Willie Rankin (footballer, born 1900)

William Rankin (20 March 1900 – 1968) was a Scottish footballer who played as a centre half for Dundee, Blackburn Rovers and Charlton Athletic.[1][2]

William Rankin
Personal information
Full name William Rankin
Date of birth 20 March 1900
Place of birth Jamestown, Scotland
Date of death 1968
Place of death Burton upon Trent, England
Position(s) Centre half
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Parkhead
1922–1927 Dundee 155 (2)
1927–1932 Blackburn Rovers 144 (4)
1932–1933 Charlton Athletic 26 (0)
Burton Town
Total 325 (6)
International career
1926 Scottish League XI 1 (0)
Managerial career
Burton Town
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

With Dundee he took part in two tours of Spain,[3] finished on the losing side in the 1925 Scottish Cup Final,[4] and was selected for the Scottish Football League XI in 1926.[5] In his first season after moving to England with Football League First Division Blackburn, he won the FA Cup in 1928.[6][7] He moved on to Second Division Charlton in March 1932,[8] but was part of the team relegated in 1932–33, after which he retired from the professional game and became as player-manager of Burton Town, signing several other Scots including Alex Hair,[9] John Torbet and former Dundee and Charlton teammate Johnnie Rankin (no relation). His post ended before June 1937, when he is known to have taken over the Devonshire Arms pub in Burton upon Trent.[10]

References edit

  1. ^ Rankine Willie Image 1 Dundee 1925, Vintage Footballers
  2. ^ John Litster (October 2012). "A Record of pre-war Scottish League Players". Scottish Football Historian magazine. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. ^ Dundee beat Real Madrid and Barcelona amid lemons, guns and rammies, George Cran, Evening Telegraph, 2 August 2018
  4. ^ Scottish Cup Final: Celtic Win Trophy For Eleventh Time, Glasgow Herald, 13 April 1925, via The Celtic Wiki
  5. ^ "[SFL player] Willie Rankine". London Hearts Supporters Club. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  6. ^ Who Invented the Stepover?: and other crucial football conundrums (page 89); Paul Simpson, Uli Hesse; Profile Books, 2013; ISBN 9781847658425
  7. ^ Historic programme from Blackburn Rovers' 1928 FA Cup win fetches hundreds Vanessa Sims, Lancashire Telegraph, 21 May 2015
  8. ^ Season 1931-32, Into The Valley | Charlton Athletic Historical Stats
  9. ^ Douglas Gorman (13 October 2019). "Goals wherever he went: The Alex Hair Story" (PDF). Scottish Sport History. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  10. ^ "Clipped From Derby Evening Telegraph". Derby Evening Telegraph. 4 June 1937. p. 9. Retrieved 20 April 2023.