List of Third Lanark A.C. seasons

This is a list of Third Lanark A.C. seasons in Scottish football, from their foundation in 1872 to their dissolution in 1967. It details the club's achievements in senior league and cup competitions and the top scorers for each season. The list of top scorers also chronicles how the club's scoring records have progressed throughout the club's history.

Third Lanark were formed in 1872, playing at the original Cathkin Park in Glasgow's Crosshill neighbourhood. The club soon became members of the Scottish Football Association and initially began competing in the Scottish Cup from its first season. They played in the inaugural season of the Scottish Football League, in 1890–91. In their early years, Thirds existed in the shadow of their neighbours Queen's Park, and even took over the Spiders home ground Hampden Park in 1903 – renaming it New Cathkin Park – when Queen's Park moved out to a larger replacement further south which (was also named Hampden Park and is the earliest version of the extant stadium bearing that name). By the time of the stadium move, Third Lanark had already won the Scottish Cup (1889) and celebrated their new surroundings by winning the League Championship for what would prove to be the only time.^[1][2] Another cup win followed in 1905, but from then on, major honours would elude them as the other Glasgow clubs Rangers and Celtic became increasingly more successful and popular, although they reached further finals and maintained their presence in the top division for the majority of the next 60 years.

Third Lanark reached the 1959 Scottish League Cup Final, losing to Heart of Midlothian, and finished in third place in the 1960–61 Scottish League.^[1] However, despite winning the Glasgow Cup and building a new stand at their ground in 1963 they suffered relegation two years later, and a drop in spectator numbers and financial mismanagement and possible embezzlement led to them being liquidated just two years later in 1967.^[1][2] Their rapid demise was in stark contrast to the fortunes of their old Glasgow rivals that year, as Celtic finished that season as European champions, Rangers also reached the final of the Cup Winners' Cup and Clyde finished in third place behind the Old Firm. The Cathkin park ground still exists as a municipal park surrounded by crumbling remains of the terracing.^[1]

