04 Sep 2021 11:20:57
Tomorrow is the 90th anniversary of John Thomson's death . I remember well the stories from my grandfathers and uncles about his heroics in goal. RIP.
04 Sep 2021 12:15:38
John Thomson’s funeral was attended by 30,000 mourners, many of them walked over 50 miles from Glasgow to Fife to pay their respects.
Numerous Celtic fans did the same walk on the 80th Anniversary of John “A Prince Among Men†Thomson’s tragic death.
And likewise yesterday another large group of fans started the 54 miles walk to be in time for a memorial service on Sunday, in John Thomson’s honour.
04 Sep 2021 12:37:31
I hope in time he gets a fitting memorial statue on the Celtic wayðŸ™ðŸ».
04 Sep 2021 12:45:23
The John Thomson Song
A young lad named John Thomson,
From the west of Fife he came,
To play for Glasgow Celtic,
And to build himself a name.
On the fifth day of September,
'gainst the Rangers club he played,
From defeat he saved the Celtic,
Ah but what a price he paid.
The ball rolled from the centre,
Young John ran out and dived,
The ball rolled by; young John lay still,
For his club this hero died.
I took a trip to Parkhead,
To the dear old Paradise,
And as the players came out,
Sure the tears fell from my eyes.
For a famous face was missing,
From the green and white brigade,
And they told me Johnny Thomson,
His last game he had played.
Farewell my darling Johnny,
Prince of players we must part,
No more we'll stand and cheer you,
On the slopes of Celtic Park.
Now the fans they all are silent,
As they travel near and far,
No more they'll cheer John Thomson,
Our bright and shining star.
So come all you Glasgow Celtic,
Stand up and play the game,
For between your posts there stands a ghost,
Johnny Thomson is his name.
04 Sep 2021 14:41:51
I share Johnny’s name but it’s not the only link
I have to that fateful day. Sam English, the Rangers player
involved in the accident, died of MND.
I was diagnosed with MND in 2012.
Spooky 😉.
04 Sep 2021 14:56:18
Sorry to read about your sickness Johnny.
A few footballers have had the sickness including Jinky and Ricksen.
04 Sep 2021 15:41:51
Thanks BB10.
I played too and one of the teams I played
for two of my teammates have died of MND.
As well as Jinky I’m sure I read somewhere
that Big John Cushley also died of it.
04 Sep 2021 17:12:50
@MND try and keep as positive as you can and I hope with all the great discoveries these days in Medical Science they can find a medicine to help sufferers like yourself.
04 Sep 2021 17:33:55
sorry to hear about your sickness johnny. such a horrible sickness.
04 Sep 2021 17:59:59
My mother God rest her was born in 1923. I remember her telling me that she would sing at school ‘Sam English Sam English what did ye mean by killing John Thomson for wearing the green’. A horrible song and not a true reflection of facts. (1) It was an accident and (2) my understanding is that it devastated the man. That made the Ragers banner at Parkhead a few years back commemorating Sam English all the more sickening and an affront to Sam English’s family.
The first Celtic song I ever heard and a haunting tribute Pedro.
Rest in Peace John Thomson.
{Ed007's Note - English received abuse at the majority of Scottish grounds after Thomson's death - even though he was cleared of any blame by the inquiry, Thomson's family and players from both sides - forcing him out of Scotland and he joined Liverpool. He moved back up here to join Queen of the South and then onto Hartlepool but the abuse followed him where ever he went and he stopped playing at 28, his career and English himself never recovered from the Thompson incident.
English died in April 1967 at the age of only 58 after a long battle with motor neurone disease.
Now the thing with the banner, JFP is that English scored a record 44 goals in 34 games for Rangers in his very first season for them - he was only inducted into the Rangers Hall of Fame in 2009 and that same year Rangers supporters paid for a silver bowl to be made - The Sam English Bowl was presented to Rangers and is now awarded annually to their top scorer every season. BFKB was the first winner in 2009.
Personally I would question the motives behind it to be honest, it's certainly not the most classiest of choices and considering English was only at Rangers for 2 seasons scoring 54 goals in 60 games.
There's a plethora of Rangers players over the years that would warrant having a top scorer's trophy made in their memory over English, why not even their top ever scorer McCoist (355 goals) Ralph Brand (206 goals) or even BFDJ (210 goals)?
Imagine giving The Sam English Bowl to a foreigner and he looks up who it's named after, what do you reckon they would be thinking it was named after him for, I doubt it would be his goals record?}
04 Sep 2021 18:36:53
Ed 007
Yir best post ever.
{Ed007's Note - Thanks mate.}
04 Sep 2021 19:37:56
Thanks Timalloy.
I am always positive except when I bet your tips😂😂
Bet Stay Well today and I think it’s still running🤦ðŸ¼â€â™‚ï¸
Liamlennon - cheers palðŸ‘.
04 Sep 2021 20:16:50
My Dad, Paddy, (God rest him) was born in 1924, had a couple of vinyl albums and one of them was 'Glen Daly Sings', the John Thomson song is on that album and I remember listening to it from a very early age.
Although I was aware of the tragedy and aftermath, how it affected Sam English, I was not aware of the 'Silver Bowl' story - Dear God these pepul really are a disgrace and always fail to amaze me.
May John and Sam rest in peace.
☘ðŸ€â˜˜.
{Ed007's Note - The first I ever heard the John Thomson song was on the old Holy Ground Once More(?) EC album that was in house for as long as I can remember but the version only started with the line "I took a trip to Parkhead...
Wait until you see the video Chris sent me, just need Ed033 to sort it out.}
04 Sep 2021 20:56:16
Just seen this message before email mate!
Its ah heartbreaker for me and im only 34yr old lol
HH
Chris188.
{Ed007's Note - ðŸ‘
04 Sep 2021 21:16:24
@Pedro I think that is the version I remember most our Glen singing it, he recorded most Celtic songs at one time but the John Thomson one and of course It's a Grand Old Team (still played today at Paradise) are his most famous ones.
@MND yes my tip Stay Well did EXACTLY THAT Stayed well behind
Groan.
05 Sep 2021 08:10:09
It seems to me it's the fans that keep memories going and remember how great these players where and what they did for Celtic or any other club. Clubs are diff now they never look back the it a business full stop. The statues outside parkhead are because of fan pressure. Maybe we need to keep doing this and challenge our club as to why they don't think this way. Let's be honest here when was the last time celic FC on YouTube put a video etc of these amazing players there family there sacrifices etc. It's 99% all about now if it was not for the fans bringing these memories up and keeping them alive they would be left on a shelf. Including fegus McCann. Imo.