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The Scotsman – Thursday, 10th September 1931, page 11
GLASGOW’S 2000 MOURNERS
Close on 2000 people travelled by two special trains [paid for by Celtic], which left Queen’s Street Station, Glasgow, yesterday, for Cardenden. The trains were due to leave shortly after one o’clock, but for fully an hour bofore their departure crowds began to gather in the vicinity of the station. The gathering became so large that a special staff of police had to be brought into service to regulate the traffic and keep the entrances to the station clear.
The first train conveyed football officials and players from Rangers and Celtic teams, and also representatives of various football clubs and organisations in the West of Scotland. Practically every team of standing throughout Scotland was represented b y managers and directors. A van was reserved for the conveyance of the floral tributes, which numbered over 200, from almost every football club in.Scotland, and from many clubs in other parts of the kingdom.
Many peoplo were attracted to the station through curiosity, but not a few, unable to pay the fare, were present for the purpose of paying the small tribute which lay in their power by seeing the chief mourners off. As showing how popular John Thomson was with the football fraternity in the poorer districts of the city, na number of unemployed men set out on Tuesday evening on foot for the Fifeshire village in order to be present at the funeral. They left the city in small groups, determined to accomplish the journey overnight, and reach the village in time to meet the cortege. Some of them were fortunate enough to secure seats on motor lorries and other vehicles during part of the journey.
The Scotsman – Monday, 14th September 1931, page 3
Practically every football match in Scotland on Saturday was prefaced by remarkable and impressive tributes to the memory of John Thomson, the young Celtic and Scotland goalkeeper, who died after being injured in the match with Rangers at Ibrox the previous week. The ceremony at Parkhead was typical. The Celtic and Queen’s Park players lined up and stood to attention facing the pavilion while a pipe hand played the ” Flowers o’ the Forest.” The “Last Post ” was also sounded. Dead silence reigned, and the crowd uncovered their heads. The ceremony finished with a silver band playing “Load, Kindly Light.”
