| Match Pictures | Matches: 1939 – 1940 | 1939-40 Pictures |
Trivia
- Wood and Hutton Bremner for Motherwell cancel out goals from Joe Carruth and Johnny Divers.
- Two thousand "lumberjacks" are being brought from Newfoundland to this country to help in supplying timber to essential industries which have faced limited supplies due to the war.
Review
Teams
CELTIC
McKay; Hogg and Morrison; Lynch, Lyon and Paterson; Gould and McDonald; Carruth, Divers and Murphy.
Scorers:
Carruth, Divers.
MOTHERWELL
Murray; Cheyne and Ellis; McLeod, Blair and Wales; Ogilvie and Bremner; Wood Main and McCulloch.
Scorers:
Wood, Bremner.
Referee: M. C. Dale (Glasgow)
Attendance:
Articles
- Match Report (see end of page below)
Pictures
Links
Articles
The Glasgow Herald, January 1, 1940
Offside Ruling at Parkhead – Celtic Faced by Stout Defence
From Our Correspondent
Celtic 2; Motherwell, 2.
While victory for Motherwell at Parkhead would have been more than an injustice to Celtic, from the press-box one found it difficult to agree with the referee when he discounted what appeared to be a well-taken goal by McCulloch late in the second half, apparently on the ground that Wood was off-side.
It happened this way. Ogilvie crossed from the right, and McCulloch, about the corner of the penalty area, brought the ball under control with due deliberation before shooting powerfully into the corner of the net.
If the referee had blown his whistle immediately Ogilvie crossed all would have been clear. Wood then might conceivably have been able to take a part in the action, but for the referee to delay interference until McCulloch had beaten McKay seemed an error of judgement on the part of the official.
Be that as it may, Celtic were far and away the better side. They may blame the misfortunes of Divers and the stout defence of Blair and Ellis that they were able to pierce Murray’s guard only once in the first half, and then Motherwell had largely themselves to blame, for they stood appealing for offside instead of doing something to stop Carruth, who headed past the onrushing goalkeeper.
On no fewer than four occasions Divers seemed certain to score, but either the ball did not “break” well for him or else Ellis the redoubtable was there to counter the thrust with a formidable tackle or lusty clearance.
SURPRISING LEAD
All this time Motherwell as a concerted attacking force were negligible. Bremner was most disappointing. Main was tied up by Lynch –although the Celt’s spoiling tactics were to be deplored – and Wood and the wingers had pretty much to fend for themselves. But surprisingly enough it was Motherwell who held the lead at half-time through goals scored by Wood and Bremner.
Wood’s long-range effort, which was diverted off its original course by striking Lyon; and Bremner’s followed a solo burst by Wood, the ball falling at the inside right’s feet after the centre had been tackled by Lynch as he was about to shoot.
It was a better contest after the interval. Motherwell were greatly improved then, but still Celtic’s teamwork was much more impressive, and they got their reward when Divers headed the equaliser after a free kick taken by Hogg had been crossed into the middle by Murphy.
The spectators were kept shouting after that, as first one goal and then the other was under siege. Murray was especially active, and he took his side out of more than one nasty corner, especially when he was down at this right-hand post to effect a great save from a ground shot by Murphy. And in the dying minutes Paterson was up to shoot narrowly over the bar.
Teams:–
CELTIC—McKay; Hogg and Morrison; Lynch, Lyon and Paterson; Gould and McDonald; Carruth, Divers and Murphy.
MOTHERWELL—Murray; Cheyne and Ellis; McLeod, Blair and Wales; Ogilvie and Bremner; Wood Main and McCulloch.
Referee—M. C. Dale (Glasgow).
