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John Thomson (footballer)
Encyclopedia
John Thomson was a football
goalkeeper
for Celtic
and Scotland
who died as a result of an accidental collision with the Rangers
player Sam English
during an Old Firm
match at Ibrox
.
and grew up in the mining community of Cardenden
in Fife
. His father (also called John) worked as a miner at the Bowhill Colliery, while his mother looked after the family home. He was educated at Denend Primary School and Auchterderran Higher Grade School. By then he was already a wonderful goalkeeper and was part of the Auchterderran school team that won the Lochgelly Times Cup. His teacher N.E Lawton said "He was very keen on football, and was always training and hitting away at a punch ball. He was a born goalkeeper."
By 14, he became an oncost worker at Bowhill Colliery, where his father also worked. His job was 300 yards below the pithead surface, uncoupling the chains of wagons that carried the coal up and down the tunnel.
A prediction that would come true but would be cut short by his untimely death.
manager
Willie Maley
was looking for a goalkeeper
and had heard of this young sensation from the east of Scotland. After playing against Denbeath Star on 30 October 1926, he signed a professional contract with Celtic for £10 at the age of 17. He was not the first choice goalkeeper at first and had to bide his time. After Celtic had won 6–3 against Brechin City
on 5 February 1927, Maley was concerned with the way Peter Shevlin
had conceded three soft goals. In the next game against Dundee
he decided to give the 18 year-old Thomson a chance. After then Thomson was able to hold down the position and he helped the team finish second in the league behind Rangers
and win the Scottish Cup
with a 3–1 victory against East Fife
in the Final. The next year his work effort and team play was noticed by many, and one football journalist wrote:
Thomson did play for Scotland
, but the accident was also soon to come. His first major injury scare happened on 5 February 1930 against Airdrieonians
, in which he broke his jaw, fractured many ribs, damaged his collar bone and lost two teeth. His friend Jim Ferguson said "What was in his mind when he made the breakneck, goal-saving dives for which he was renowned". John replied that he thought of nothing but keeping his eye on the ball and if the ball was there to be won he had to go for it. Although John still continued to play football, his mother Jean tried to dissuade him from playing, as she said that she had a premonition of his death.
The second medal that he won was also a Scottish Cup winners medal in 1931 against Motherwell
. After a 2–2 draw, a replay was held in which Celtic won 4–2. These two Scottish Cup wins were the only two medals that he won with Celtic.
on 18 May 1930 in a 2–0 win. This was in the time before caps were awarded for matches other than Home Internationals
(see Stewart Imlach
), so Thomson won his first cap against Wales
on 25 October 1930. He made another two international appearances for Scotland, keeping clean sheets against Northern Ireland and England
.
at Ibrox Stadium
in Glasgow
in front of 80,000. Early in the second half Thomson and a Rangers player, Sam English
, went for the ball at the same time. Thomson's head collided with English's knee, fracturing his skull
and rupturing an artery in his right temple. Thomson was taken off the field in a stretcher; most people assumed that he was just badly concussed, but a few people who had seen his injuries suspected worse. One source said, "There were gasps in the main stand, a single piercing scream being heard from a horrified young woman"; this was believed to be the scream of 19-year-old Margaret Finlay, who was watching with Jim Thomson (brother of John). One Rangers player, also a medical student, said later that as soon as he saw him he gave little chance for his survival.
After having treatment from the St Andrew's Ambulance Association, he was taken to a stretcher. According to The Scotsman
he was "seen to rise on the stretcher and look towards the goal and the spot where the accident happened". The game ended 0–0. Thomson was taken to the Victoria Infirmary in Glasgow. He had a lacerated wound over the right parietal bones of the skull, which meant that there was a depression in his skull of 2 inches in diameter. At 5pm he suffered a major convulsion. Dr Norman Davidson carried out an emergency operation to try and lower the amount of pressure caused by the swelling brain, but the operation was unsuccessful and he was pronounced dead by 9.25pm.
His fiancee married Charles Patrick Straker in December 1945, 14 years after Thomson's death. Their daughter Sybolla was born less than a year later. They later emigrated
to Toronto
, Canada
, and Margaret was still living there at the time of her death on 16 March 1980 at the age of 67.
Celtic manager Willie Maley
wrote of him:
Thomson was known for his incredible agility, bravery and safe handling, who produced some magnificent displays of goalkeeping.
The journalist John Arlott
wrote:
Around 30,000 people went to his funeral in Cardenden
(where he lived as a boy) on 9 September 1931. Lots of them had walked the journey of 55 miles from Glasgow
. Another 20,000 turned out at Glasgow Queen Street station in order to watch two trains set off with two thousand passengers who could afford to pay the four shillings return fare.
Sam English was cleared of any blame in the incident but he was jeered by Scottish fans afterwards and moved south a year later to play with Liverpool FC. However he quit the sport altogether in May 1938, he told a friend that since the accident that killed John Thomson he had "seven years of joyless sport".
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.
In recent years, a book called "My Search For Celtic's John", written by Tom Greig, discusses his personal life and the fatal incident. Greig started a petition to persuade the Scottish Football Association
to induct John Thomson into the Scottish Football Hall of Fame
,. In November 2008, this was achieved.
