Match Pictures | Matches: 1946 | 1945-46 Pictures | Victory Cup
_Trivia
- Semi-final replay after 0-0 draw in first game of Victory Cup competition in which George Paterson‘s sending off was pivotal.
- A controversial replay which saw Rangers get loads of favours and trouble led to fines/suspensions for Celtic players and the club.
- Paterson and Mallan of Celtic were suspended for three months and Lynch of Celtic for one month, to date from August 10. The Celtic Club were fined £50 and ordered to post warning bills, which must be renewed monthly. See link for fuller details
- Unsurprisingly Rangers got off with everything.
- In the other Semi-Final Hibernian beat Clyde 2-1 in front of a crowd of 30,000.
- One-off competition held after World War Two, won by Rangers.
Review
The Victory Cup debacle
To celebrate the end of the war the Scottish FA had organised a one-off Summer tournament called the Victory Cup. Celtic’s record in unofficial wartime competitions had been abysmal, so it was a considerable surprise when the Hoops impressively progressed to a semi-final showdown with Rangers on June 1st.
With keeper Willie Miller in supreme form Celtic would hold out for a 0-0 draw and a replay was organised for a few nights later. On a blustery evening a crowd of 45,000 took their place on the vast slopes of Hampden. What they were about to witness was not just one of the most infamous Glasgow derby clashes of all time but also the sad end of George Paterson’s Celtic playing career.
The replay would be officiated by referee Matthew Dale. An unpopular figure among the Celtic support, shipyard-worker Dale was a pompous and petty official who was well known for his strong affinity to Rangers.
Indeed during a game between the Govan side and St.Mirren some years earlier an array of shocking decisions by Dale had provoked the outraged Buddies into threatening to walk off the field. Celtic should have heeded the lessons from that day.
Soon after blowing for the start of the Victory Cup replay Dale caused concern among the Celtic ranks with a string of highly dubious decisions in favour of Rangers. Then after just 10 minutes the Ibrox side scored the opening goal. The Hoops cause was damaged further when forwards Jimmy Sirrell and Jackie Gallacher were left hobbling and ineffective after robust challenges from Rangers defenders.
Indeed Celtic’s anger was inflamed by the fact that Dale had ignored the obvious foul by Rangers full-back Shaw which had left Sirrell limping. Dale then awarded another dubious free-kick to Rangers. It was at that point George Paterson began to realise that it was more than bias that was influencing the referee’s performance.
When placing the ball for the free-kick Dale lost his balance and fell to the floor. Paterson leaned down and helped the referee to his feet. As he pulled the official up from the turf the Hoops skipper caught the smell of alcohol from Dale’s breath. George Paterson immediately inquired of the ref if he was feeling alright. Dale responded to this request by issuing Paterson with a caution.
By half-time the entire Celtic team were adamant that Dale was in no fit state to continue. They complained bitterly to manager Jimmy McGrory and Parkhead board member Robert Kelly immediately sought out SFA secretary George Graham.
Kelly informed Graham of his players suspicions and requested urgent action be taken. Graham assured Kelly the matter would be dealt with promptly. But as the teams took to the field for the second-half they were joined once again by Mr Dale.
With twenty minutes of the match remaining Celtic were still trailing Rangers by that early goal. The Hoops were becoming increasingly frustrated as Dale continued to give virtually every decision in favour of Rangers. If that wasn’t enough they were now playing with nine men following the withdrawal of the injured Jimmy Sirrell and Jackie Gallagher.
The sense of injustice carried by the Celtic team since the earliest moments of the match then became simply too much to bear when Dale awarded Rangers the softest of penalties. The official had pointed to the spot after Rangers forward Willie Thornton attempted to connect with a cross by diving head first towards the ball.
It was the final insult for George Paterson. He collected up the ball and refused to hand it over to Dale until he had made his protest to the referee. Unimpressed with this challenge to his authority Dale ordered the Celtic man from the field.
Exactly what George Paterson said to Dale remains uncertain. Contemporary accounts claim he simply told Dale: “Why don’t you keep the ball, you deserve it.” Later retelling of the event suggest George Paterson was a bit more direct in his language, instructing Dale to shove the ball up his rear-end.
