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CELTIC’S JOHN THOMSON – A TRIBUTE TO ‘THE PRINCE OF GOALKEEPERS’
By David W Potter
To commemorate the 76th anniversary of the death of John Thomson, David Potter’s brief biography of ‘The Prince Of Goalkeepers’ is published below.
David writes:
It was Wattie Gentles of Brechin City who was the catalyst. He scored in the first minute of a Scottish Cup-tie on February 5th 1927 against Celtic at Glebe Park. It was a soft goal, and Maley said to himself: “Right, Shevlin has been letting in a few shockers of late. Time to give young Thomson a chance.”
The following week, Celtic were at Dundee. Two latecomers saw Celtic lose a quick goal away at the far end. “Typical of Shevlin,” they thought. But then “Shevlin” began to clutch confidently, to come out for corners and grab them, to dominate his penalty area and to thwart again and again the legendary Joe Cassidy, an ex-Celt now playing for Dundee.
It was only when the teams changed at half time that the two latecomers (delayed by the unavoidable crush in the alehouses) saw that it was not Peter Shevlin at all, but a lithe young man making his debut. Enquiries gave the answer that the fellow’s name was John Thomson, from someplace in Fife.
John Thomson was born at 74 Balfour Street, Kirkcaldy in January 1909, but had spent most of his life in Cardenden. He had been signed by Celtic from a team called Wellesley Juniors in Methil in autumn 1926 and had been learning his apprenticeship watching Peter Shevlin and working hard at his fitness.
John was friendly with another Thomson who had played for the same junior team, Alec Thomson who was already established in the Celtic first team, and the pair would travel together. They were both non-Catholic – something that was of no real significance whatsoever to Willie Maley, Celtic and Celtic fans.
By the end of that season, John had consolidated his position in the Celtic team and had even won a Scottish Cup medal! Ironically it was against East Fife, many of whose players John knew personally. The Fifers were outclassed by Tommy McInally, and John had a very quiet afternoon. East Fife had scored in the first half, but the second half saw John a spectator.
The next two seasons were sad ones for Celtic but brilliant ones for John Thomson. His goalkeeping was superb. Time and time again he earned points for a mediocre Celtic team by saving ‘goals’ that would have beaten many another goalkeeper. He earned three caps for the Scottish League, on one occasion at Birmingham thrilling the crowd by his saves “like taking a jug from a shelf”, and on one occasion turning in mid-air according to the accounts of sober, reliable journalists.
Thus the speculation intensified that Maley was intending to sell him (and McGrory) to pay for the new stand which was opened in 1929. Like Jimmy, John Thomson didn’t want to go. He loved Fife, he loved Scotland and he loved Celtic and the crowds who adored him in return.
In 1930, he was out of the team for several weeks with a broken collarbone and other injuries, most of them caused by his own man Peter McGonagle, who had the misfortune to trample on him. But the recovery was phenomenal, and by May 1930, John won his first full International cap for Scotland against France in Paris. He had a shut-out as Hughie Gallagher scored twice to win the game for Scotland.
1931 was a great year for Celtic with the Scottish Cup won again after two epic games against Motherwell, and then a trip to America. But for Thomson it was even greater for he featured in the 2-0 win over England at Hampden. Once more he had a shut- out, denying Everton’s Dixie Dean, and watching from the other end as Jimmy McGrory of Celtic and George Stevenson of Motherwell scored the goals that made Scotland the best country on earth.
Not only that, but John was actually introduced to Ramsay MacDonald, the first Labour Prime Minister – something that would have meant a great deal to a miner’s son from Fife.
All of this meant that the events of 5th September 1931 were even more tragic, for the young man had so much to live for. He had a girlfriend and was considering marriage. He could have gone on in Celtic’s goal for a long time, for he was still only 22! His charm, his unassuming nature, his benign disposition, his willingness to take time to talk to supporters in wheel chairs and to raggedy trousered urchins marked him out as a real Celt, a young man in whom Willie Maley had implicit trust. He was indeed a great man.
No-one will ever be able to say how good John Thomson was. Of course the cynics will say that an early death is good for one’s reputation and point for example to U.S. President John F. Kennedy, who also died young. It is hardly however a true parallel, for one was a philandering, cheating confidence trickster with the blood of the Bay of Pigs and Vietnam on his hands. The other was the best goalkeeper of his day, a fine upstanding young man, the pride of his parents and still recalled with joy and pleasure by the very few who remember meeting him.
The death of Bobby Murdoch saw a few banners which said that with Murdoch and Baxter, God had a great half back line. I’m sure that the Divine XI begins with “Thomson; .……….”
John Thomson / Benny Lynch 1950 Evening Citizen Card
John Thomson BT Phonecard
