Eric Caldow
Encyclopedia
Eric Caldow is a former Scottish
international footballer
who played for Rangers
, Stirling Albion
and Scotland
.
at Ibrox
. He made a total of 13 appearances in his first professional season with Rangers and continued to make progress the following season, playing in 12 of Rangers' 41 matches.
, Caldow had become a regular in the Rangers team, making 35 appearances, mostly at right back, as Rangers won the League title for the first time in two seasons. Rangers retained the League title the following season, 1956-57
, and Caldow was once again an important member of the team, making 40 appearances, this time mostly at left-back. He won his first Scotland
cap against England
on 6 April 1957 in a 2-1 defeat at Wembley.
Caldow continued to be an integral member of Rangers' team, featuring 49 times in season 1957-58
, including four European Cup
matches against AS Saint-Etienne
and AC Milan. Caldow also played in all of Scotland's three World Cup
matches against Yugoslavia
, Paraguay
and France
.
After finishing third that season, Rangers regained the League title in 1958-59
, with Caldow missing just one match.
Caldow won his first Scottish Cup
medal in 1959-60
, and despite failing to retain their League title, Rangers reached the semi-final of the European Cup
, defeating Anderlecht
, Cervena Hviezda Bratislava
and Sparta Rotterdam
before eventually losing to German
club Eintracht Frankfurt
.
European success continued for Rangers the following season as Caldow captained Rangers to the inaugural Cup Winners Cup
final, defeating Ferencváros
, Borussia Mönchengladbach
and Wolverhampton Wanderers
before losing 4-1 to Fiorentina
in the final. Caldow missed just one game that season as Rangers also regained the League title and won the League Cup
.
Rangers again failed to retain the League title the following season, 1961-62
, as surprise package Dundee
edged out Rangers by three points. However, the League Cup was retained and the Scottish Cup was also won as Caldow played in 52 of Rangers' 58 matches. Rangers also impressed once again in Europe, reaching the quarter final stage of the European Cup, where they lost to Belgian
club Standard Liège
.
Caldow's fifth and final League championship medal came in season 1962-63
where he also won another Scottish Cup medal. That season also saw the end of Caldow's international career, after he suffered a broken leg in three places in a 2-1 win against England at Wembley, following a tackle from England's Bobby Smith.
Following a long rehabilitation program, Caldow made only four appearances in 1963-64
, however, he re-established himself the following season at left-back playing 34 matches helping Rangers to a 2-1 League Cup final success against Celtic. It was another admirable season for Rangers in Europe as they reached the quarter-final of the European Cup
where they lost 3-2 on aggregate to Inter Milan, despite winning 1-0 at Ibrox. It was a disappointing season for Rangers overall, however, as they finished in 5th place in the League with Kilmarnock
finishing top.
Season 1965-66
proved to be Caldow's last season at Rangers and he made only three appearances, the last being a 3-2 defeat to Falkirk
on 9 March 1966. During his 13 years with the club, he made a total of 407 appearances and won 40 caps for Scotland, 14 of which as captain. Caldow also appeared 14 times for the Scottish League XI
.
in 1967. He returned to his native Ayrshire
to become manager of Junior
side Hurlford United
in 1970 and three years later was appointed manager of Scottish League
side Stranraer
. Caldow left Stair Park
in 1975 and his last involvement with football was as a scout for Queens Park Rangers
.
Caldow was inducted to the Scottish Football Hall of Fame
in 2007.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
international footballer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
who played for Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
, Stirling Albion
Stirling Albion F.C.
Stirling Albion F.C. are a Scottish football club currently playing in the Scottish Second Division. The club are nicknamed The Binos . They play at Doubletree Dunblane Stadium in Stirling, on the outskirts of the city near the River Forth...
and Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
.
Early life
Caldow attended Cumnock Academy and started his footballing career with the local juniors team, Muirkirk Juniors as a fullback. He signed for Rangers in 1952 and made his debut on 12 September 1953 in a 4-2 win over Ayr UnitedAyr United F.C.
