 He made his debut against Hamilton Academical on 27 December 1913 and played a total of nine games in his first season as Rangers finished second to rivals Celtic in Division One.Cairns was a regular in the Rangers team the following season, missing just one league game.He continued to be a regular in the team for the next two seasons but it was in season 1917–18 that he won his first League title (Rangers' first for five years).