Match ended 0-0
Match Information
Attendance: 38,000
Referee: P Craigmyle (Aberdeen)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
Two crippled teams turned out at Ibrox to represent Rangers and Celtic, yet they served up one of the best displays seen between these teams for years. It was crisp, clean, exciting; replete with dexterous movements; characterised by tenacious tackling and unabating industry. ‘Cripple teams!’ you say. ‘Were not Celtic at full strength?” yes, nominally. When McFarlane emerged the Celtic first team was complete, but I assure you neither McFarlane, nor Cassidy, nor McLean was thoroughly fit. But reserves are a negligible quantity at Parkhead, and so the below-par trio turned out. Rangers were just as badly hit by the withdrawal of Cairns and Archibald. Tommy is feeling seedy – and liked it! Muirhead went to inside left, and Tom Craig to Alex Archibald’s place at outside right. The changes undoubtedly weakened the team. Muirhead, until late in the second half, was more of a half-back then a forward. Craig was always an individualist, striving to work his own salvation, and seldom succeeding. I do not say that with Cairns and Archibald in the team Rangers would have won. Celtic had every bit as much of the game as Rangers. In the first half Henderson thrilled the crowd by a couple of electric dashes. His second was great stuff. He sprinted away on the right, went straight ahead when tackled by McNair, and finished up with a shot that Shaw dropped on miraculously. That was a sensational movement. The first quarter of an hour of the second half revealed a more confident Rangers’ team. It looked back for Celtic then – as black as the weather, and that was pretty dismal, I assure you. But defence prevailed. I liked Hilley at this period, as I liked him all the game. But the best of the whole defence was Willie McStay, the dashing, the fearless. He guarded Henderson as if one ball from the centre’s boot meant disaster. He cornered him. He booted clear. He was back and half-back in one. Still, Shaw was busy. Long drives, as a rule, came his way, but these he worried about not at all. However, Alan Morton did manage to put another grey hair on Charlie’s head. He stood over the ball, with McNair a few yards away. For just a moment Alan let his brain work. Then his limbs acted. What a glorious right-foot drive he delivered, a goal-scorer all the way! So, it looked. But the sphere struck the inner angle of the upright and flashed back into the field of play. Near the end Celtic got a grip. Rangers defence rocked. McAtee smashed a great drive right across the goal. Minutes later Gallagher and Cassidy made a golden opening for young Thomson. He had a clear field. But that difficult ball beat the lad. Not for a moment from the start of his run did he have the sphere under control. His wild, hopelessly wide finishing. That was inevitable. The game ended as it was right it should end – in a draw! Of the goalkeepers I preferred Shaw. Not by much, mind you, for he left his goal too often to be termed quite safe. Robb, too, made a wee mistake. He allowed the ball to elude his grasp once when Cassidy delivered a low, straight shot. To Hilley and Manderson I award the palm for their full-back display. W McStay I have spoken about. James McStay played just about his best game for Celtic. Jolly good stuff it was too. McFarlane, considering his handicap, was wonderful. On the other side we saw Alex Johnstone fill Muirhead’s place flawlessly. Dixon – good! Meiklejohn – just ‘Meik.’ Forward, Gallagher of course! Lively, determined, unorthodox Paddy! McAtee, like McLean, got going in the second half, but Cassidy and Thomson were not quite up to standard. Not one of the Rangers’ front rank men struck their usual game. The eagerly anticipated brilliance did not materialise. Cairns, with his holding, seemingly selfish, but infinitely profitable tactics, was missed. Still, it was no fiasco, bot by a long chalk. The Light Blue quintette were every bit as good as the opposing five
