Caledonian Rangers Football Club was a football club from Perth in Scotland.

History

The club was founded in 1886, as a merger of Perth clubs including Pullar's Rangers (the first club in Perth and an offshoot of a rowing club), and it was immediately accepted as a member of the Scottish Football Association.  The club's earliest match was a friendly at home to St Johnstone in August 1886 to raise money for the widow of a railway worker killed in a train accident, and which brought a crowd of 300.

The Rangers entered the Scottish Cup from 1886–87 until 1889–90, but lost in its first tie every time - indeed the club only managed one draw, 4–4 against Erin Rovers in its first appearance.

The club had a little more success in the Perthshire Cup, twice reaching the semi-final, but only once (1888–89) by winning more than 1 tie.  In that season the club came up short by 11 goals to 1 against Fair City Athletics.

The club occasionally played in the invitational Reid Charity Cup, but its final tie in the competition - and its final competitive match - in 1889–90 ended in ignominy.  In the semi-final with St Johnstone, the Rangers went 4–0 down, so goalkeeper Stewart was swapped out to play up front.  With five minutes to go, after he was cautioned for rough play, he was finally sent off, but refused to leave the pitch.  Referee C. C. Don therefore ended the game, which was awarded to the Saints.

With football support in Perth consolidating around St Johnstone and Fair City Athletics, and with the club's ground requisitioned in order to build a sawmill, the Rangers was broken up, and struck from the Scottish Association roll in August 1890.

Colours

The club wore blue jerseys, in different shades; originally dark blue, in 1888–89 light blue, and from 1889 a regular blue.

Ground

The club played at the Caledonian Rangers Ground, at Dovecotland, 4 minutes from the town station.

External links
Scottish Cup results (NB the last entry relates to a different club from Aberdeen)
Perthshire Cup results

References

Football clubs in Scotland
Defunct football clubs in Scotland
Association football clubs established in 1886
Association football clubs disestablished in 1890
1886 establishments in Scotland
1890 disestablishments in Scotland
Sport in Perth, Scotland
Football clubs in Perth and Kinross