| Match Pictures | Matches: 1937 – 1938 | 1937 Pictures |
Trivia
- Two great goals by MacDonald and Divers then a Carruth tap-in with the last kick of the game are enough to give Celtic the points. Hibs goalkeeper, Archie Gourlay, is absoved of any responsibility for the Celtic goals.
- On the Monday that the Glasgow Herald reported Celtic's away win against Hibs they also reported the departure of Jimmy McGrory (See article below), which incredibly highlights the fact that the great man had only seven full international caps.
- Only five league games were played in Scotland—and of those one was abandoned—due to frost following snow. Celtic took advantage of the curtailed programme to leap-frog Rangers who were not playing.
- The curator of Springburn Park Glasgow, where 19 degrees of frost were recorded on Saturday said he believed this was the coldest day he had ever experienced.
- In England, where only five points separate the leaders Brentford from 11th placed Derby, severe weather caused dangerous playing conditions leading to a number of injuries to players.
- Blackpool win 2-1 at West Brom with ex-Celts Frank O’Donnell and Willie Buchan getting the goals.
- Japanese property worth over £17 million was set on fire in the Northern Chinese city of Tsingtao raising fear of reprisals among the residents whose number include 500 Britons.
Review
Teams
HIBERNIAN:
Gourlay, Logan, Prior, Birse, Miller, Rice, McIntyre, Finnegan, Milne, Egan, Nutley.
CELTIC:
Kennaway, Hogg, Morrison, Lynch, Lyon, Paterson, Crum, MacDonald, Carruth, Divers, Murphy.
Scorers:
MacDonald, Divers, Carruth.
Referee: J. Baillie (Motherwell).
Attendance: 20,000
Articles
- Match Report (see end of page below)
Pictures
Articles
The Scotsman – Monday, 20th December 1937, page 4
SPRIGHTLY CELTIC
HIBERNIANS OUTPLAYED ON HARD GROUND
SMART GOALS
Celtic's win of three goals to nothing against Hibernians at Easter Road reminded an Edinburgh crowd that Western designs on the Championship are still strong.
Considering the run of play, the margin flattered the winners slightly, but there was no question about Celtic's superiority in teamwork and their greater aptitude for controlling the ball on hard ground.
Hibernians did not rise to the occasion in the manner suggested by their run of success in home matches. They had little of the luck that was going, and the referee was against them in two claims for penalty kicks, but in a football sense they were outplayed except for a period after the interval, when, with Birse injured and the team rearranged, a spirited revival almost brought an equalising goal.
Most of the exciting play was crowded into that half-hour and the Celtic defence underwent considerable strain in countering the astute moves of Milne, who, finding Lyon a difficult man to pass frequently took to making openings for others. Birse, despite a bandaged head, had several shots from outside-right and McIntyre went very near to scoring from the inside position.
The Celtic however, could always cope with emergencies and a strong finish made their triumph complete. Two of their three goals were of the brilliant order, and resembled each other in the way the scorer broke through. After ten minutes play McDonald, taking a pass from Crum, shook off all opposition in a direct run for goal and scored with a fast low shot.
When the issue hung in the balance late in the second half Divers made a similar dash from about midfield and beat Gourlay with a powerful drive. The third goal was scored by Carruth from close in with the last kick of the game.
FORWARD SUPREMACY
Forward supremacy went far to win success for the Celtic. McGrory's strong head play was missed at centre, but the inside men had an individualistic touch that was valuable, and the sprightliness of Crum and Murphy on the wings often spelt danger. A run of Murphy’ s from beyond the centre-line and ending with a drive which Gourlay saved with little to spare was one of the bright features of the first half.
Lyon's fine physique was a factor in keeping Milne in check, and generally the Celtic half-back play and defence touched a good standard. The side played with confidence and looked capable of challenging the League leaders besides making their customary strong bid in the Cup ties.
Hibernians' poverty in scoring forwards was emphasised afresh. McIntyre gained marks for his crossing and an occasional shot and Milne for his energy, but otherwise the attack left much to be desired. Egan had a spell at half-back and showed greater skill there than as a forward.
Although he blundered once or twice, Miller played an effective game at centre-half. Logan and Prior did well at back and Gourlay's goal-keeping was beyond reproach.
The game began and ended in fog, but despite the gloom, the crowd of 20,000 saw a well-contested match
