23rd May 1930 Frigg 1 Partick Thistle 6 (Friendly)

matches:1929-30: ← 49game 5051 →

Match Information

			Committee		Donald Turner			49y, 3m, 22d
					Davie Ness; William Fraser; John Simpson
					Archie Turner; Willie Miller; George Boardman
Birger Steen (1-1, 23 mins)					John Simpson (1-0, 20 mins); Davie Ness (2-1, 36 mins); John Simpson (3-1, 53 mins; John Simpson (4-1, 68 mins); John Simpson (5-1, 70 mins); Johnny Ballantyne (6-1, 81 mins)
			Arne Wendelborg		Johnny Jackson			24y, 5m, 24d
			Ranheim		Stewart Calderwood			24y, 5m, 20d
			Henry Frogn		Jimmy Rae			22y, 6m, 1d
			Thøger Nordbø		Bobby Grove			27y, 6m, 13d
			Knut Andersen		Alex Lambie			33y, 1m, 8d
			Johansen		Eddie McLeod			22y, 9m, 25d
			Sigmund Frogn		Davie Ness			27y, 9m, 8d
			Harald Petterson		William Fraser
			Birger Steen		John Simpson			22y, 3m, 21d
			Kaare Lie		Johnny Ballantyne			30y, 6m, 26d
			Bjarne Olsen		John Torbet			26y, 7m, 28d
								26y, 2m, 20d

notes

Although Frigg played at Frogner Stadion, this match was switched to the national stadium (Ullevaal). This was due to a larger crowd being expected. Thistle had been Scottish Cup finalists only weeks before. The brief report wired to the GH says 5-1 to Thistle, but it was clearly 6-1 per MGB/OH.

Match Report

TTA report

Thistle's performance was well received by 6,000 enthusiastic, if disappointed, locals. Fraser headed against the bar early on but it was Simpson's match with 4 goals (20, 53, 68, 70). Frigg levelled for 1-1 then sent a pen wide after Ness had restored the lead (36). Thistle were too good but defensive gaps and a dodgy keeper played their part too.

Media report

24-May-1930, Morgenbladet (a loose translation thereof!)

GREAT DISPLAY BY PARTICK THISTLE. The Scots played their way to a 6-1 win over Frigg. Six thousand spectators at the first major football match of the year. At 5 o’clock yesterday afternoon it looked bad for tonight’s big football match. The rain poured down in torrents but fortunately it stopped almost as quickly as it started and from 6 o’clock the weather was excellent. There was a good influx of people to the grass pitch at Ulllevaal and there were probably around 6,000 spectators in the stands when referee Bech called the captains together for the draw. Partick Thistle is one of Scotland’s best teams, with many good players. It has no real top figures, has among other things, no regular national team players but is an excellently cohesive team.

The Scottish ballhandlers had the game completely in their hands. Their control of the ball was impressive and their overview excellent. The Norwegian players seemed slow and too slow. The Scots won almost every close battle for the ball. For a long time it looked like a game only against a needle, but only after 20 minutes did the first goal come. Centre runner SIMPSON shot and Wendelborg didn’t even take the ball. This goal however gave Frigg momentum which went on the attack and the equaliser came after just a few minutes. Pettersen laid out to Frogn who crossed to STEEN and the latter nodded loosely just inside the post. Frigg now played for a time according to the best Scottish pattern and was heartily applauded. Incidentally, it is partly due to bad luck that the Scots did not score at the very beginning of the match. The inner right was thus once in front of an open goal but nodded in the bar.

After a few minutes, means came to the Scots. The ball went man to man quite easily but it clicked at the last minute, Wendelborg once grabbed the ball from the centre-back’s leg and later he took a very hard field crawler, set in a free-kick. People admired the Scots’ precise passing and purely creative play, perhaps disappointed by their every shot. Frigg had a plan and opened with a nice attack. A shot from Lie streaked over the snake. The good period, however, did not last long and the match gradually faded away. The Scots’ outer right NESS shot no. 2 after 36 minutes. Two minutes later Frigg had the chance to equalise with a penalty kick nut Knut Andersen put the ball over the line. The half ended with Scotland leading 2-1. During the break Charles Hoff gave a successful performance in the pole vault which is discussed in a separate notice.

The second half was considerably fresher and more fun than the first. The match was now more even and Frigg delivered several times a game, which the Scots probably understood to value. However, the Norwegian defence played openly and less well so the result is that four Scottish goals were scored. The excellent centre-runner [SIMPSON] who was constantly lying far forward and guarding chances did a hat-trick by shooting goals after respectively 53, 68 and 70 minutes. The second of theses goals was clearly off-side but was allowed. Wendelborg showed a lack of investment ability. A good goalkeeper had saved two of the shots. After 81 minutes BALLANTYNE shot from inside-left No. 6. Frigg had quite good attacks several of which resulted in corners. Frogn put them in very nicely but nothing was made of them. The centre-runner Steen was not very active due to an injured hand. Petersen did not shoot as boldly as usual and Lie’s good shot was saved. Towards the end of the match the Scots played with their opponents and gave evidence of their excellent ball handling.

On the Scottish team, the left back Rae played excellently. Centre-half, the great Lambie, did a great job and centreforward Simpson was a great goal-getter. The left side in the attack was probably the most dangerous but the outer left once missed badly for an open goal. At Frigg, the goalkeeper was weak and Henry Frogn was far too vulnerable and stayed too far out. The open defence was responsible for several goals. Knut Andersen was excellent as a centre-half while Toger Nordbo, brought home from Paris, apparently lacked training and had to go out in the second half. Frogn was the best outside runner, Pettersen played comprehensively as usual and Kaare Lie excelled. As mentioned, Steen was not in good health. The Scots play Sunday in Halden, Tuesday in Drammen and Thursday in Oslo against Lyn. It’s a team you like to see twice.

Scrapbook

magnifiable if deemed necessary by your browser

Aftenposten, 22nd May, 1930

● Translation: The Scots arrived this morning. A well-trained team with a good understanding.

Norwegian Press, 22nd May, 1930

● Translation: (top) Players from Partick Thistle arrived in the morning, ahead of Frigg’s game with the Scottish professionals at Ulleval tomorrow; (bottom) The Scots players on arrival. Far left is Frigg's chairman Birch Aune, next to Deans.

Gallery

click on image to enlarge (magnifiable if deemed necessary by your browser)

• Ullevaal Stadion in 1930. (WIK)

• A Frigg eleven from 1930. (WIK)

Stats Watch

HEI NORGE

● Frigg become the first Norwegian side to play Thistle.

● Norway becomes the fifth country to provide opponents for Thistle, and are the first continentals to do so.

ongoing sequences:

● 184 consecutive competitive appearances for Johnny Jackson, 28th Aug 1926 to date, a new personal best. (An extension of the club-record.)

Stats Watch adheres to our stated definitions of League, League Max, Major Competitive, Competitive or All Games. Where there is no written qualification, you should presume that the Stat in question is compiled from the All Games criteria.

.

match hubs