1931-10-31: Motherwell 2-2 Celtic, League Division 1

Match Pictures | Matches: 19311932 | 1931 Pictures

Trivia

  • Charlie Napier gets two quick goals but Motherwell respond with a Tom Douglas goal in 25 minutes and then on 70 minutes, Willie Dowall,–who started the game playing at centre-forward, before switching to outside-right– scored the equaliser for the Steelmen.
  • A young Canadian man arrived in Glasgow the day before this game. He hardly had time to find his land legs after crossing the Atlantic Ocean on the Canadian Pacific liner, S.S. Duchess of Richmond, when he pulled on his goalkeeper's jersey; then James "Joe" Kennaway made his debut, albeit amid some controversy over a goal-line incident.
  • Joe Kennaway became the third different Celtic goalkeeper in the month of October. Celtic miss the services of Robert Thomson and Jimmy McGrory.
  • Scotland, scoring three goals, from Stevenson, (Rangers), Thomson, (Celtic), and McGrory (Celtic), to Wales’s two, had the satisfaction of beating Wales at Wrexham for the first time since their victory by six clear goals in 1899. They were much the better side, and the margin in their favour is misleading, inasmuch as they made their way to success with comparative ease.
  • Everton, in the English League, increased their goals total with a smashing win over Newcastle United, in which they found the net eight times. Aston Villa checked the Arsenal at Highbury with a draw of one goal each. The champions are now three points behind Everton.
  • Chicago, October 28.—Philip Dandrea, a bosom friend of Al Capone, who was arrested in Court for carrying firearms during the trial of the gangster "king" was sentenced today to six-months imprisonment in the County Jail. In passing sentence the Judge declared that the Capone organisation exercised a control amounting to little less than an insurrection against the laws of the United States. “This Court would be blind indeed”, he continued, "if it had not noticed the intimidation of witnesses under its eyes. Dandrea had sat behind with a loaded revolver in his pocket, and when the defendant glared at witnesses they faltered in their testimony and were suddenly unable to remember things in connection with Capone's business."—Reuter.
  • Sectarian feeling ran high in the Bridgeton district of Glasgow last night, when two rival gangs came into conflict, and a series of street fights were witnessed. The trouble commenced in Rumford Street School, where a meeting was being held in support of the candidature of Mr Forrester, the Scottish Protestant League nominee for the Dalmarnock ward.

Review

Teams

MOTHERWELL:
McClory, Mackrell, Ellis, Wales, Craig, Telfer, Murdoch, McFadyen, Dowall, Douglas, Ferrier.
Scorers:
Douglas, Dowall.

CELTIC:
Kennaway, Cook, McGonagle, Geatons, McStay, Whitelaw, McGhee, A. Thomson, Scarff, Napier, Hughes.
Scorers:
Napier, (2).

Referee: A. H. Leishman (Falkirk).
Attendance: 25,000

Articles

  • Match Report (see end of page below)

Pictures

Articles

The Scotsman – Monday, 2nd November 1931, page 6

LEAGUE LEADERS HELD AT HOME

Celtic got a flying start against Motherwell at Fir Park when Napier scored twice for them in the first fifteen minutes. On the second occasion he gave the home defence a bad showing up, for he beat three opponents before slipping the ball past McClory from close range.

In face of these reverses the League leaders played up with wonderful spirit, and they only got their dues when Douglas rounded off a bombardment of Kennaway's charge with a fine goal.

Celtic almost went further ahead shortly after the resumption when a grounder from McGhee rebounded from the post with McClory completely beaten. After that escape Motherwell hammered away, and twenty minutes from time Dowall secured the equaliser following good work by Ferrier and Macfadyen.

On the whole, a draw was a sound result. Motherwell's dash and determination enabled them to have the better of the exchanges in a territorial sense, but Celtic were sounder in defence, and if their attacks were less persistent they lacked nothing in incisiveness.

The outstanding personalities in the home side were Ferrier and Macfadyen, Murdoch, Telfer, and Ellis also did well. Celtic had a grand defensive trio in McStay, McGonagle, and Cook, and Napier and McGhee were enterprising forwards.

Kennaway came through the game with credit, but the soft ground seemed to trouble him, and at times he slithered about in a way that was not confidence-inspiring. Early on he figured in an incident that provoked heated discussion. Before he could get rid of a shot from Murdoch, he was charged down, and the Motherwell players claimed that the ball was over the line. The referee's decision to the contrary effect did not go down well with a section of the crowd.

The attendance was about 25,000.

Motherwell v Celtic Oct 1931