| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | James Scotland Symon | ||
| Date of birth | (1911-05-09)9 May 1911 | ||
| Place of birth | Errol,Perthshire, Scotland | ||
| Date of death | 30 April 1985(1985-04-30) (aged 73) | ||
| Place of death | Glasgow, Scotland | ||
| Position | Wing half | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1930–1935 | Dundee | 150 | (2) |
| 1935–1938 | Portsmouth | 66 | (6) |
| 1938–1947 | Rangers | 32 | (3) |
| International career | |||
| 1938 | Scotland | 1 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1947–1953 | East Fife | ||
| 1953–1954 | Preston North End | ||
| 1954–1967 | Rangers | ||
| 1968–1970 | Partick Thistle | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
James Scotland Symon (9 May 1911 – 30 April 1985) was a Scottishfootball player and manager. He also playedcricket for Scotland.
Symon started his professional career atDundee in 1930. He then spent three years with English teamPortsmouth before signing forRangers in 1938. He also won aScotland cap in 1938 againstHungary.[1] He only played 37 Scottish League games for Rangers but helped the club win theleague title in 1939.[2]
His career was then interrupted by the onset ofWorld War II; during the conflict he continued to play for Rangers and made over 250 appearances inunofficial competitions[2] (almost all of which the club won). Symon retired from playing in 1947, making his final appearance a few weeks before his 36th birthday and securing the official league championship again in hisfinal season.[2]
Symon played cricket forScotland in 1938, taking fiveAustralianwickets for just 33 runs.[1]
He returned to Rangers in 1954 as a manager, where he would steer the team to six League championships, five Scottish Cups, and four League Cups.[3] He also took the club into European football for the first time, guiding them to twoCup Winners' Cup finals in1961 and1967, both ending in defeat.[4][5]
Symon was the Rangers manager when theylost to Berwick Rangers in the Scottish Cup on 28 January 1967. When Symon was sensationally sacked by Rangers in November 1967 (in spite of the team leading the league table at that point), he was told of the decision by an accountant.[3] Symon was the manager who signedSir Alex Ferguson for Rangers.
