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. The list of top scorers also chronicles how the club's scoring records have progressed throughout the club's history.
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. They played in the inaugural season of the Scottish Football League, in 1890–91. 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 (1889) and celebrated their new surroundings by winning the League Championship for what would prove to be the only time. 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.[1] However, despite winning the Glasgow Cup and building a new stand at their ground in 1963 they suffered relegation two years later, and a drop in spectator numbers and financial mismanagement and possible embezzlement led to them being liquidated just two years later in 1967.[1] [2] 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 Cathkin park ground still exists as a municipal park surrounded by crumbling remains of the terracing.[1]
Key
| Champions | Runners-up | 3rd / Semi-final | Promoted | Relegated |
| Season | League | Scottish Cup | League Cup | Other | Top scorer | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Position | ||||||||
| 1873–74 | N/A | N/A | Quarter-final | N/A | N/A | Unknown | Unknown | ||
| 1874–75 | N/A | N/A | Quarter-final | N/A | N/A | Unknown | Unknown | ||
| 1875–76 | N/A | N/A | bgcolor=silver | Runners-up | N/A | N/A | Unknown | Unknown | |
| 1876–77 | N/A | N/A | Third round | N/A | N/A | Unknown | Unknown | ||
| 1877–78 | N/A | N/A | bgcolor=silver | Runners-up | N/A | N/A | Unknown | Unknown | |
| 1878–79 | N/A | N/A | Fifth round | N/A | N/A | Unknown | Unknown | ||
| 1879–80 | N/A | N/A | First round | N/A | N/A | Unknown | Unknown | ||
| 1880–81 | N/A | N/A | First round | N/A | N/A | Unknown | Unknown | ||
| 1881–82 | N/A | N/A | First round | N/A | N/A | Unknown | Unknown | ||
| 1882–83 | N/A | N/A | Quarter-final | N/A | N/A | Unknown | Unknown | ||
| 1883–84 | N/A | N/A | Second round | N/A | N/A | Unknown | Unknown | ||
| 1884–85 | N/A | N/A | Third round | N/A | N/A | Unknown | Unknown | ||
| 1885–86 | N/A | N/A | Semi-final | N/A | N/A | Unknown | Unknown | ||
| 1886–87 | N/A | N/A | Sixth round | N/A | N/A | Unknown | Unknown | ||
| 1887–88 | N/A | N/A | First round | N/A | N/A | Unknown | Unknown | ||
| 1888–89 | N/A | N/A | bgcolor=gold | Winners | N/A | N/A | Unknown | Unknown | |
| 1889–90 | N/A | N/A | Semi-final | N/A | bgcolor=gold | Charity Cup Winners | Unknown | Unknown | |
| 1890–91 | Scottish Football League. | 5th | Semi-final | N/A | bgcolor=silver | Glasgow Cup Runners-up | Unknown | Unknown | |
| 1891–92 | Scottish Football League | 6th= | Sixth round | N/A | N/A | Unknown | Unknown | ||
| 1892–93 | Scottish Football League | 4th | Quarter-final | N/A | N/A | Unknown | Unknown | ||
| 1893–94 | Division One | 7th | Semi-final | N/A | N/A | Unknown | Unknown | ||
| 1894–95 | Division One | 4th | First round | N/A | N/A | Unknown | Unknown | ||
| 1895–96 | Division One | 6th= | Quarter-final | N/A | N/A | Unknown | Unknown | ||
| 1896–97 | Division One | 8th | Quarter-final | N/A | N/A | Unknown | Unknown | ||
| 1897–98 | Division One | 5th= | Semi-final | N/A | bgcolor=gold | Charity Cup Winners | Unknown | Unknown | |
| 1898–99 | Division One | 6th | Second round | N/A | N/A | Unknown | Unknown | ||
| 1899–1900 | Division One | 6th= | Quarter-final | N/A | N/A | Unknown | Unknown | ||
| 1900–01 | Division One | 5th= | Quarter-final | N/A | Unknown | Unknown | |||