Seasons

Key

Champions

Runners-up

3rd / Semi-final

Promoted

Relegated

Season	League		Scottish Cup	League Cup	Other	Top scorer
	Division	Position
1873–74	N/A	N/A	Quarter-final	N/A	N/A	Unknown	Unknown
1874–75	N/A	N/A	Quarter-final	N/A	N/A	Unknown	Unknown
1875–76	N/A	N/A	Runners-up	N/A	N/A	Unknown	Unknown
1876–77	N/A	N/A	Third round	N/A	N/A	Unknown	Unknown
1877–78	N/A	N/A	Runners-up	N/A	N/A	Unknown	Unknown
1878–79	N/A	N/A	Fifth round	N/A	N/A	Unknown	Unknown
1879–80	N/A	N/A	First round	N/A	N/A	Unknown	Unknown
1880–81	N/A	N/A	First round	N/A	N/A	Unknown	Unknown
1881–82	N/A	N/A	First round	N/A	N/A	Unknown	Unknown
1882–83	N/A	N/A	Quarter-final	N/A	N/A	Unknown	Unknown
1883–84	N/A	N/A	Second round	N/A	N/A	Unknown	Unknown
1884–85	N/A	N/A	Third round	N/A	N/A	Unknown	Unknown
1885–86	N/A	N/A	Semi-final	N/A	N/A	Unknown	Unknown
1886–87	N/A	N/A	Sixth round	N/A	N/A	Unknown	Unknown
1887–88	N/A	N/A	First round	N/A	N/A	Unknown	Unknown
1888–89	N/A	N/A	Winners	N/A	N/A	Unknown	Unknown
1889–90	N/A	N/A	Semi-final	N/A	Charity Cup Winners	Unknown	Unknown
1890–91	Scottish Football League.^[a]	5th	Semi-final	N/A	Glasgow Cup Runners-up	Unknown	Unknown
1891–92	Scottish Football League^[a]	6th=	Sixth round	N/A	N/A	Unknown	Unknown
1892–93	Scottish Football League^[a]	4th	Quarter-final	N/A	N/A	Unknown	Unknown
1893–94	Division One	7th	Semi-final	N/A	N/A	Unknown	Unknown
1894–95	Division One	4th	First round	N/A	N/A	Unknown	Unknown
1895–96	Division One	6th=	Quarter-final	N/A	N/A	Unknown	Unknown
1896–97	Division One	8th	Quarter-final	N/A	N/A	Unknown	Unknown
1897–98	Division One	5th=	Semi-final	N/A	Charity Cup Winners	Unknown	Unknown
1898–99	Division One	6th	Second round	N/A	N/A	Unknown	Unknown
1899–1900	Division One	6th=	Quarter-final	N/A	N/A	Unknown	Unknown
1900–01	Division One	5th=	Quarter-final	N/A	Inter City Football League Winners Charity Cup Winners	Unknown	Unknown
1901–02	Division One	4th	Second round	N/A	Glasgow International Exhibition Cup Semi-final	William Maxwell	10^[b]
1902–03^[c]	Division One	7th	Quarter-final	N/A	Glasgow Cup Winners	Unknown	Unknown
1903–04^[d]	Division One	1st	Semi-final	N/A	Glasgow Football League Winners Glasgow Cup Winners	Unknown	Unknown
1904–05	Division One	3rd	Winners	N/A	Glasgow Football League winners	Unknown	Unknown
1905–06	Division One	6th	Runners-up	N/A	Glasgow Cup Runners-up	Unknown	Unknown
1906–07	Division One	6th	Second round	N/A	Glasgow Cup Runners-up	Unknown	Unknown
1907–08	Division One	9th	First round	N/A	N/A	Unknown	Unknown
1908–09	Division One	12th	Quarter-final	N/A	Glasgow Cup Winners	Unknown	Unknown
1909–10	Division One	7th	Second round	N/A	N/A	Unknown	Unknown
1910–11	Division One	7th	First round	N/A	N/A	Unknown	Unknown
1911–12	Division One	11th	Semi-final	N/A	N/A	Unknown	Unknown
1912–13	Division One	15th	Second round	N/A	N/A	Unknown	Unknown
1913–14	Division One	8th	Semi-final	N/A	Glasgow Cup Runners-up	Unknown	Unknown
1914–15	Division One	16th	N/A^[e]	N/A	War Fund Shield Quarter-final	Unknown	Unknown
1915–16	Division One	16th	N/A^[e]	N/A	N/A	Unknown	Unknown
1916–17	Division One	5th	N/A^[e]	N/A	N/A	Unknown	Unknown
1917–18	Division One	13th	N/A^[e]	N/A	War Fund Shield Qualifying Round	Unknown	Unknown
1918–19	Division One	12th	N/A^[e]	N/A	Victory Cup Second round^[5]	Unknown	Unknown
1919–20	Division One	8th	Quarter-final	N/A		Unknown	Unknown
1920–21	Division One	8th	First round	N/A	N/A	Unknown	Unknown
1921–22	Division One	9th	Second round	N/A	N/A	Unknown	Unknown
1922–23	Division One	17th	Semi-final	N/A	N/A	Unknown	Unknown
1923–24	Division One	18th	First round	N/A	Glasgow Cup Runners-up	Unknown	Unknown
1924–25	Division One	20th	First round	N/A	N/A	Unknown	Unknown
1925–26	Division Two	6th	Quarter-final	N/A	N/A	Unknown	Unknown
1926–27	Division Two	4th	First round	N/A	N/A	Unknown	Unknown
1927–28	Division Two	2nd	Second round	N/A	N/A	Unknown	Unknown
1928–29	Division One	19th	Second round	N/A	N/A	Unknown	Unknown
1929–30	Division Two	4th	First round	N/A	N/A	Unknown	Unknown
1930–31	Division Two	1st	Quarter-final	N/A	N/A	Unknown	Unknown
1931–32	Division One	4th	First round	N/A	N/A	Unknown	Unknown
1932–33	Division One	13th	Second round	N/A	N/A	Unknown	Unknown
1933–34	Division One	19th	Second round	N/A	N/A	Unknown	Unknown
1934–35	Division Two	1st	Second round	N/A	N/A	Unknown	Unknown
1935–36	Division One	9th	Runners-up	N/A	N/A	Unknown	Unknown
1936–37	Division One	6th	Second round	N/A	N/A	Unknown	Unknown
1937–38	Division One	9th	First round	N/A	Glasgow Cup Runners-up	Unknown	Unknown
1938–39	Division One	15th	Quarter-final	N/A	N/A	Unknown	Unknown
1939–40	Emergency League West^[f]	12th	N/A^[e]	N/A	Emergency Cup Second round	Unknown	Unknown
1940–41	Southern League^[f]	13th	N/A^[e]	Southern League Cup Group stage	Summer Cup Second round^[6]	Unknown	Unknown
1941–42	Southern League^[f]	8th	N/A^[e]	Southern League Cup Group stage	Summer Cup Second round^[6]	Unknown	Unknown
1942–43	Southern League^[f]	13th	N/A^[e]	Southern League Cup Semi-final	Summer Cup First round^[6] Glasgow Cup Runners-up	Unknown	Unknown
1943–44	Southern League^[f]	16th	N/A^[e]	Southern League Cup Group stage	Summer Cup First round^[6]	Unknown	Unknown
1944–45	Southern League^[f]	12th	N/A^[e]	Southern League Cup Group stage	Summer Cup First round^[6]	Unknown	Unknown
1945–46	Southern League^[f]	9th	N/A^[e]	Southern League Cup Group stage	Victory Cup Second round^[5]	Unknown	Unknown
1946–47	Division A	9th	Third round	Group stage	Glasgow Cup Runners-up	Bobby Mitchell	22^[b]
1947–48	Division A	11th	Second round	Group stage	Glasgow Cup Runners-up	Unknown	Unknown
1948–49	Division A	7th	Second round	Group stage	Glasgow Cup Runners-up	Unknown	Unknown
1949–50	Division A	12th	Second round	Group stage	N/A	Unknown	Unknown
1950–51	Division A	13th	Second round	Group stage	N/A	Unknown	Unknown
1951–52	Division A	12th	Semi-final	Group stage	Saint Mungo Cup First round Charity Cup Winners (shared)	Unknown	Unknown
1952–53	Division A	16th	Semi-final	Quarter-final	N/A	Unknown	Unknown
1953–54	Division B	3rd	Third round	Quarter-final	Glasgow Cup Runners-up Charity Cup Winners	Unknown	Unknown
1954–55	Division B	5th	Sixth round	Group stage	N/A	Unknown	Unknown
1955–56	Division Two	10th	Fifth round	Group stage	Charity Cup Winners	Unknown	Unknown
1956–57	Division Two	2nd	Fourth round	Group stage	N/A	Unknown	Unknown
1957–58	Division One	14th	Quarter-final	Quarter-final	Glasgow Cup Runners-up	Unknown	Unknown
1958–59	Division One	11th	Semi-final	Group stage		Unknown	Unknown
1959–60	Division One	12th	First round	Runners-up	N/A	Unknown	Unknown
1960–61	Division One	3rd	Third round	Group stage	N/A	Alex Harley	42^[b]
1961–62	Division One	11th	Quarter-final	Group stage	Glasgow Cup Runners-up Franco-Scottish Friendship Cup	Unknown	Unknown
1962–63	Division One	14th	Third round	Group stage	Glasgow Cup Winners	Unknown	Unknown
1963–64	Division One	16th	First round	Group stage	Summer Cup Group stage^[6]	Unknown	Unknown
1964–65	Division One	18th	Second round	Group stage	Summer Cup Group stage^[6]	Unknown	Unknown
1965–66	Division Two	14th	First round	Second round	N/A	Unknown	Unknown
1966–67	Division Two	11th	Preliminary round 2	Group stage	N/A	Unknown	Unknown
1967–68	Club dissolved.

