Buffalo Bill at Ibrox

Blantyre, Lanarkshire, Scotland

Blantyre history

Buffalo Bill at Ibrox

This article is transcribed from Scottish Sport, Tuesday, 10th November 1891. It refers to a Glasgow Cup quarter-final tie, played between Rangers and Queen’s Park on the afternoon of Saturday, 7th November. Although oddly not stated here, the final score was a 3-0 victory in favour of Queen’s Park.

Siftings

The gate at Ibrox Park on Saturday reached the handsome total of £280. The stand would mean £20 more. What with membership, season ticket holders, and free admissions, there could not be less than 12,500 persons present. Not bad for a Glasgow tie.

Buffalo Bill and party put in an appearance when the game was in progress. He was well received by the standers as they passed along in search of a seat, which could not be found till Mr. Lawson, secy., got alongside and brought them to anchor in the reserved seats in front of the pavilion.

Ibrox was filled with congratulations. The club’s staunch friends and loyal supporters, Bailies Primrose and Guthrie, received a hearty recognition on their first appearance since their “creation”. Haddow, the “light blue” goalkeeper, who was married the previous evening – plucky lad – also came in for a mild ovation, and the boss of the Wild West was also enthusiastically received.

Nor were the congratulations restricted to the commencement of the proceedings. The officials of the Rangers congratulated the winners upon their win, and the officials of the Queen’s Park congratulated the Rangers upon their play.

As indicating the one-sided nature of the play at Ibrox, we may mention that the Queen’s Park’s first corner did not come till 24 minutes of the first half had gone.

Some of the spectators were disposed to give the match a League v. non-League significance, which was altogether unnecessary. One Hampden supporter was heard to declare that the Queen’s Park were able to beat eleven out of the twelve League clubs. Query – Which is the one they could not defeat?

The Queen’s Park’s success is almost certain to engender a respect for the team in quarters where for some time it has been too customary to deal in disparagement. Some of their friends think them able to shift the cup from Celtic Park to its old quarters at Hampden.

Col. Cody was taken into the pavilion at half-time, and introduced to both teams. Probably he gave them an invite to the “Wild West” in the East End.

The Rangers protested against the legitimacy of the first goal scored, and they had certainly some grounds for doing so. Gulliland looked very much off-side when he had the ball passed to him.

T. Dunbar, of the Celtic reserve, turned out for the Rangers, as advertised. We have seen him play better, but a first appearance should not be judged harshly.

Mr. Watson, of Dundee, was asked and consented to referee the Ibrox tie, but he cancelled on Thursday, and Mr. Gilchrist, vice-president, very kindly filled his place. He also was provided with two watches to check the time, but a scrutiny was not demanded.

A journalist from The Scottish Referee, Monday, 9th November 1891 was even moved to compose a rhyme in honour of the occasion:

I’m Buffalo Bill from ‘cross the sea,
I guess this game’s quite new to me:
I fancy the boys that’s dressed in blue
Will give the other side their cue.
I hope the better team will win,
But, snakes alive, I can’t but grin
To see the players jump about:
I’d like my “bucks” to have a shout.
I guess thar’s sumthing in this game,
When such a crowd looks at the same;
I hope you all will see my show,
For I have been at yours, you know.

Buffalo Bill at George Square

This article is transcribed from the Lorgnette column of the Glasgow Evening News, Wednesday, 11th November 1891. Here is rather a good story and one worthy of a paragraph in “Lorgnette” (writes a correspondent). I was making my usual purchase last night of a halfpenny worth of “News” from an old lady who supplies evening papers to the lieges at a corner of George Square. A smart little girl, with bare feet and not over well “put on,” was assisting her in her usual calling, when a distinguished looking gentleman, with a somewhat outré appearance, came forward, and after investing in a variety of papers, began to take notice of the juvenile newsagent. Pointing to her shoeless feet, which evidently attracted his attention on the cold night, he asked the old woman what it would cost to get a pair of shoes for the child, and then handed her the amount she named. He paid for his papers, gave the old lady a sixpence for herself, handed a silver coin to another poor body in the neighbourhood, and then went off with a smile on his face, that showed he felt pleased at being able thus unostentatiously to do a kindly action. On inquiring who the gentleman was, the old woman replied – “Sure that’s Buffalo Bill, an’ he has bought his papers from me the last two nights. God bless him.”

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