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Fullname: Thomas Morrison
aka: Tommy Morrison, Ching, Sandy Row
Born: 16 Dec 1874
Died: 26 Mar 1940
Birthplace: Belfast
Signed: 27 Apr 1895
Left: 20 Feb 1897 (to Burnley for £300)
Position: Outside-right
Debut: Celtic 2-0 Clyde, League, 27 April 1895
Internationals: Ireland
International Caps: 7
International Goals: 0
Biog
A ‘cheeky’ outside-right Tommy Morrison signed for Celtic from Burnley in April 1895.
The Belfast-born player made his competitive first team debut for the Bhoys in a 2-0 home league win over Clyde on 27 April 1985. That match saw Morrison appear as a trialist and it was not until after the game he officially signed for the club.
Tommy Morrison was said to be difficult, and Celtic were asked to rein in “Sandy Row’s” antics and to curb his tongue, although these traits can be beneficial on occasion too.
He soon after signing had the honour of helping Celtic to win the Glasgow Charity Cup in May 1895 in an emphatic 4-0 victory over Rangers, although we don’t believe he scored in this final as has been stated on some other sites.
He helped Celtic win the 1895-96 league championship but his appearances were limited. Possibly one of his most celebrated matches was the 6-2 victory over Rangers in December 1895, having returned after injury in a match v Newcastle. He scored the final Celtic goal in that emphatic victory over Rangers, which over the season helped Celtic to win the league title by 4pts over Rangers. Curiously it was his last appearance for Celtic that season in the league campaign.
However he did go on to play for Celtic in the side that beat Aston Villa for the (unofficial) “Championship of the World” on 20th April 1896.
Season 1896-97 got off well with a 7-2 win over Clyde away, but when Celtic played Rangers in December in a 2-0 defeat, it was his first game for three months. He scored Celtic’s only goal in a 6-1 loss to Everton in a friendly on Christmas Day 1896, but morale was sinking. In January, Celtic were humiliatingly knocked out the cup by lowly Arthurlie, and major changes were going to happen. He only got to play one more game after that humiliation, a 1-0 defeat to Dundee.
After a total of 16 league & Scottish Cup appearances and two goals, he returned to Burnley in February 1897 for £300. He went on to have a long career with Burnley, before moving to Manchester Utd and Colne for a spell, before a final period with Burnley, and then wrapping up his career with Glentoran. He had three spells each with Glentoran and Burnley.
An important point about Tommy Morrison is that he is credited with being the first native/raised Northern Irishman to play for Celtic by manager Willie Maley. This has an important meaning for Celtic (which was formed within the Catholic Irish communities), as the surprising point is that the first Northern Irishman signing to play for the club was actually a Protestant from East Belfast; Willie Maley was at Celtic from the early days and was born in the North of Ireland but he was raised in Scotland.
Tommy Morrison was an Ulster-Scot Protestant, his family having moved to Belfast before he was born (three of his elder brothers were born in Glasgow). Clearly demonstrates that the club from its earliest days was broad-minded, progressive and ecumenical. One of his elder brothers, Robert Morrison, was also a footballer for Linfield and was capped twice by Ireland (IFA). Sadly Robert Morrison died prematurely from pneumonia at the young age of 21. Another brother, Alex Morrison, played for Glentoran.
Tommy Morrison’s ‘Sandy Row‘ nickname is derived from the Protestant working-class community in south Belfast (quite a Loyalist stronghold historically).
From “An Alphabet of the Celts”:
On the “Ching” nickname: Ching is probably a corruption of Ah-sin from some crude doggerel by Bret Harte about a Chinese card-sharp cheating some Simon Pure white chaps! Tommy’s game was supposed to resemble Ah-Sin’s jugglery with the cards:
“That for ways that dark/And for tricks that are vain/The heathen Chinese is peculiar”.
From The Dundee Courier & Argus, Thursday, March 04, 1897:
‘ “Ching” Morrison, who was heralded as a great champion by the Celtic two years ago, has been bought over by the Burnley Club. Morrison belonged to that aristocratic Belfast combination the Lenfield, but after a superb display for Ireland against Scotland he was lured to Parkhead. Professional life never appeared to agree with the fine-looking Irishman, and latterly he was relegated to the reserves of the Celtic.’
He passed away in 1940.
Playing Career
| APPEARANCES | LEAGUE | SCOTTISH CUP | LEAGUE CUP | EUROPE | TOTAL |
| 1895-97 | 15 | 1 | n/a | n/a | 16 |
| Goals | 2 | 0 | – | – | 2 |
Honours with Celtic
- 1896
Pictures
Articles
Thomas ‘Ching’ Morrison
source: http://www.soccer-ireland.com/manchester-united/thomas-morrison.htm
Irish Footballer that Played for Manchester Utd – Thomas Morrison
Thomas ‘Ching’ Morrison – Introduction
Thomas (sometimes known as Ching) Morrison was the first Irishman to play for Manchester United. John Peden did play for the club in the 1893/94 season but it was called Newton Heath then. Morrison was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on 16 September 1874. Before Morrison joined Manchester United he had already established his football career with Glentoran in Ireland, Glasgow Celtic in Scotland, and Burnley in the North-west of England. Somewhat strangely Thomas Morrison, a Protestant from East Belfast, is believed to have been the first Irishman to play for Celtic. Morrison, a forward, joined Second Division Manchester United in December 1902.
Thomas Morrison & Manchester United
Thomas Morrison made his debut for Manchester United on Christmas Day against Manchester City at Bank Street. The match ended in a 1 – 1 draw. He went on to play two more matches in the next two days drawing with Blackpool and beating Barnsley 2 – 1. Thomas Morrison scored his first goal against Blackpool in the draw on 26 December. He was an ever-present in the Manchester United for the rest of the 1902/03 season making 20 appearances and scoring seven goals in the process.
During the next season Morrison made 16 starts for United, seven of which were in the FA Cup. Four of these FA Cup appearances were in the Intermediate Round where it took three replays to see off Birmingham City. In the first round of the Cup United took First Division Notts County to a replay at Bank Street where Ching Morrison scored one of the goals in a 2-1 win over the more-fancied opposition. Unfortunately for Morrison and United their FA Cup run came to a juddering halt at Hillsborough as the Reds were thrashed 6-0 by Sheffield Wednesday. Thomas Morrison made just two more appearances for Manchester United after that FA Cup exit with his last match coming on 19 March 1904 against Preston North End. Morrison’s career at United ended as it began, in a 1 – 1 draw. In September 1904 Ching Morrison left Manchester United and joined another Lancashire football club, Colne FC
Thomas Morrison – Northern Ireland Career
Thomas Morrison made his debut for Ireland on 9 March 1895 in a crushing 9 – 0 defeat by England. He made a further six appearances for Ireland, the last of which was on 22 March 1902 also losing to England. Ching Morrison’s international record reads: Won 1; Drew 1; Lost 5. Morrison never scored a goal for his country.
