John Thomson

1908 — 1931

John Thomson had already established himself as Scotland’s number 1 when tragedy struck on 5th September 1931. Swift, agile and graceful Thomson was considered a brilliant goalkeeper having overtaken Jack Harkness at international level. He made his Celtic debut in a match against Dundee in 1927 at just 18 years of age. Thomson won four caps for Scotland, made four appearances with the Scottish League, was a Scottish Cup winner in 1927 and 1931 and a Scottish Cup finalist in 1928. The tragic accident during the Old Firm match in September 1931 robbed Scotland of a goalkeeper whom many contemporaries considered to be the greatest ever. An estimated crowd of 30,000 went through to Cardenden in Fife to pay their respects at his funeral.