1933-12-25: Queen’s Park 2-3 Celtic, League Division 1

Match Pictures | Matches: 19331934 | 1933 Pictures

Trivia

  • Christmas Day fixture
  • As early as three minutes Frank O’Donnell put Celtic ahead but in the same amount of time W. Browning equalised and in the 10th minute Charlie Napier put the bhoys in front. In the second half Browning again equalised in 51 minutes and in 80 minutes Jimmy McGrory put Celtic in front, but this time Browning could not respond as he was off injured.
  • The Christmas Day, programme in Scotland was a light one consisting of two First Division, matches and one in the Second Division. Queen’s Park put up a very plucky fight against Celtic, and narrowly failed to secure the draw they deserved on play, against an odd-looking Celtic side with Chic Geatons at outsided-left. For once in a while goals came easily to the Heart of Midlothian, who beat Airdieonians by 8-1, half the total coming from John “Jock” White. Edinburgh City did well to draw with East Fife in the only Second Division game.
  • In England, practically all the League clubs were engaged. Outstanding results in the English First Division were the success of Arsenal at Leeds and the home defeat sustained by Tottenham Hotspur against Huddersfield. Derby County returned a sound win over Manchester City, and so keep their place immediately below Arsenal, the leaders.
  • One of the most terrible railway disasters for many years occurred shortly after eight o’clock on Saturday night at Lagny, about 17 miles from Paris, in the Seine-et-Marne Department. The latest list of casualties gives 195 dead, and about 300 injured, over 100 seriously, when a passenger express train crashed into a stationary train held up by fog.
  • General O’Duffy, the leader of the Blue Shirts has been served with a summons to appear before the Military Tribunal in Dublin on January 2, charged with sedition and incitement to murder.

Review

Teams

QUEEN’S PARK:
Smith, Campbell, Walker, Gardiner, W. Lyon, Grant, Crawford, Bremner, Dodds, Fitzgerald, Browning.
Scorers:
Browning, (2).

CELTIC:
Kennaway, Hogg, McGonagle, Wilson, McStay, Hughes, Napier, A. Thomson, McGrory, F. O’Donnell, Geatons.
Scorers: O’Donnell, Napier, McGrory.

Referee: P. Craigmyle (Aberdeen).
Attendance: 6,000

Articles

  • Match Report (see end of page below)

Pictures

Articles

The Scotsman – Tuesday, 26th December 1933, page 3

CELTIC’S NARROW WIN

Queen’s Park made a gallant fight against Celtic in the holiday League fixture at Hampden Park yesterday, and it would have been no injustice to Celtic had the amateurs succeeded in securing a point. They had to struggle against the collar practically throughout, and when McGrory recorded the deciding goal shortly before the end; Gardiner was in the pavilion as a result of an injury he sustained to his eye in a tackle.

With Geatons at outside left and Napier at outside right, the Celtic attack rarely functioned with the freedom and power that one expected. McGrory was not supported as he should have been, and in Lyon found a pivot who was eager and resourceful, without reaching any heights of brilliance. Thomson lay too far back, and was seldom in evidence as a forager, but in F. O’Donnell, Celtic possessed a virile, go-ahead player, who latterly curbed his tendency to over-elaborate, and, was the means of making the winning goal possible.

Wilson, McStay, and Hughes constituted a solid half-back line, but were occasionally puzzled by the swiftness of the amateurs’ thrusts. Although outpaced by Crawford, McGonagle adopted the proper tactics against the winger, allowing Crawford to make the first move, and stepping in at the right moment. Like Smith, Kennaway proved himself an accomplished keeper, his coolness, judgment, and alacrity time and again being the means of him saving his charge.

One of the features of the encounter was the spectacular cutting out of crosses by Smith, who, on this display, has come right back to his best.

Despite labouring under the handicap of an injury in the first half, Walker stood up manfully to Napier, while Campbell, if inclined to kick the ball away without, studying the position, excelled in his tackling. Grant gave his limping colleague behind grand assistance, but fell from grace in his passing.

The tenacity of McGrory perturbed Lyon at times, but the centre-half never gave up, and more often than not frustrated the intentions of the Parkhead leader.

Until late in the game Bremner and Fitzgerald revealed more dash, skill, and enterprise than the Celtic inside wingers, but when Gardiner was hurt they drew back, and the effectiveness of the attack naturally suffered.

In Celtic’s first foray, they scored. McGrory slipped the ball past Lyon and gave to Napier, who ran in and shot. The ball was helped oh by a defender, and, as it dropped at O’Donnell’s feet the inside left drove it behind Smith, who was powerless to stay its course.

In six minutes Queen’s Park equalised. Crawford centred for Browning to turn the ball into the net, Dodds dashing in to make sure.

A swerving shot by Napier from an acute angle saw Celtic gain the lead again. A little later the amateurs were awarded a penalty kick when Crawford was brought down, but Kennaway saved Dodds’s spot kick in thrilling fashion. Dodds then headed against a post from Browning’s cross. It was a close call for Celtic, but the Queen’s, Park goal almost fell a few minutes before the interval when, McGrory harassed Lyon, and, flicked the ball away from Smith. The keeper, however, twisted himself round, and knocked it against a post.

Five minutes after the turn Dodds met a centre from Crawford with his head, and guided the ball away from. Kennaway into the net.

After O’Donnell completely missed his kick when left with no one to beat but Smith, he made amends near the finish by paving the way for McGrory to head into the net. The best chance of the match fell to Crawford before this goal. Catching up the ball as it came from Dodds, Crawford raced on unchallenged and got clear of the opposition. A goal looked inevitable, but, to the chagrin of his colleagues, Crawford drove the ball from six yards range into the arms of the awaiting Kennaway.

The attendance was about 6,000.

Queens Park v Celtic Dec 1933