Napier 5
McGrory 52
Match Information
Attendance: 71,806
Referee: J Thomson (Burnbank)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
A typical Rangers-Celtic game, we were told at the Cip presentation when it was all over. What a horrible thing to say! If all future games between these two old rivals are going to be conducted in the spirit of this one, let us have no more of them. The game yesterday at Hampden sickened me. I have seen a number of bad games this season, but this was easily the worst. The famous Anglo-Scottish team manager who states that Scottish football is deteriorating into a mere kick and rush, take-the-man scramble, id undoubtedly correct. From the fourth minute when Napier scored Celtics opening goal the game took the vicious turn, the culmination being the sending to the pavilion of Law-Case Thomson in the last twenty minutes. Where the referee went wrong was bot in the ordering off of the player, but in the long time he took to make up his mind to exact the full penalty. Thomson by this action has been made the scapegoat of the game, but he was not by any means the worst of the offenders. In the first half there was a scene between him and Buchanan, and right these and then the two should have been expelled. Firm action then might have put the game on its proper footing. Instead of that, Referee Thomson pulled the players up for every trivial little offence that happened, and this added to the ill-feeling abroad. Free kicks are of no use unless there is a warning attacked to the offending players! But in this welter of criticism, the victory of the Celts must not be overlooked. Handicapped as they were, first by the absence of Wilson, and then by the early knock of Napier, and later, the ordering off of Thomson, their performance is all the more meritorious. Rangers certainly had the bulk of the play territorially, but as on other occasions, they were panicky near goal, and were quite unable to subdue a sturdy Celtic defence, amongst whom McGonagle, McStay and J Thomson were heroes. Against these three at least there can be no criticism. They played the game like men and never resorted to the mean and shabby. The Celtis attack was brilliant for the few minutes in which it remained intact, but after the injury to Napier it was not nearly so effective, and the Greens relies mainly on the prods of McGrory and the darts of R Thomson for its efficiency. McGrory scored the bets goal I have seen this season. His perfect timing of the jumping ball and his coolness despite the close proximity of Meiklejohn, was mastery and reminiscent of some of the beat centre-forward of all times. Rangers were at their best just before the interval, and after Celtic were two goals in the lead. Had the centre-forward been reversed at this stage they would have won, for Smith was far too slow for the wily McStay and was unable to take the chances his colleagues presented to him. But there were even more glaring weaknesses than this, Marshall was much below his beat, and gave Archibald, who gave promise of service, while Brown was also very disappointing. Perhaps these two, like one or two on the other side, were quite at seas in a game of this description. Lets hope that was it. The Rangers left wing was good and bad in patches. McPhail was much more subdued than usual, but Morton appealed to me as the best of the Rangers forwards. The wee fellow was always dangerous when on the ball. Summing up the two attacks I should sat that Rangers combined better, but that they were not by half so incisive. In defence I preferred Celtic. The two wing half-backs changed as they were played pluckily, and if neither could come up to the Wilson category, they certainly did not let the side down. McStay, in the middle, was the craftsman and the breaker up in one. He got through three mens work in this hectic afternoon. Further behind, McGonagle kicked like a mule and kept his long punts straight. This was one of the best performances we have seen from Peter. His partner Cook was not far behind, and it should be remembered that he was up against the tougher wing. John Thomson was splendid. His anticipation saved at least one certain goal when he ran out to clear from Smith and it was hardly his fault when Rangers got their goal, for the collision with McGonagle put him right off his balance. A lot depended on the Rangers half-backs. Had they been able to assume a mastery early on, I fancy their forwards would have gained the confidence they so badly needed, but with the exception of Craig who worked hard, they were not a great lot. Meiklejohn did not relish his bouts with McGrory, who was one of those who spared no mercy. Buchanan is one about whom the least said is the soonest mended. Along with R Thomson he spiled the game for the others. Gray