THE DAY THAT WAS PART 4
Today I have picked another significant event in time, and the Rangers game that follows it.
DATE: 22nd November 1963
EVENT: Assassination of JFK, Dallas, Texas
The 34th President of the United States is shot dead when travelling in an open-top motorcar through the streets of Dallas. For people of a certain age, this will always be the “where were you” moment.
This was something truly stunning, all captured on the new form of media at the time; television.
The pictures of John Fitzgerald Kennedy being shot are ones I’m sure everyone has seen a thousand times, spanning even more conspiracy theories than your average Celtic fan, from the FBI, to the Mafia (la cosa nostra).
One theory was the hit was mob ordered taking revenge for JFK, and his brother Robert who was the serving attorney general at the time, in an act of retaliation for going after the mob in both a public and aggressive manner. All this despite strong rumours, that JFK had used the Chicago mafia (the outfit) to aid him getting into office.
His assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald was shot and killed by a friend of the mob, Sheriff Jack Ruby, who would die a year later from cancer.
The city of Dallas along with its residents took a long while to get over both the scars and shame of the incident. There are plenty of roads and streets named after after past Presidents, none of them bear the name of JFK. Even at the scene of the assassination you could quite easily be mistaken for thinking such a horrific and world shaking event ever took place there.
The book depository now serves as a museum, although the window where the shots were fired is off limits and only viable through glass.
Rangers’ first match came less than 24 hours later, with the world still in shock at the events in Dallas.
DATE: 23rd November 1963
VENUE: East End Park
SCORE: 1-4 (Watson (2), Henderson, Forrest)
COMPETITION: Scottish League Division 1
Rangers went into this encounter still unbeaten in the league, sitting top of the table. The closest challenge at this point in proceedings came from Dundee, occupying second spot and Kilmarnock in third.
Opponents Dunfermline were fourth in the table, a point ahead of Celtic in fifth and 3 points off Rangers at the summit.
Going into the game and Rangers were without the injured Jim Baxter, who was suffering from an ankle injury, making him a serious doubt for the midweek British Championship clash with Everton at Ibrox.
This was a game Rangers were always in control of, the first goal coming courtesy of a through pass by Jimmy Millar that was met by left-winger Watson, sliding past the oncoming Dunfermline keeper as he was advancing.
Rangers by all accounts were playing some lovely one-touch passing at this stage, made even more remarkable, by the fact you could mistake the pitch for a swimming pool such was the degree of surface water.
Henderson added a second before the break, giving the league leaders a comfortable half time margin. The second goal came with a slice of good fortune or bad goalkeeping, the keeper palming the ball into his own net, after a cross from the wee man.
The third came courtesy of Jim Forrest, scoring his first goal for some time, after a cut back by the outstanding Jimmy Millar. Dunfermline had a glimmer of hope just two minutes later but this was short-lived, two minutes again and Watson, scoring his second of the afternoon made certain the points were heading back to Ibrox, with it the unbeaten run continuing.
This would prove to be the last game unbeaten in the run, with the Gers falling 0-3 to Hearts at Ibrox the following week. However, this would prove nothing more than a blip and the Gers would secure the title by a staggering margin of 17 points.
DUNFERMLINE:
Herriot, Callaghan, Lunn, Thomson, McLean, Millar, Edwards, Peebles, Dickson, Kerray, T. Callaghan
RANGERS:
Ritchie, Shearer, Provan, Greig, Ballie, McKinnon, Henderson, Millar, Forrest, Brand, Watson.
MOTM: Jimmy Millar
Get in touch as always with your thoughts.
@steven_harrigan
@rangersnewsuk