Rangers Transatlantic Tour 1928

 

Ranges travelled to the United States and Canada as Scottish League and Cup champions the first double the club had won. They were to play 10games in 25 days on the tour but this was to be no holiday, Manager Bill Struth had made is clear that he expected the Light Blues to win all the games. He told the players that they were representing Rangers and Scotland and he demanded nothing but the best of form. Rangers left the port of Greenock on the Ship California heading for New Your. Throughout the trip Rangers were guests of honour at dinners, dances and the occasional cocktail party. Bill Struth was given gold key to the city of Pittsburg by the city mayor Charles Kline. The action began on the May 30th with a game against Eastern Pennsylvania in Philadelphia; Rangers cruised to an 8-2 victory. Substitutes were part of the American game and they used them frequently in one game the used 14 players. 6 games into the tour Alan Morton and Jimmy Fleming had to return to Scotland they were both part timers and had to return to work. The games attracted an average of 15,000 spectators to the matches. Rangers scored 46 goals conceding only 7. They won 7 games and drew 3. Rangers departed for Southampton on the SS Berengaria with one player added to the party. Bob McDonald who had played against Rangers on the tour must have impressed Struth because he was duly signed.

 

Tour Games

 

May 30, Eastern Pennsylvania 8-2 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 4000

Rangers: T. Hamilton - Gray, R. Hamilton - Buchanan, Meiklejohn, Craig - Archibald, Cunningham, Fleming, McPhail, Morton.

Scorers: Fleming 3, McPhail 3, Morton, Archibald

Eastern Pennsylvania: Green - Buchter, Cy Davis - Chesney, Jimmy Mills, McCurdy - Dunn, Lindsay, Andy Strachan, Davies, Rudolph.

Scorers: Rudolph, Lindsay

June 2, 1928 Brooklyn Wanderers 4-0 Brooklyn, New York. 15000

Rangers: T. Hamilton - Gray, R. Hamilton - Buchanan, Meilkejohn, Craig - Archibald, Cunningham, Fleming, McPhail, Morton.

Scorers: Fleming 4

Brooklyn Wanderers: Steve Smith - George Moorhosue, Dave McMillan - David Robertson, John Brown, Michael Mitchell - Billy Adair, Leslie Lyell, Janos Nehadoma, Bobby Curtis, Davie Brown.

June 3, 1928 Fall River Marksmen 0-0 Mark's Stadium, Fall River, Massachusetts, 15000

Rangers: T. Hamilton - Gray, R. Hamilton - Buchanan, Meiklejohn, Craig - Archibald, Cunningham, Fleming, Muirhead, Morton.

Fall River: Jimmy Douglas - Charlie McGill, Bob McAuley - Bill McPherson, Dinny Doyle, Hugh Coyle - Johnny Harvey, Johnny Ballantyne, Bobby Blair, Jimmy Kelly, Tec White.

June 9, 1928 Western Pennsylvania 9-0 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 3000

Rangers: T. Hamilton - McCandless, R. Hamilton - Muirhead, Meiklejohn, Craig - Archibald, Marshall, Fleming, McPhail, Morton.

Scorers: McPhail 3, Marshall 3, Morton 2, Fleming

Western Pennsylvania: Henderson - Vallani, Brown (McClay) - Todd (Stark), Zetel, Stensel - Thompson, Moran, Patterson (McCoskey), Dunlop, Haist.

June 10, 1928 Detroit 1-0 Detroit, Michigan. 14000

Rangers: T. Hamilton - McCandless, R. Hamilton - Buchan, Simpson, Craig - Hair, Cunningham, Fleming, McPhail, Morton.

Scorers: Hair

Detroit - Sprott - Somerville, Ross - Rainley, Harris, Matthews - Bacon, Gerrit Visser, Lavery, Carson, Currie.

June 13, 1928 Toronto Ulster 7-0United Maple Leaf Stadium, Toronto, Ontario

Rangers: T. Hamilton - Gray, McCandless - Muirhead, Meiklejohn, Craig - Archibald, Cunningham, Fleming, McPhail, Morton.

Scorers: McPhail 4, Fleming 2, Cunningham

Ulster: Fraser - Dave Eadie, Walter Rankin - Grant, Fred Williams, Joe Clulow - Roy Faulkner, Jimmy Hagan, George Graham, Jimmy Galloway, Jimmy Moir.

June 16, 1928 Montreal All-Stars 5-1 Montreal, Quebec

Rangers: T. Hamilton - Gray, McCandless - Buchanan, Meiklejohn, Craig - Archibald, Cunningham, Marshall, McPhail, Muirhead.

Scorers: Cunningham 2, Archibald, Marshall, McPhail

Montreal All-Stars: Henry Noseworthy - Malcolm Moon, Husband - Naismith, Peter Miller, Keir - Bill Westwater, Poul Nielson, Jock Duguid, Cook, Jimmy Baillie

Scorers: Duguid

June 18, 1928 Boston Wonder Workers Boston, Massachusetts. 8,000

Rangers: T. Hamilton - Gray, McCandless - Buchanan, Meiklejohn, Craig - Archibald, Cunningham, McPhail, Muirhead, Marshall.

Scorers: Marshall, Cunningham

Boston Wonder Workers: Jack Davidson - Bill Gibson, John McArthur - Werner Nilsen, Dave Priestley, Bobby Ballantyne - Alex McNab, Billy Gonsalves, Barney Battles, Johnny Ballantyne, Dave McEachran.

Scorers: J. Ballantyne 2  

June 20, 1928 Illinois All-Stars 4-1 Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois.

Rangers: T. Hamilton - Gray, McCandless - Buchanan, Meiklejohn, Muirhead - Archibald, Cunningham, Marshall, McPhail, Simpson.

Scorers: McPhail 2, Cunningham, Marshall

Illinois All-Stars: Julius Hjulian - King, Gardiner - Coutts, Quinn, Bob Thompson - Willie McLean, Matus, Kratochvil, Clem Cuthbert, Cerveney.

Scorers: Cuthbert

June 23, 1928 American Soccer League 6-0 Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, New York 10,000

Rangers: T. Hamilton - McCandless, R. Hamilton - Muirhead, Meiklejohn, Craig - Archibald, Marshall, Fleming, McPhail, Morton.

Scorers: Archibald, Cunningham 2, Buchanan, Marshall, McPhail

American Soccer League:Steve Smith Tommy McMillan, Dave McMillan John Brown, Jimmy Montgomerie, Bobby Ballantyne - Sam Chedgzoy, Archie Stark, Davie Brown, Johnny Ballantyne, Dave McEachran.

Scorers: