The 1982–83 season was the 103rd season of competitive football by Rangers.
Overview Rangers played a total of 57 competitive matches during the 1982–83 season. Greig made big-money signings in the pre-season 1982–83 with renewed hope that they could at least mount a serious title challenge, but once again, the season ended in trophyless failure. Dave MacKinnon - £30,000 from Partick Thistle, Craig Paterson - £200,000 from Hibernian, Robert Prytz from Malmö FF and Sandy Clark from West Ham United, were all welcomed to the club.
The early signs were positive. Rangers reached the 1982 Scottish League Cup Final scoring en route 29 goals in there ten games and eliminated Borussia Dortmund from the UEFA Cup. The opening eight league games saw the side unbeaten but the final match saw Rangers lying in fourth, a massive eighteen points behind champions Dundee United. The team was knocked out of Europe after suffering a 5–0 defeat from Cologne. The 1983 Scottish Cup Final was lost to an Aberdeen side that had won the European Cup Winner's Cup ten days earlier, their double allowing Rangers to take Scotland's Cup Winners' Cup berth for the following season.
Results All results are written with Rangers' score first.
Scottish Premier Division DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 4 September 1982MotherwellA2–219,159Prytz (pen), Redford 11 September 1982Dundee UnitedH0–022,000 18 September 1982KilmarnockH5–017,350MacDonald (2), Russell, Johnstone, McClelland 25 September 1982AberdeenA2–120,300Johnstone, Prytz 2 October 1982DundeeH1–118,100Johnstone 9 October 1982Greenock MortonA0–011,500 16 October 1982St. MirrenA2–212,121Bett, MacKinnon 23 October 1982HibernianH3–216,250Johnstone (2), McNamara (og) 30 October 1982CelticA2–360,408Prytz, Cooper 6 November 1982MotherwellH4–017,000MacDonald (2), Dalziel (2) 13 November 1982Dundee UnitedA2–416,470Cooper, Johnstone 20 November 1982KilmarnockA0–09,194 27 November 1982AberdeenH0–127,000 11 December 1982Greenock MortonH1–19,500Prytz (pen) 18 December 1982St. MirrenH1–010,500MacDonald 27 December 1982HibernianA0–015,900 1 January 1983CelticH1–245,000Black 3 January 1983MotherwellA0–311,383 8 January 1983Dundee UnitedH2–115,500Prytz, Kennedy 15 January 1983KilmarnockH1–111,223MacDonald 22 January 1983AberdeenA0–221,600 5 February 1983DundeeH1–18,500McPherson 12 February 1983Greenock MortonA5–06,900Bett (2), Kennedy (2), MacDonald 26 February 1983St. MirrenA0–111,484 2 March 1983DundeeA0–16,624 5 March 1983HibernianH1–110,975Dalziel 19 March 1983MotherwellH1–018,000McClelland 23 March 1983CelticA0–051,062 26 March 1983KilmarnockA1–06,648MacDonald 2 April 1983Dundee UnitedA1–314,142Clark 9 April 1983AberdeenH2–119,800Redford, Bett 23 April 1983Greenock MortonH2–09,500MacDonald, Redford 30 April 1983St. MirrenH4–09,321Bett (2), MacDonald, Clark 4 May 1983DundeeA1–24,788Clark 7 May 1983HibernianA2–110,500Cooper (2) 14 May 1983CelticH2–440,500Clark (2)
UEFA Cup DateRoundOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 15 September 1982 R1Borussia DortmundA0–054,000 29 September 1982 R1Borussia DortmundH2–044,500Cooper, Johnstone 20 October 1982 R2F.C. KölnH2–130,420Johnstone, McClelland 3 November 1982 R2F.C. KölnA0–561,000
Scottish Cup DateRoundOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 29 January 1983R3FalkirkA2–014,700Kennedy, Oliver (og) 19 February 1983R4Forfar AthleticH2–114,500MacDonald (2) 12 March 1983QFQueen's ParkA2–113,716Dalziel, Cooper 16 April 1983SFSt MirrenN1–131,102Clark 19 April 1983SF RSt MirrenN1–025,725Clark 21 May 1983FAberdeenN0–162,979
League Cup DateRoundOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 14 August 1982SRHibernianA1–115,980MacDonald 18 August 1982SRAirdrieoniansH3–19,500Bett, Paterson, Black 21 August 1982SRClydebankA4–17,090MacDonald (2), Prytz, McClelland 25 August 1982SRAirdrieoniansA2–16,476Dalziel, Paterson 28 August 1982SRHibernianH0–017,600 1 September 1982SRClydebankH3–26,300MacDonald, Prytz (pen), Redford 22 September 1982QFKilmarnockA6–17,903Cooper (4), J.MacDonald (2) 6 October 1982QFKilmarnockH6–05,342MacDonald (2), Johnstone (2),McPherson, Bett (pen) 27 October 1982SFHeart of MidlothianH2–025,500D.Cooper, Bett 10 November 1982SFHeart of MidlothianA2–118,983Bett (pen), Johnstone 4 December 1982FCelticN1–255,372Bett
Appearances PlayerPositionAppearancesGoals Jim StewartGK330 Andy BruceGK10 Peter McCloyGK230 Dave MacKinnonDF501 Ally DawsonDF400 John McClellandDF564 Craig PatersonDF362 Jim BettMF5611 Davie CooperMF4911 Robert PrytzMF487 Colin McAdamDF120 Ian RedfordMF544 John MacDonaldFW4720 Derek JohnstoneFW2611 Bobby RussellMF331 Billy MacKayMF70 Kenny BlackMF232 Dave McPhersonDF272 Gregor StevensDF150 Doug RobertsonFW50 Gordon DalzielMF225 Andy KennedyFW184 Gordon SmithFW30 Billy DaviesMF80 Kenny LyallMF60 Sandy ClarkFW137 Alex MillerDF20
League table
See also 1982–83 in Scottish football 1982–83 Scottish Cup 1982–83 Scottish League Cup 1982–83 UEFA Cup
References