A Scottish Cup winner’s medal awarded to Edinburgh-born Rangers and Scotland legend, Willie Woodburn – the last footballer in Britain to receive a life ban for indiscipline – fetched £2700 at auction.
The nine carat gold medal was presented to the tough-tackling centre half following the Ibrox club’s 1-0 win over Greenock Morton in the replayed 1948 final.
Woodburn played a key role in the match, played in front of 133,750 fans at Hampden Park in Glasgow.
His historic winner’s gold medal, featuring a lion rampant and thistle and inscribed on the reverse “Won by W.A. Woodburn Rangers FC”, went under the hammer at McTear’s Sporting Auction in Glasgow.
Another gold medal awarded to Woodburn as part of the Scottish League XI against their English counterparts, inscribed “S V E 1946-47 W. Woodburn”, fetched £2576.
James Bruce, McTear’s sporting specialist, said: “Willie Woodburn made his name as a tough centre half for Rangers, who left everything on the pitch.
“His uncompromising playing style may have earned him a number of official sanctions, but it also helped his club achieve four League Championships and four Scottish Cups.
“The player is a true Rangers legend and these important pieces of memorabilia attracted significant interest.”
Woodburn was born in Edinburgh in 1919 and signed for Rangers in 1937. As part of Rangers’ “Iron Curtain” defensive line, he helped the club to numerous honours and also won 24 caps for Scotland.
He became infamous in 1954 when he received a life ban from the game for a series of on-field offences. The “sine die” punishment was rescinded after three years, by which time he was 37 years old and his playing career over.
Woodburn, who died aged 82 in 2001, has since been inducted into both the Scottish Football Hall of Fame and the Rangers Hall of Fame.
