1920-02-21: Celtic 2-0 Partick Thistle, Scottish Cup

Match Pictures | Matches: 19191920 | 1920 pictures

Trivia

  • The Glasow Herald of Monday 23 February reports that in the FA Cup tie between Aston Villa and Sunderland at the Villa ground a crowd of 50,000 paid twice the normal admission charge to watch the game. The increased price was brought in following a previous League meeting between the same sides when the gates were closed with 60,000 in and another 40,000 waiting outside. LINK
  • The same newspaper reports that R. C. Barton, the Sinn Fein MP has been sentenced by a Court-martial in Dublin to three years penal servitude for sedition.
  • The Herald also advertises Will Fyffe who is appearing at the Pavilion "Scotland's Premier Vaudeville Theatre" and describes a lecture given by Dr. Hugh Brennan of Glasgow University on "The Pessantry of Russia".

Review

Teams

CELTIC:

Scorers: McInally, McStay
Referee: A. Allan (Glasgow)

Attendance:65,000

Articles

  • Match Report (see end of page below)

Pictures

  • Match Pictures

Articles

The Glasgow Herald – Feb 23, 1920
60,000 at Parkhead
Given adequate accommodation the largest attendances would have been Birmingham and Chelsea, but the distinction was claimed by Glasgow, because of the fact that 75,905 people having paid for admission to Celtic Park on the occasion of a Celtic-Rangers game this season was a guarantee to the 60,000 who flocked to the same enclosure on Saturday that it was possible for that number to witness the Partick Thistle without taking risks. It was the third visit paid by the Firhill team to Parkhead this season, and there was more than a faint prospect of their improving upon a 0-1 defeat in the Glasgow Cup competition and a goalless draw in the League tournament. The visiting forwards gave the impression at the beginning of having rid themselves of that feeling of inferiority which was the inevitable sequel of repeated failures. Cringan was not sufficiently alert in the opening passages of a fast game to check Harris, and under several onslaughts from the Thistle’s most productive attacker the home defence reeled and very nearly fell. On several occasions Harris had McNair and Dodds in difficulties, and once made it possible for Lauder to get in a splendid shot that would have taken effect but for Shaw being in the line of fire. Telling runs from McAtee and deft touches from McMenemy placed Thistle on the defensive, but except once, when McInally might have scored the Firhill defence was equal to all calls, and a very even period close with neither team having scored. Barely four minutes of the second half had gone when McInally cleverly rounded two opponents and obtained the first point with a fast shot. Bowie ought to have equalised immediately the ball was kicked off from centre but for the next 20 minutes the home team had the upper hand, pressed incessantly and but for Bernard would have taken a decisive lead. From one of many scrimmages in front of the Thistle goal Cassidy delivered the finest shot of the game, but Bernard, like Shaw in the first half, happened to be in the line of flight and diverted the ball over the bar. With Cringan assuming his customary ascendency over Harris the Firhill attack lost much of its effectiveness and Salisbury was the only forward to give trouble. The home attack was more spectacular yet no more effective than the other, since the intricate movements of McMenemy and Cassidy were negatived by a stalwart defence. The one forward on either side to make headway was McAtee, indirectly responsible for the second goal; indeed it is not too much to say that this player was the chief factor in his team’s success. The game had the usual cup-tie features, was marked by more strenuous striving than skill, and with Celtic at least equal in defence and carrying a better balanced set of forwards victory went to the better team.