While the Celtic captain had been protesting with the referee Hoops full-back Jimmy Mallan – an infinitely more fiery figure than his skipper – furiously scrubbed out the penalty spot with his boots. When Dale eventually went to place the ball for the kick Mallan innocently declared: “There’s no penalty spot ref!” and then booted the ball down the pitch.
He too was ordered off. By now chaos reigned on the terraces and the pitch. As the Celtic players debated the prospect of walking off, a Celtic fan ran onto the field and swung a bottle towards Dale before eventually being wrestled off the park.
Rangers would finally net the penalty and play out the next 15 minutes against the seven men of Celtic quite happy not to inflict any further damage on their stunned opponents. What should have been an enthralling cup tie had descended into farce. Celtic were furious at the actions of Dale and at the fact the SFA had allowed him to take charge of the game when he was clearly in no fit state to do so.
However any hope that the SFA would belatedly put right this wrong was soon dashed.
Dale would go unpunished while at the next meeting of the SFA’s referee committee George Paterson and Jimmy Mallan would each receive a 3 month ban. Mallan had some history as a hot-head but Paterson’s suspension was ridiculously harsh for a man who had played for 11 seasons without picking up a single caution.
Now he was suspended for three months for what was little more than dissent . It was a terrible and appalling injustice. George Paterson was a man of proven integrity and fairness. In contrast the incompetent and morally corrupt Dale was a disgrace to his profession.
Yet to the SFA only one of these men were worthy of punishment. The SFA might argue that the actions of Paterson provoked the pitch invasion that followed the sendings off . But to do so would be a shocking abdication of their own full responsibility for the entire farce. Indeed it has to be asked if George Paterson was punished not for his dissent but for potentially embarrassing the SFA by revealing that Dale was officiating under the influence of alcohol.
Whatever the real reason behind this draconian act the effect of the suspension was devastating. A man who prided himself on his honesty and decorum George Paterson fell into a depression. Deeply distraught he struggled to come to terms with his treatment and questioned his very future in the game.
Celtic – out of genuine concern for the players well-being – believed that it would perhaps be better for George Paterson if he continued his career outside of Scotland. Before his ban was over he was reluctantly transferred to Brentford in exchange for Jerry McAloon on October 4th 1946. It was a cruel and bitterly unfair end to George Paterson’s playing career in the Hoops. He would however remain a hero to the Celtic support and they were delighted when he returned to Parkhead as a coach in the early 50s.
It says everything of George Paterson’s integrity and honesty that Robert Kelly – that most strict of disciplinarians – would comment years later:
“The most unfair punishment ever meted out by the referees committee was to George Paterson. The cruelty of his sentence was shattering to both player and club.“
Teams
Celtic:
Miller, Hogg, Mallan, Lynch, Corbett, McAuley, Sirrel, Kiernan, J.Gallacher, Paterson, Paton
Rangers:
Brown, Cox, Shaw, Watkins, Young, Symon, Waddell, Gillick, Thornton, Duncanson, Caskie
Scorers:
Waddell, Young (pen)
Referee:- Mr M.C. Dale (Glasgow)
Att:- 50,000
Articles
- Match Report (see below)
Pictures
- Match Pictures
Links
Articles
THE SCOTSMAN (6 June 1946)
As a result of the Scottish Victory Cup Semi-Final Replay at Hampden Park, Glasgow last night, Hibernians will meet Rangers in the final at the same venue on July 15.
Last night Rangers beat Celtic 2-0 in a game spoiled by a remarkable incident which resulted in Paterson and Mallan of Celtic ordered off; and with Gallacher the Parkhead centre-forward, being forced to leave the field shortly after the restart, Celtic had to play most of the second half with eight men.
About 50,000 spectators saw the game, and while Rangers were good winners, Celtic were too severely handicapped in the second half to offer much opposition.
Waddell scored a very fine goal in the first half for Rangers, who, in twenty minutes after restarting were awarded a penalty when Thornton was brought down, Young converted, but not before the referee had the occasion to order off Paterson for contesting the decision. This incident marred what had been a good, well contested match. After the ordering off of the Celtic players, Rangers did not exert themselves fully, and they won in the end quite easily.
Miller again played a brilliant game in goal for Celtic, and Hogg and Millan were sound backs until the latter went to the pavilion.
Corbett was Celtic’s outstanding half-back, but the forwards never really settled and fell an easy prey to the solid Rangers’ defence in which Young, Cox and Shaw were dominant. From the start Rangers’ forwards played with a cohesion which Celtic’s front line never approached.
