1918-10-05: Rangers 2-0 Celtic, Glasgow Cup Final

RANGERS:
Hempsey, Manderson, Blair, Pursell, Dixon, Walls, Aitken, Bowie, McLean, Cairns, Gordon.

Scorers: Gordon, Aitken.

Shaw, McNair, McGregor, Jackson, Cringan, Brown, Burns, Gallacher, McLean, McColl, McNeil (Hamilton Academical)

The meeting of Rangers and Celtic at Hampden Park attracted upwards of 60,000 spectators, past performances and present records bespeaking an equality that was not once evidenced in the course of the contest for the City Cup. Both clubs have given several of their best players to their country, but while Rangers have drawn upon various senior clubs for capable substitutes Celtic have only slightly departed from their traditional policy of recruiting from the junior ranks. In making provision for the present necessities and letting the future take care of itself the Ibrox club has scored. Those players who owe temporary allegiance to the Govan club have brought to it a wealth of experience which was invaluable in such a contest, and in comparison the juniors serving under the Parkhead colours were unfitted by physique or experience to hold their own in a cup final. Thus, while two unbeaten teams appeared at Hampden, a casual glance sufficed to convince the observer that Rangers were certain to start first favourites and finish easy winners. The Ibrox forwards speedily demonstrated that they had abundant faith in themselves, and if they had to wait until the last minute for their second goal, Gordon had already made certain when he beat Shaw immediately after the teams crossed over. Gordon had himself previously crossed over from extreme left-wing forward to right-back, following an unsavoury incident that led to the dismissal of Purcel (Rangers) and McColl (Celtic). On another occasion; with the teams at normal strength and every section showing equality such and incident might form the turning point of the game. The dismissal of two players and the transfer of a third did not mean anything more on Saturday than that they enabled Rangers to assert their superiority to a greater extent than before.

For it meant an accession of strength to the Ibrox defence, a very slight diminution in the attack, and to Celtic the loss of the only forward likely to trouble Hempsey. No sooner were the forward lines reduced numerically than the Ibrox division laid siege to their opponents’ goal, and but for the resolute tackling of Cringan, the unswerving coolness of McNair, and the prompt and decisive clearing of Shaw two goals at least would have been registered before the interval. The staunch defence of the trio mentioned merely staved off defeat. The Parkhead forwards never brought victory in sight; one shot at goal was the summation of their efforts, and as Gallagher was adjudged offside when he beat Hempsey the Celts were somewhat aggrieved at the decision. Still on play they did not deserve to be on level terms, and when Aitken added a second goal in the last minute he was simply accentuating the disparity that was always apparent, never more so than in the first half, when the defeated team were outplayed as they have seldom been in recent years. Immeasurably weaker in attack, and deficient at half-back the Celtic were always fighting an uphill and losing battle, and as already stated, they were indebted to Shaw, McNair and Cringan for holding out so long and so successfully against opponents gifted with superior physique and possessing a much better conception of the essentials of the game. Bowie was, as usual, the inspiration of the Ibrox attack, the leader in every movement, and Cairns’s robust methods were only a trifle less successful. The half-backs were asked to cope with probably the least effective set of forwards that have ever represented the Parkhead club, and were so successful as to enable Manderson and Blair to figure as passive resisters and make Hempsey’s position a sinecure.