Player Profile : Willie Mathieson (1962 to 1975)
Barca Bear Willie Mathieson was first spotted by Rangers whilst playing for Junior side, St. Andrews United. Although attracting the interest of Preston North End and Fife’s Senior Clubs, there was no decision to be made when the Glasgow giants came calling. Mathieson signed provisional forms with Rangers in 1960 and by the summer of 1962 he clocked into Ibrox, at last a fully fledged Ranger.
Initially under the guidance of Jock ‘Tiger’ Shaw in the Gers third team, Willie progressed to the Reserves learning his trade under the watchful eye of another Rangers Legend, Bob McPhail. A left-sided full back, Willie would later earn the nickname ‘Willie wan fit’ such was his perceived over reliance on keeping the ball on his much favoured left foot.
At 21 years of age, his first team debut arrived on 6th February 1965 during a Scottish Cup tie versus Hamilton Academical at Ibrox. Rangers won the match 3-0 with the Brand and Millar partnership both on target, Jim Forrest netting the third.
With just a handful of appearances over the next two years, Willie missed out on the trip to Germany for the 1967 European Cup Winners Cup Final as Gers narrowly lost to Bayern Munich. Manager Scot Symon opted to take a playing staff of 20 and it was Mathieson and Wilson Wood who were left behind in Scotland.
Willie’s fortunes changed in season 1967/68 as he finally established himself as a first team regular. He would feature 35 times and scored his first goal for the Club on 23rd October 1967 as Dundee were defeated 2-0 at Ibrox. However, his rise to the first team very much coincided with Celtic’s domination under Jock Stein and there would be no major silverware during the remainder of the 1960’s. There were many big occasions and Willie was in the starting line up as Rangers crashed to Celtic in the 1969 Scottish Cup Final under Davie White. Just weeks later, there was further heartache as Newcastle United overcame Rangers in the Inter-City Fairs Cup Semi-Final at St. James’ Park.
With Willie Waddell now in charge, Rangers trophy drought ended in October 1970 but it was Alex Miller occupying the left full-back role at Hampden as the League Cup was secured.
Tragedy and triumph would follow. Mathieson played at Ibrox on 2nd January 1971 in what was the darkest day in the history of Rangers when 66 supporters lost their lives on Stairway 13. Manager Waddell somehow managed to galvanise the Club, the deep sense of loss perhaps helping to unite players, staff and fans alike. By the summer of 1972 Willie Mathieson had secured his first winner’s medal, part of the ‘Barca Bears’ team that defeated Moscow Dynamo. Willie more than played his part and was one of just five players to start all 9 matches in our only European success to date. It would earn Mathieson legendary status.
A Scottish Cup medal would be added the following season as Willie gained some revenge for defeats to Celtic in 1969 & 1971 with a 3-2 win at Hampden in front of 122,714 spectators. It was one of the new players, Tom Forsyth, who would grab the headlines on this occasion with Jock Wallace securing his first trophy as Manager.
A knee injury curtailed Willie in season 1974/75 and he was restricted to just two league cup appearances right at the start of the season. The second of those, his final ever appearance for Rangers, came at Easter Road on 10th August 1974. That game ended in defeat but when Rangers returned to the same ground the following March there were scenes of jubilation as the Championship was secured for the first time since 1964. Willie would leave Ibrox that summer having made 274 appearances over more than a 13-year period.
On leaving Rangers, Willie headed to Arbroath before returning to his native Fife with Raith Rovers. He never quite managed to fully recover from injury and eventually moved into coaching, working alongside fellow ‘Barca Bear’ Dave Smith who was by now in the managerial hotseat at Berwick Rangers. They enjoyed relative success, winning the old Second Division (third tier) Championship in 1979.
Having moved into an electrical firm in Edinburgh, Willie was unable to combine the two careers and so turned his back on football.
Willie Mathieson may very much be an unsung hero but his place in the history was secured in 1972 and cemented in 2007 when he was inducted into the Rangers FC Hall of Fame.
By Rick Plews