Ayr United Football Club are a Scottish association football team based in Ayr, South Ayrshire, that plays in the First Division of the Scottish Football League. Formed in 1910 after the merger of former clubs Ayr Parkhouse F.C. and Ayr F.C...
at Ibrox
Ibrox Stadium
Ibrox Stadium is a football stadium located on the south side of the River Clyde, on Edmiston Drive in the Ibrox district of Glasgow. It is the home ground of Scottish Premier League club Rangers and has an all-seated capacity of 51,082...
. He made a total of 13 appearances in his first professional season with Rangers and continued to make progress the following season, playing in 12 of Rangers' 41 matches.
Rangers
By 1955-561955-56 in Scottish football
The 1955–56 season was the 59th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Overview:Following league reconstruction League Division One was expanded from 16 to 18 teams with Airdrieonians and Dunfermline Athletic being promoted...
, Caldow had become a regular in the Rangers team, making 35 appearances, mostly at right back, as Rangers won the League title for the first time in two seasons. Rangers retained the League title the following season, 1956-57
1956-57 in Scottish football
The 1956–57 season was the 60th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Scottish League Division One:Champions: RangersRelegated: Dunfermline Athletic, Ayr United-Scottish League Division Two:...
, and Caldow was once again an important member of the team, making 40 appearances, this time mostly at left-back. He won his first Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
cap against England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
on 6 April 1957 in a 2-1 defeat at Wembley.
Caldow continued to be an integral member of Rangers' team, featuring 49 times in season 1957-58
1957-58 in Scottish football
The 1957–58 season was the 61st season of competitive football in Scotland.-Scottish League Division One:Champions: HeartsRelegated: East Fife, Queen's Park-Scottish League Division Two:...
, including four European Cup
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
matches against AS Saint-Etienne
AS Saint-Étienne
Association Sportive de Saint-Étienne Loire is a French association football club based in Saint-Étienne. The club was founded in 1919 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. Saint-Étienne plays its home matches at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard located within the city...
and AC Milan. Caldow also played in all of Scotland's three World Cup
1958 FIFA World Cup
The 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup, was hosted by Sweden from 8 June to 29 June. The tournament was won by Brazil, who beat Sweden 5–2 in the final for their first title. To date, this marks the only occasion that a World Cup staged in Europe was not won by a European...
matches against Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia national football team
The Yugoslavia national football team represented the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in association football. It enjoyed a modicum of success in international competition. In 1992, during the Yugoslav wars, the team was suspended from international...
, Paraguay
Paraguay national football team
The Paraguay national football team is controlled by the Paraguayan Football Association and represents Paraguay in men's international football competitions. The team has reached the second round of the World Cup on four occasions . The 2010 trip also featured their first appearance in the...
and France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
.
After finishing third that season, Rangers regained the League title in 1958-59
1958-59 in Scottish football
The 1958–59 season was the 62nd season of competitive football in Scotland.-Scottish League Division One:The last day of the season saw Rangers holding a 2 point lead over Hearts, with the clubs having an identical goal average....
, with Caldow missing just one match.
Caldow won his first Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
medal in 1959-60
1959-60 in Scottish football
The 1959–60 season was the 63rd season of competitive football in Scotland.-Scottish League Division One:Champions: HeartsRelegated: Stirling Albion, Arbroath-Scottish League Division Two:Promoted: St...
, and despite failing to retain their League title, Rangers reached the semi-final of the European Cup
European Cup 1959-60
The 1959–60 European Cup was the fifth season of the European Cup, Europe's premier club football tournament. The competition was won by Real Madrid, who beat Eintracht Frankfurt 7–3 in the final, a record score for the European Cup final...
, defeating Anderlecht
R.S.C. Anderlecht
Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht, usually known as Anderlecht or RSCA , is a Belgian professional football club based in Anderlecht in the Brussels Capital Region. Anderlecht plays in the Belgian Pro League and is the most successful Belgian football team in European competitions as well as in the...
