Rare Rangers war time trophy to go under the hammer

A silver cup won by Rangers legend James ‘Scot’ Symon during World War II will be one of the highlights of McTear’s Sporting Medals & Trophies auction on 5 November. 

The Southern Scottish League Emergency Cup 1940/41 was an unofficial competition set up by the SFA to allow football to continue to be played during the turbulent war years.  A trophy from this period has never come to auction before and specialists believe it could fetch £5,000.

Despite a decorated playing career Scot Symon is perhaps better known as the successor to legendary manager Bill Struth.  From 1954 to 1967, Symon steered the Club to six League championships, five Scottish Cups, and four League Cups, whilst also taking Rangers to two European Cup Winners Cup finals in 1961 and 1967.

Commenting on the auction, James Bruce from McTear’s said: “This really is a true piece of Scottish football history and one that evokes strong memories of the turbulent war years and the efforts that were made to keep the Scottish population’s spirits up through the introduction of an unofficial football league.  

“Nothing from this era has ever come to auction before and this combined with the significance of the recipient player, are sure to generate significant interest when the trophy comes to auction on 5^th November.” 

Scot Symon notched up 37 league games for Rangers, although this greatly understates the significance of the player, with the talented wing-half playing a total of 250 unofficial games in the Southern League and the Southern League Cup during the war years.  

Between 1940 and 1945, a dominant Rangers won all six Southern League titles and four of the six Southern League Cups.  The 24cm high twin-handled silver trophy being offered at McTear’s is from the first of the League Cup competitions, which Rangers won by beating Hearts 4-2 in a replayed final in front of a 90,000 crowd at Hampden Park.  

Following Symon’s tenure at Rangers he spent a period as a board director at Dumbarton and then manager and subsequently Director of Football at Partick Thistle, before retiring.  Scot Symon passed away on 30^th April 1985, aged 73.

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 McTear’s is Scotland’s only auction house to host a Sporting Medals & Trophies Auction. For a complimentary, no-obligation valuation contact James Bruce on 0141 810 2880 or james@mctears.co.uk.