Davie Wilson

 

Rangers

Scottish League 228 games 98 goals

Scottish Cup 38 games 24 goals

League Cup: 71 games 28 goals

Europe: 37 games 10 goals

Total: 374 (369 + 5s) 160 goals

Dundee United

Scottish League: 129 games 20 goals

Scottish Cup: 11 games 3 goals

League Cup: 23 games 4 goals

Europe: 5 games 0 goals

Total: 168 games 27 goals

Dumbarton

Scottish League 48 games 2 goals

Scottish Cup: 4 games 0 goals

League Cup: 8 games 1 goals

Drybrough Cup: 1 games 0 goals

Total: 61 (58 + 3s) 3 goals

Scotland

22 games 9 goals

Scottish League

7 games 3 goals

 

Profile

Davie Wilson was born in Glasgow on January 9th 1939, just a few months before the outbreak of the Second World War. His first club were Ballieston Juniors but spent only a short time there because at the age of 17 he was snapped up by Rangers. He made his first team debut only seven months after signing on January 2nd 1957. He was a replacement for Johnny Hubbard the recognised out side left. Rangers beat Dundee that day 3-1. Davie went onto play five more games that season. He replaced Alex Scott all at outside right. The following season 1957-58 he started in 21 games, He made his debut in the European Cup scoring in the game against French champions St Etienne. He also featured against AC Milan. The following season saw Rangers reclaim the League Championship and Wilson played his part playing 22 out of 43 games. Season 1957-58 saw Wilson claim his place as the first choice left wing role. He played in 47 of the 56 games that year and scored an impressive 22 goals. He scored 7 goals in 7 Scottish cup ties and was part of the team that defeated Kilmarnock 2-0 in the final. He also weighed in with 3 goals in European games as Rangers reached the semi finals of the European Cup. The following year Jim Baxter arrived from Raith Rovers and took Rangers to a new level. Rangers won the League championship and the League Cup. They were also runners up in the European Cup Winners Cup. This season also saw Davie make his debut at International level against Wales on October 22nd against Wales. On the 9th of November he was part of the team that saw his Rangers team mate Ian McColl take on the managers role after Andrew Beattie had resigned so he could concentrate on his role at Nottingham Forrest. Also making there debuts that day were Jim Baxter and Ralph Brand. 1961-62 saw Davie set a new scoring record in a league game against Falkirk at Brockville Rangers thrashed the Bairns 7-1 and Wilson scored 6 goals playing as a forward. A few days later he was in Birmingham with the Scottish League select and scored a hat trick in a 4-3 victory over there English counterparts. back in his familiar role as left winger but this didn't stop him scoring another hat trick for the Scottish League against there English counterparts at Villa Park. He also added a League Cup and Scottish Cup winners medals to his collection. Rangers failure to win there last three league games had cost them the title. They would not make the same mistake the next season and won the championship with 9 points to spare. And also defeated Celtic 3-0 in the Scottish Cup final. Wilson added 32 goals to his already impressive haul. This now gave Wilson 105 goals in 205 games. Which for many is prolific but for a winger almost extraordinary. 1963-64 saw Rangers collect the treble; Wilson was sidelined after breaking his ankle in the League Cup semi final against Celtic. He would sit out four months of the season. But on his return in February he returned where he left off. Scoring 6 goals in his first four games back. Even with a season blighted by injury he still managed 15 goals in 30 games. The League Cup final of the next season again saw Wilson missing out due to injury. Rangers defeated Celtic 2-1. But he was part of the team that defeated Celtic 1-0 at Hampden in the Final Scottish Cup Final. Courtesy of a Kai Johansen goal. In the replay. This was also the year that saw the emergence of Willie Johnstone and gave Davie some competition for the left wing role. The following year it seemed that Willie was winning the battle for the coveted role. Wilson only started 4 games of the first 20 as Johnstone claimed his place in the starting line-up. But when Willie suffered a broken ankle in the disastrous Scottish Cup defeat by Berwick it put Davie back into the team. He played in 13 of the 14 remaining games that season that saw Rangers claim 9 successive victories. On the eve of season 1967-68 Rangers manager Scot Symon made his last piece of transfer business when he allowed Davie to join Dundee United as part of a deal that would see Orjan Persson heading in the opposite direction. Wilson was only 28 years old. It seems remarkable that Symon would let a player of his calibur leave the club. It was an abrupt end to Wilson's Rangers career but 157 goals in 373 games would be a remarkable achievement for any player but for a winger it truly was astonishing. Indeed at that point in history only ten players had scored more than him. R.C. Hamilton, Willie Reid, Andy Cunningham, Jimmy Fleming, Bob McPhail, Jimmy Smith, Willie Thornton, Billy Simpson, Ralph Brand and Jimmy Millar and none of them was a left winger. Wilson at that time was the finest left winger the club had seen since the days of the Wee Blue Devil himself Alan Morton. There will be few players who enjoyed scoring a goal for Rangers more than Davie Wilson. His joy when the ball hit the back of the net proved to all Rangers fans that Davie Wilson was a true blue, Wilson went onto serve Dundee United playing 168 games and scored 27 goals, he then stared for Dumbarton scoring 3 goals in 61 games.