A Look Into Histories 2

A LOOK INTO HISTORY TWO HUNDRED AND EIGHTY FOUR
GLASGOW RANGERS v MOSCOW DYNAMO 1945
Our 6d souvenir Blue and White cover Match Programme is very small and is for one of Glasgow Rangers most memorable games played on 28th November 1945 at 2.15 pm and is a copy reproduced by the club. They warmly welcomed the “distinguished visitors and War Allies” ! giving the three other results. The line ups were on the centre pages and a message from the Lord Provost on the back together with details of the City of Glasgow Police Pipe Band who entertained before the match and joined at the interval by the Govan Burgh Band.
My report of the match is taken from excerpts from the archives of the Scottish Football Museum in 2017 for which I am indebted.
It was the most keenly anticipated match in Scotland since the outbreak of World War Two. The crack Russian side Moscow Dynamo, with their revolutionary passing and movement game, which became known as Passvotchka, against the might and power of Rangers.
At a distance of 72 years, with wall to wall European matches on television almost 24/7, it is difficult to appreciate the interest engendered by Moscow Dynamo’s British tour in November 1945. The Second World War had recently ended and although the west and east stood on the cusp of the Cold War, there was still a fair amount of affection amongst the British public for our war-time allies.
For Scottish football fans used to so much thin gruel during the war years this was a sumptuous feast, too attractive to miss. Consequently, 90,000 fans turned up at Ibrox on 28th of November for the last match in the Russians’ four-match schedule.
The tourists were undefeated so far, having drawn 3-3 with Chelsea, thumped Cardiff 10-1, and defeated Arsenal 4-3 in a farce of a match played in thick fog. As much for propaganda purposes than anything else, they were determined that this state of affairs should continue. For Rangers’ part, they were tasked with saving the reputation of British football.
The Russian party had arrived in Glasgow on the Monday before the match, and almost immediately became embroiled in an argument over Jimmy Caskie, who Rangers hoped to sign from Everton.
Dynamo were still bristling over Arsenal’s use of six guest players including the two Stans, Mortensen and Matthews, and insisted that a list of 18 players be submitted, from which Rangers’ side would be chosen. Caskie’s name wasn’t on the list, and the Russians, fearing a repeat of the Arsenal fiasco refused permission for him to play. The row threatened to cancel the match, until Rangers backed down. Scottish revenge was swift and ruthless, however.
The Russian party spent the Tuesday evening at the La Scala cinema watching a Donald Duck and Sonja Henie double header, and in our own propaganda move, this was preceded by a cruise down the Clyde where, just by chance, views were afforded of the might of British sea power in the form of 45,000 ton battleship Vanguard.
The morning of the match saw a repeat of the fog that had bedevilled the Arsenal match, but it lifted in time for the kick off and fans were queuing three hours before kick-off. The black market in tickets saw stand briefs with a face value of 21 shillings sell for as much as £10, and by kick off time 90,000 fans were inside Ibrox.
A great debate amongst youngsters was the shorts worn by Dynamo featuring the distinctive white band around the thighs, one of the popular theories being it allowed them to find a teammate with a pass without having to look up at their jersey.”
The first surprise of the day – the crowd were treated to an elaborate warm up routine by the Russians, was quickly followed by Rangers’ choice of strip. With Dynamo wearing dark blue jerseys, Rangers donned Queens Park style thin blue and white hoops. The Dynamo seamlessly turning defence into attack, Dynamo passed their way up field until Kartsev shot low and hard past Dawson with the great Jerry Dawson picking the ball out of the net twice goalkeeper ‘Tiger’ Khomich, the wonderfully named winger Archangelski, and Konstantin Beskov who, as Dynamo manager would cross swords with Rangers in the 1972 Cup Winners’ Final.
The sniggers from the crowd at the sight of Rangers’ iron-man captain Jock Shaw being presented with a bouquet of flowers had barely died when Dynamo opened the scoring after just two minutes when inside right Kartsev drilled a twenty yard free kick past Jerry Dawson. Almost immediately however, Billy Williamson was felled in the penalty area, but Dynamo’s goalkeeper ‘Tiger’ Khomich saved Willie Waddell’s spot kick, knocking the ball onto the crossbar. Dynamo dominated the rest of the half. Their subtle, speedy an
attractive style allied to their interchanging forwards was too much for Rangers. In 24 minutes Dynamo went 2-0 ahead with a goal that encapse, Waddell missing a penalty and ‘Tiger’ Khomich in the Dynamo goal was performing the acrobatics we had heard about.” Indeed, showman Khomich was distinguishing himself with some spectacular leaps and catches, but giant centre forward Jimmy Smith gave Rangers hope just before half time with a scrambled goal, and suddenly Dynamo didn’t look so comfortable. In the second half Rangers’ more physical approach unsettled the Russians further. After the Dynamo substitution the crowd were bewildered then amused by Torry Gillick running around counting the Dynamo players and pointing out to the referee that no player had left the park and they had twelve players.”
The sharp eyed Gillick may have been aware of allegations this tactic had been adopted in the dense fog against Arsenal, and there was retribution of a kind shortly afterwards, when George Young equalised after a dubious penalty award, given by the referee after consultation with his linesman. Both teams, honour intact, settled for a 2-2 draw and the Russians quietly slipped out of the country the following day, returning as heroes to their homeland.

Rangers’ fans would have to wait over forty years for a player from the Soviet Union to sign for them, and it would be over a decade before European competition began in earnest, but for the 90,000 fans afforded a glimpse of this exotic, mysterious team, it was a memorable, unique experience that left them eager for more.
Rangers: Dawson, David Gray and Shaw, Watkins, Young and Symon, Waddell, Gillick, Smith, Williamson and Johnstone. Sub Duncanson for Smith.
Moscow Dynamo: Khomich, Radikorsky and Stankevich, Blinkov, Semichastny and Oreshkin, Archangelsky, Kartsev, Bescov, Bobrov and S. Soloviev. Sub Dementiev for Bobrov