How could the referee miss it?
Hero
St Mirren FC is a club with a proud tradition – and a history to match.
They have been at the centre of the Scottish game since their formation in 1877.
Today, we look back at the amazing goal-scoring exploits of Bobby Rankine – and at the goal that got away.
Bobby Rankine is arguably one of the most talented players not to have won an honour while with St Mirren.
In 280 games for the Love Street side, he scored 102 competitive goals – a fantastic record for an inside-forward – although it should have been 103.
In October, 1929, Saints were at home to struggling Airdrie and were red-hot favourites with the back-street bookies to land both points.
But they hadn’t reckoned on Hamilton referee James Thomson missing out on his weekly visit to Specsavers.
The game finished 1-0 in favour of the Diamonds, but ask any Buddie who was at the game and they would have told you different.
The main talking point arrived as early as the fifth minute, when Rankine cleverly manoeuvred the ball into a good position, and shot with every ounce of power he had.
Into the net the ball flew, but just as quickly it flew back out again – from the iron post supporting the net!
For a split second, the referee seemed undecided, but when an Airdrie player tore after the ball, and proceeded to keep the play going, Mr Thomson signalled for the game to continue.
Flabbergasted, the St Mirren players appealed vehemently to the official, but their protests fell on deaf ears – and he point blankly refused to consult his linesman, who was a great deal closer.
Speaking to a reporter at half-time, Rankine said: “Was it a goal? I should say it was – one of the best I have ever scored.
“No doubt about it, the ball hit the net post and came straight back out again.”
Team mate Dave McCrae added: “If I had thought the referee wasn’t going to give a goal I could have caught the rebound and made certain.
“Why, Bill Paterson told me it was a great goal. George McQueen also told me it was a goal, but that they couldn’t expect Airdrie not to play on when they got the chance.”
When Saints inevitably fell behind, from the penalty spot, they worked hard to get back on terms, but Lady Luck certainly wasn’t on their side.
Bobby Rankine would go on to score many more goals for St Mirren, although this was one that he would remember until his dying day.
Not only did it cost his team a share of the spoils, but when Thomas Lilley gave away the spot kick, the dogs in the street knew it wasn’t to be their day.
Rankin enjoyed two spells at Saints and joined them for the first time in October, 1926, from crack junior outfit Strathclyde.
He left eight years later to join Dundee, but returned to the west of Scotland to sign for Clyde.
And his career at Shawfield had hardly got started when he re-joined Saints at the start of the 1937/38 season.
He saw out the remainder of his career in Paisley and played for a further four years before calling it a day.
On his retiral, he was invited to become a director of St Mirren, a position he accepted with glee.
In 280 games for the Love Street side he scored 102 goals