Match ended 0-0
Match Information
Attendance: 55,000
Referee: unknown - to be confirmed
Matchday: Tuesday
Match Trivia
Although the last ten minutes of the match at Parkhead was seen rather dimly through a bit of fog, yesterday was a glorious day for football. As a consequence Celtic Park, with its crowd of round about 50,000 people, presented quite a pre-war time appearance. The takings totalled a few pounds short of £1250. The champions appeared as advertised, James Bauchop, of Bradford, playing centre forward vice McLean, with Jackson at right half-back, but the Rangers were forced to take the field without Gordon. The sergeant, who was on the spot, was compelled to cry off with a sprung muscle. I do not infer that the Rangers would have won had Gordon been in the middle line, but there is not the least shadow of a doubt that the forcing work of the International half-back would have enhanced their chances very much. Yes, Gordon was just the man for such a game as we saw yesterday. Pursell and Dixon did splendidly in a defensive connection, but neither got on terms with their own forwards as I feel sure Gordon would. No goals were scored, but we were regaled with much first-class football nevertheless, and if Celtic, over the piece, had the greater share of the play, it is a curious fact that Shaw was far oftener called on then Hempsey. Indeed, save for stopping a penalty kick from Browning and dealing with a long ball from Dodds, the Ibrox custodian had something of a holiday. He had a fine view of the game, but I would not like to say that he enjoyed it altogether. The ball was too often in the vicinity of his posts for him to feel comfortable. In the opening ten minutes, during which little or nothing was seen of the Rangers as an aggressive force, the wonder was that their goal did not fall. Shots of a kind were sent in its direction, but most of them were either wide or over, and those that had the proper direction were blocked by Dixon, Manderson and Blair. It was the same, or more so, for a goodly portion of the second half. Then McAtee put across a few Browning a lot of lovely centres, but none of them were accepted. Bauchop failed in several instances to put the copestone on the good work of the other forwards, but even a player better used to the position than the Bradford man would have found some difficulty in getting through the Ibrox defence. As I have already indicated, Dixon was at the very top of his spoiling game, Purcell, opposed to the best wing on the field, was a thorough success, and Manderson and Blair gave nothing away. In defence, however, there was little between the sides. Shaw foozled an early shot from Pursell but recovered himself, and after that his work was beyond reproach. Dodd’s virility and McNair’s craft were in evidence throughout; it was an education to watch the Stenhousemuir man in the second half. In front of him Jackson comported himself as if he had never played anywhere than in the intermediate line. I praise the old Clyde forward sufficiently when I say that he was quite as effective as Cringan, who, despite a couple of dangerous miskicks, gave a very taking display. Young Brown also touched his very best game. He stuck well into the opposition, and in addition hooked several very nice balls into the centre. It was forward that the difference between the teams lay, and by reason of their superiority here the Celts may be said to have been a trifle unlucky to drop a point. But it’s goals that count, and when all is said and done the by comparison ragged Rangers line came nearer to scoring than them. McMenemy, who controlled the line beautifully, if not so much in the picture in the latter stages, gave us a delightful exhibition of brainy football, and it was no fault of his that Bauchop did not shine. It would be unfair, however,, to criticise severely the big upstanding Sauchie Scot, pitch-forked into a position he had no fancy for. Mr Phil Kelso of Fulham, who stood out the match with me, assured me that Bauchop is a first-class inside left. And Phil should know. It might have paid the Celts to have put Gallagher into the middle. I have seen ‘Patsy’ shine more effulgently many a time; still, he was one of the three best forwards afield – the others were McMenemy and Bowie. Browning and McAtee did nicely. The centring of both was very good indeed that of Browning especially so. The little ‘Vale’ man, who often outwitted the speedier Manderson, got the ball across with some force. There were no short centres from him as there were from the Rangers extreme men. Archibald started splendidly, but tapered off; McDiarmid did little of note, and Cairns for once in a way was seldom seen. As a matter of fact, Bowie was the only out-and-out success in the Ibrox attack. His passes to Archibald were as accurate as any mathematician could wish for. If James made a mistake it was in not playing the ball more to the centre, when Brown got far too little to do
