W Reid 42
Match Information
Attendance: 36,000
Referee: Major J Vick (Glasgow)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
In recent years Clyde and Rangers have been paired frequently in cup ties. I have vivid impressions of sensational occurrences at Shawfield Park beginning that year when Queen’s Park, Rangers and Celtic experienced the bitterness of defeat there in the National Cup ties. The ‘Light Blues’ had reason to dread the Glasgow Cup semi-final at Shawfield on Saturday. An unpleasant shock by Dundee the previous week, a shake-up in Aberdeen two days later, and bitter cup memories in Bridgeton produced uneasiness in official circles. We saw the real fighting Rangers in this latest encounter. I have not witnessed more strenuous football in any match since the English Cup final at the Crystal Palace last April, when Aston Villa blasted the hopes of Sunderland, than what the first half of this gruelling cup struggle produced. 35,000 spectators were thrilled with its stirring passages of play and the desperate keenness of the men. Defence was brilliant on both sides, and the pace of the rival forwards foreshadowed a change in the second half. No two clubs I know could have maintained the equality of the first half on to a finish. Physical endurance has its limit. The test at Shawfield was convincing of the maximum trained manhood can endure. Unexpectedly, the Clyde had to take the field without James Blair, whose knee was injured against the Hearts the previous Saturday. The versatile John Gilligan was transferred from right to left back, with Farrell as partner. Farrell rose splendidly to a big occasion, and Gilligan was superb. This stout-hearted little back, whose ankle power delights the crowd, had seldom played a more effective game. He was up against Duncan and Bowie – the best wing on the field – and had need to exert himself against the mater brains of the Ibrox attack. All other impressions of the game were dwarfed by two determined checkmating of the half-backs, and the magnificent punting of the backs. Campbell and Gilligan roused the onlookers to a high pitch of enthusiasm with their huge open kicking, and their confident stepping out to a ball that required careful judging on account of the sodden turf. Muir and Farrell, if not robust in movement, kicked nicely and cleverly. The ex-St Bernard man occasionally delighted the Ibrox following with back-hitch returns that came easy to him. Muir, unlike Ormonde, whom he displaced, waits for his man. A little extra anticipatory dash will improve the game of this slimly built young fellow from the East. The half-backs were vitally aggressive. The rival captains, Logan and MacAndrew, towered above the others. The Clyde captain popped up everywhere the play developed. Reid was his special objective, but he was not unmindful stopping the men alongside the Rangers’ most dangerous scorer. Big men are to be preferred in defence if you get them good enough. I was impressed with the value stalwarts like Campbell, Logan and Galt were to the Rangers. In the periods of Clyde attack this trio seemed invincible. Logan, easily distinguishable by his sunny locks, was outstanding. More than any other he contributed to the non-success if the Clyde. Only a goal separated the teams, but what a goal! Three minutes from the interval, Gordon slipped the ball on to Reid. The Rangers’ centre went ahead at top speed from about 40 yards off the goal. The crowd thrilled as he ran, chased by two Clyde defenders alongside. How he got in that raking low shot from 22 yards out at express power puzzled the onlookers. At the moment it seemed impossible for Reid to attempt a shot. It was a masterpiece of a goal, and worthy the man who shot it. The joyous Light blues contingent forgot that other incident, when Reid, well set for a run through, had his heels clicked from behind by the wily Walker. William of Shawfield excelled for craft in the Shawfield inter mediate line, as Gordon, with those puzzling body swerves, revealed on the other side. After the interval signs of fatigue were apparent. The hard-working half-backs could not reproduce that extra ounce of energy. Over the play slackened. Galt and Logan for a time were ubiquitous, but later on the zealous Galt left his mark on the game. The home forwards never got time to settle. The outest and cleverest passing was seen on the winning side. As the defence tapered the forwards came more into the picture, but as in the first half they rarely got an opening to shoot. About eight minutes from time Owers got a chance to draw level. Jackson was better placed for shooting. Instead of slipping the ball to his club-mate, Owers took his chance, and the ball went over the bar. The result did not flatter the winners. The Rangers never looked likely to lose, and when Reid’s goal came they played with greater confidence to keep the advantage they had gained. In almost every position forward they appeared a shade more purposeful and methodical. Their passing was low and sharper. The man generally raised the head before putting the ball away to see who was best placed to receive it. Bowie was the most artful and most effective attacker on either side. Duncan played nicely to him, and crossed well. Paterson is gradually coming back to his left wing game. Thompson was about as effective as any of the home forwards, none of whom showed club form, although all were earnest triers. The glaring weakness was on the right wing, where Law was unnerved by the occasion, although he had the best chances of any forward to score. In the second half, when Collins was doing the hardest graft of the three halves, McAndrew strained himself, and could not respond to the attacks of the opposition
