After the match against A.C. Sparta, 1922, Thomas White, president of the Scottish League and Celtic, was interviewed by correspondent from Vienna about the reasons for his team’s defeat, Sparta’s performance, the pitch and the referee. Mr. White's interesting answers are remarkable mainly because his point of view was completely different from the ones of Czechoslovakia or the continental teams which faced Sparta.

The correspondent’s first question was whether he was unexpectedly hit by Sparta’s victory? Thomas White answered the question as follows:

White: You're right, I really didn't expect to be defeated and I have to say that Sparta's performance would stand up to the harshest criticism. We were expecting a good game from Sparta, but I didn’t think his game skills had improved so much. The better team won, the undeniable.

— How do you explain Celtic's defeat?

White: First of all, with us finishing the league season on April 30th. In May, we only played one charity match against the Rangers, but we stopped the rigorous training. And that means a lot to us. Another reason for the defeat was that we left Glasgow on Wednesday and spent the night in Berlin. (We really did spend the night, so we didn't sleep.)

— What did you think about the conditions?

White: I was unpleasantly surprised by the poorness of the ground on the Sparta lawn. Too hard, bumpy and not grassy enough. We are used to softer and greener grounds. Our shoes aren’t even furnished on this ground, and that’s why almost all of my player’s feet have been filled with little blisters. The unusual climate also affected my people, and I found the ball too light, which is why they fired so often over the goal.

— What do you think about Sparta's playing style?

White: It seems to be a tradition here that any means and method to achieve the result is appropriate. I am thinking mainly of the excessive use of physical force. In this regard, our rules are much stricter. Ours could not get used to the man-made game, which is understandable, because in Scotland they do not play with the man, but with the ball. Our audience would not be able to enjoy such a gameplay.

» Apart from all this, Sparta is, in my opinion, a first-class team, even in our relations.

— What did you think about the referee?

White: The referee? He wasn't bad. His big mistake was not following the game, he was constantly on one side of the field, so as a result he didn’t notice much of the things on the other side — especially the faouls. Our referee are much more attentive and strict.

— Is it true that Celtic will also play in Germany?

White: True, why not? We have long been included in our program against the Germans, and last year we could not implement this part of our program just because of the boycott decision of the English federation. The situation has changed since then and we will be playing in Berlin on May 30th and in Cologne on the 31st. In the latter place, our opponent will be a national team from the English army in the occupied territories of Germany. To play six difficult matches, at short intervals, away from Hungary — no small part, I hope that we will perform worthy of our reputation.