Eddie Rutherford, who has died aged 86, was one of the members of Rangers' legendary Iron Curtain side, which achieved Scottish football's first treble of league championship, Scottish Cup and Scottish League Cup in 1949.
Those who saw him play tell of a tremendous player. The Govan-born winger signed as a 20-year-old from local amateur side Mossvale in 1941.
He was then a commercial traveller for a firm of chemists, but the newcomer barely had time to settle-in at Ibrox before he exchanged Rangers' blue strip for the sky blue of an RAF uniform. His war-time service took him south, where he impressed as a guest player with Leeds United, Bradford City and Lincoln City.
Returning to Rangers after demob, he won the first of his seven medals (two league championship, three Scottish Cup and two League Cup) as Rangers beat Aberdeen 4-0 to win the new League Cup at Hampden in 1947.
That medal, like three of his four cup-winning medals, was won as an outside right - his natural position - but with Willie Waddell already in place as Rangers' first-choice number seven, Rutherford successfully adapted to playing outside left as he notched up 140 first team appearances in his five and a half seasons with Rangers, scoring 28 goals in the process.
Bill Struth's tactical plan for the Rangers team was a simple one - get the long ball from the back to Waddell or Rutherford, whose remit was to hit the by-line and cross for Willie Thornton. He was to either head home or knock the ball down for the inside forwards, usually Jimmy Duncanson and Billy Williamson, to score.
While not as celebrated as a provider of quality crosses as Waddell on the opposite flank, Rutherford claimed his fair share of "assists" during his Rangers career.
Competition from such Scottish legends as Waddell, Gordon Smith and Billy Liddell meant Rutherford was restricted to just one appearance for Scotland, replacing Smith, who was moved to centre forward, for a 3-0 loss to France in Paris during a continental tour in May, 1948.
The following season was the high-point of Rutherford's career as Rangers bagged that first domestic treble, with Rutherford a virtual ever- present during the season, missing just three matches.
He remained at the club until November 1951, when, aged 30 and under pressure from the young South African import Johnny Hubbard for the number 11 shirt, he was transferred to Hearts.
His four years at Tynecastle were interrupted by a string of injuries and he was restricted to just 50 first team games, scoring a further 15 goals in the course of these matches.
However, as one of the senior professionals at the club, he played his part in the development of the great young players such as Dave Mackay, Alex Young and Ian Crawford who were to be a big part in the Gorgie club's golden era from 1955 on.
His Hearts career ended in January, 1955, when Raith Rovers paid £500 to take him to Stark's Park, but at the end of that season he came back to the west of Scotland to play out his career with Hamilton Acadmical, whom he served for a single season.
On his retirement from football, Rutherford opened a newsagent's shop in Rutherglen.
by Matt Vallance
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