The following Saturday, 9 September 1933, would see the biggest game of Connor’s career, as Celtic headed across the city to face the defending champions, Rangers, at Ibrox, in front of 49,000 fans. For a third successive match, the Hoops team was unchanged, Maley’s men thus lining up as follows:
Kennaway: Hogg & McGonagle: Wilson, McStay & Hughes: Crum, Buchan, McGrory, Napier & Connor
The corresponding fixture two years earlier had seen Celtic keeper, John Thomson stretchered from the field, losing his fight for life later that evening in Glasgow’s Victoria Infirmary. His replacement, Joe Kennaway, was already on his way to becoming a legend in his own right at Parkhead, however, this would be an afternoon he would want to forget.
Jimmy McGrory opening the scoring at Ibrox in September 1933
Things had looked promising when Jimmy McGrory opened the scoring within fifteen minutes, following great work from Johnny Crum, before the game’s most contentious period, just before the break. First, Rangers defender Dougie Gray, eight seasons into a 22-year career which would make him the longest-serving player in the Govan club’s history, punched the ball off the line to prevent a certain goal, conceding a stone-wall penalty.
Despite the blatancy of his act, the Rangers players decided to indulge in a spot of pure gamesmanship, or perhaps a lack of sportsmanship may be a more accurate description. They immediately surrounded referee Watson to protest at his decision, before, eventually, withdrawing to the edge of the penalty, as Peter McGonagle placed the ball on the spot. Ibrox skipper, Davie Meiklejohn then walked past the Celt to consult at length with his keeper, Jerry Dawson, in a clear attempt to delay the kick still further and ‘get into McGonagle’s head’, an action at odds with the integrity he had displayed in that game two years earlier, where he gestured to the hoards who were cheering the injury to the stricken Thomson to show some respect. Sadly, the despicable behaviour on this occasion by the home side paid off, as the normally reliable Peter McGonagle stepped up to slam his shot wide of Dawson’s post.
Peter McGonagle
Within a few minutes, his error would be compounded. Ibrox forward Bob McPhail was chasing a long ball at the edge of the Celtic penalty area with no obvious danger, due to the presence of covering defenders, when Kennaway had a rush of blood to the head, the big Canadian dashing from his line to collide with McPhail. Penalty to Rangers. This time there is no mistake, as Jimmy Smith’s effort crosses the line, despite Kennaway getting a hand to it. Seconds later, Watson blew the half-time whistle, the teams going in level rather than the Celts enjoying a two-goal lead. Football can be cruel sometimes.
Things would get worse for Kennaway and Celtic just five minutes into the second half, when the keeper misjudged a Meiklejohn free-kick dropping into his box, McPhail winning the race to force the ball home off a post. With twenty minutes remaining and the Bhoys toiling, Jack Connor and Willie Buchan struggling through injury and fatigue respectively, Jimmy McGrory stepped up to the plate yet again. There seemed no danger when he chased a hopeful pass from Charlie Napier, with Ibrox central defenders McDonald and Russell both better-placed to clear. Crucially, they would hesitate for a split-second, long enough for McGrory to reach the ball first. He twisted the Govan duo one way then the other, strolled passed the exposed Gray then hammered the ball into the Rangers net.
Within minutes, McGonagle almost atoned for his earlier penalty miss, his driving run upfield ending in a powerful shot which beat Dawson all-ends-up before crashing back off the upright. Celtic continued to push for a win right up until the end, the referee’s whistle blowing for full-time as the limping Connor shaped to take a corner-kick. The game ended level at 2-2 and that would prove to be Jack’s last action as a Celt.
