Match ended 0-0
Match Information
Attendance: 37,000
Referee: P Craigmyle (Aberdeen)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
Yesterday’s Glasgow Cup final was notable for many things, apart from the play. Bur for these particularities to which I will refer later, there wouldn’t have been much to write about. Little skill was shown by either side except in the way of Thwarting an opponent. Tackling was keen, players dashed at one another with no fear of the consequences, and the ball was frequently soaring high and out of play. When I tell you that four balls were used in the match you must be interested. Two fell victims to the spiked railings in front of the covered stand, one was a reject of Referee Craigmyle’s, and the other did the purpose till the finish, although if there had been much longer to go one wonders what might have happed to it. Accidents to players were of frequent occurrence. I wouldn’t say the play was rough, but, as I have indicated, boot met boot very often. Clyde were the greater sufferers, Anderson, Thompson, Johnstone, McClure and Rae (worst of all) were in the wars. Ibrox players were also damaged, but they were more fortunate than their opponents. Taken all over, the game was just value for a draw. Rangers, if anything, were the more skilful side, but they never came so near to scoring as Clyde did when Robb tipped over the bar a ball which glanced off Manderson’s head after it had left Thompson’s foot. I reckon that Robb did splendidly to get that ball – it was travelling very fast. The game started off with a bang. Clyde did the banging. Inside a minute Brown got through. Manderson and McCandless seemed in two minds about what they ought to do. Robb ran out. Brown got there first. He lobbed over Robb, but also over the bar. Rangers replied with some good football. Cunningham tried his luck and found it out. Henderson didn’t shape to well with a good ball from Cairns, but Tommy set the centre going again. Smart combination between he two resulted in Morton getting possession and rounding Cowan and Frame. Cowan, however, brought Alan down second time, and although there was a strong appeal for a penalty, the referee paid no attention. The sequel was that McClure set off and cleverly beat McCandless by alertness. Not only so, but he got in a beautiful ball which Robb saved smartly. Rangers now struck up a delightful game but play in the middle was weak. The finishing was no good. Clyde didn’t allow any settling, however. McClure was giving the opposition a lot of trouble. Once McCandless was lucky indeed to shoot out a foot and stop the winger, when Brown and Duncan were set for a dash ahead. After a ball had been burst on the spikes, McClure led McCandless a merry dance near the corner flag and sent across a beauty. It was cleared at the expense of another ball – also burst on the spikes. The third ball was as black as Battling Siki and didn’t appear to run too true. Cunningham blazed it over the bar, but later Morton put across a beautiful corner with it and the crowd shouted ‘goal’ when Henderson nodded it past the post. McCandless nearly made a bloomer with a ball coming from the left. Robb was getting it when Billy shot out a foot and touched it. Robb recovered and git it just on the goal line. Then Duncan on the spin shot past, and McCandless rattled Anderson with a great drive from a free kick. The Rangers Johnstone now gave us the best shot of the match so far. Low down, it sailed in, and Anderson tipped it round the post for a corner that yielded nothing. Up to ten minutes before the interval play had been very quiet, but Rangers livened the proceedings by a great dash on the right. Henderson’s shot was blocked, and away raced Bown to thoroughly master Manderson. Into the middle the ball came. Out to Duncan it went. Charlie raced ahead and centred. Some one blazed it in and Dixon was laid out. McClure sent narrowly over. When Arthur was brought round, play ruled in midfield for a bit, and then McClure got away, but offside stopped the movement. Rangers were pressing when half-time arrived, but they weren’t any more like scoring than Clyde. As a matter of fact, their efforts to count were more praiseworthy than those of the Ibrox fellows. Play had scraped along five minutes when Thompson got Manderson’s boot on the body and had to retire but was able to resume after Rangers had pressed for a bit without making any impression on the Clyde defence. Frank immediately forced a corner from Dixon. Not only so, but he sent in a great shot from the subsequent play which Robb was obliged to tip over. Following McClure’s corner, the winger was laid out, and then down went Nicholson and Duncan. Their injuries were minor, and all were forgotten when Archibald raced away, only to be cleverly stopped by Forrest. Back Clyde came, but again Archibald was off, and he sent in a raker which Cown blocked. Clyde dashed ahead once more, but again Rangers returned and after Johnstone had been whacked in the face Cairns nodded behind a free kick by Archibald. Another by Sandy was sent past by Morton. Rangers were playing all they knew now, but still their goalmouth work was poor. Morton might have done much better than being wildly behind when well placed. Henderson had hard luck next minute certainly when he hit the crossbar with a header and Morton once more put weakly past. Clyde shook themselves free. Fine forcing work by Framd let Thompson off, but offside held up the Red line. A foul throw saw Rangers down again, and delightful wing play on the right resulted in Henderson heading past. A foul against Morton for holding Cowan gave Clyde a good opening. Brown was offside. A Clyde corner by McClure was easily cleared. Next minute Cairns headed a corner from Archibald. A halt was gain called for Brown. He and Johnstone dashed in on a ball McClure. Both went down and Brown required the trainer. Both were given offside. We saw some excitement at the other end when Nicholson had a shot blocked. Anderson ran out to get the ball on the line. Archibald at him and somersaulted over the top. Archibald’s corner yielded nothing, and Johnstone and Rae required trainer’s aid. In between these hurts Archibald overran the ball behind. Rae was carried off. Rain had been falling all this half, but play did not seem to suffer. It was neither better nor worse. After Rae’s retiral about seven minutes from the time the third ball was burst on the spikes and a brand new one appeared. Amongst its first kicks was a very high one goalwards by Dixon. Anderson came out and Morton tackled him foully. The free kick was about the last of a game in which Jack was as good as his master and neither team deserved a count. As the black scoring sheet tells you, neither side was let down by its defence. The goalkeepers were severely tested, but did well when called upon, Manderson and Cowan were the best of the backs, although scarce a fault could be found with the fellow on the left. The half-backs were a very dominant force throughout. They didn’t assist their forwards too much – showing anxiety to get the ball away. I liked Nicholson much in the first half, indeed, I have never seen him do better, and if Archibald had finished off his work, the glory would have reflected on ‘Jock.’ Dixon was a powerful worker, and Johnstone could be trusted oftener with the left half position. The Clyde trio were great workers but gave little attention to placing. Perhaps their policy paid. Forward, there was little sustained play. Rangers occasionally showed glimpses of that cohesive attack which as been so profitable in the past, but they could never reach the climax. Henderson was most dangerous of the lot, for Archibald and Morton from wings sent the ball behind very often. Cunningham and Cairns were held by the Shawfield half-backs. Clyde’s attack was only good in parts. The wing men were slow to get the ball over. Of the inside men, I liked Johnstone, best. He is a big, strong fellow this, and ought to come on well
