A CONCISE POST WAR HISTORY OF THE RED LICHTIES

© Fraser Clyne

Part Six: 1950-51

Manager Cheyne’s second season was almost as dismal as his first. The club went out of the League Cup, as usual, in the preliminary group stages when winning just two of the six games played in a section featuring Albion Rovers, Forfar Athletic and Alloa Athletic. The league campaign was completed with just eight wins recorded from 30 games giving Arbroath 13th place from 16 clubs – an improvement of one position on the previous season.

The league season had actually got off to a hopeful start with two wins and a draw from the opening three fixtures. This proved a false dawn, however, and reality struck home with a vengeance in week four of the campaign when St Johnstone visited Gayfield and inflicted a 6-1 defeat on the home side. Confidence was restored the following week though when Dundee United were beaten 4-3 at Tannadice. McEwan, Logan, Binning and Christie got the Arbroath goals but United were denied a share of the points when a last minute effort came off the Arbroath crossbar.

Arbroath then lost eight of their next nine games (the other was drawn), including an 8-2 humiliation at Hamilton Accies’ Douglas Park. The Arbroath Herald report said: “Arbroath were simply bulldozed off the park.” A Binning penalty and a goal from ex Aberdeen player Jimmy McIntyre were the only happy moments for the Lichties.

The losing sequence was brought to an end in magnificent style, however, as Arbroath notched their biggest victory of the season – a 5-1 drubbing of Stenhousemuir at Gayfield. Ex Third Lanark player Phil Friel and former East Stirling striker Jacky Swan scored two apiece with the fifth coming from an own goal by Stenny’s Smith. Another rare highlight in an otherwise bleak winter was a 2-1 win over Forfar on New Year’s Day. Five days later Arbroath fans were treated to one of the quickest goals ever scored at Gayfield when Jimmy McEwan netted after just 10 seconds in a 3-2 victory over Dumbarton.

The Lichties went to Hampden for the Scottish Cup, but unfortunately went down 3-1 to Queen’s Park in a first round tie. Binning put the visitors 1-0 ahead from the penalty spot after just nine minutes but was then involved in a bizarre incident which led to the Spiders equalising. The Arbroath man blocked a shot just a few yards from his own goal line, but as he did so the ball burst. The referee ordered a bounce-up with a new ball and from the resultant scramble Queen’s equalised. The Lichties never go back into the game.

Arbroath did play in the final of one competition, however, but lost 2-0 to Dundee in front of 5500 fans at Dens Park in a replay of the previous season’s Forfarshire Cup.

Next: Record Crowd in Cup but Rock Bottom in League

SCOTTISH LEAGUE B DIVISION 1950-51