John Thomson

At a club brim-full of legends, John Thomson has his own special place in the hearts of Celtic supporters and the nigh-on 100 years since his untimely death after a collision on the pitch at Ibrox haven’t dimmed his standing in the Celtic Family

Thomson's death on September 5, 1931 stunned football, and was particularly hard felt by everyone connected with Celtic. Some 40,000 people attended the funeral in Cardenden, including thousands who had travelled through from Glasgow, many walking the 55 miles to the Fife village, and Thomson's coffin was carried by his devastated team-mates.

"They never die who live in the hearts they leave behind."

James Hanley, in his book The Celtic Story (1960) wrote: "It is hard for those who did not know him to appreciate the power of the spell he cast on all who watched him regularly in action. 'A man who has not read Homer,' wrote Bagehot, 'is like a man who has not seen the ocean. There is a great object of which he has no idea.'

"In like manner, a generation that did not see John Thomson has missed a touch of greatness in sport, for which he was a brilliant virtuoso, as Gigli was and Menuhin is. One artiste employs the voice as his instrument, another the violin or cello. For Thomson it was a handful of leather. We shall not look upon his like again."

The final thought on the tragic events of September 1931 is to remember the epitaph on John Thomson's gravestone, which reads: "They never die who live in the hearts they leave behind."

PRELUDE TO PARADISE
John Thomson was born in Kirkcaldy, Fife on January 28, 1909, and brought up in Bowhill and like many of his contemporaries, had started his working life as a teenager down the pits. It was at Bowhill that the young keeper started playing in 1924 for Bowhill West End and then Bowhill Rovers.

Thomson moved up a grade in 1925 when he signed for Wellesley Juniors, and, a year later he was spotted by Celtic scout Steve Callaghan, who had also alerted the club to the talents of a certain Jimmy McGrory as well as many others. He signed for Celtic on November 1, 1926 at the age of 17, and such was Callaghan’s desire to capture the young keeper, the contract was signed on top of a roadside fuse box in Galton after a talk in a tramcar persuaded the keeper to sign.

In his short playing career with Celtic, there were two Scottish Cup wins as well as three Glasgow Cup medals for the keeper.

DEBUT BHOY
Having joined the club during the Miners’ Strike of November, 1926 for the princely sum of £10, John Thomson made his debut the following season against Dundee at Dens Park on February 12, 1927. Celtic won 2-1 thanks to goals from his namesake Alex and Jimmy McGrory. Thomson meanwhile impressed from practically the first minute of the match, going on to keep his place as first choice keeper. However, he felt he was at fault for the Dundee goal and intimated to manager, Willie Maley, that it wouldn’t happen again,

HIGHLIGHTS
In his short playing career with Celtic, there were two Scottish Cup wins as well as three Glasgow Cup medals for the keeper. In his debut season he lifted the Scottish Cup in only his 19^th game for the club as the Celts beat East Fife 3-1 at Hampden on April 16, 1927 in front of a crowd of 79,500 thanks to goals from Adam McLean, Paddy Connolly and an own goal from the Methil side.

In 1931 he was again on the winning side in a Scottish Cup final, this time after a replay as over 104,000 saw the Hoops draw 2-2 with Motherwell before the rematch four days later saw another 98,579 visit Hampden on April 15. This time, a brace each from Jimmy McGrory and Bertie Thomson saw the Celts beat the Lanarkshire side 4-2.

John Thomson's untimely death at the age of just 22 remains one of football's great tragedies.

COUNTRY BHOY
John made his international debut against France on May 5, 1930 in front of a crowd of 25,000 in the Stade de Colombes in Paris and kept a clean sheet as the Scots won 2-0 with fellow Celt Peter Wilson in the side. His next cap was won against Wales at Ibrox in front of a crowd of 15,000 and was drawn 1-1 with both goals coming in the first half and the Scotland goal coming from Celtic legend Barney Battles’ son Bernard.

Next up was a 0-0 draw with Northern Ireland in front of a crowd of 20,000 at Windsor Park in Belfast in the Home International Championships. Also in the team were fellow Celts Peter Wilson and Peter Scarff, who also tragically died young, of tuberculosis in 1933 just two years after John. The keeper finished his brief international career on a high by keeping a clean sheet against the Auld Enemy in front of 129,810 at Hampden. The Scots beat England 2-0 and John’s great friend and fellow team-mate, Jimmy McGrory was in the team.

THE END
On Saturday, September 5, 1931, the Celtic goalkeeper John Thomson received a serious head injury while playing against Rangers at Ibrox. He died later in hospital, having never regained consciousness after the incident. The death of a footballer in his prime is thankfully rare, and even rarer on the field of play. Even after this length of time, John Thomson's untimely death at the age of just 22 remains one of football's great tragedies.

A young goalkeeper, already the first choice for his club and country, with a long and distinguished career seemingly ahead of him, dead as a result of an accident during a game. Thomson was renowned for his bravery and fearlessness, and his dive at the feet of the Rangers forward Sam English as the player went to shoot was visible evidence of those virtues. As English shot, John Thomson's head took the full impact of the Rangers player's knee, leaving the goalkeeper unconscious and his head bleeding. John Thomson passed away later that night in the Victoria Infirmary in Glasgow.

188 CELTIC CAREER APPEARANCES
League: 163, Scottish Cup: 25

66 CELTIC CAREER SHUT-OUTS
League: 57, Scottish Cup: 9

2 CELTIC CAREER MAJOR HONOURS
Scottish Cup: 2