John Thomson (footballer, born 1909)
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John Thomson (28 January 1909 – 5 September 1931) was a Scottish
footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby ...
who played as a
goalkeeper In many team sports which involve scoring goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or intercepting o ...
for Celtic and the
Scotland national football team The Scotland national football team gd, Sgioba Ball-coise Nàiseanta na h-Alba sco, Scotland National Fitbaa Team represents Scotland in men's international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. It competes in the thr ...
. He died as a result of an accidental collision with Rangers player
Sam English Samuel English (18 August 1908 – 12 April 1967) was a Northern Irish footballer who played for several clubs during the 1930s, but is mainly remembered for his time with Rangers. English also won two international caps for Ireland. His care ...
during an
Old Firm The Old Firm is the collective name for the Scottish football clubs Celtic and Rangers, which are both based in Glasgow. The two clubs are by far the most successful and popular in Scotland, and the rivalry between them has become deeply em ...
match at Ibrox.


Club career


Early life and career

Thomson was born on 28 January 1909 in Kirkcaldy, to John and Jean Thomson. He grew up in the mining community of
Cardenden Cardenden () is a Scottish town located on the south bank of the River Ore in the parish of Auchterderran, Fife. It is approximately north-west of Kirkcaldy. Cardenden was named in 1848 by the Edinburgh and Northern Railway for its new railway ...
in Fife, and was educated at Denend Primary School and Auchterderran Higher Grade School. By the time he reached High School he was already seen as a talented goalkeeper and was part of the Auchterderran school team that won the Lochgelly Times Cup. At the age of 14, he became an oncost worker at Bowhill Colliery, where his father also worked. He worked 300 yards below the pithead surface, uncoupling the chain clips of the waggons that carried the coal up from the mine. During the 1924–25 season, Thomson played for Bowhill Rovers in the Fife Junior Football League. The following season, he moved to Wellesley Juniors, where his talent was spotted by the local press who predicted that he would become a very good goalkeeper in future.


Celtic

Celtic manager
Willie Maley William Patrick Maley (25 April 1868 – 2 April 1958) was an Irish-born Scottish international football player and manager. He was the first manager of Celtic Football Club, and one of the most successful managers in Scottish football histor ...
sent his chief scout Steve Callaghan to watch the Denbeath Star goalkeeper but instead Callaghan came back with a rave review about Thomson. After watching him playing against Denbeath Star on 20 October 1926, Celtic signed 17-year-old Thomson for £10. On 5 February 1927, Celtic beat
Brechin City Brechin City Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the townDespite the name of the football club, Brechin is not an official city. Brechin was historically known as a city because it has a cathedral. of Brechin in Angus. The club ...
6–3, but Maley was concerned by the fact his first choice 'keeper, Peter Shevlin, had conceded three soft goals so decided to give 18-year-old Thomson a chance in the next game, which was against Dundee. He kept his place in the team after this match, and helped Celtic to finish second in the
Scottish First Division The Scottish Football League First Division was the second tier in the Scottish football league system between 1975 and 2013. History The First Division was introduced in 1975–76 to replace the old Scottish Football League Division Two, as ...
. He also played in Celtic's
1927 Scottish Cup Final Nineteen or 19 may refer to: * 19 (number), the natural number following 18 and preceding 20 * one of the years 19 BC, AD 19, 1919, 2019 Films * ''19'' (film), a 2001 Japanese film * ''Nineteen'' (film), a 1987 science fiction film Music ...
victory as they beat East Fife 3–1. The following season, after an
Old Firm The Old Firm is the collective name for the Scottish football clubs Celtic and Rangers, which are both based in Glasgow. The two clubs are by far the most successful and popular in Scotland, and the rivalry between them has become deeply em ...
match where Celtic played against their rivals Rangers at
Ibrox Park Ibrox Stadium is a football stadium on the south side of the River Clyde in the Ibrox area of Glasgow, Scotland. The home of Rangers Football Club, Ibrox is the third largest football stadium in Scotland, with an all-seated capacity of . ...
, Thomson received widespread praise from the press following an "immense" performance. On 5 February 1930, Thomson was seriously injured in a game against Airdrieonians: he broke his jaw, fractured several ribs, damaged his collar bone, and lost two teeth when making a diving save. On 11 April 1931, Thomson won the second medal of his career as Celtic beat Motherwell 4–2 in the 1931 Scottish Cup Final. The first match had finished in a 2–2 draw and over 105,000 spectators watched the replay at Hampden Park.


International career

John made his first international appearance against
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
on 18 May 1930 in a 2–0 win. This was in the time before
caps Caps are flat headgear. Caps or CAPS may also refer to: Science and technology Computing * CESG Assisted Products Service, provided by the U.K. Government Communications Headquarters * Composite Application Platform Suite, by Java Caps, a Ja ...
were awarded for matches other than Home Internationals, so Thomson was awarded his first physical cap against
Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
on 25 October 1930. He made another two international appearances for Scotland, keeping clean sheets against
Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
and
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
.


