Football League centenary games particularly Everton-Rangers

[Merseman]

Programme of Football League v Rest of the World (8th Aug 1987) lists the other matches scheduled to celebrate the Football League centenary:

* Wednesday 25th November 1987 - Centenary Challenge - Everton v Rangers (at Maine Road) [Champions of England v Champions of Scotland]

* Saturday/Sunday 16th/17th April 1988 - Centenary Festival - 6 aside knockout tournament between all 92 league clubs (at Wembley)

* Saturday 6th > Wednesday 10th > Saturday 13th August 1988 - Centenary Trophy - knockout cup between the top 8 clubs in First Division (Final at Villa Park) ["spiritual birthplace of the Football League" via its founder William McGregor]


In practice these all ended-up being amended:

* Centenary Challenge became Everton v Bayern Munich at Goodison [Champions of England v Champions of Germany]

* Centenary Festival became a regular 11 aside tournament for 16 clubs who were chosen on basis of league results over a qualifying period from November to March. Matches were of shortened length - 40mins in R1 & QFs, 60mins in SFs & Final - with no extratime and penalty shootouts being immediate sudden death

* Centenary Trophy did not use a Watney Cup-style schedule in week before season started. Instead ties were played midweek of Wednesday 29th August > midweek of Wednesday 21st September > Sunday 9th October 1988


Why was Everton-Rangers withdrawn?

(They did contest Champions Cup, in Dubai on Tuesday 8th December - but this was due anyway as began previous year with Liverpool v Celtic on same night).

Plus why had it been due at Maine Road, not Goodison?

[colchestersid]

I remember the whole centenary thing as being a damp squib - I'm not certain but I suspect the Everton/Rangers game was binned due to a history of crowd trouble from visits by Rangers to English grounds