It would be hard to imagine Celtic and Rangers agreeing to a 'fixed ...

20 Apr 2024

Dundalk Democrat

The Guardian newspaper reported: “Of late, draws between Celtic and Rangers have occurred with monotonous regularity, and the ill-informed man in the street has been heard to hit off the situation by the explanation that these indecisive matches have been ‘arranged for a gate’.”

Celtic and Rangers coming together to ‘fix’ the result, and maybe divvy the takings between them? Not a chance in hell. And, anyway, the game you might be immediately thinking about was played at Ibrox, and Rangers, for sure, wouldn’t have given anything away.

The language used in the newspaper account probably tells you that it didn’t appear last Monday week, the day after that tremendous set-to, which ended in a draw, 3-apiece. The ill-informed man on the street, nowadays, wouldn’t be known to “hit off the situation by the explanation”. They don’t write it like that any more.

It was, in fact, back around today’s date as far back as 1909 that that particular Guardian sheet hit the street. A week earlier the Old Firm had met in Hampden Park in the Scottish Cup Final, the game ending in a 2-all draw.

The replay attracted a crowd of 61,000 and at the end of 90 minutes the sides were still locked together, 1-1 the score this time. Extra-time was expected, with the Celtic players remaining on the field. First signs that there wasn’t going be any further play came when the linesmen lifted the corner flags.

A big portion of the crowd remained, however, and when it became apparent there wasn't going to be extra-time, the anger was palpable. The field was rushed, supporters of both teams shoulder to shoulder, a rare show of accord, even in those days.

In a scene that would be repeated at Wembley many decades later after Scotland had beaten England in the Home Internationals, goalposts were uprooted, and nets dragged down before attention was turned to the Hamden sod.

This was ripped up, while elsewhere pay boxes were set on fire, the arsonists, having had their fill, no doubt, fuelling the flames with whisky.

Maybe it wasn’t sweetness and light with the opposing supporters after all – over a hundred of them, in both hues, ended up in hospital.

The rules at the time stated that extra-time, if necessary, would be played after a third series, but following what had happened, Celtic and Rangers asked the Scottish FA not to have a second replay.

This was agreed, and so Celtic, having already won the league, were denied the chance of bringing off the double for the third year running.

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