I do not blame. His aerial tackle with Napier which caused the Celts injury was one of those things that cannot be avoided, and he did not deserve the cat-calls of the crowd. To the end he played cleanly and well. Tom Hamilton except for the error of judgment which cost the second goal, played a sound game. Rangers started off in red-hot fashion, and in the first minute Thomson was called on to save long shots. It took the Celts some time to settle, but they found their feet when R Thomson slipped his way past Buchanan to give his team their first chance of a shot at Hamilton. After this Celtic improved considerably, and with four minutes gone their pressure was rewarded by a brilliant goal. Geatons lobbed the ball into the goalmouth, where McGrory got possession, and teed the ball up for Napier. The winger took it coolly, and with one of his famous ricket shots battered the ball into the roof of the net. A surprise certainly, but it was a glorious goal. Immediately after Archibald found himself clear of opposition inside the area, and the shot from the Press Box looked a beauty, but it went harmlessly past, what time Thomson lay extended on the ground. McStay nudged Smith in the back inside the area, but the referee waved them on, and then Rangers missed their great chance to equalise. Marshall tested Thomson, and the keepers clearance was stopped by Morton. Smith. left with an open goal, hesitated, and Thomson shoved out his hand and turned the ball away. An escape for Celts? Sure thing. Then came a mid-air collision between Napier and Gray, and two forms lay prone on the ground. Something serious, murmured the crowd, and serious enough it was, for while Gray got up Napier had to be carried off in an unconscious state. In a few minutes he resumed, but he walked like a man in his sleep, and was of little use for a considerable time. Rangers during this period were playing the better football, but their lucky star was not shinning, for Smith blazed in a grand shot only to find McStay blocking its progress into goal. After this there were a number of the fireworks we dont like to see, the worst of these being an affair in which R Thomson and Buchanan were involved. The Celtic man retaliated in a way he should not have done. Towards the interval Rangers continued to have slightly the better of it, but the repeated whistle blowing of the referee spoiled all the best constructive methods, and Napier again fell to a hard tackle and had to be helped off the field, and in the last minutes of the half Celtic put up a hot pressure. Whitelaw took a free kick, smashed it against the crossbar and Scarff shot it into the net. Goal shouted the crowd and Scarff was inundated with the congratulations of his colleagues, but it was premature, for the referee had spotted a hand coming into play, and instead of a goal it was a free kick to Rangers. This decision did not find favour at the east end of the ground where the Celtic gangs were gathered, and during the interval the police had to scale the terracing to restore peace in the ranks. Napier resumed in the second half, but he was still holding his head. With the sun at their back Rangers continued to have a shade the better of matters, but Celtic, playing with rare Cup-tie dash, upset their balance, and when Meiklejohn miskicked and let McGrory away, Rangers death-knell was sounded. Jimmy carried the ball up the middle with Meiklejohn running just a few inches behind, and before he could tackle the centre had judged the flight of the ball to a nicety and placed it into the corner of the net. The fault lay equally with Meiklejohn and Hamilton. The former should have risked a tackle, and the latter should have run out, for he could have beaten McGrory to the ball. It looked as if the game was well won and lost when J Thomson and McGonagle collided in attempting to clear, and Smith, running in, cleared the couple and had merely to place the ball where he liked 25 minutes to go. The fight resumed its fiery aspect, with Celtic straining every nerve to regain their position. R Thomson, however, overshot the bolt by tripping Buchanan from behind, and off he went. With only ten men Celtic had to play second fiddle, and only the brilliance of John Thomson saved a goal. His anticipation in running out and beating Smith to the ball should have been a lesson to Tom Hamilton at the other end. The way in which he dealt with shots from Morton and Archibald also deserved great praise. With five minutes to go, however, the peerless one was tricked, but Smith failed to take advantage of the slip and shot past from an easy position. Just before the end Smith fouled John Thomson very badly indeed, but the keeper was able to see it out to the end. This ended a fight of which we have no reason to feel very proud
