R. S. MCCOOL ON PAST AND PRESENT
"G. O. SMITH MY IDEAL"

— Jonathan Oldbuck | 01/10/1928 —

Who was Scotland's greatest centre-forward in the last forty years? A provocative question, I daresay.

When you think of men like John Campbell, of Renton, when they were "champions of the world", and later of Sunderland, when they were "the team of all the talents"; James Oswald, of Third Lanark; R. C. Hamilton, of Ragers; Andrew Wilson, now of Chelsea; Jimmy Quinn, of Celtic; Hugh Gallacher, of Newcastle United — when you think of these and others who hit the high spots, the question appears too formidable to be answered in the same way as it is presented.

Still, a great many people would probably make a straightforward reply with a name not mentioned in that little catalogue — "R. S. McColl."

HELD RECORD FOR 28 YEARS.

Add to Campbell, Oswald, and Hamilton the names of John Goodall, of Derby County; Jack Southworth, of Everton; and that prince of amateurs, G. O. Smith, the Corinthian, and take the opinion of James Kelly, the present director of Celtic.

"I played against all those men as centre-half," said Mr. Kelly, "but the player who gave me most trouble was R. S. McColl. I could beat the others, but McColl required all the attention I could give him."

R. S. McColl played four times against England. In the 1900 match, at Celtic Park, he scored three thrilling goals against the famous Jack Robinson, and that achievement remained unequalled until Wembley of this year when he was an eye-witness of Alex Jackson's equalising feat. Scotland won the 1900 match by 4—1, and that was a record win in the Anglo-Scottish duel until Wembley.

1900 PERFECT TEAM PLAY.

I asked Mr. McColl to what he attributed the success of the 1900 team.

McColl: Perfect team play. Every man on the team seemed made for his position. I could not imagine a set of eleven men combining more effectively. I had Bobby Walker and John Campbell (Celtic and Aston Villa) at my right and left elbow, and they fed me like a machine. Alec Raisbeck, our centre-half, did the same.

» It occurred to me that Alec might have his own ideas of how to mould the game, and you know he was a tower of strength, but when we were going on to the field I said to him that I thought the game to play was to keep the ball 'on the floor.' He did it, and so I had three of my colleagues sending me passes which left me only to do the shooting.

THE MCCOLL SWERVE SHOT.

I reminded him of the swerve he could put on the ball, and asked him if it was intentional.

McColl: No, not exactly, although I shot for a swerve always by taking the ball with the full instep. In my time shooting for goal was largely practised. I think that, perhaps, there is too little of that done nowadays, with the result that many players never get away from a bad fault of playing the ball with the toe of the boot. With the toe I don't think it is possible to attain accuracy either in shooting or passing.

» I believe it is possible to develop a swerve if shooting is practised diligently. This reminds me of something that happened in the 1901 Inter-League match at Ibrox, when we beat the Football League by six goals to two — we don't seem to be in luck with this match nowadays.

» Matt Kingsley was keeping goals for the Football League. I scored against him, and later, when I joined Newcastle United, he told me that he was sure he had the ball in his hands, and was congratulating himself when it suddenly swerved away into the net.

» I imagine the spectators thought Kingsley should have saved, buth things that happen on the field are often deceptive. For example, when I was with Newcastle I took a penalty kick against George, of Aston Villa. He stood with his legs slightly apart. When I simply hit the ball as hard as I could, and it went through his legs into the net, the crowd applauded tremendously, and the papers the next day gave me credit for having aimed to send it between his legs. Of course, I didn't.

GREAT NEWCASTLE DAYS.

McColl: I remember my Newcastle days with keen pleasure. The United played the combination game. It was real football. We all pulled together. 'Dadler' Aitken was a half-back whom forwards enjoyed playing in front of. He gave a beautiful pass with the side of the foot, and the ball came right up to you. Colin Veitch was another grand man to have on your side. He was a great breaker-up and superb with his head.

» Although we did not win any of the major prizes while I was at St. James's Park, I am always glad to know that the United very soon afterwards had their ambition realised by securing the Cup.

Of English football in his time Mr. McColl held a high opinion.

McColl: There were many players of superlative ability, and as you ask me to select an eleven which would comprise the very best I would suggest W. Foulke; Howard Spencer and W. J. Oakley; J. W. Crabtree, T. Crawshaw, and Ernest Needham; W. C. Athersmith, Steve Bloomer, G. O. Smith, Fred Wheldon, and Fred Spiksley.

