J Bowie
McMenemy
Match Information
Attendance: 65,000
Referee: J Binnie (Falkirk)
Matchday: Wednesday
Match Trivia
If we hadn’t had so much khaki it would have been like pre-war days at Ibrox yesterday. Without making a record of the lads attired in that fashionable material there were 60,000 people present; and I think I am safe in saying that there were very few men or boys there who did not enjoy themselves. The match was swell up to the best tradition of these Ne’erday ‘old firm’ meetings. At times the play was not what you might describe brilliant, but there was quite a lot of that sort of thing, and the final dust-up was worth going a long wat to see. The bit I refer to particularly succeeded Bowie’s mystery equaliser goal, taken when there were still twelve minutes of the game to run. The ball seemed perilously nearly over the line close to Shaw’s left hand post when the Ibrox master forward hooked it in somehow – there was Cinquevalli-like touch about the movements – and (hey, presto!) the ball found its way just inside the opposite upright with Tommy Cairns following it home. After that, the Rangers struck a delightful patch, and the Celts, if less combined, responded in gallant fashion, and till the close the spectators were kept in a fever of excitement. Davie McLean got through to give Shaw the opportunity to bring off a magnificent save; but if Hempsey did nothing so spectacular his charge was as often in danger. Either side might have won, in the course of this first-rate ending to what will go down to posterity as one of the keenest and cleanest contests the clubs have ever figured in. While there was no question that the ‘Light Blues’ were the more methodical, the better combined and sweeter moving side, they found themselves ‘up against it,’ if I might be allowed to use the expression. Bowie and Cairns discovered in McStay, Cringan and Dodds a stonewall trio of half-backs who, for the greater part of the time, simply refused to allow them to settle, and of course, the whole Ibrox attack suffered. Gordon, Dixon and Walls were better constructive middlemen than the more powerful Parkhead trio; but they were not quite so effective as a destructive force. Behind this Celtic line of stalwarts stood two grand defenders – McNair, as judicious and crafty as ever, and Davie Taylor, a wonderful mixture. I was greatly impressed by the Bannockburn – Burnley back. He seemed to have all repose of McNair, and also when the occasion demanded it, the dash and incisiveness of Joe Dodds. In addition to all this, he was perhaps as speedy as Manderson, who found his pace a most valuable asset when dealing with the slower McLean – surely as unorthodox an extreme left-winger as ever was. This little fellow caused the Ibrox defence endless trouble. Blair also did splendidly; indeed you might travel far without seeing three such grand backs in any one match. In the circumstances you will understand that scoring was more than usually difficult. Which reminds me that I have still to tell you how the Parkhead goal came about – six minutes before the boys retired for their Bovril. Two men share the credit for this Celtic success – Cassidy and McMenemy. Joe, who had mulled a chance a minute or two before, sent across a perfect ball, and McMenemy’s ‘cuteness did the rest. It was a really cleverly taken point, if not quite warranted on the run of the play. I have neither the space or time to dwell as I would like on the pleasure-giving encounter, which was punctuated by ‘near things’ at either end, and abounded with thrills; indeed, a word or two more about the players must suffice. At the beginning, on the Rangers right touch-line, Archibald did not respond to the calls of brainy Bowie as was his wont, but in the second half ‘the Fifer’ was like Caesar’s wife – beyond reproach. Davie McLean, well looked after though he was managed to get in several of his own special brand of shots. Cairns was his usual plugging self, and Brown crossed several smart balls. Still, I would not say that the ‘Dundonian’ filled the eye as a left-winger. McMenemy, if less prominent than Bowie was of equal value to his side – Jamie wrought like a horse. Gallagher, if not his real self, obliged with flashes of the real ‘Patsy’ now and then. McColl was eager and clever, and if Cassidy was a bit uneven, he easily passes muster. If for nothing else than that peach of a centre, from which McMenemy beat Hempsey, his inclusion was justified.
