almost 120,000 in ıbrox but mr w. roger simpson, secretary of rangers f.c. reckoned that another 15,000 fans could have squeezed into the west terracing if only they "had packed themselves a little better"! [see below]
the ne'erday game, played on the second of the month as the 1st had fallen on a sunday, saw celtic hit the woodwork three times with the keeper beaten but their luck was not in.
young fifer john watters seems to have been overawed by the near 120,000 crowd that turn up at ıbrox to what is described as "the big club event in the soccer world."
herald reports that many of the record crowd never saw the game having to sit on the reverse slopes unable to penetrate the terracing but unable to leave the park as the gates were locked.
as well as the large number locked-in there were in the region of 32,000 locked-out.
loudspeaker announcements asked the crowd to "move closer" but the crowd was so tightly packed that they could not get their hands in their pockets and a charity collection at half-time was disappointingly low.
the crowd sang "a guid new year" and were praised by lord provost p. j. dollan who said "glasgow crowds are the most orderly in the world."
hearts hosted hibs to a crowd of 40,000 who were not so orderly, and the game was held up after a "break-in" saw hundreds of fans spill onto the track at the south end of tynecastle bringing the game to a halt until order was restored.
the lanarkshire derby at hamilton saw accies beat motherwell 2-1 before a crowd of 20,000.