Willie Thornton

William Thornton MM (3 March 1920 – 26 August 1991) was a Scottish footballer and manager. Thornton's entire senior playing career was spent with Rangers, and Thornton is considered to be one of the greatest players in the club's history.

For other people with the same name, see William Thornton (disambiguation).

Willie Thornton
Personal information
Full name Willam Thornton
Date of birth (1920-03-03)3 March 1920
Place of birth Winchburgh, Scotland
Date of death 26 August 1991(1991-08-26) (aged 71)
Position(s) Striker
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1936–1954 Rangers 219 (138)
International career
1946–1952 Scotland 8 (1)
1949 Scottish Football League XI[1] 1 (0)
Managerial career
1954–1959 Dundee
1959–1968 Partick Thistle
1969 Rangers (caretaker)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Football career

Thornton played for Rangers from 1936 to 1954, then became a manager with first Dundee and then Partick Thistle. Thornton later returned to Rangers as assistant manager to Davie White in the summer of 1968 and was briefly caretaker manager in 1969 after White's dismissal. Thornton then worked as assistant to William Waddell until 1972. The club won the two matches when Thornton was in charge. Thornton is one of Scotland's all-time top goalscorers, with 138 league goals.

Military career

Thornton served in World War II in the Scottish Horse fighting in the Italian campaign at the battle of Anzio, and winning the Military Medal for his bravery during the invasion of Sicily.[2] Later in the war, Thornton played football for a British Eighth Army team that also included George Hamilton and Tom Finney.[3]

Death

Thornton died on 26 August 1991, aged 71 years old.

Honours

Manager
Dundee

References
  1. "Willie Thornton - Scotland Football League Record from 23 Mar 1949 to 23 Mar 1949 clubs - Rangers".
  2. "Has a referee ever been sent off?". TheGuardian.com. 31 March 2009.
  3. Rippon, Anton (21 October 2011). Gas Masks for Goal Posts: Football in Britain During the Second World War. The History Press. ISBN 9780752471884.
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