Over seventy years on, the tour of Britain by Dynamo Moscow retains a legendary status. The four matches played by the Russians in November 1945 enthralled vast crowds, concluding with a match at Ibrox against Rangers.
Yet there was a real risk the final match might not have taken place, after the Russian team refused to play if Rangers fielded their newest signing, Jimmy Caskie. Guest blogger Douglas Gorman has taken a fresh look at the controversy, and you can read his article here.
Jimmy Caskie, a diminutive left winger, came to the fore with St Johnstone in the 1930s and after starring for the Scottish League select he joined Everton in 1939.
Yet there was a real risk the final match might not have taken place, after the Russian team refused to play if Rangers fielded their newest signing, Jimmy Caskie. Guest blogger Douglas Gorman has taken a fresh look at the controversy, and you can read his article here.
Jimmy Caskie, a diminutive left winger, came to the fore with St Johnstone in the 1930s and after starring for the Scottish League select he joined Everton in 1939.
Pen pic for Jimmy Caskie in the Scottish League v Football League programme of 1937
He hardly had time to settle on Merseyside before the war intervened, and he spent most of the wartime seasons as a guest player for Hibernian in Edinburgh. Everton decided in the autumn of 1945 to sell Caskie, together with Torry Gillick, to Rangers. However, while Gillick lined up against the Russians, Caskie had to be left out, as the article explains. You can see highlights of the 2-2 draw on the British Pathe site: www.britishpathe.com/video/dynamos-draw-with-rangers
Caskie made his debut at Ibrox the week after the Dynamo match and remained until 1949. He wound down his career at Forfar Athletic and then joined Berwick Rangers a few months before they entered the Scottish League in 1951.
Caskie made his debut at Ibrox the week after the Dynamo match and remained until 1949. He wound down his career at Forfar Athletic and then joined Berwick Rangers a few months before they entered the Scottish League in 1951.
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