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Post by Nanook on Mar 27, 2020 22:40:55 GMT
Given that there is no live football, and not likely to be any for a while here is a news 'update' from 100 years ago.
The Scottish Cup draw for the Semi-final stage saw Kilmarnock came out of the hat first followed by Morton which left the other semi as league bottom v league top - Albion Rovers v Rangers.
The Semi Final against Rangers would be played on Saturday, March 27, 1920.
Rangers were favourites by a country mile.
At the time of the cup draw, of the 22 teams in Division One, Rangers were in top spot. Having played 32 league games, Rangers had lost only one game, drawn 6 and won the other 25 for 56 points; remember 2 points for a win at that time. Rangers had scored a massive 85 goals and lost a mere 16, half a goal a game! Rangers were 7 points ahead of second placed Celtic.
Rovers were in the top division for the first time, it was proving to be a tough baptism for the league babes. Rovers had played 31 matches winning 8, drawing 4, losing 19, scoring only 27 goals and losing 54. Rovers were in 22nd place, last.
For the 3.30pm kick off transport to the match at Parkhead was an issue with ‘charabancs, motor lorries…..all pressed into service’ while the railway companies are also running special relief trains’.
Rovers team – Shortt; Penman and Bell; Noble, Duncan, and Ford; Ribchester, Black, White, Watson, and Young.
Rangers team – Lock; Manderson and Ritchie; Bowie, Dixon, and Walls; Archibald, Muirhead, Gordon, Cairns, and Paterson.
In 1920, you had to wait for the match reports in the newspapers, so I will cover the Scotsman's report from 29 March, the Coatbridge Express from 31 March and the Coatbridge Leader from 3 April on the dates mentioned.
Practice being patient!
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Post by mildrover on Mar 27, 2020 22:49:43 GMT
I thought you were going to say that was when you were born Brian! Seriously though this is great information. Didn't realise there was such a gulf in league positions.
Ronnie
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Post by Nanook on Mar 29, 2020 14:07:47 GMT
Scotsman 29 March 1920
Reporting on the semi-final the Scotsman suggested ‘the Rangers were lucky to finish on level terms with Albion Rovers’.
Lock, in Rangers goal, was by far the busier keeper, in the first half Rovers did most of the attacking, but Paterson, against the run of play, just before half time gave Rangers an undeserved lead.
Four minutes in to the second half and the score was 1-1, Ribchester scoring from a penalty. ‘For the remainder of the game the Rovers held the upper hand….The whole Rovers team gave a splendid display, with Wallace and Ribchester outstanding’.
The replay, again at Parkhead, would be on the Wednesday 31 March, same day as the Coatbridge Leader would report on the first semi final match.
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Post by charlestheoptimist on Mar 29, 2020 16:34:16 GMT
Sounds familiar- Rangers being lucky to get away with a 1-1 draw against Rovers in the cup and Rovers giving a splendid display !
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Post by Roy of the Rovers on Mar 29, 2020 16:38:56 GMT
I've got a good feeling about this replay though!
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Post by kjg on Mar 29, 2020 19:24:10 GMT
Cant wait till Wednesday. Hope we dont have a game a couple of days before.
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Post by Nanook on Mar 31, 2020 22:40:38 GMT
Apologies for delay in update, only just made it, working a back shift and the Rovers site is blocked among others.
To try to avoid any confusion, the events in this thread are one hundred years ago but 1920 and 2020 are one day out. In comparison, their Wednesday is our Tuesday.
So I will try to refer to the date rather than the day, but there will be occasions when in the quoted text it states the day and you will think that is not right but remember quoted text is 1920, and one day of the week ahead of us.
The Coatbridge Express (31 March) reported Rangers keeper Lock had to change his royal blue top to grey to avoid a colour clash with the Rovers. The Rovers had the wind at their back and went straight at Rangers with Lock tipping a fierce Duncan shot over the Rangers bar. Left winger, Paterson took a free kick for Rangers which sailed into the net and he ‘was the most surprised man on the field when that happened’. Rovers bombarded Rangers goal but could not get an equaliser before half time although a Noble shot just went past the post while Ribchester hit the post with one corner then got the ball in the Rangers net direct from another corner which, at that time, was not a goal. ‘Half-time found the Rangers leading by a goal, which was by no means warranted on the run of the game’ as ‘Shortt got little to do’.