, Cervena Hviezda Bratislava
FK Inter Bratislava
FK Inter Bratislava is a Slovak football club, playing in the city of Bratislava.FK Inter Bratislava merged with FK Senica on June 18, 2009. Players of Inter Bratislava had to move to other clubs. In season 2010/2011 has been renewed and will start in 5.league...
and Sparta Rotterdam
Sparta Rotterdam
Sparta Rotterdam is the oldest professional football team in the Netherlands, established on April 1, 1888. Sparta is one of three professional football clubs from Rotterdam, the others being Excelsior and Feyenoord , the latter playing in the Eredivisie.-History:Sparta was first founded in 1887....
before eventually losing to German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
club Eintracht Frankfurt
Eintracht Frankfurt
Eintracht Frankfurt is a German sports club, based in Frankfurt, Hesse that is best known for its association football club.- Club origins :...
.
European success continued for Rangers the following season as Caldow captained Rangers to the inaugural Cup Winners Cup
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1960-61
The 1960-61 season of the European Cup Winners' Cup club football tournament was won by Italian club Fiorentina in two-legged final victory against Rangers of Scotland....
final, defeating Ferencváros
Ferencvárosi Torna Club
Ferencvárosi TC or FTC , simply known as Ferencváros, nicknamed Fradi , is a sport club in Hungary, founded in 1899 by Ferenc Springer and a group of local residents of Budapest's ninth district, Ferencváros. Ferencváros is best known for winning the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup 1964-65 in 1965 by...
, Borussia Mönchengladbach
Borussia Mönchengladbach
Borussia Mönchengladbach is a German association football club based in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia. The team plays in the Bundesliga and is one of the country's most well-known, well-supported, and successful teams. Borussia Mönchengladbach has over 40,000 members and is the sixth...
and Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
before losing 4-1 to Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as simply Fiorentina, is a professional Italian football club from Florence, Tuscany. Founded by a merger in 1926, Fiorentina have played at the top level of Italian football for the majority of their existence; only four clubs have played in more Serie A...
in the final. Caldow missed just one game that season as Rangers also regained the League title and won the League Cup
Scottish League Cup
The Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
.
Rangers again failed to retain the League title the following season, 1961-62
1961-62 in Scottish football
The 1961–62 season was the 65th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Scottish League Division One:Dundee had an excellent start to the season, including a 5–1 win away to Rangers, and having a seemingly invincible lead by Christmas. A poorrun of form in the new year, including a...
, as surprise package Dundee
Dundee F.C.
Dundee Football Club, founded in 1893, are a football club based in the city of Dundee, Scotland. They are nicknamed The Dee or The Dark Blues and play their home matches at Dens Park. Their shirt colour is dark blue. Dundee currently play in the Scottish First Division, having been relegated from...
edged out Rangers by three points. However, the League Cup was retained and the Scottish Cup was also won as Caldow played in 52 of Rangers' 58 matches. Rangers also impressed once again in Europe, reaching the quarter final stage of the European Cup, where they lost to Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
club Standard Liège
Standard Liège
Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège (Dutch: Standard Luik [], German: Standard Lüttich , is a Belgian football club from the city of Liège....
.
Caldow's fifth and final League championship medal came in season 1962-63
1962-63 in Scottish football
The 1962–63 season was the 66th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Scottish League Division One:Champions: RangersRelegated: Clyde, Raith Rovers-Scottish League Division Two:Promoted: St...
where he also won another Scottish Cup medal. That season also saw the end of Caldow's international career, after he suffered a broken leg in three places in a 2-1 win against England at Wembley, following a tackle from England's Bobby Smith.
Following a long rehabilitation program, Caldow made only four appearances in 1963-64
1963-64 in Scottish football
The 1963–64 season was the 67th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Scottish League Division One:Champions: RangersRelegated: Queen of the South, East Stirlingshire-Scottish League Division Two:...
