1959-02-28: Celtic 2-1 Rangers, Scottish Cup

Match Pictures \| Matches: 1958 – 1959 \| 1958-59 Pictures

Match Pictures | Matches: 1958 – 1959 | 1958-59 Pictures

Trivia

With Celtic beating Clyde 4-3 in the replay on Monday night the tickets for this much anticipated game went on sale on the Wednesday morning. Thousands of people queued in the rain all night outside the Sportsman’s Emporium in St. Vincent Street for tickets for this all-ticket tie.

Ticket sale for Celtic v Rangers Scottish Cup tie, 1959

This was the second chance to see how the plan by the Glasgow Magistrates could decrease the hooligan element at Celtic – Rangers games. Again all flags and banners were banned and the enclosure crowd limited to 30,000. There was a heavy police presence in and around the ground, both uniformed and plain clothes. Both clubs published appeals to supporters for good behaviour at the game. As it was there was no disturbance in the ground during the game and the arrests that were meade were generally for drunkenness and ‘unreasonable’ behaviour before and after the game in the vicinity of Celtic Park.
Rangers were very much the fancied team to win this tie and history too suggested this with Celtic not having beaten Rangers in the Scottish Cup at Celtic Park since 1901.
John Colrain was out with an ankle injury for the game ; Ian Lochhead continued at centre forward; Mike Jackson came in at inside right and with Bertie Auld succumbing to ‘flu again, Johnny Divers came in at an unaccustomed outside left.
Plans for the installation of the floodlights at Celtic Park were approved by the Glasgow Dean of Guild Court. The plan was to have the floodlights in full working order for the start of the next season. The cost was to be in the region of £40,000.

Review

Rangers won the toss and proceeded to attack the Celtic goal with avengeance. Haffey made a great save from their first attack and from their first corner he missed a Murray header only for Mochan to head clear. Celtic clawed their way back into the game and began to take the ascendancy. From their first real attack Lochhead deftly passed a ball through and Divers hit what looked like a sure goal only to see Niven get down and push it round the post. From that point onwards it was Celtic’s game and Divers in particular was outstanding. A mistake from Telfer one minute before the interval allowed McVittie to cross the ball and Divers was waiting to head it back across and into the net.
The second half started evenly for both teams with chances at both ends. Telfer was having a mare of a game and finding the youthful Celtic forwards hard to handle and losing his game. Eleven minutes into the half the ball was passed through the Rangers defence and Lochhead latched onto it. He was bundled over by Telfer but Sammy Wilson picked up the ball and shot. Caldow kicked his goal-bound shot away and there was McVittie to shoot home. Two killer goals either side of half time, both from defensive errors had done for Rangers. Celtic pushed home there advantage but were unable to add to their two goal lead. Haffey pulled off a wonder save just before the end before Murray grabbed a consolation goal one minute into added time.
Rangers were outdone by a superior youthful team.