| Match Pictures | Matches: 1921 – 1922 | 1921 pictures |
Trivia
- The Glasgow Herald reports that John McLean, in prison for making seditious statements in a speech in Dunmore Street on September 13th has been refused bail and is currently on hunger strike. LINK
- Also in the Herald a report that Mustapha Kemal the Turkish leader has demanded that the allies impose no further sanctions as Turkey has suffered enough in war reparations having lost their territories in Syria and Mesopotamia.
- Figures released in the Herald show that 2,500 people are on relief in Coatbridge.
Review
An injury-hit and underperforming Celtic side lose narrowly in the final in front of a huge crowd.
Teams
CELTIC- Shaw, McNair, McStay, Gilchrist, Cringan, McMaster, McLean Gallacher, McInally, Cassidy, McFarlane
RANGERS- Robb, Manderson, McCandless, Meiklejohn, Dixon, Muirhead, Archibald, Cunningham, Henderson, Cairns, McDiarmid
Referee:
Attendance: 80,000
Goals: Meiklejohn (5)
Articles
- Match Report (see end of page below)
Pictures
Articles
The Glasgow Herald-Oct 3, 1921
RANGERS VICTORY
Rangers at Hampden Park on Saturday defeated Celtic in the final tie of the Glasgow Cup, and thereby gained possession of the first football trophy of the season. It was the 38th final of this particular prize, which was first won in 1888 by Cambuslang. With the exception of Partick Thistle, every Glasgow club still in existence has won the cup at least once, but generally Rangers and Celtic have been left to fight out the final tie. Including their victory on Saturday, Rangers have secured the cup on 14 occasions, while Celtic have 13 successes to their credit. In accepting the trophy on behalf of the winners, Sir John Ure Primrose, Bart., referred to the monopoly of the cup by Rangers and Celtic, and the representative gathering of football officials present endorsed the worthy Baronet’s desire that the honours should go round more frequently. Sir John abjured other clubs to rid themselves of the fear of the two big dominant members, and sought to impress upon young players the value of courage and enthusiasm, which he assured them were the most likely virtues to prevail against his own club and Celtic. Few who witnessed the game on Saturday will disagree with that point of view, for neither the winners nor the losers gave any sign of possessing football ability above the common ruck. On the season’s form Rangers would have been established as strong favourites prior to the game, but a remarkable exhibition of football by Celtic in midweek in the replayed semi-final tie with Partick Thistle led many to believe that the famous East-End club would rise to the occasion in the final and defeat their greatest rivals. Celtic however quite failed to realise expectations in that respect, and were well beaten by an all-round superior team, though the margin was only one goal. The game will not be recalled for anything attached to it. Play was scrambling and loose from the initial kick, and the keenness of the rival teams just to win was only too apparent. Celtic were practically the defending side throughout, and apart from a certain degree of success that must be accorded their backs and goalkeeper Rangers’ forwards are blameworthy in failing to count oftner than once. Want of confidence and an over-inclination on the part of their forwards to fall back to assist the half-backs who were in no need of such help were principally the causes of Rangers’ failures in front of Shaw. The chief difference between the contending clubs, and the chief factors in Rangers’ success were the half-backs. Celtic’s middle division were harassed by the opposing forwards so much that they never had contact with their own forwards during the contest, and it was comparatively easy in the circumstances for Rangers’ half-backs to complete the demoralisation of their rivals’ attack. Temper and bad tactics frequently crept in and were allowed too much licence, so that altogether it is to be feared the big attendance – approaching 80,000 – will look back on this season’s Glasgow Cup final, with a feeling of disappointment.
Glasgow Herald 3rd October 1921
Match report from The Scotsman, 3rd October 1921
The meeting of these clubs in the final for the Glasgow Cup drew out an enormous attendance at Hampden. £2700, exclusive of tax, was taken at the entrances, and it was estimated that fully 80,000 spectators were present, a record number for these finals. Short of Dodds and McAtee, the Parkheaders were scarcely at full strength, while the Rangers were still without Morton. Ideal weather conditions favoured the game. There was no wind to spoil play in any way, but despite this the game was disappointing. Hard and fast enough it was, but all over there was a lack of that good football which both sides can serve up. The Celtic forwards never settled down, they were really seldom in the picture, and of the two goalkeepers Shaw had far more to do than Robb. The latter got off very easily, while the Celtic custodian, besides being beaten once, had other good shots to hold, though near the end McInally narrowly missed. This was perhaps the Celtic’s best try.
The only goal of the match was scored by Meiklejohn after five minutes’ play, a great shot from the Ranger’s half-back being too much for Shaw, who got his hands to the ball but could not stop it. The effort was well worthy of success, and it was all but repeated later on. On the day’s showing, the Rangers were the better side and deserved the success. The Ibrox forwards worked better together, and individually Archibald, Cunningham, and Cairns were ahead of anything on the Celtic side. Gallacher and McInally worked hard, but in the end failed to save the game, the cup going to Ibrox. Both defences were hard put to it; they had to stand up to a lot of rushing, and on the whole they did well.