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, where known.

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 in 1873. They played in the inaugural season of the Scottish Football League, in 1890–91 where they finished in 5th place. 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 (in 1889) and celebrated their new surroundings by winning the League Championship for what would prove to be the only time in the 1903–04 season. 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. However, despite winning the Glasgow Cup for the fourth time and building a new stand at their ground in 1963, they suffered relegation two years later. A drop in spectator numbers and financial mismanagement and possible embezzlement led to them being liquidated just two years later in 1967. 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 club's Cathkin Park home still exists as a municipal park surrounded by crumbling remains of the terracing.

Seasons

SeasonLeagueCup / other competitionsTop goalscorer∆DivisionPWDLFAPtsPosScotLgeGlasCharOtherPlayerGls1873–74———QF————W. Dick11874–75———QF——————1875–76———F——————1876–77———R3——R1———1877–78———F——R1———1878–79———R5——R1———1879–80———R1——DNE———1880–81———R1——DNE———1881–82———R1——DNE———1882–83———QF——DNE———1883–84———R2——F———1884–85———R3——DNE———1885–86———SF——DNER2——1886–87———R6——DNER2——1887–88———R1—R1DNE———1888–89———W—R3R1———1889–90———SF—R3W———1890–911SFL188373839155thSF—FDNE———1891–921SFL22859444721=6thR6—R1DNE———1892–931SFL189185440194thQF—SFR1———1893–941Div 1187383745177thSF—QFR1———1894–951Div 11810175139214thR1—R2R1———1895–961Div 1187110475115=6thQF—R2R13rd——1896–971Div 11851122946118thQF—R1F4th——1897–981Div 118828373818=5thSF—SFW5th——1898–991Div 1187383338176thR2—SFR14th——1899–19001Div 118558313815=6thQF—R1R12nd——1900–011Div 120668202918=5thQF—SFW1st——1901–021Div 1187563026194thR2—SFSF4thWilliam Maxwell101902–031Div 1228593427217thQF—WSF3rd——1903–041Div 12620336126431stSF—WSF1st——1904–051Div 12614756028353rdW—SFSF1st——1905–061Div 130162126239346thF—FSF———1906–071Div 134159105748396thR2—FSF———1907–081Div 134137144550339thR1—SFR1———1908–091Div 13411101356493212thQF—WSF———1909–101Div 134167115953397thR2—SFF———1910–111Div 134167115953398thR5—SFSF———1911–121Div 1341271540573111thSF—SFR1———1912–131Div 1348121431412815thR2—R1SF———1913–141Div 1381310154251368thSF—FF———1914–151Div 13810121651573216th——R1SFQF——1915–161Div 1389111838562917th——SFR1———1916–171Div 138191185337495th——SFR1———1917–181Div 1341071756622713th——SFSFQR——1918–191Div 1341191460603112th——R1R1R2——1919–201Div 1421611155762438thQF—SFR1———1920–211Div 142196177461448thR1—R1R1———1921–221Div 1421712135852469thR2—SFSF———1922–231Div 1381181940593017thSF—SFSF———1923–241Div 1381181954783018thR1—FR1———1924–251Div 1381181953843020th ()R1—SFR1———1925–262Div 238198117247466thQF—R1SF———1926–272Div 2381710116748444thR1—R1R1———1927–282Div 238189119966452nd ()R2—SFSF———1928–291Div 13810622711022619th ()R2—SFSF———1929–302Div 23823699253524thR1—R1SF———1930–312Div 238277410742611st ()QF—R1R1———1931–321Div 138214139281464thR1—R1F———1932–331Div 1381471770803513thR2—SFR1———1933–341Div 1388921621032519th ()R2—R1SF———1934–352Div 23423659443521st ()R2—R1R1———1935–361Div 138145196371339thF—SFR1———1936–371Div 138206127961466thR2—R1R1———1937–381Div 1381113146873359thR1—FSF———1938–391Div 1381281880963215thQF—R1F———1939–40—ELW301051553782512th——SFR1R2——1940–41—South30971456802513th—Grp4thR1SFR2——1941–42—South30142147990308th—Grp4thR1R1R2——1942–43—South30841858832013th—SFFFR1——1943–44—South307320601001716th—Grp4thSFR1R1——1944–45—South301131655652512th—Grp3rdSFR1R1——1945–46—A Div30142146368309th—Grp3rdR1SFR2——1946–471Div A30116135664289thR3Grp4thFSF—Bobby Mitchell221947–481Div A301061456732611thR2Grp4thFSF———1948–491Div A30135125652317thR2Grp3rdFSF———1949–501Div A301131644622512thR2Grp2ndSFSF———1950–511Div A301121740512413thR2Grp2ndR1SF———1951–521Div A30981351622612thSFGrp3rdSF=WR1——1952–531Div A30841852752016th ()SFQFSFSF———1953–542Div B30131077848363rdR3QFFW———1954–552Div B30137106349335thR6Grp2ndR1R1———1955–562Div 2361631780643510thR5Grp3rdSFW———1956–572Div 236243910551512nd ()R4Grp4thSFSF———1957–581Div 1341341769883014thQFQFFR1———1958–591Div 13411101374833211thSFGrp4thSFR1———1959–601Div 1341341775833012thR1FR1SF———1960–611Div 1342021210080423rdR3Grp3rdSFSF—Alex Harley421961–621Div 1341351659603111thQFGrp3rdF—RU——1962–631Div 134981756682614thR3Grp4thW————1963–641Div 134971847742516thR1Grp3rdSF—Grp——1964–651Div 13431302299718th ()R2Grp3rdSF—Grp——1965–662Div 2361281655653214thR1SRn/a————1966–672Div 2381381767783411th2PGrp4thR1————1967–68—Club liquidated (✝)——

Key

Key to divisions SFLScottish Football LeagueDiv 1Scottish Football League Division OneDiv 2Scottish Football League Division TwoDiv AScottish Football League Division ADiv BScottish Football League Division BELWWar Emergency League West DivisionSouthWar Southern Football LeagueA DivWar A Division

Key to league positioncolour codes and symbols 1stLeague champions(top tier only)2ndLeague runners-up(top tier only)3rdLeague third place(top tier only)()Promoted as champions()Promoted()Relegated

Key to cup colour codesand rounds WWinnersFFinalists / runners-upSFSemi-finalsQFQuarter-finalsR1First round, etc.SRSupplementary round1PFirst preliminary round, etc.GrpGroup stage4thPosition in group stage

League performance summary

The Scottish Football League was founded in 1890 and, other than during seven years of hiatus during the Second World War, the national top division has been played every season since.

Over the course of 77 completed league seasons, Third Lanark competed in 58 seasons of the Scottish Football League Division One (1890–1925, 1928–29, 1931–34, 1935–39, 1946–53 and 1957–65), 12 seasons of the Scottish Football League Division Two (1925–28, 1929–31, 1934–35, 1953–57 and 1965–67) and seven seasons of wartime competition (1939–46).

The following is a summary of Third Lanark's total league performance statistics until their liquidation in 1967:

∆SeaPWDLFAPtsHighLowAvePRDivision One1581,8106673587853,0933,4071,6731st20th10th—5Division Two212430218851279796545211st14th5th4—War Leagues—721076261114245641728th16th12th——Total—772,4509614691,0234,4964,6252,366———45

Notes

References

Sources Soccerbase FitbaStats Football Club History Database