Rangers supporters might have expected the goals to flow in the second half but Rovers got stuck in and early on there was a melee at Lock’s goal right half ‘Bowie gave away a penalty-kick which Ribchester turned to account’. (The following Coatbridge Leader suggested left back Ritchie had punched the ball on the goal line). Either way, Ribchester shot home for the first goal that Rangers had lost in their Scottish Cup run. Rovers were level. Rangers were hindered by injury to centre forward Gordon who went off for a few minutes and then came back on to limp out the game on the right wing. Rovers were inspired while ‘Lock alone stood between them and victory for again and again in the last quarter hour the Rovers were hammering for admission and were denied by the Englishman alone’. Full time finished 1-1 with the crowd of 32,000 convinced that Rovers should have won.
Noble, Duncan, Ford, Ribchester and Bell of Rovers were praised while ‘Dixon’s herculean effort’ for Rangers kept them in the cup.
There was good news for teams near the bottom of Division One from a general meeting of the Scottish League which decided that the next season ‘the league will still be a 22-club affair’. The Second Division did not start up again until 1921-22, so fighting relegation would not be an issue until then.
Rovers chance was surely gone, many thought, as the smaller team usually gets one shot. 31 March and for the replay at Parkhead, ‘relief trains’ would run from Coatbridge Caledonian Station and from Airdrie N. B. Station calling at Coatdyke and Sunnyside for the 6.15pm kick off.
Sadly, Coatbridge’s social life was to be disrupted. ‘Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Thomson & Sons’ SELECT DANCE in Gartsherrie Institute TO-NIGHT (Wednesday) WILL BE POSTPONED FOR THIS WEEK ONLY, owing to Albion Rovers Cup Tie. JAMES M. THOMSON.’
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Post by Nanook on Apr 1, 2020 0:07:58 GMT
The Scotsman (01/04/20) reported Henderson took Gordon’s place at centre forward for Rangers while Rovers were unchanged. ‘The weather conditions proved absolutely wretched, and ground and ball were heavy alike’ but ‘the play served up was of a high standard’. Rangers had the better of the first half although Rovers White had the best scoring opportunity in the first half. After the interval, Shortt and Bell stood firm with fine defence as ‘Rangers pressed with great vigour’ but the match ended 0-0.
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Post by Nanook on Apr 3, 2020 14:19:47 GMT
The Coatbridge Leader reported the replay a little differently from the Scotsman. With the wind at their backs, Rangers did the early pressing but ‘several corners proved fruitless’. Rovers Young burst clear with Watson heading over the bar. The game became more end to end. Rovers Shortt saved a long range Muirhead shot with the rebound hitting a Rovers defender before running out for a corner. Shortt dealt with a Walls hot shot before a Ford snap shot rebounded to White whose shot was turned round the Rangers post by Lock. ‘It was a fast game, full of thrills, in which Albion went for goal bald-headed’, an interesting, if bewildering, comment, on the match. White and Ribchester ‘were specially marked, and the latter in particular received no mercy from the Glasgow men’. At half time there was no scoring.
Rangers started the second half ‘intent on making an end of the tie’ with Paterson and Cairns making several efforts which Shortt dealt with. ‘For quite a long period Rangers were masters of the game, but nothing came amiss to Penman and Bell [the two back kicks], who proved veritable towers of strength’. Towards the end of the match, Rovers put in ‘ceaseless pressure’ and ‘Lock and Co. put in an anxious time against their assaults’, but the match ended goal less before the 40,000 crowd.
Noble and Penman were injury worries after the match.
Rovers signed two players who would be called into action pretty quickly Kiernan from Armadale and James White from Bedlay Juniors, brother of Rovers forward John White.
Rovers had played so many cup ties (because of replays) that they had fallen behind on league business, Accies were on 37 league games, Raith Rovers on 36 and Rovers on 33.
Rovers had played Rangers on the 31st; Saturday 3rd April would see the league visit of Hearts, Monday 5th the league visit of Aberdeen and Wednesday off to Parkhead for the second replay.
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Post by kjg on Apr 3, 2020 19:10:17 GMT
A shape of things to come, maybe.
