Match Pictures | Matches: 1930 - 1931 | 1931 Pictures

Trivia

• Jimmy McGrory goes "nap" scoring five goals but the star marks go to Peter Scarff who has a hat-trick and apparently a hand in everything good that Celtic do. Best for East Fife was Danny Liddle, Phil Weir scored their only goal, which was appropriate for the man who would go on to become the all-time record goalscorer for the Fifers.
  
• Notable amongst the Scottish League results on Saturday was the defeat of the Rangers at Motherwell. It was not a surprise, and there was but one goal between the sides. In the Celtic-East Fife encounter at Glasgow the top and the bottom teams in the competition were in conflict and the result did not belie the season's form, though perhaps it exaggerated it. The Celtic were winners by 9-1, and McGrory had five of the goals. The Celtic are now level with the Rangers, and have a match in hand.
• There were a few surprises in the English Cup ties, and the following First Division clubs were defeated:—Manchester City, Derby County; Huddersfield Town, Liverpool, Leicester City, and West Ham United. The Arsenal and Aston Villa tie resulted in a draw, but the main event was not the score but the scenes before the game. Fog had caused the club to keep the gates at Highbury closed until the last minute in case the game were postponed, but the large crowd broke down some of the gates and flooded in to the ground.
  
• Mr Albert H. Wiggin, Chairman of the Governing Board of the Chase National Bank of New York, in his annual report to the bank's shareholders, suggests that it would be good business for the United States to initiate a reduction in inter-Allied debts. These debts from Britain’s First World War borrowing were reduced by Mr Baldwin's negotiations in 1923 from £65 million per annum, to £33 million p.a. until 1932, and £32 million p.a. thereafter.

Review

Teams

CELTIC:
J. Thomson, Cook, McGonagle, Wilson, McStay, Geatons, R. Thomson, A. Thomson, McGrory, Scarff, Napier.
Scorers:
McGrory, (5); Scarff, (3); R. Thomson.

EAST FIFE:
Bernard, Duncan, Moyes, Langton, Mill, McCurley, Wilson, McGachie, Weir, Mitchell, Liddle.
Scorers:
Weir.


Referee:
Attendance: 7,000

Articles

• Match Report (see end of page below)
  

Pictures

• Match Pictures

Articles

The Scotsman - Monday, 12th January 1931, page 5

CELTIC'S CRUSHING VICTORY OVER FIFERS.

The Cup tie rehearsal at Parkhead, Glasgow, made East Fife's chances at Methil this week-end look even more hopeless than before.

After winning by 6-2 at Methil earlier in the season, the Celtic were winners by nine goals to one. Their forwards were in devastating form against a side who missed Shaw badly, at centre-half, and the Fifers' few good finishing efforts were well stopped by J. Thomson, who was as brilliant as ever in goal.

On the other hand, the Celtic full-backs, and half-backs were anything but steady, and it was just as well for them that the Fife forwards did not combine when they had the bulk of the play in the early stages.

When the Celtic got their first two goals they came actually against the run of the play. In securing the first, McGrory looked offside, and nobody tried to stop him, and when it was allowed the visitors seemed to lose heart. The result was that they were behind to the extent of 5-1 at half-time, and other four goals came in the second half.

McGrory had five in all, Scarff three, and R. Thomson one, but Scarff practically made them all. Nobody could hold the inside-left forward as he ploughed about on the heavy pitch, and he was the mainspring of a Celtic attack which went like clockwork.

Langton, at half-back, was the most aggressive of the Fifers, but he could not get his forwards involved, and Liddell, the best of the men in front, got very few chances. Bernard in goal made some bad mistakes, but he also had some wonderful saves. Weir, at centre-forward, played poorly, but took his goal very well in the first half.