Hogg <45
Match Information
Attendance: 35,000
Referee: T.P. Campbell (Blackburn)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
In the March of 1907 a young strapping back joined the Rangers from the ranks of the Arbroath club. George Law had a reputation for bold and consistently stubborn play as a defender in Arbroath, and the Qualifying Cup competition brought him to the front. From the first a bright future was predicted from him in the higher company to which he was called. Last season Law had the distinguished honour of playing against England, Ireland and Wales. I saw all three national matches, and also many of the leading club games when Law was in the team, I cannot recall once when he played such a powerful game as he did against the Celts on Saturday at Parkhead. It is no exaggeration to claim that Law won the game for his club in circumstances which tested his capabilities to the utmost. I have followed the Rangers since the old Kinning Park days, and at the moment I cannot recall a game of any kind when their forwards played such a moderate football. In the absence of Alex Smith the extreme left wing position was entrusted to the Bellahouston Academy boy Paterson, while Yuille of the reserves team partnered Hogg on the right. With Gordon back to the middle line – his true position – the ‘Light Blues’ had otherwise out their best players. On paper the attack did not appear weak. Not once in the game, however, did they strike their Glasgow Cup final form, and for three-fourths of the time they were held with ease by an energetic Celtic half-back line, and over shadowed in attack by a side that did everything but score. The first half found them having a say in the exchanges, but after that they had to play second fiddle. So effete was this Rangers’ display forward in the second half that a couple of breaks-away about represented their share. Had I not witnessed the game, I could hardly have credited second-hand information about their form. Law’s powerful display at back was, therefore, all the more meritorious. He was not content with fearlessly checkmating the repeated raids of the Celts on his own wing, but he followed the course of the ball to the other wing, and took Richmond out of many a tight corner. If we bracket Chapman at centre-half for running Law closely for honours, give Lock credit for several clever saves, and Gordon and Hendry a mead of praise for their efforts, the rest of the team may he said to have been passive resisters. Hogg scored an exceedingly clever goal midway through the first half. He was the most effective of the winning forwards, but the periods of his activity were few and far between, so much did the Celts monopolise the ball. The Celts have struck a few bad streaks this season. In their latest game, witnessed by about 35,000 spectators, they experienced not a shadow of luck. The absence of Quinn who for a second time in one week had to look on while his side lacked a leader, and suffered defeat, was the chief cause of their undoing. Clever outfield movements and the fine centres of Hamilton were so much effort lost. The dearth of goals seemingly had got on the nerves of the players. With Quinn among them they could hardly have failed. Without him they could not finish, and in the end were beaten by the visitor’s resistance of Law, Richmond and Chapman. It is needless to pursue the story of their defeat further. Baillie Henderson and his co-directors at Ibrox, while naturally please with their clubs success, declared they had never witnessed the Celts have such a preponderance of play against the Rangers and finish on the losing side. The Celts defence played to top-hole form. Not one man failed them in the rear. The backs were brilliant throughout, but not tested in the second half. All three halves stuck to their men like leeches, with Young the most successful and the most enterprising. McMenemy, Hamilton and Johnstone were best of the forwards, but the entire attack failed as shots.