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Post by Nanook on Apr 4, 2020 13:41:36 GMT
Noble and Penman were injury worries after the replay but Penman made the next game.
The Coatbridge Express asked ‘what excuse will be made for the champions now? They were not taken off their guard a second time, surely’.
Saturday team v Hearts Shortt; Penman and Kiernan; Melville, Duncan, and Ford; Ribchester, Ja White, J White, Watson, and Hillhouse.
With four personnel changes from the replay side, Rovers on the Saturday thrashed Hearts, going one down, 5-1 up before winning 6-2, the Coatbridge Express referred to the ‘Cliftonhill slaughter ground’. John White scored a hat trick, Guy Watson two and Robbie Ribchester one.
The Saturday saw a series of firsts - the opening of the Cliftonhill stand, the first time Rovers had scored more than two goals in a league match and the first home league win on their new ground.
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Post by Nanook on Apr 5, 2020 17:36:23 GMT
Monday team v Aberdeen Shortt; Kiernan and Ford; Black, Melville, and Wallace; Blue, Ja White, Hart, Gray and Young.
Five personnel changes for the Monday evening visit of Aberdeen saw Archibald put the visitors ahead, although both the Coatbridge Express and Coatbridge Leader complained bitterly that the goal should have been disallowed as the free kick had been taken ahead of the referee’s whistle, before Hart equalised for a 1-1 draw with the performance of the Dons keeper Anderson saving his side a point.
The Coatbridge Leader suggested for the Aberdeen match that Rovers ‘were more concerned about their cup tie team being fit for the Rangers’ and had rested various players
The Coatbridge Express asked ‘what excuse will be made for the champions now? They were not taken off their guard a second time, surely’.
On to Parkhead for the second replay on Wednesday.
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Post by mildrover on Apr 5, 2020 21:24:15 GMT
Are you the bus convenor for Wednesday night Nanook?
Seriously this is great information about one of the most remarkable times in our history.
Ronnie
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Post by Nanook on Apr 7, 2020 15:17:52 GMT
7 April, 1920, Rovers were off to Parkhead again, to play league leaders Rangers in the second replay of the Scottish Cup semi-final.
Rovers had the better of the first match with some thinking Rangers were the better side in the second match. Rangers continued to be massive favourites to get through to the Scottish Cup Final against the bottom of the league team.
Rovers showed two changes from the first replay, right half Noble, out injured, and left winger Young dropped out to be replaced by Wallace and Hillhouse for the following team - Shortt; Penman and Bell; Wallace, Duncan, and Ford; Ribchester, Black, J White, Watson and Hillhouse.
Rangers team for the second replay showed three changes, left back Ritchie, centre half Dixon and right winger Archibald dropped out, Gordon, Meiklejohn and Cunningham came in for a Rangers team – Lock; Manderson and Gordon; Bowie, Meiklejohn, and Walls; Henderson, Muirhead, Cunningham, Cairns, and Paterson.
The second replay was to be a 5.45pm start to allow for extra time in the event of a draw. Mr. T. Dougary of Bellshill was to be referee as he had been for the first two semi-finals.
‘Excitement has reached fever heat and a record crowd is likely to travel from this district’ with extra trains running for the match. Three trains were running from Coatbridge Caledonian Station, three from North British Station calling in to Coatdyke and Sunnyside and two from Airdrie Caledonian Station calling in to Whifflet and Langloan.
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Post by Nanook on Apr 8, 2020 17:02:28 GMT
The Scotsman’s headline, 08/04/1920, read ‘Albion Rovers Defeat the Rangers’ saying, in a rather understanded way, Rovers had ‘created a surprise’.
The Scotsman felt that ‘on the run of the game Rangers should at least have drawn’ but they ‘could make nothing of the Rovers’ stout defence’. First half most of the play was in front of Shortt but ‘early in the game, from a breakaway Hillhouse scored first goal for the Rovers, and five minutes from the interval another visit to Lock resulted in Watson scoring a second goal’. ’After the interval The Rovers were almost continually kept defending, but they never wavered, and succeeded in keeping the Light Blues out’. Fifteen minutes from time, Shortt made a brilliant save from Gordon’s penalty.
The 65,000 attendance was a record for a week night game.
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