| Match Pictures | Matches: 1938 – 1939 | 1938 Pictures |
Trivia
- Celtic thrash Hearts at Tynecastle with good performances all round from the visitors. The rout strarted with Willie Waugh putting through his own goal after only six minutes and ended with Johnny Crum scoring with four minutes to go.
- The near-record Tynecastle crowd causes the gates to be shut and many people are injured by crushing.
- Two "break-ins" onto the field of play by spectators re-ignite the debate for a new stadium.
- In England ex-Celt Charlie "Happy Feet" Napier scores in Sheffield Wednesday's 2-3 win at West Ham.
- British troops opened fire on rioters in Rangoon after ethnic/religious trouble between Burman Moslems and Indian Hindus.
Review
Teams
HEART OF MIDLOTHIAN:
Waugh, Anderson, McClure, Robson, Dykes, Miller, Briscoe, Walker, Rennie, Black, Warren.
Scorers:
Black.
CELTIC:
Kennaway, Hogg, Morrison, Lynch, Lyon, Paterson, Delaney, MacDonald, Crum, Divers, Murphy.
Scorers:
Murphy, MacDonald, Divers, Crum.
Referee: P. Craigmyle (Aberdeen).
Attendance: 45,000
Articles
- Match Report (see end of page below)
Pictures
Link
Articles
The Scotsman – Monday, 5th September 1938, page 5
HEARTS' CHAMPIONSHIP HOPES SHATTERED
CELTIC WEAR DOWN EDINBURGH TEAM TO GAIN A WORTHY VICTORY
A year ago Edinburgh championship hopes were shattered when Celtic defeated Heart of Midlothian at Tynecastle by four goals to two. On Saturday, Hearts' fresh aspirations were more completely dissipated by the overwhelming margin of five, goals to one—the biggest blow to Tynecastle since the war years and comparable in its effect upon the Edinburgh football public with the heavy Cup defeats from Celtic and Rangers suffered in the past twenty years.
Although each team showed but one change from last season, there was a big difference in the way the game ran. A year ago, Celtic put in a traditional fighting finish to gain victory; on Saturday that was not required. The champions gave Hearts a scientific pummelling that had them well beaten long before the finish.
In pace, teamwork, and, surely, temperament, Celtic were well ahead of their opponents. It was a big occasion—a vital match before a huge crowd—and Celtic, as usual, rose to it. Not so Hearts. In the past two seasons they have found a way to beat Rangers, but how long will it be before they can beat Celtic, again on a big occasion? There was Tynecastle last year, the Empire Exhibition trophy match at Ibrox, and Tynecastle again, and always Celtic seem to have a bit extra when playing Hearts.
HEARTS' EARLY MISFORTUNE
There might have been a closer contest had Rennie scored for Hearts in the opening minute, as he might well have done, or had Celtic not had a somewhat lucky goal. Hearts fought back against their misfortunes and their losses, but when Black was injured in a collision with Kennaway their very slight prospects of gaining equality disappeared.
Celtic, by this time had found the weak spots, while Hearts' vain first half efforts bad taken their toll upon stamina. Hearts' half-backs, who had started in great style, faltered. Dykes was kept busy by the quick passing of the Celtic inside forwards, who constantly veered to the left and made full use of the deficiency in pace on Hearts' right flank. Robson has been subjected seldom to such an unhappy gruelling, and Anderson never settled. Walker, another who was in grand form in the early minutes, dropped back, and Hearts' attack failed to function except for sporadic raids.
The open, rather restless, game adopted by the home men was not profitable. Rennie had few chances at any time, and, somehow, Warren was deprived also of a share in the attack. The collapse came as expected—slowly, but none the less certainly. Celtic's confident and quick-covering defence carried them, through their few anxious moments, with Kennaway and Paterson most prominent, and the brilliant, weaving, positional play by the inside forwards—McDonald, Crum, and Divers—did the rest. Delaney also did very well.
45,000 CROWD
There was an attendance of about 45,000 at Tynecastle on Saturday, a crowd well below the record of 52,000, but big enough to bring about a renewal of the pleas by certain Heart of Midlothian shareholders that the club should negotiate for a new ground in the Sighthill area.
Tynecastle is well terraced and is equipped with steel barriers sunk in concrete. Not being a modern "bowl" ground, however, late arrivals set up considerable crushing on Saturday, and on two occasions—once at each end—crowds swarmed on to the touchlines. A number were allowed to remain seated on the track for the duration of the game.
There were a score of cases for the ambulance men, mostly of people fainting. [See Match Pictures]
Latterly, the nonchalant way in which the Celtic forwards treated their opponents was almost farcical, and when Divers scored his side's fourth goal the manner of his action was as if to say, "The ball might as well be in the net as anywhere else."
Then came the transformation, Hearts collapsing like a pricked balloon.
Delaney and Murphy walked—there is no other way to describe it—past McClure and Anderson with the greatest of ease; Divers, Crum, and McDonald exploited their inter-changing tactics as they have never done before; and in the meantime, the Hearts defenders reeled hither and thither like drunken men, bemused and bewildered, hypnotised, it seemed, by their opponents intricate capers.
Only Dykes, a hero if ever there was one, kept his head clear and offered any sort of resistance.
THE SURRENDER
But there is more to Hearts’ defeat than that. No matter how clever Celtic forwards were, no matter how wonderful their positional play and ball-control, they could have been kept more in check than they were by a defence showing courage, determination, and the will to fight back.
It was at once a torment and an embarrassment to watch proved players like Anderson, McLure, and Robson surrendering in such abject fashion. This was the most alarming aspect of Hearts’ defeat. Tynecastle is vitally in need of team spirit, and without it their aspirations must fall short of gaining the highest honours.
Latterly, the nonchalant way in which the Celtic forwards treated their opponents was almost farcical, and when Divers scored his side’s fourth goal the manner of his action was as if to say, “The ball might as well be in the net as anywhere else.”