METHODS OF THE STARS.

McColl: Tom Crawshaw, of Sheffield Wednesday, was exceedingly difficult to circumvent. He was tall and had great speed, and was a splendid defensive player. He was the kind of centre half-back that made a centre-forward feel himself struggling all the time.

» For quickness of movement I do not think there was anyone to equal Steve Bloomer. He had everything a forward should possess. He had speed, could flick the ball wherever he liked with his head, and with his feet his control was as complete as was possible for a player to make it. Are there any Bloomers nowadays?

» G. O. Smith was my ideal of a centre-forward. He never charged. His was the purest kind of football, and I sometimes think that if players who are inclined to the 'physical' paid more attention to the ball they would improve in the study and execution of the art.

G. O. SMITH AND BLOOMER.

McColl: G. O. Smith's long, swinging passes to the outside men seemed to curve away from them as the ball was reaching their line of action, and they could take it in their stride, as all outside men like to take it.

» It is by watching players of such a type as Smith and Bloomer that youngsters can learn a lot. Some are too ready to believe that they have learned all they need to know. They should never be above taking advice when it is given in the right spirit. The best players never think of roughness. They depend solely on their skill. As an old player I can assure you that a game was the joy of a life-time where we were all setting skill against skill, prepared to admire the achievement of an opponent as readily as to glory in our own success.

LIKE SIMPLETONS.

McColl: You had only to look at Bobby Walker's record to realise what could be achieved by a player who never did wrong action on the field. What a supreme artist! I can tell you that no Scottish player was more admired in England than my old friend Bobby.

» I have heard defenders of the rugged type declare that they could not feel it in their heart to deal unfairly with Bobby, though he was making them look like simpletons. He was so easy-going, and, even in the hottest international when everyone else was more or less excited, he would go about with a smile on his face.

» It is difficult to say exactly to what particular qualities he owed his success. He had a body swerve that seemed natural to him, but there was something else which was peculiar about the way he cleeked the ball with his feet that made it so terribly difficult to dispossess him.

» One great point he had. If you were plating along with him, you could absolutely depend upon his being in the right position to take a pass. I have seen many good inside forwards who, after giving a pass to the centre, do not immediately get into position to receive a return. It was the art of positional play in the 1900 international, which contributed so greatly to the success of the team.

» And when talking of these great old protagonists I should like to mention William Meredith. If I were asked to select a British best eleven, I could not omit this famous Welshman at outside right. I never saw his equal. The way he could drop the ball over was wonderful, and, to my mind, a sure proof that ball practice was the only avenue to perfection. Meredith, I am certain, could never have attained his accuracy without it.

LINESNEM AS REFEREES.

On the question of refereeing, Mr. McColl has views. He considers referees, as a body, are capable men, but the system is open to improvement.

McColl: I think it would represent advancement if the three men in charge of a game — the referee and the linesmen — were each competent to take the whistle. One would act as referee during the first half, and another have control in the second half.

» The two line referees should have power to move off the line when inside or goal play required their closer attention. One linesman should always be farther up the field than the other in order to be able to signal off-side in the event of a sudden breakaway.

» The three officials should jointly decide all points occurring within the twelve-yards line — this would, of course, include penalties and goals, the two most important things a referee has to decide.

ALLOW MORE BODY CHARGING.

McColl: However, I believe there are difficulties in getting three competent men for every match. In that case, I would suggest two referees, each to have control of one half of the field, with two linesmen as at present. This would mean that a referee would have exactly half of the present ground to cover, so that there would be a great guarantee that decisions would be more in accordance with facts.

» These are only suggestions from an old player, and I am well aware that there may be practical objections from an administrative point of view. But one thing I do feel strongly — if referees would allow more fair body charging and be more strict with men who kick and trip, it would do a lot to improve the game.

MUCH IN LITTLE.

As he says, there may be — are, in fact — practical difficulties, yet the views of one who has been through the mill are worth hearing. As a boy R. S. McColl played for the juvenile Benmore, and was, even then, the terror of opposing goalkeepers. He played his first match for Queen's Park in April, 1894, against Stoke, joined Newcastke United in November, 1901, returned to Scotland in September, 1904, to play for Rangers, and, being subsequently reinstated as an amateur, finished his career, as he had begun it, with Queen's Park.

Frank Watt used to say that "McColl made Newcastle United." I believe his name is still treasured by some on the banks of the Tyne. I said so to him, and he answered smilingly: 

McColl: Oh, well, I never regretted going. Those were happy times.