Match ended 0-0
Match Information
Attendance: 12,000
Referee: Tom Robertson (Queen's Park)
Matchday: Thursday
Match Trivia
Under idea weather conditions and in presence of 12,000 spectators the Scottish League championships and the ex-holders of the national cup met last night in the first round of the Glasgow Charity Cup, when a game conspicuous for earnest and persevering play on both sides ended in a goalless draw. There was no wind to speak of, but the Rangers had to face a bright sun in the first half, and as McPherson was injured on the knee, and was compelled in consequence to leave the field on play some twenty minutes from the call of time, they may be said to have gained what honour rests in a drawn battle. The teams took the field as published, and the ground presented a most compact and picturesque appearance. Dotted around the enclosure were groups of spectators in military attire, while the grand stand contained a liberal sprinkling of ladies. The teams took some little time to settle down. Accustomed as the players are to ground some dozen yards wider, the forwards while displaying brilliant touches of short passing occasionally, did not move with their accustomed action. Defence was a special feature of the game. Neither team were subjected at any part of the game to sustained pressure, so clever were the backs, and half-backs in the open. Nicol Smith rose to something like that high standard of form which he displayed a year or two back, and his quick recovery and side punting were the outstanding characteristics of his display. Drummond was bold and strong in his returns. Davidson displayed more celerity in clearing than Battles, but the Celtic pair presented a solid front all through. But while the backs exhibited so much cleverness with a bounding ball on fast turf, the halfback’s work of both teams, and especially that of the Rangers, may be single out, as the feature of the game. Neil and Loney were conspicuous for their energetic tackling, the Ranger being almost unbeatable. Gibson was the spiritless player a field, and his overhead touched were as delightful to watch as they were cleverly executed, while Robertson was invaluable in co-operating in attack. Moir, late of Blackburn Rovers, has improved since he last played for the Celts, sharpness in heading being a speciality of his performance. Neither centre opened out the forward play sufficiently, and the best work came from the wings, although the shooting might have been improved. Campbell, Smith and McPherson were the pick of the Rangers. The Celtic lot were more level, and excepting in the first 15 minutes of the closing half, more ken on the ball. Divers showed a marked improvement on recent display, while McMahon and Campbell, while favouring the close game, exhibited the cleverest dribbling. Findlay’s crosses were the special points of his game.