THE SCOTSMAN (13 June 1946)
The Referee’s Committee of the S.F.A. yesterday announced their decision in connection with the incident in the Victory Cup tie between Celtic and Rangers at Hampden.
Paterson and Mallan of Celtic were suspended for three months and Lynch of Celtic for one month, to date from August 10. The Celtic Club were fined £50 and ordered to post warning bills, which must be renewed monthly.
THE SCOTSMAN (4 July 1946)
At a meeting of the S.F.A. Council yesterday, the Council rejected an appeal by M. Lynch of Celtic, against the sentence of one month suspension imposed recently by the Referee’s Committee.
The player denied that on the occasion of the replayed Victory Cup tie at Hampden Park against Rangers, following the ordering off of J. Mallan, he invited and incited members of the Celtic team to leave the field.
After hearing a statement by Mr R. Williamson (Morton), Chairman of the Referee’s Committee, the Council agreed unanimously that the appeal be dismissed.
THE SCOTSMAN (19 September 1946)
An application by Celtic F.C. for a reduction of the suspension sentence passed on two of their players George Paterson and J. Mallan was refused yesterday by the S.F.A. Executive Committee at a meeting in Glasgow.
The players were ordered off during the Celtic-Rangers Victory Cup tie at Hampden Park on June 5, and at a subsequent meeting of the Referee’s Committee, they were each suspended for three months until November 10.
The Glasgow Herald, June 6, 1946.
Rangers in Victory Cup Final
FROM A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
Rangers, 2; Celtic, 0.
By Defeating Celtic in the semi-final replay of the Victory Cup competition at Hampden Park, Glasgow, last night, Rangers qualified to meet Hibernian in the final on the same ground on June 15.
A scene remarkable in Scottish senior football occurred in the second half and completely spoiled what had previously been a hard and sporting game.
About 20 minutes from the end Rangers were awarded a penalty kick when Thornton, their centre-forward, was tackled and fell. After a protest by the entire Celtic team, the referee ordered off Paterson, the Celtic inside-left, who had been playing centre-forward at the time of the incident and who had been warned in the first half for appealing against a decision.
Celtic continued to protest, and after the ball had been replaced for Young to take the spot-kick, Mallan kicked it away. The left-back was immediately ordered off in turn.
Then when Young, Rangers centre half, had converted the penalty, one of the 43,000 spectators broke on to the field.
Play was stopped until he had been arrested by the police, who made three further arrests.
Later an obvious penalty kick was denied Rangers – as obvious as the one they failed to get in the first five minutes of the match when Miller the Celtic goalkeeper, in desperation gripped Gillick’s ankles when the inside right had side‐stepped his attempted dive to save.
The greasy ball and blustery wind had not prevented both teams from giving a first‐half display that was highly creditable. Celtic with a most unusual assortment of forwards, used the ball to extremely good advantage in the early minutes. Kiernan and Paterson being especially useful in contriving to keep the ball on the ground when they made the pass. But with the wind against them the Celtic defence found many of their clearances ballooning back on them and, as on Saturday, Miller had hardly an idle minute. Once again this goalkeeper played magnificently, as did Hogg and Mallan.
Rangers, more dangerous near goal, were, however, clearly superior. After Waddell had shot a most deliberate goal from Gillick’s excellent service, the crossbar kept out a smashing drive from the inside right.
Celtic’s nearest approach to a score was when Paton sped past Cox and when only five yards from goal missed his kick completely. The gallantry of Celtic’s defence let them turn round only one goal down – a slender enough lead for Rangers who then faced the wind. But after only one minute Gallacher was injured for the second time in the match and had to go to outside left. Soon afterwards he came down again, and had latterly to be carried off on a stretcher. With Sirrell limping on the right on the right wing and then the ordering off of the two others, Celtic were left with seven men and a cripple.
Rangers, one felt, were not unsympathetic towards their opponent’s plight and made no attempt to press home unduly their advantage. Teams.‐
Celtic – Miller; Hogg and Mallan; Lynch, Corbett and McAuley; Sirrell and Kiernan; Gallacher; Paterson, and Paton.
Rangers—Brown; Cox and Shaw; Watkins, Young and Symon; Waddell, Gillick; Thornton; Duncanson and Caskie.
Referee – M. C. Dale (Glasgow).
