1939-08-12: Aberdeen 3-1 Celtic, Scottish League

Match Pictures | Matches: 19391940 | 1939-40 Pictures | Forum

Trivia

  • Celtic were looking for their first league victory in Aberdeen since 1925, but refereeing blunders, and a brilliant left-winger ensure this will not happen.
  • Dave Christie of Aberdeen makes his professional debut in this game, and scores the third goal.
  • Aberdeen's South African winger Billy Strauss catches the eye of the press-man and Arthur Biggs, (ex-Arsenal and Hearts) also impresses.
  • Herr Von Ribbentrop and Count Ciano, who met near Salzburg yesterday, are expected to meet Herr Hitler at Berchtesgaden to-day.

Review

Teams

Aberdeen:
Johnstone; Cowie and Adey; Dunlop, Nicholson and Thomson; Christie and Hamilton; Armstrong, Biggs and Strauss.
Scorers:
Strauss, Hamilton, Christie

Celtic:
Kennaway, Hogg, Morrison, Geatons, Lyon, Paterson, Anderson, MacDonald, Crum, Divers, Murphy
Scorers:
Crum.

Referee: J. L. Provan (Airdrie).
Att: 30,000

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Articles

Aberdeen v Celtic 1939

DISPUTED DECISIONS

Unfortunately the referee came in for criticism. Aberdeen's second penalty started the trouble. McDonald handled the ball it appeared, just on the line, and it seemed so trivial – Aberdeen did not look like scoring at the time – that one could have excused the referee if he had closed his eyes to the offence. It was to his credit of course, that he imposed the full penalty and did not place the ball outside the dreaded line as one way of getting out of the difficulty.

But, that being so, he was hardly being consistent in his meticulous regard to rules late in the second half when Crum was fouled as near inside the area as made no difference. Again the offence was trivial and might well have been disregarded, but in this instance the referee, in good position as he was, placed the ball at least two yards outside the line, which did not meet the case as viewed from the pressbox.