1. The league had only one division until the 1893–94 season
2. League goals only; top scorer in division.^[3]
3. Final season playing home fixtures at 'Old' Cathkin Park.
4. First season playing home fixtures at 'New' Cathkin Park, although some matches were played at the new Hampden Park in the first season due to building work at Cathkin.
5. The Scottish Cup was not held in the 1914–15, 1915–16, 1916–17, 1917–18 or 1918–19 seasons due to World War I, or the 1939–40, 1940–41, 1941–42, 1942–43, 1943–44, 1944–45 or 1945–46 seasons due to World War II.^[4]
6. The official Scottish Football League was suspended from 1939 to 1946 due to World War II. Unofficial competitions were held.

League performance summary

The Scottish Football League was founded in 1890 and, other than during seven years of hiatus during World War II,^[a] the national top division has been played every season since.^[b] The following is a summary of Third Lanark's divisional status until their dissolution in 1967:

• 70 total eligible seasons
• 58 seasons in top level^[c]
• 12 seasons in second level^[d]

1. The incomplete 1939–40 edition has not been counted in the totals.
2. The top tier became the Scottish Premier League in 1998, and all four divisions became the Scottish Professional Football League in 2013.
3. Has existed between 1890–1939, and since 1946.
4. Has existed between 1893–1915, 1921–1939 and since 1946.

References

1. Ron McKay (28 April 2017). "Third Lanark, and how Glasgow's lost football club perished through greed and corruption". Glasgow Live. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
2. Murray Scougall (22 January 2018). "Players reveal greed, grudge and treachery behind the fall of famous Third Lanark football club". Sunday Post. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
3. "Scotland – List of Topscorers". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. 7 June 2018. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
4. "Scottish Cup – Past Winners". Scottish Football Association. Retrieved 19 August 2018.
5. . Scottish Football Historical Archive. Archived from the original on 11 August 2018. Retrieved 19 August 2018.
6. . Scottish Football Historical Archive. Archived from the original on 11 August 2018. Retrieved 11 August 2018.

Sources

• Soccerbase
• FitbaStats
• Football Club History Database