Cornered Scots in wartime

Q&A

Q. I seem to remember that many years ago (possibly in the 1940s) if the Scottish Cup final was a draw at full-time (and perhaps after extra time), the Cup was presented to the team awarded most corner kicks in the match. Do I remember correctly, and if so, which teams, if any, won the Scottish Cup by this rule?

A. There is no record of a Scottish FA Cup final ever having been settled by means of a corner-kick count, but this formula was certainly applied in several cup finals in Scottish football during the wartime years of the 1940s. Rangers figured in every final of the Southern League Cup between 1941 and 1946, winning the trophy on four occasions (Scottish football was played on a regional basis in the War years). On 9 May 1943, after a 1-1 draw with Falkirk at Hampden, Rangers were declared the winners, 11-3 on corner kicks. The following year they lost to Hibernian 6-5 on corner kicks after a goalless draw.

Curiously, Rangers and Hibernian had also contested a goalless cup final at Hampden, in the Summer Cup competition on 6 June 1942. Extra time wasplayed, but the teams were still level and the corner-kick tally was two apiece. Rangers won the trophy by virtue of the toss of a coin.

In his excellent autobiographical account of his wartime childhood in Glasgow, The Young Civilian, Bob Crampsey recalls a match between Celtic and Queens Park in May 1945 at Hampden to commemorate the end of the war in Europe. After a 1-1 draw, Celtic won the special trophy, having gained more corners during the game.

One of the most significant corner kicks in the history of Scottish Cup finals came in the 88th minute of the final between Celtic and Clyde on 23 April 1955. With Celtic leading 1-0, Clyde's Archie Robertson scored direct from the corner to level the scores and Clyde went on to win the replay by a goal to nil. - Derek Mackenzie, Aberdeen

Q. What is "On your marks, set, go!" in other languages?

A. I am able to help in Finnish with a literal translation in brackets: Paikoillenne (get in place), Valmiit (Get ready), Hep! (Go!) (or the starter's pistol). The first two instructions were used by starters at the athletics World Championships in 1983 and again at the European Championships last summer, both events being held in Helsinki. - Martin Easterbrook, Poole

Q. On 21 January, Burnley played a home match before 9,841. This was the lowest attendance of the day for an Endsleigh League First Division match. Given Burnley's recent history in the lower divisions, and the high attendances at Turf Moor during that time, when was the last time Turf Moor hosted the poorest attendance of a Saturday league match (in any division)?

A. The self-congratulatory tone adopted by Burnley supporters when referring to their high level of support is a source of great amusement to Blackburn fans, who recall that in Burnley's near-disastrous season of 1986-87, gates regularly fell below 2,000, with an all-time low of 1,696 against Colchester on 4 November 1986. Clarets fans, envious of Blackburn's wealth and Premiership status, like to conjecture that if similarly successful they would attract considerably more than Rovers - who average 24,867, 10th best in the Premiership - but overlook that in their most recent top-division days they regularly failed to average 20,000. Indeed in both 1968-69 and 1973-74, average gates were the lowest in the First Division.

In Burnley's championship season of 1959-60, average attendance was 26,978, hardly supportive of the argument "if Burnley were top of the Premiership, etc, etc". The last time the Clarets were in anywhere near as elevated a position was in March 1975, entertaining Arsenal when second-placed, the gate being 17,539. - Walter Hankers, Accrington

ANSWERS PLEASE

Q. Are there any official statistics pertaining to which is the world's most popular participant and/or spectator sports? - Patricia Foster, Inverness

Q. Which sport has the most rules or laws? - Tony Kovak, London E4

Q. I remember seeing David Gower hit his first ball in Test cricket for four at Edgbaston in 1978. Who else has begun his Test career with a boundary? - Tim Mickleburgh, Grimsby

Q. Occasionally, football players are sent off after the final whistle has been blown and the game is effectively over. Recently, Tim Flowers, of Blackburn Rovers, was sent off with barely two minutes of the game played. What is the shortest time that a players has been on the pitch before being dismissed? Has any player ever been sent off before the game has started. - David Weir, Glasgow

Q. In the not too distant past, one Wayne Harrison was transferred from Oldham to Liverpool for £750,000. At the time Harrison was only a teenager and I believe he never played League football for Oldham or made his debut for Liverpool. Is this correct and what happened to him? - Kevin Maguire, Batley

If you know the answers to any of these questions, or have a sporting question of your own you would like answered, write to:

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