Style of play

Thomson was very small and thin, standing at only . Many people thought that he did not look like a goalkeeper due to his diminutive stature, and small hands. Although his team-mate
Jimmy McGrory James Edward McGrory (26 April 1904 – 20 October 1982) was a Scottish footballer who played for Celtic and Clydebank as a forward and then went on to manage Kilmarnock before returning to Celtic as manager after the end of the Second Wor ...
described him as having "artists hands". In his biography of Thomson, author Tom Greig described him as having strong, slender fingers and powerful wrists and forearms. Saying that "The combination of these physical attributes was the basis for his extraordinary shot-saving and clutching capabilities." Football historian Robert McElroy, described him as being "graceful, athletic, very brave and courageous". Celtic chairman Desmond White said that Thomson was the best 'keeper he had ever seen, and described him as having "the ability to rise in the air high above the opposition. It was this almost ballet-like ability and agility which, in his tremendous displays, endeared him to the hearts of all Celtic supporters."


Personal life

In 1931, Thomson got engaged to Margaret Finlay and also started making plans to open a tailor shop in Glasgow. He was a member of the Church of Christ, a small
Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...
Evangelical church. He was not related to Celtic teammates and fellow Scotland internationals Alec Thomson (a forward who was also from Fife and joined the club from Wellesley Juniors) or
Bertie Thomson Robert Austin Thomson (12 July 1907 – 17 Sep 1937) was a Scottish footballer, who played for Celtic, Blackpool, Motherwell and Scotland. Career Club Born in Johnstone, Renfrewshire, Thomson joined Celtic aged 22 from Glasgow Perthshire, tra ...
(a winger who died aged 30).On this day in history: Celtic great, Alec Thomson born in 1901
Celtic FC, 14 June 2019


Death

On 5 September 1931, Celtic were playing their Old Firm rivals Rangers at Ibrox Park in Glasgow in front of 80,000. Early in the second half Thomson and a Rangers player,
Sam English Samuel English (18 August 1908 – 12 April 1967) was a Northern Irish footballer who played for several clubs during the 1930s, but is mainly remembered for his time with Rangers. English also won two international caps for Ireland. His care ...
, went for the ball at the same time. Thomson's head collided with English's knee, fracturing his skull and rupturing an artery in his right temple. Thomson was taken off the field in a stretcher; most people assumed that he was just badly
concussed A concussion, also known as a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), is a head injury that temporarily affects brain functioning. Symptoms may include loss of consciousness (LOC); memory loss; headaches; difficulty with thinking, concentration, ...
, but a few people who had seen his injuries suspected worse. One source said, "There were gasps in the main stand, a single piercing scream being heard from a horrified young woman"; this was believed to be the scream of 19-year-old Margaret Finlay, who was watching with Jim Thomson (brother of John). One Rangers player, also a medical student, said later that as soon as he saw him he gave little chance for his survival. After having treatment from the
St Andrew's Ambulance Association St Andrew's First Aid is a charity based in Scotland. Founded in 1882, St Andrew's Ambulance Association was Scotland's first ambulance service. From 1967, the St. Andrew's Scottish Ambulance Service was the sole contractor for the provision ...
, he was taken to a stretcher. According to ''
The Scotsman ''The Scotsman'' is a Scottish compact newspaper and daily news website headquartered in Edinburgh. First established as a radical political paper in 1817, it began daily publication in 1855 and remained a broadsheet until August 2004. Its pare ...
'', he was "seen to rise on the stretcher and look towards the goal and the spot where the accident happened". The game ended 0–0. Thomson was taken to the Victoria Infirmary in Glasgow.Honour call for NI soccer star
BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broad ...
, 26 March 2008.
He had a lacerated wound over the right parietal bones of the skull, causing a depression in his skull in diameter. At 5:00 pm he suffered a major convulsion. Dr Norman Davidson carried out an emergency operation to try to lower the amount of pressure caused by the swelling brain, but the operation was unsuccessful and he was pronounced dead by 9.25 pm.


