A Fyfe 22
S Archibald xx, xx, 75
Match Information
Attendance: 43,000
Referee: G.W. Hamilton (Kilbirnie)
Matchday: Saturday
Match Trivia
The Rangers put the seal to an eventful football season by winning the Glasgow Merchants’ Charity Cup at Hampden Park yesterday by 3 goals to 1. 43,000 spectators paid for admission, and £2506 were drawn at the gates and grand stand. On familiar ground, Queen’s Park were expected by their supporters to follow up the capture of the Ayr Charity Cup by a greater triumph at the expense of the Light Blues. The task of winning two trophies in the same week, however, was beyond the power of the Amateurs. They put up a bold show against a strongish wind and sun in the first half, when they were a shade quicker than the Rangers in going in to tackle, and were equally robust in the outfield all through a hard struggle. Three notable features of the game were the appearance of JR Smith, the Cowdenbeath centre forward, in the Rangers colours: the debut at Hampden of A Stalker of Aberdeen University, on the QP right, and the scoring of all three goals for the winning club by Alex Archibald, the international right winger against England. Among a Kilmarnock coterie who were attracted to see the debut of the Rugby Park club’s famous Scottish Cup leader were Mr Charles Smith, a former vice-president of the Scottish Football League, and Mr John Walker, a favourite ‘Killie’ forward and referee of other days. Football officials from Greenock, Motherwell, Beith and others centres were numerous in the pavilion, while Ireland was represented by Mr John Clugston, the brilliant Cliftonville goalkeeper of the early days of Irish football, who revived acquaintance with Mr JK McDowall and Mr Tom Robertson, the veteran player and referee. Among Anglo-Scots I noticed Andy Wilson, of Middlesbrough, accompanied by his bonnie bride; Tom Blair of Manchester city; and George Waddell of Preston North End. Most of them were disappointed with the quality of the football, but what could you expect with the ball ‘fiery’ and a hard following breeze that made the ball bound up from the ground in the goalmouth right over the bar. The effect of the bounding ball was best illustrated when Jock Nicholson headed the ball down with the expectation of seeing another goal recorded by his team. Instead, the ball rose from the turf over the bar. I formed the impression that Rangers did not make enough of their shooting chances when they had the wind. The forwards did not develop the inside game. Smith began as if he could carry out the ideal game in attack, but Cairns and Muirhead did not play into him, and without support from the inside wing players and the half-backs, it was impossible for him, in strange company, to do much on his own. The early shooting of the Rangers’ forwards was wild and erratic. The attempts at scoring were more numerous from Meiklejohn and Dixon, and occasionally from Nicholson. There was no system of attack, and against strong, rushing defenders they were beaten by men in black and white jersey who went straight out for the ball and kicked it hard. Sneddon, Davies, Gillespie and Pirie put up a rugged defence which the more skillful side could not overcome. The first direct shot of the match was sent in by Cairns after eighteen minutes, and Newton did well to hold the ball with a vice-like clutch. Over the game the Queen’s Park goalkeeper made many weird saves. Plucky efforts they were. During one fierce attack by the Rangers in the second half, Newton saved with a kick that would have done credit to a full back, and following the return of the ball he fisted it away – twice high up – three times in succession from Smith, Muirhead and Dixon. The first corner kick of the game fell to Queen’s Park, when Dixon ran back to help McCandless when his aid was unnecessary. Taken by surprise ‘Billy’ kicked clear for a flag kick, which might have endangered the result. Corner kick would have counted had the teams been level on goals scored after extra time. This course, however, was not necessary. Queen’s Park made a lively attack after this, and Pirie sent in a long shot. The ball appeared to be going away from Robb for a goal, when Manderson popped out his neck to head the ball clear of danger. The opening of the score was only delayed, as Fyfe got his foot to a magnificent drive from twenty-five yards out, and Robb was helpless to save. Visions of a QP victory excited the patrons of the grand stand, who cheered their favourites lustily. Nicholson next made an extra strong effort to level matters, but the only reward that fell to the Rangers for a time were a couple of corner kicks, forced by Archibald. The Ibrox right winger about this time began to alter his tactics by cutting into the centre, instead of being forced over the line. The change brought success. Doubling across from the line, with the ball under control, he outwitted man after man, and levelled the score with a shot from the centre midway between the twelve-and eighteen-yards line. After this happened (thirty-six minutes) you could see the Rangers winning, although the forward play was never controlled as it was by McDiarmid the previous week. Four minutes later Archibald got his second goal in much the same manner, all on his own. At half-time the Rangers led by 2 goals to 1. With the change of ends the Amateurs were expected to do better than was the case. Like the Light Blues, they found the ball difficult to control. They made no serious attempt to do so, nut kicked ahead recklessly. Alan Morton was not fairly played by Pirie, against whom several free kicks were given. The left-winger was in fine sprinting form, but others than Pirie were ceaselessly on his track to get the better of him by fair means or foul. A glaring miss by Muirhead and Smith in the same movement was the first striking incident of an uneventful half-hour. The centre was getting better into his game, but still lacked support. Ten minutes from time Archibald got his third goal, with a left foot shot cutting across Davis and Dickson in precisely the same way as he had done on the other occasions, he beat Newton’s defence. A free kick taken inside the eighteen yards’ line by Gillespie, when the rangers’ players lined up sideways to give the ball a clear passage into the goal, raised memories of the holiday match at Ibrox Park when the Rangers got a goal. Nothing accrued from it, and shots by Cairns, JR Smith and Pirie were the final features of a colourless exhibition of football, in which courage and energy were the outstanding elements. The best of the Rangers players were Manderson, Dixon and Nicholson in a steady defence, and Archibald, Cairns and Morton in a scraggy attack. Smith need not be judges harshly on a first display, as he was badly supported. His best passes were from Muirhead, and he got none down the centre. Best for Queen’s Park were Newton, Sneddon, Gillespie, Pirie, Stalker (who was lamed early on), Fyfe and McAlpine. The left winger hooked across several magnificent centres, in spite of the counter influence of Manderson, who was at the top of his game. The Rangers wound up a memorable season with victories in the Glasgow FA and Charity Cup finals, runners-up for the Scottish Cup, and beaten for the League championship by a point. A truly great record