| 1901–02 | Division One | 4th | Second round | N/A | Glasgow International Exhibition Cup Semi-final | William Maxwell | 10 | ||
| 1902–03 | Division One | 7th | Quarter-final | N/A | bgcolor=gold | Glasgow Cup Winners | Unknown | Unknown | |
| 1903–04 | Division One | bgcolor=gold | 1st | Semi-final | N/A | Unknown | Unknown | ||
| 1904–05 | Division One | 3rd | bgcolor=gold | Winners | N/A | bgcolor=gold | Glasgow Football League winners | Unknown | Unknown |
| 1905–06 | Division One | 6th | bgcolor=silver | Runners-up | N/A | bgcolor=silver | Glasgow Cup Runners-up | Unknown | Unknown |
| 1906–07 | Division One | 6th | Second round | N/A | bgcolor=silver | Glasgow Cup Runners-up | Unknown | Unknown | |
| 1907–08 | Division One | 9th | First round | N/A | N/A | Unknown | Unknown | ||
| 1908–09 | Division One | 12th | Quarter-final | N/A | bgcolor=gold | Glasgow Cup Winners | Unknown | Unknown | |
| 1909–10 | Division One | 7th | Second round | N/A | N/A | Unknown | Unknown | ||
| 1910–11 | Division One | 7th | First round | N/A | N/A | Unknown | Unknown | ||
| 1911–12 | Division One | 11th | Semi-final | N/A | N/A | Unknown | Unknown | ||
| 1912–13 | Division One | 15th | Second round | N/A | N/A | Unknown | Unknown | ||
| 1913–14 | Division One | 8th | Semi-final | N/A | bgcolor=silver | Glasgow Cup Runners-up | Unknown | Unknown | |
| 1914–15 | Division One | 16th | bgcolor=grey | N/A | N/A | War Fund Shield Quarter-final | Unknown | Unknown | |
| 1915–16 | Division One | 16th | bgcolor=grey | N/A | N/A | N/A | Unknown | Unknown | |
| 1916–17 | Division One | 5th | bgcolor=grey | N/A | N/A | N/A | Unknown | Unknown | |
| 1917–18 | Division One | 13th | bgcolor=grey | N/A | N/A | War Fund Shield Qualifying Round | Unknown | Unknown | |
| 1918–19 | Division One | 12th | bgcolor=grey | N/A | N/A | Victory Cup Second round[3] | Unknown | Unknown | |
| 1919–20 | Division One | 8th | Quarter-final | N/A | Unknown | Unknown | |||
| 1920–21 | Division One | 8th | First round | N/A | N/A | Unknown | Unknown | ||
| 1921–22 | Division One | 9th | Second round | N/A | N/A | Unknown | Unknown | ||
| 1922–23 | Division One | 17th | Semi-final | N/A | N/A | Unknown | Unknown | ||
| 1923–24 | Division One | 18th | First round | N/A | bgcolor=silver | Glasgow Cup Runners-up | Unknown | Unknown | |
| 1924–25 | Division One | bgcolor=pink | 20th | First round | N/A | N/A | Unknown | Unknown | |
| 1925–26 | Division Two | 6th | Quarter-final | N/A | N/A | Unknown | Unknown | ||
| 1926–27 | Division Two | 4th | First round | N/A | N/A | Unknown | Unknown | ||
| 1927–28 | Division Two | bgcolor=lightgreen | 2nd | Second round | N/A | N/A | Unknown | Unknown | |
| 1928–29 | Division One | bgcolor=pink | 19th | Second round | N/A | N/A | Unknown | Unknown | |
| 1929–30 | Division Two | 4th | First round | N/A | N/A | Unknown | Unknown | ||
| 1930–31 | Division Two | bgcolor=lightgreen | 1st | Quarter-final | N/A | N/A | Unknown | Unknown | |
| 1931–32 | Division One | 4th | First round | N/A | N/A | Unknown | Unknown | ||
| 1932–33 | Division One | 13th | Second round | N/A | N/A | Unknown | Unknown | ||
| 1933–34 | Division One | bgcolor=pink | 19th | Second round | N/A | N/A | Unknown | Unknown | |
| 1934–35 | Division Two | bgcolor=lightgreen | 1st | Second round | N/A | N/A | Unknown | Unknown | |
| 1935–36 | Division One | 9th | bgcolor=silver | Runners-up | N/A | N/A | Unknown | Unknown | |
| 1936–37 | Division One | 6th | Second round | N/A | N/A | Unknown | Unknown | ||
| 1937–38 | Division One | 9th | First round | N/A | bgcolor=silver | Glasgow Cup Runners-up | Unknown | Unknown | |