Tributes

His death shocked many people. English, who was deeply traumatised by the event, was totally cleared of any responsibility for the accident. Even at the start of the 21st century Thomson's grave in Bowhill, Fife remains a place of pilgrimage for Celtic fans. On his gravestone it reads "They never die who live in the hearts they leave behind". Celtic manager
Willie Maley William Patrick Maley (25 April 1868 – 2 April 1958) was an Irish-born Scottish international football player and manager. He was the first manager of Celtic Football Club, and one of the most successful managers in Scottish football histor ...
wrote of him: Thomson was known for his incredible agility, bravery and safe handling, who produced some magnificent displays of goalkeeping. The journalist
John Arlott Leslie Thomas John Arlott, OBE (25 February 1914 – 14 December 1991) was an English journalist, author and cricket commentator for the BBC's ''Test Match Special''. He was also a poet and wine connoisseur. With his poetic phraseology, he be ...
wrote: Around 30,000 people went to his funeral in
Cardenden Cardenden () is a Scottish town located on the south bank of the River Ore in the parish of Auchterderran, Fife. It is approximately north-west of Kirkcaldy. Cardenden was named in 1848 by the Edinburgh and Northern Railway for its new railway ...
(where he lived as a boy) on 9 September 1931. Many of them had walked the journey of from
Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
. Another 20,000 turned out at Glasgow Queen Street station to watch two trains set off with two thousand passengers who could afford to pay the four shillings return fare. Sam English was cleared of any blame in the incident but he was jeered by Scottish fans afterwards and moved south a year later to play with
Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a populat ...
. However, he quit the sport altogether in May 1938, he told a friend that since the accident that killed John Thomson he had "seven years of joyless sport". In recent years, a book called "My Search For Celtic's John", written by Tom Greig, discusses his personal life and the fatal incident. Greig started a petition to persuade the Scottish Football Association to induct John Thomson into the
Scottish Football Hall of Fame The Scottish Football Hall of Fame is located at the Scottish Football Museum. Nominations are made each year by fans and a committee selects the inductees. The first inductions to the Hall of Fame were in November 2004 in a ceremony at Hampden Pa ...
; in November 2008, this was achieved. A local committee has also been set up called the John Thomson Memorial Committee. This organisation works to make sure that John's name and achievements are remembered throughout the community and Scotland. Every year children in the
Cardenden Cardenden () is a Scottish town located on the south bank of the River Ore in the parish of Auchterderran, Fife. It is approximately north-west of Kirkcaldy. Cardenden was named in 1848 by the Edinburgh and Northern Railway for its new railway ...
and
Kinglassie Kinglassie (Scottish Gaelic: ''Cill Ghlaise'') is a small village and parish in central Fife, Scotland. It is located two miles southwest of Glenrothes. It has a population of around () The civil parish has a population of 22,543 (in 2011).Cens ...
districts play for the John Thomson Trophy to help ensure his name is perpetuated. In 2009, a play written by Celtic historian David Potter was produced by children of the village and performed both in the village itself and at the Scottish Parliament before interested MSPs. September 2011 marked the 80th anniversary of John's death and the John Thomson Memorial Committee (JTMC) worked in partnership with Celtic Graves Society (CGS) on a "Pilgrimage walk" from Glasgow to Cardenden. The aim was to re-create the walk that many fans took 80 years earlier to attend John's funeral in Cardenden. The walk started on Friday 2 September and arrived in Cardenden on the morning of Sunday 4 September to coincide with the annual John Thomson primary school football tournament which JTMC had organised for nearly thirty years. Following the tournament and a prizegiving ceremony the Pilgrimage walkers attended a wreath-laying ceremony around 4.15 p.m. at Bowhill Cemetery. A play about John Thomson, written by Brian McGeachan and Gerard McDade was performed at Glasgow's King's Theatre from 5 to 10 September 2011. The opening night fell on the 80th anniversary of John Thomson's death.


Honours

;Celtic *
Scottish Cup The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,1927 Events January * January 1 – The British Broadcasting ''Company'' becomes the British Broadcasting ''Corporation'', when its Royal Charter of incorporation takes effect. John Reith becomes the first Director-General. * January 7 ...
,
1931 Events January * January 2 – South Dakota native Ernest Lawrence invents the cyclotron, used to accelerate particles to study nuclear physics. * January 4 – German pilot Elly Beinhorn begins her flight to Africa. * January 22 – Sir I ...
*
Glasgow Cup The Glasgow Cup is a football tournament open to teams from Glasgow, Scotland. Operated by the Glasgow Football Association, it was competed for annually by senior Glasgow clubs from 1887 until 1989. It is now (since the 2019–20 amended rul ...
: 1927, 1928, 1930


See also

*
List of association footballers who died while playing The following is an incomplete list of association footballers who died during their playing careers. Association football players who died on the pitch or from pitch related incidents Following an increase in deaths, both during matches and tr ...


References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Thomson, John 1909 births 1931 deaths Celtic F.C. players Association football goalkeepers Footballers from Kirkcaldy Scotland international footballers Association football players who died while playing Sport deaths in Scotland Scottish Football Hall of Fame inductees Scottish Football League players People from Cardenden Scottish Football League representative players Scottish Junior Football Association players Scottish footballers Wellesley Juniors F.C. players Bowhill Rovers F.C. players