Rutherford: Edward (Eddie)

WW2 Guest: 1942-1943 (Leeds United War-time Guest Player Details)

Winger

Born: Govan, Glasgow: 08-02-1921

Debut: v Gateshead (h): 19-09-1942

5’9” 10st 8lb (1946)

Rutherford started his career at Govan High School and then Battlefield Recreation before going on to Mossvale YMCA and it was from there that Rangers signed him in August 1941. He was posted to the North of England in the Second World War and there played for Leeds United, Lincoln City and Bradford City as a guest. He played three games for the Bradford club in the 1944-45 Football League Northern Section. He did play extensively for Leeds during the 1942-43 Football League Northern Section season. He made his debut at Outside Right on 19th September 1942 in the First Championship in a 1-2 defeat by Gateshead at Elland Road and kept his position in the next game and scored in a 5-3 win at St James’ Park over Newcastle United. He missed the next game at home to Newcastle but played the next three games which saw him get his second goal for the club in a 6-0 home win over Doncaster Rovers and a 2-2 away draw in the reverse fixture at Doncaster, but there was a 1-2 home defeat by Sunderland in the third game. He then played three consecutive games in the last four games of the season, all at Outside Right as United drew 1-1 at Elland Road with Halifax Town and then capitulated 1-5 in the reverse fixture at The Shay before suffering another loss, this time by 1-4 to Huddersfield Town at Leeds Road, before missing the final home game in the reverse fixture at Elland Road on Xmas Day. He had scored twice in eight games in the First Championship. He was back for the Boxing Day game and scored the United goal in a 1-2 loss to Barnsley at Oakwell which marked the start of the Second Championship. He did not play in the reverse fixture at Elland Road but he was back, once more at Outside Right for nine consecutive games, which saw United lose 2-4 at Elland Road and 1-4 at Leeds Road to Huddersfield Town in the first two. He was switched to Outside Left for the next six games as there was an horrific 0-9 pounding from Newcastle United at St James’ Park before United won the return fixture at Elland Road by 7-2. The next two games were not as volatile as United lost the Away fixture with Bradford Park Avenue by 1-2 and drew the reverse fixture at Elland Road 2-2, with Rutherford getting his second goal of the campaign. They did, however lose both games with Bradford City, 0-1 at Valley Parade and 1-5 at Elland Road with Rutherford getting the Leeds goal, but he was back at Outside Right for the 3-2 win over Middlesbrough at Elland Road. He missed the reverse fixture at Ayresome Park but was at Outside Right in the 1-3 loss to Newcastle United at Elland Road and then was at Outside Left at Gallowgate for the reverse fixture in his final game for Leeds and scored in a 5-4 win. He had scored four goals in ten games in the Second Championship. He returned to Ibrox after the Second World War ended and made his debut for them on 19th October 1946 in the League Cup in a 1-0 win at Ibrox. He could not make the Rangers team in his favoured position of Outside Right as Willie Waddell was Scotland’s recognized Outside Right and he spent much of his Rangers career at Outside Left. He enjoyed success at Rangers and was part of the Rangers team that won the first-ever treble of the Scottish League title, Scottish Cup and Scottish League Cup in 1949. Rutherford won two Scottish League Champions’ Medals, three Scottish Cup-winners’ medals, two Scottish League Cup-winners’ medals and medals for winning two Glasgow Cups and a Charity Cup. He was capped once by Scotland in his time at Rangers. It was his only cap and it came in a 0-3 loss to France at the Stade Colombes in Paris on 23rd May 1948. He was at Rangers for ten years, although almost half of the time was lost to the War, nineteen goals from ninety-six games in the League, and he scored nine goals in forty-four Cup and other games, before leaving Ibrox for Heart of Midlothian on 1st November 1951 in exchange for Colin Liddell. He was at Hearts for four years and scored eleven goals in thirty-eight League games and four in twelve in Cup games. He moved to Raith Rovers in January 1955 for £500 but only played four League games before joining to Hamilton Academical at the end of the season. He scored six goals in twenty-one League games before he retired due to injury in 1956. He died on 29th June 2007 at the age of eighty-six.