, however, he re-established himself the following season at left-back playing 34 matches helping Rangers to a 2-1 League Cup final success against Celtic. It was another admirable season for Rangers in Europe as they reached the quarter-final of the European Cup
European Cup 1964-65
The season 1964–65 of the European Cup football club tournament was won by Internazionale for the second time in row, in a final match against two-time former champions Benfica, making it three consecutive titles for Italy ....
where they lost 3-2 on aggregate to Inter Milan, despite winning 1-0 at Ibrox. It was a disappointing season for Rangers overall, however, as they finished in 5th place in the League with Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock F.C.
Kilmarnock Football Club is a Scottish football team based in the town of Kilmarnock, Ayrshire. Founded in 1869, "Killie" is the oldest club currently in the Scottish Premier League. Home matches are played at Rugby Park...
finishing top.
Season 1965-66
1965-66 in Scottish football
The 1965–66 season was the 69th season of Scottish league football.-Overview:After the openness of recent years, the Old Firm came back strongly this season...
proved to be Caldow's last season at Rangers and he made only three appearances, the last being a 3-2 defeat to Falkirk
Falkirk F.C.
Falkirk Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in Falkirk. It is one of two professional football teams from the town, the other being East Stirlingshire...
on 9 March 1966. During his 13 years with the club, he made a total of 407 appearances and won 40 caps for Scotland, 14 of which as captain. Caldow also appeared 14 times for the Scottish League XI
Scottish League XI
The Scottish League XI is a representative side of the Scottish Football League. The team regularly played against the Football League and other national league select teams between 1892 and 1980. For a long period the annual fixture between the English and Scottish leagues was only second in...
.
Late career
After leaving Rangers Caldow then played for one season with Stirling Albion before moving south to become player-manager of Corby TownCorby Town F.C.
Corby Town F.C. is an English football club based in Corby, Northamptonshire. They will be members of the Conference North for the 2011–12 season. The Steelmen play their home games at the newly built Steel Park, adjacent to their previous ground, Rockingham Triangle Sports Stadium, which is...
in 1967. He returned to his native Ayrshire
Ayrshire
Ayrshire is a registration county, and former administrative county in south-west Scotland, United Kingdom, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine. The town of Troon on the coast has hosted the British Open Golf Championship twice in the...
to become manager of Junior
Scottish Junior Football Association
The Scottish Junior Football Association is an affiliated national association of the Scottish Football Association and is the governing body for the Junior grade of football in Scotland. The term "Junior" refers to the level of football played...
side Hurlford United
Hurlford United F.C.
Hurlford United Football Club are a Scottish football club based in Hurlford, near Kilmarnock, Ayrshire. Nicknamed The Ford, they were formed in 1938 and play at Blair Park, wearing red and white strips...
in 1970 and three years later was appointed manager of Scottish League
Scottish Football League
The Scottish Football League is a league of football teams in Scotland, comprising theScottish First Division, Scottish Second Division and Scottish Third Division. From the league's foundation in 1890 until the breakaway Scottish Premier League was formed in 1998, the Scottish Football League...
side Stranraer
Stranraer F.C.
Stranraer Football Club is a Scottish semi-professional football team based in the town of Stranraer, Dumfries and Galloway. They are members of the Scottish Football League, and currently play in the Third Division.-History:...
. Caldow left Stair Park
Stair Park
Stair Park is a public park and football stadium in the town of Stranraer, Scotland. It is owned by Dumfries & Galloway Council and is situated next to the London Road and the railway line in the town. It is home to Stranraer F.C., Wigtownshire RFC and Stranraer and Rhins Agricultural Show...
in 1975 and his last involvement with football was as a scout for Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
.
Caldow was inducted to the Scottish Football Hall of Fame
Scottish Football Hall of Fame
The Scottish Football Hall of Fame is located at the Scottish Football Museum. Inductees are picked each year by fans and a committee selects the eight finalists who are inducted at an annual dinner....
in 2007.
External links
- Profile at Rangers.co.uk
- Eric Caldow career stats