| 1938–39 | Division One | 15th | Quarter-final | N/A | N/A | Unknown | Unknown | ||
| 1939–40 | Emergency League West | 12th | bgcolor=grey | N/A | N/A | Emergency Cup Second round | Unknown | Unknown | |
| 1940–41 | Southern League | 13th | bgcolor=grey | N/A | Southern League Cup Group stage | Summer Cup Second round[4] | Unknown | Unknown | |
| 1941–42 | Southern League | 8th | bgcolor=grey | N/A | Southern League Cup Group stage | Summer Cup Second round | Unknown | Unknown | |
| 1942–43 | Southern League | 13th | bgcolor=grey | N/A | Southern League Cup Semi-final | Unknown | Unknown | ||
| 1943–44 | Southern League | 16th | bgcolor=grey | N/A | Southern League Cup Group stage | Summer Cup First round | Unknown | Unknown | |
| 1944–45 | Southern League | 12th | bgcolor=grey | N/A | Southern League Cup Group stage | Summer Cup First round | Unknown | Unknown | |
| 1945–46 | Southern League | 9th | bgcolor=grey | N/A | Southern League Cup Group stage | Victory Cup Second round | Unknown | Unknown | |
| 1946–47 | Division A | 9th | Third round | Group stage | bgcolor=silver | Glasgow Cup Runners-up | Bobby Mitchell | 22 | |
| 1947–48 | Division A | 11th | Second round | Group stage | bgcolor=silver | Glasgow Cup Runners-up | Unknown | Unknown | |
| 1948–49 | Division A | 7th | Second round | Group stage | bgcolor=silver | Glasgow Cup Runners-up | Unknown | Unknown | |
| 1949–50 | Division A | 12th | Second round | Group stage | N/A | Unknown | Unknown | ||
| 1950–51 | Division A | 13th | Second round | Group stage | N/A | Unknown | Unknown | ||
| 1951–52 | Division A | 12th | Semi-final | Group stage | Unknown | Unknown | |||
| 1952–53 | Division A | bgcolor=pink | 16th | Semi-final | Quarter-final | N/A | Unknown | Unknown | |
| 1953–54 | Division B | 3rd | Third round | Quarter-final | Unknown | Unknown | |||
| 1954–55 | Division B | 5th | Sixth round | Group stage | N/A | Unknown | Unknown | ||
| 1955–56 | Division Two | 10th | Fifth round | Group stage | bgcolor=gold | Charity Cup Winners | Unknown | Unknown | |
| 1956–57 | Division Two | bgcolor=lightgreen | 2nd | Fourth round | Group stage | N/A | Unknown | Unknown | |
| 1957–58 | Division One | 14th | Quarter-final | Quarter-final | bgcolor=silver | Glasgow Cup Runners-up | Unknown | Unknown | |
| 1958–59 | Division One | 11th | Semi-final | Group stage | Unknown | Unknown | |||
| 1959–60 | Division One | 12th | First round | bgcolor=silver | Runners-up | N/A | Unknown | Unknown | |
| 1960–61 | Division One | 3rd | Third round | Group stage | N/A | Alex Harley | 42 | ||
| 1961–62 | Division One | 11th | Quarter-final | Group stage | Unknown | Unknown | |||
| 1962–63 | Division One | 14th | Third round | Group stage | bgcolor=gold | Glasgow Cup Winners | Unknown | Unknown | |
| 1963–64 | Division One | 16th | First round | Group stage | Summer Cup Group stage | Unknown | Unknown | ||
| 1964–65 | Division One | bgcolor=pink | 18th | Second round | Group stage | Summer Cup Group stage | Unknown | Unknown | |
| 1965–66 | Division Two | 14th | First round | Second round | N/A | Unknown | Unknown | ||
| 1966–67 | Division Two | 11th | Preliminary round 2 | Group stage | N/A | Unknown | Unknown | ||
| 1967–68 | Club dissolved. | ||||||||
The Scottish Football League was founded in 1890 and, other than during seven years of hiatus during World War II, the national top division has been played every season since. The following is a summary of Third Lanark's divisional status until their dissolution in 1967: