Dr Marshall 7
Anderson 30
B McPhail 46
Fleming 52
Red Cards
Thomson sent off 80
Match Information
Attendance: 12,000
Referee: W.G. Holborn (Glasgow)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
Scenes of disgraceful nature were witnessed in the closing minutes of the game between Rangers and Falkirk at Ibrox yesterday. During the height of the trouble Hutchison, the Falkirk left half-back was ordered to the pavilion. At one period players were more engrossed in punching opponents than kicking the ball. The game previously had been most uninteresting, thanks to the poor opposition put up by Falkirk. Rangers were easily their masters. A few weeks ago, in the Sunday Mail, I defended Association football following on it by a well-known Scottish writer. At Ibrox yesterday I was made to swallow my case for the defence. I hope that never again will I see the disgraceful scenes, which sickened me during the last ten minutes of the game between Rangers and Falkirk. I, then whom there is no more ardent supporter of the game, left the Press Box nauseated with a sense of disgust. When I first saw all-in wrestling, I looked around at the howling spectators and took my departure, wondering if my fellowmen had lost their sporting instinct. Yesterday I saw stuff that, for viciousness, made all-in wrestling look a pleasant pastime between delicately nurtured children. And one of the teams concerned are prospective League champions, Rangers who are looked upon as the very embodiment of all that is sporting. During those aforementioned final ten minutes football was completely forgotten in an orgy of face-punching, body-punching, leg-kicking everything in fact, that is forbidden in all-in wrestling. For people with perverted ideas, it all must have been most enjoyable, for those who attend sports gatherings for sports sake it was well, shall I say uncomfortable? Boxing is a grand sort, but the proper place for it is in a roped square where the other fellow knows what to expect, not on football field, where the object to be struck is a leather sphere, not a mans chin. I read that in France La Savate has been revived. Certain players belonging to Ibrox and Brockville gave the impression yesterday that it might be worth while seeing if it would take on in Scotland, with studded boots. As a contest of football this affair ended on the highest degree of hooliganism, and Hutchison, who up to the minute he was ordered off, had played cleverly and with restraint, so far as temper is concerned, was ordered to the pavilion. His dismissal from the field followed an exchange of left and right hooks to the face, with Marshall, the Rangers inside right. The referee whistled for play to stop, dashed over and consulted a linesman, while Archibald and Meiklejohn intervened between the fighting men. Hutchison was signalled to the pavilion. He appealed to the whistler. Every man of his team joined in the appeal. They pleaded on the referee to alter his decision; the official was adamant. Hutchison walked slowly to the shelter of the dressing-room. Dougie Gray accompanied him part of the way, engaging him in conversation, I hope as I think it would be, that Grays words were words of sympathy. Hutchison was by no means the worst offender on the field. He was very much the reverse, and he certainly did not deserve the abusively vocal demonstration that marked his exit. I would like to think that the remarks of Gray were in keeping with his acknowledged sportsmanship. The scenes round about this period and better be forgotten. All over the place men were punching and kicking one another, and here I want to draw attention to an action most strange on the part of the referee. Thomson, the Falkirk goalkeeper, was being subjected to all sorts of physical attention when the referee dashed into the scrum and pushed off friend and opponents. One would have thought that he intended play to be stopped, but no; he signalled it to go on. I leave it at that. The play preceding the amazing closing incidents, was never really exciting. Rangers with the few minutes that elapsed between their opening goal and the equalising one, were always on top, and they might easily have scored double the number of goals they actually did. Slow finishing by Smith, and bad marksmanship by the others in the forward line were responsible for the score being kept down to five. Falkirk were a feeble lot. Their offensive work was no more than a weak scarping against the door that leads to success. Rangers, on the other had, played powerfully, determinedly, putting a strong thrust into their attack that was never apparent in that of their opponents. When Falkirk tried to set up a forward movement, even when they were in the midst of one, I felt that little or no danger offered the Ibrox defence. On the other hand, whenever Rangers got going the crowd were entitled to look for a goal. The Falkirk rear lines were as weak in defence as their front line was weak in attack. One can realise the superiority of the Glasgow team when it can be mentioned that Simpson, in the second half, was frequently upfield with his fellows, and on one occasion with the ball at his feet threatened to go and have a pop at goal. The first scorer was Marshall, but I think Thomson slept in, in not stopping the ball, which did not travel with any great speed from about twenty yards. Rather did it bounce along the turf! That was seven minutes from the start and by the manner Rangers were then playing it did not seem as if they would take long to add to it. But Falkirk equalised. Following a miss by Meiklejohn, Bartram dashed ahead in possession and from four or five yards let go. Dawson got to the ball and diverted its flight so that it struck the crossbar. Anderson caught the rebound and first time crashed it home. Bartram was unlucky not to score with his effort. Dawson was unlucky not to have been covered up after a truly magnificent save. A bit involved that, maybe, But I reckon youll gather what I mean. For a few minutes the dreary game looked like developing into a contest until Marshall scored a beautiful goal, a left-footer drive that gave Thomson no chance. Smith scored another before the interval, swerving slightly to the right after securing a nice slip up the centre, and hitting the ball low down into the net. Within a minute of the restart McPhail scored with a header, the ball coming from the left. Here again I thought Thomson should have saved. A great goal by Fleming, who ran in from the touchline to bang a grounder into a couple of feet of space between Thomson and an upright, completed the scoring. I dont think individual criticism is called for in this game. Rangers were far too good for the opposition
