J Smith 76
Match Information
Attendance: 90,000
Referee: William Webb (Glasgow)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
Jimmy Smith won the cup for Rangers. The Light Blues havent played a poorer game this season. They were out there on the Hampden grass to be walloped. But the United were faur too wee. Dundee did just enough to earn a draw. Rangers, through Smith, did just that little bit extra to earn a win. Make no mistake, it was no fluke goal. The big fellow has had many like it. He has pulled many a print from the old negative. That preposterously cheeky side-step a few yards from goal, when Rangers fans are tearing their lungs out at him to hit it! That was Littlejohn disposed of. The goalie now. A lift of the right foot. The keeper dives to the side. And that was the goalie disposed of, for Smith merely touched the ball aside again and whacked it into the empty space. When Jimmy foozles these movements they call him a big stumor. When he succeeds, hes a big dandy. What they forget is that Smith is, and has always been, a good footwork. That goal came along with fourteen minutes to go. Long before that, it was evident that only a clever individual item could prevent a replay. And Smith was the only forward on the field who looked capable of such a move. Littlejohn had played a magnificent game. But there was the hint that Smiths physical manoeuvres would reveal a crack ultimately. So, it happened. Its all very well to say Dundee United were unlucky to lose. In a way they undoubtedly were. But heavens, how they annoyed me. Their forwards were like a bunch of rabbits scampering about a garden hoping a Spring lettuce had come up for air. They each gave me the conviction that they would be deadly shots from a couple of yards. On they went, in and out of the penalty box looking for a colleague and ultimately passing lamely into a points. And, galling memory, they had a truly splendid half-back line in support. Baxter, Littlejohn and Robertson were streets ahead of Bolt, Woodburn and McKillop. From an entertainment point of view, it wasnt a failure. But the excitement it gave had s spurious ring. The most thrilling incident arrived just before the interval. The United had been worming around the Ibrox goal area for some time. Referee Webb awarded a free-kick in Arthur Milnes favour when it appeared to me the centre had merely tripped over the ball. Anyhow, Rangers felt so anxious about it, they pulled back every man, bar Smith, into the penalty-box. A strange sight. Baxter took the kick. It was banged against one player and another. Then it came clear to Adamson who, with a clear view, whacked it into the net from about eight yards. The Dundee players catapulted themselves into the air with hysterical joy. But before they could actually kiss the scorer, a counter-cheer from the Light Blue fans brought them to a stop. There was the ref pointing to a free-kick for offside. It had looked a good goal to me, but only an idiot would argue with an official who was right in line with the play. From the centre-stand, a player cane be two yards offside and look on. Knowing this, Im not going to be pig-headed enough to write the referee wrong, although that appears to some people to be a rite! Dundee United finished the first half slightly ahead of Rangers on chances, but with noting to show for it. The second-half was much the same, and the result would have been he same had Smith not presented his solo act. Normally when Rangers win a game, one can name at least three forwards who made it possible. In this case, Ive already named the only one. If Smith had been taken out of that line, the Rangers team would have stopped at the half-backs. Waddell was hopelessly out of touch. Thornton, scrambling all over the place to get a line on things. Venters, only conspicuous when he stopped play with a foul. And Little, trying had to be a winger and doing not at all badly. Behind them, Bolt burned out like a cigarette in the wind. Woodburn loped about making Milne a whole-time job. McKillop, after a brilliant start, began to get there a shade late. Lucky for Rangers they had the three Musketeers as their last line. Tiger Shaw was immense. Gray full of resource. And Dawson even forgetting to make his one customary skip-up in a game. Why then did Dundee United not win? Search me! Ive never seen a busier team. But they were all running messages. Never collecting them. As the game is played today, with ball eternally shading the sky, the cleverest of centre-forwards cane be held by even a mediocre big centre-half. That was Arthur Milnes fate. In short, the United forwards looked as if they could have run about all day and at the end, have nothing but perspiration to show for it. No shot, no individual attacker. United they stood and thats why they fell Rangers won the Emergency war Cup
