Match ended 0-0
Match Information
Attendance: 10,000
Referee: W Webb (Glasgow)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
The big, manly handshake for Arbroath, the babes of the League! In reckoning up their prospects against Rangers. Most of us figured that their half-back line, particularly the richly experienced Johnston and McNab, would be the greatest asset. Both these players were absent, yet Rangers were held to a draw, and it was a point worthily earned in a game most exhilarating to watch, with victory blown about like a straw. An epic performance, to be sure, and veterans of forty years ago present must have been proud of the fighting spirit of their successors. Fighting spirit and memories of the old club. During the first twenty minutes it seemed the depletion of the Arbroath forces would prove fatal. Rangers took a commanding grip of the play and only for the superb goalkeeping of Cumming not the heavy battering ram resistance, but intuitive positioning and lightning action Rangers might have built up a winning lead. But always there was the impression that Arbroath were out for adventure and not mere resistance and before half-time Rangers knew all about it. The champions defence was raked and on two occasions riddled when Flucker then Brand missed the best openings of the game. In the first instance, Flucker had poor luck in shooting against the side net, but Brand was more culpable, waiting for the third settling of a bouncing ball instead of chancing his foot first time. Rangers attack went to pigs and whistle in the second half, hard and cleverly though Brown and Meiklejohn strove to conjure combination. Quite reasonably the hard footing found them non-suited, but there were significant and rather despairing changes, deliberate and not accidental, which saw the line finish up Main, Meiklejohn, Turnbull, Venters and Smith a queer mixture and as queer on the field as it looks on paper. Rangers require to get on their think cup here. Nor did Rangers defensive light burn any more brilliantly at times and the tactical play of McDonald was missed, though Cheyne was a sound orthodox back. Jerry Dawson, like Cumming, was almost the perfect goalkeeper, albeit he had nothing like the tricky business of the Arbroath man, whose display I have not seen excelled this season. From this you can reason that Rangers should have won and this would be a true reading. But I am reserving all my encomiums for Arbroath who under a disheartening handicap rose superior to circumstances and vindicated their right to be First Leaguers. Judicious reserve strength must be in the quiver of a championship team. I dont imagine for a moment Manger McGlashan and his directors are under any delusions, but the fact that at late notice they could replace players in vital positions, yet thwart the reputed kingpins, is the soundest testimony I know that Arbroath live in the best traditions of football. I feel reluctant to individualise among the Arbroath players, an each for all lot, but having mentioned Cumming, I would bracket him with Fordyce, as good a tackling back as any in the country, the versatile Duff and Lowe, the most efficient forward on the field, though that is negative praise. Adam and Urquhart are also due to a congratulative pat.
