| Match Pictures | Matches: 1939 – 1940 | 1939-40 Pictures |
Trivia
- The press accords the recruits: Hugh O’Neill star status for nullifying Clyde’s centre-forward, and praises Celtic debutant & ex-Shawfield Juniors’ John Kelly playing at full-back, though he is said to have faded after an hour.
- UK/France send notice to Germany to retreat from Poland following their invasion.
- UK/France declare war on 3rd Sep. World War Two begins.
- This is the last game played in the Scottish League which was abandoned due to the war.
Review
Scottish League matches carried on as normal. Mr W McAndrew, the Scottish Football League secretary, stated in Glasgow yesterday that they had not received any instructions to the contrary as the Home Office said the situation did not warrant matches to be cancelled.
Teams
Celtic:
Kennaway, Hogg, John Kelly, Geetons, O’Neill, Paterson, Lynch, MacDonald, Crum, Divers, Murphy
Scorers:
Divers.
Clyde:
McArthur; Kirk and Hickie; Beaton, Telford and Urquhart; Robertson and Beattie (Rutherglen Glencairn); Martin, Wallace and Gillies.
Referee: W. Webb (Glasgow)
Att:- 5,000
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Articles
The Scotsman – Monday, 4th September 1939, page 13
ONE GOAL WIN FOR CELTIC
Celtic, it is true, got through against Clyde by the narrowest of margins, but territorially they were much superior to the opposition.
Both teams showed several changes, Celtic having Kelly and O’Neill in place of Morrison and Lyon, while Clyde had McArthur and Beattie for Brown and Noble. The home side won because of their superiority at half-back. True, the Shawfielders had a staunch mid-line, but it was a line which concentrated solely on defence and left the attack to look after itself.
Celts, on the other hand, had two master purveyors in Geatons and Patterson, while O’Neill found time for an occasional constructive move, in addition to completely blotting out Martin, the Clyde centre.
The deciding goal, which came two minutes after the re-start, was a simple affair. Murphy, gaining possession, gave to Divers, who, eluding three opponents, drove for the outcoming McArthur’s left-hand post. The shot was not a strong one and the goalkeeper erred badly in not getting down to it, as the ball passed over his out-stretched foot—to be helped into the net by Hickie in a desperate endeavour to clear.
That finished the scoring, but it must be put on record that Celtic at this stage were definitely superior. Clyde’s method of stopping the Celtic avalanche was not according to rule. Crum, Divers. McDonald, and Patterson all had a spell on the wings through injuries.
Of the newcomers, O’Neill was the star. Martin scarcely saw the ball. Telford was a power in Clyde’s defence, if a trifle crude. Beattie: schemed well, but lacked pace, and Kelly, at left back for Celtic, faded out-after an-hour.
Of the others-, Kennaway, Hogg, Geatons, and Divers were best, while Clyde had good service from Hickie, Beaton, Gillies, and Wallace.
The attendance was ,5000.
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The main news item for the Glasgow Herald on Monday September 4th 1939 was “BRITAIN AND FRANCE AT WAR WITH GERMANY” but the article, left, from page 16 shows how life went on as normal.
Celtic, 1; Clyde 0.
The humid atmosphere and the small crowd obviously affected the players at Parkhead, and it was not until the second half of the game that Celtic and Clyde were really able to concentrate on the job in hand.
Throughout the strangely listless first half Clyde were the most forceful side in attack and, besides, the were better balanced than their opponents. Martin, Beattie, and Robertson throughout kept the Celtic defence “on the stretch” without, however, bringing Kennoway much into action.
Celtic on the other hand, enjoyed only spasmodic raids towards McArthur’s charge, and in these only Divers was a real menace. Telford at centre half and Kirk and Hickie at back actually had command, till the interval, of the Celtic attack, and that Clyde did not establish an interval lead must be attributed to the faulty finishing of their forwards.
CELTIC MISHAPS
Play livened up at once after the interval. Improved half-back service put the Celtic forwards in harmony, and in three minutes Divers shot a splendid goal.
Brilliant play by McArthur in goald and resolute defence by his backs and Telford at centre half repeatedly frustrated Celtic attacks in which Divers, Crum and Murphy shot often and accurately.
Accidents to Crum and Divers and their transference to the extreme wing positions upset the poise of the Celtic front line, however, and in the closing fifteen minutes the initiative passed again to Clyde.
During this period the Celtic goal had remarkable escapes. Kennaway made many daring saves and Clyde failed to equalise.
Celtic were due their victory because of their skill and craft in the opening half-hour after the interval, when they exercised a command that Clyde at no time equalled.
The recruits in both teams came out with credit. Kelly at back and O’Neill at centre half for Celtic, and Telford at centre half and Beattie at inside right for Clyde, showing coolness, skill, and judgement. Teams.–
CELTIC – Kennaway; Hogg and Kelly; Geatons, O’Neill and Paterson; Lynch and McDonald; Crum, Divers and Murphy.
CLYDE – McArthur; Kirk and Hickie; Beaton, Telford and Urquhart; Robertson and Beattie (Rutherglen Glencairn); Martin, Wallace and Gillies.
Referee — W. Webb (Glasgow)