1944–45 in Scottish football
| 1944–45 in Scottish football | ||
|---|---|---|
| ||
| Southern League champions | ||
| Rangers | ||
| North-Eastern League (Autumn) champions | ||
| Dundee | ||
| North-Eastern League (Spring) champions | ||
| Aberdeen | ||
| Summer Cup winners | ||
| Partick Thistle | ||
| Southern league Cup winners | ||
| Rangers | ||
| North-Eastern League Cup (Autumn) winners | ||
| Aberdeen | ||
| North-Eastern League Cup (Spring) winners | ||
| Aberdeen | ||
| Junior Cup winners | ||
| Burnbank Athletic |
The 1944–45 season was the sixth season of special wartime football in Scotland during World War II.
Overview
Between 1939 and 1946 normal competitive football was suspended in Scotland. Many footballers signed up to fight in the war and as a result many teams were depleted, and fielded guest players instead. The Scottish Football League and Scottish Cup were suspended and in their place regional league competitions were set up. Appearances in these tournaments do not count in players' official records.
Honours
League competition was split into two regional leagues, the Southern League and the North-Eastern League.[1] No country-wide cup competition took place, the Glasgow Cup continued[2] and Southern[3] and North-Eastern[4] League Cups were competed for, the Southern League Cup would later form the basis of the League Cup.
| Competition | Winner |
|---|---|
| Southern League | Rangers[5] |
| North-Eastern League (Autumn) | Dundee[6] |
| North-Eastern League (Spring) | Aberdeen[6] |
| Glasgow Cup | Rangers[2] |
| Southern League Cup | Rangers[3] |
| North-Eastern League Cup (Autumn) | Aberdeen[4] |
| North-Eastern League Cup (Spring) | Aberdeen[4] |
International
Due to the war official international football was suspended and so officially the Scotland team was inactive. However unofficial internationals featuring scratch teams representing Scotland continued. Appearances in these matches are not, however, included in a players total international caps.
Scotland faced England in a wartime international on October 14 1944 at Wembley in front of 90,000 fans. The Scotland team lost 6–2 with their goals coming from Thomas Walker and Milne. The Scotland team that day comprised: David Cumming, James Stephen, George Cummings, RB Thyne, Bobby Baxter, Archie Macaulay, Gordon Smith, Thomas Walker, AH Milne, Andy Black, James Caskie.
The two teams met again on the 3rd February 1945 at Villa Park, Birmingham in front of a crowd of 65,780. England won again, this time 3–2, with Jimmy Delaney and Jock Dodds accounting for Scotland's goals. The Scotland team featured: Robert Brown, James Harley, James Stephen, Matt Busby, RB Thyne, Archie Macaulay, Jimmy Delaney, Willie Fagan, Jock Dodds, Andy Black, Billy Liddell.
They met for a third time at Hampden Park on 14 April where a crowd of 133,000 saw England win 6–1. Leslie Johnstone scored for Scotland after, unusually at the time, coming on a substitute. The line up was: Robert Brown, James Harley, James Stephen, Matt Busby, J Harris, Archie Macaulay, William Waddell, T Bogan (Leslie Johnstone 2'), JR Harris, Andy Black, JC Kelly.[7]
Notes and references
- ^ "Wartime league champions". RSSSF. Retrieved 2008-10-02.
- ^ a b "Glasgow Cup finals". RSSSF. Retrieved 2008-10-02.
- ^ a b "Southern Football League Cup". Scottish Football History. Retrieved 2008-10-02.
- ^ a b c "North Eastern Football League Cup". Scottish Football History. Retrieved 2008-10-03.
- ^ "Southern Football League". Scottish Football History. Retrieved 2008-10-02.
- ^ a b "North Eastern Football League". Scottish Football History. Retrieved 2008-10-03.
- ^ England - War-Time/Victory Internationals - Details