1930-10-11: Celtic 2-1 Rangers, Glasgow Cup Final

Match Pictures | Matches: 1930 1931 | 1930 Pictures

Trivia

  • With Bertie Thomson sent off and Charlie Napier twice having to go off injured, the fact that John Thomson managed to keep a clean sheet says much for the Celtic team-spirit. Crowd trouble after referee J. Thomson of Burnbank had disallowed a Celtic “goal” detracted from the cup-final occasion. Jimmy Smith scored Rangers’ goal following a slip by McGonagle but Jimmy McGrory got the winner. Celtic later protested to the SFA about the referee’s performance as he had allowed the repeated fouling of their goalkeeper and wingers. This complaint, Celtic said, was only one of several in similar vein recently. This set the ball rolling in what would become a very bitter public dispute. [See Match Pictures]
  • Puzzlingly* the Glasgow Herald (below) states “the attendance of 71,000 was comparatively small and surprising, though, broadly looked at the fact that the attendance fell considerably short of the number who witnessed the recent League games between the clubs” The most recent Old-Firm league game at Celtic Park had a crowd of 60,000.
  • Before the kick-off the crowd at Parkhead paid silent tribute to the 48 servicemen and passengers of the airship R 101 who, after lying in state in Westminster Hall on Friday were buried today at Cardington.
  • There were two arrests at the Celtic Rangers game following crowd trouble sparked by a “goal” disallowed by the referee but the 400 police officers on duty dealt with the trouble.
  • Lisbon Lion Ronnie Simpson is born on this day, his dad was an ex-Rangers Player.
  • English league-leaders Arsenal suffered their first defeat of the season, losing to Derby County and as a result were knocked off their top spot by Aston Villa who now lead on goal-difference. Aston Villa were unable to take full advantage of Arsenal’s slip as they were held to a 1-1 draw at Roker Park where “Hooky” Leonard scored for the Wearsiders.
  • Gangster Jack “Legs” Diamond, a leading figure in New York’s underworld was shot and seriously wounded in his room at the Hotel Monticello on the west side of Manhattan. He had recently sought to take up residence in Europe, but was turned away by several countries. In hospital he revealed that he was in bed when he was shot by three or four men, whom, he said with a grin, he did not recognise. Diamond was born John Nolan, the son of Irish parents who immigrated to the USA in 1891.

Review

Teams

CELTIC:
J. Thomson, Cook, McGonagle, Geatons, McStay, Whitelaw, R. Thomson, A. Thomson, McGrory, Scarff, Napier.
Scorers:
Napier, McGrory.

RANGERS:
Hamilton, Gray, Buchanan, Brown, Meiklejohn, Craig, Archibald, Marshall, Smith, McPhail, Morton.
Scorers:
Smith.

Referee: J. Thomson (Burnbank).
Attendance: 71,800*

Articles

Glasgow Herald 13th October 1930

shug sludden

  • Match Report (see end of page below)

Pictures

Articles

The Scotsman – Monday, 13th October 1930, page 5

UNRULY SCENES AT HAMPDEN.

PLAYER ORDERED OFF: STONES THROWN AT POLICE

Ugly scenes were witnessed at Hampden Park Glasgow, where the final of the Glasgow Cup competition, between Rangers and Celtic, was played.

Shortly before the interval, when Celtic led by a goal to nothing, a point was disallowed the Parkhead men. This decision of the referee, J. Thomson, Hamilton, displeased a section of the crowd. Some stones were thrown from a part of the terracing, and there was a stampede among the crowd for safety. Two men were arrested, and reinforcements of police were rushed to that part of the field.

Free fights were going on, with a great deal of shouting and throwing of stones and bottles, many people jumped the surrounding barricade on to the track to escape the melee. The police, though greeted with jeers and stones, mounted the Terracing and got the crowd under control. Matters quietened down, but the police remained as a precautionary measure, and their presence was felt later when one of the Celtic players, R. Thomson, was ordered to the pavilion for an alleged infringement.

Though this further angered the Celtic supporters, the fact that there were so many police in close proximity prevented a recurrence of disorder. There were no fewer than 400 policemen on duty at all points in and out of Hampden Park.

Celtic’s triumph over Rangers can be explained by the fact that the Ibrox side were for the most part on the aggressive but their ineptitude where it came to the finishing thrust time and again proved their undoing. Smith was too slow and unenterprising. He got the Rangers’ only goal, while Marshall never achieved the fruits of his cunning leading-up work.

The early promise of McPhail was not maintained. One pleasing feature was the sparkling display of Alan Morton, but a tactical mistake was made in the second half when he was not brought so much into the game. There was no more wholehearted half-back afield than Meiklejohn.
Buchanan put Hamilton’s charge in danger too often, but he had a resourceful and confident partner in Gray. Hamilton was helpless to prevent the goals, being partially blinded by the sun when he lost the first and being uncovered when the other was scored.

It was Celtic’s unflinching spirit and will to win that brought them victory. John Thomson distinguished himself by his perfect saving. He was ably shielded by Cook and McGonagle. McStay proved himself a worthy captain. Whitelaw justified his inclusion. R. Thomson was the master of Buchanan, but the tactics adopted by both were anything but pretty to see and could have well been done without.

A. Thomson was more subdued than usual. McGrory, who got a goal, demonstrated that he was a much superior centre-forward to Smith. Scarff and Napier constituted a clever, incisive left-wing. The latter, who scored the first goal, was twice knocked out and had to be carried off. He recovered after receiving attention.

Celtic v Rangers GCF Oct 1930

Buchanan Fortunate
Thomson (R), before he was sent to the pavilion, was Celtic’s best forward. He was far too good for Buchanan, the Rangers back, and the Ibrox man was rather fortunate to remain on the field while his opponent went off. The referee spoke twice to Buchanan about his treatment of Thomson.

Napier, who opened the scoring after five minutes, had rather an unfortunate day of it. He was knocked unconscious following a collision with Gray, and seemed dazed when he returned to the field 10 minutes later. Then shortly before the interval he was the victim of a foul perpetrated by Meiklejohn, and once more he had to leave the field for a time.

Two Men Arrested

The resultant free kick led up to trouble behind the Polmadie goal. Whitelaw’s shot was a good one, but the ball hit the crossbar and dropped in front of goal. McGrory tried to get the ball, but he only touched it, and it went to Scarff, who banged it into the net. The point was disallowed, however, and a foul given against McGrory for hitting the ball with his arm.

It was then that a stone came on to the field, two men were arrested, and the reserve police were called out.