggregate to Rouen.
  64. ^ Won the Glasgow Cup for the fourth and final time, beating Celtic 2–1. This was to be Thirds last cup triumph.
  65. ^ Glasgow Cup competition was not completed in 1965–66. Third Lanark won their first round tie before the competition stopped.
  66. ^ A winding up order was issued to Third Lanark on 7 June 1967 and the club's membership of the Scottish Football League ceased on 26 June 1967, with all remaining players made available for transfer.
  67. ^ Division One totals include all top tier seasons from 1890–1939 and since 1946. The incomplete 1939–40 edition has not been counted in the totals.
  68. ^ Division Two totals include all second tier seasons from 1893–1915, 1921–1939 and since 1946.
  69. ^ War league totals include all seasons from 1939–40 to 1945–46, when the Scottish Football League was suspended for the Second World War.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d Ron McKay (28 April 2017). "Third Lanark, and how Glasgow's lost football club perished through greed and corruption". Glasgow Live. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  2. ^ a b Murray Scougall (22 January 2018). "Players reveal greed, grudge and treachery behind the fall of famous Third Lanark football club". Sunday Post. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  3. ^ "Third Lanark". fchd.info.
  4. ^ "All known Glasgow Cup results, 1887 to 1989" (PDF). glasgowfa.co.uk. Retrieved 4 April 2025.
  5. ^ "Glasgow Merchants' Charity Cup". sfha.org.uk. Retrieved 4 April 2025.
  6. ^ "Scotland – List of Topscorers". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. 7 June 2018. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  7. ^ "Scottish Cup – Past Winners". Scottish Football Association. Retrieved 19 August 2018.
  8. ^ "Victory Cup". Scottish Football Historical Archive. Archived from the original on 11 August 2018. Retrieved 19 August 2018.

Sources

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