Pretty Boy
06-09-2020, 08:56 AM
As a goalkeeper myself I have always been fascinated with the history of goalkeepers, the careers of the greats and the evolution of the role. This weekend marks 89 years since the death of Celtic goalkeeper John Thomson during an Old Firm game at Ibrox. It's a story some may already know whilst others may not. It's a truly tragic tale.
Thomson was an exceptionally talented young goalkeeper and was already a stand out performer in the Fife junior leagues by 17 years old. He signed for Celtic and had established himself as 1st choice and won the 1927 Scottish Cup by the time he was only 18. He was small by any standards, at only 5'9" tall, but was renowned for his agility and athleticism as well as his extraordinary bravery. This was a time when being a goalkeeper was a truly dangerous profession.
On the 5th September 1932 Celtic travelled across Glasgow to Ibrox. Shortly after half time a 50/50 ball was contested by Thomson and Rangers player Sam English. There was a collision and Thomsons head connected with the knee of English. Whilst some in the crowd suspected the injury was minor those closer to the pitch knew immediately that it was serious. As Thomson was taken from the park on a stretcher it is reported that Ibrox fell eerily silent with only a single high pitched scream, attributed to a female friend of Thomsons brother who had seen the extent of his injury, breaking the silence. Thomson died that evening in the Victoria Infirmary as a result of a fractured skull and ruptured artery. He was 22.
At the time of his death he had made over 200 appearances for Celtic as well as 4 appearances for Scotland. In the days when caps were only awarded for home internationals he had 3. In his 4 matches for Scotland he conceded only 1 goal in a 1-1 draw with Wales. The other 3 games saw a 2-0 win V France, a 0-0 draw with Ireland and a 2-0 win v England. He was posthumously inducted into the Scottish Football Hall of Fame in 2008.
An enquiry was held into the incident and Sam English was cleared of any blame. It was a terrible accident. The family of Thomson, Celtic as a club and players involved in the game all accepted and supported the findings of the enquiry. Sadly the fans of the day did not and English was regularly jeered and abused by fans of other clubs. He left Rangers for Liverpool a short time later before stints at Queen of the South and Hartlepool. He quit football entirely at only 30 years old citing the trauma he suffered as a result of Thomsons death. He would later describe the latter part of his career as '7 years of joyless sport.' After retirement as a player he managed Duntocher Hibernian before leaving the game entirely. He died from motor neurone disease aged only 58. English still holds the record for most league goals scored in a single season for Rangers with 44 and the Sam English Bowl is now awarded to their top scorer each season.
I would throughly recommend the book 'My Search for Celtic's John' by Tom Greg. It's a sobering read and gives an insight into Thomson as a man. It all gives details of the later life of English, his struggle with using alcohol as a coping mechanism and his friendship with the Thomson family.
Thomsons gravestone contains a simple memorial which is a fitting tribute to a man still fondly remembered by many fans of Celtic and football generally: 'They never die who live in the hearts they leave behind'.
Thomson was an exceptionally talented young goalkeeper and was already a stand out performer in the Fife junior leagues by 17 years old. He signed for Celtic and had established himself as 1st choice and won the 1927 Scottish Cup by the time he was only 18. He was small by any standards, at only 5'9" tall, but was renowned for his agility and athleticism as well as his extraordinary bravery. This was a time when being a goalkeeper was a truly dangerous profession.
On the 5th September 1932 Celtic travelled across Glasgow to Ibrox. Shortly after half time a 50/50 ball was contested by Thomson and Rangers player Sam English. There was a collision and Thomsons head connected with the knee of English. Whilst some in the crowd suspected the injury was minor those closer to the pitch knew immediately that it was serious. As Thomson was taken from the park on a stretcher it is reported that Ibrox fell eerily silent with only a single high pitched scream, attributed to a female friend of Thomsons brother who had seen the extent of his injury, breaking the silence. Thomson died that evening in the Victoria Infirmary as a result of a fractured skull and ruptured artery. He was 22.
At the time of his death he had made over 200 appearances for Celtic as well as 4 appearances for Scotland. In the days when caps were only awarded for home internationals he had 3. In his 4 matches for Scotland he conceded only 1 goal in a 1-1 draw with Wales. The other 3 games saw a 2-0 win V France, a 0-0 draw with Ireland and a 2-0 win v England. He was posthumously inducted into the Scottish Football Hall of Fame in 2008.
An enquiry was held into the incident and Sam English was cleared of any blame. It was a terrible accident. The family of Thomson, Celtic as a club and players involved in the game all accepted and supported the findings of the enquiry. Sadly the fans of the day did not and English was regularly jeered and abused by fans of other clubs. He left Rangers for Liverpool a short time later before stints at Queen of the South and Hartlepool. He quit football entirely at only 30 years old citing the trauma he suffered as a result of Thomsons death. He would later describe the latter part of his career as '7 years of joyless sport.' After retirement as a player he managed Duntocher Hibernian before leaving the game entirely. He died from motor neurone disease aged only 58. English still holds the record for most league goals scored in a single season for Rangers with 44 and the Sam English Bowl is now awarded to their top scorer each season.
I would throughly recommend the book 'My Search for Celtic's John' by Tom Greg. It's a sobering read and gives an insight into Thomson as a man. It all gives details of the later life of English, his struggle with using alcohol as a coping mechanism and his friendship with the Thomson family.
Thomsons gravestone contains a simple memorial which is a fitting tribute to a man still fondly remembered by many fans of Celtic and football generally: 'They never die who live in the hearts they leave behind'.