A local committee has also been set up called the John Thomson Memorial Committee. This organisation works to make sure that John's name and achievements are remembered throughout the community and Scotland. Every year children in the Cardenden
and Kinglassie
districts play for the John Thomson Trophy to help ensure his name is perpetuated. On his gravestone, the simple inscription reads: "They never die who live in the hearts they leave behind."
1n 2009, a play written by Celtic historian David Potter was produced by children of the village and performed both in the village itself and at the Scottish Parliament before interested MSPs.
September 2011 marked the 80th anniversary of John's death and the John Thomson Memorial Committee (JTMC) worked in partnership with Celtic Graves Society (CGS) on a "Pilgrimage walk" from Glasgow to Cardenden. The aim was to re-create the walk that many fans took 80 years ago to attend John's funeral in Cardenden.
The walk started on Friday 2 September and arrived in Cardenden on the morning of Sunday 4 September to coincide with the annual John Thomson primary school football tournament which JTMC has organised for nearly thirty years.
Following the tournament and a prize giving ceremony the Pilgrimage walkers attended a wreath laying ceremony around 4.15 p.m. at Bowhill Cemetery.
A play about John Thomson, written by Brian McGeachan and Gerard McDade was performed at Glasgow's King's Theatre from September 5th to September 10th. The opening night fell on the 80th anniversary of John Thomson's death.
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
goalkeeper
Goalkeeper (football)
In association football, the goalkeeper occupies a position that represents the last line of defence between the opponent's offence and his own team's goal. The primary role of the goalkeeper is to defend his team's goal and prevent the opposition from scoring a goal...
for Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
and Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
who died as a result of an accidental collision with the Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
player Sam English
Sam English
Samuel English was an Irish football player who played for several clubs, but is mainly remembered for his time with Rangers.-Early life:He was born in the hamlet of Crevolea in Aghadowey, Northern Ireland...
during an Old Firm
Old Firm
The Old Firm is a common collective name for the association football clubs Celtic and Rangers, both based in Glasgow, Scotland.The origin of the term is unclear. One theory has it that the expression derives from Celtic's first game in 1888, which was played against Rangers. However, author,...
match at Ibrox
Ibrox Stadium
Ibrox Stadium is a football stadium located on the south side of the River Clyde, on Edmiston Drive in the Ibrox district of Glasgow. It is the home ground of Scottish Premier League club Rangers and has an all-seated capacity of 51,082...
.
Early life
Thomson was born in KirkcaldyKirkcaldy
Kirkcaldy is a town and former royal burgh in Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. The town lies on a shallow bay on the northern shore of the Firth of Forth; SSE of Glenrothes, ENE of Dunfermline, WSW of Dundee and NNE of Edinburgh...
and grew up in the mining community of Cardenden
Cardenden
Cardenden is a Scottish town located on the South bank of the River Ore in the parish of Auchterderran, Fife. It is approximately North-West of Kirkcaldy. Cardenden was named in 1848 by the Edinburgh and Northern Railway for its new railway station...
in Fife
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
. His father (also called John) worked as a miner at the Bowhill Colliery, while his mother looked after the family home. He was educated at Denend Primary School and Auchterderran Higher Grade School. By then he was already a wonderful goalkeeper and was part of the Auchterderran school team that won the Lochgelly Times Cup. His teacher N.E Lawton said "He was very keen on football, and was always training and hitting away at a punch ball. He was a born goalkeeper."
By 14, he became an oncost worker at Bowhill Colliery, where his father also worked. His job was 300 yards below the pithead surface, uncoupling the chains of wagons that carried the coal up and down the tunnel.
Early career
By 1924, John had started playing for the local side called Bowhill Rovers and the season after he joined Wellesley Juniors. The local newspaper Fife Free Press reported that the club:A prediction that would come true but would be cut short by his untimely death.
Celtic
CelticCeltic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
manager
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
Willie Maley
Willie Maley
William "Willie" Patrick Maley , 25 April 1868 - 2 April 1958, Glasgow, Scotland was a famous Scottish football coach, and the first manager of Celtic Football Club and one of the most successful managers in Scottish football history...
was looking for a goalkeeper
Goalkeeper (football)
In association football, the goalkeeper occupies a position that represents the last line of defence between the opponent's offence and his own team's goal. The primary role of the goalkeeper is to defend his team's goal and prevent the opposition from scoring a goal...
and had heard of this young sensation from the east of Scotland. After playing against Denbeath Star on 30 October 1926, he signed a professional contract with Celtic for £10 at the age of 17. He was not the first choice goalkeeper at first and had to bide his time. After Celtic had won 6–3 against Brechin City
Brechin City F.C.
Brechin City Football Club is a Scottish football team based in Brechin, Angus. They are members of the Scottish Football League and play in the Second Division in the 2010–11 season...
on 5 February 1927, Maley was concerned with the way Peter Shevlin
Peter Shevlin
Peter Shevlin was a Scottish football goalkeeper. He was born in Wishaw.He is mainly remembered for his time with Celtic F.C.. He had a relatively short period as their no. 1 goalkeeper, in between Charlie Shaw and John Thomson. He did take part in winning the League and the Cup once each.He...
had conceded three soft goals. In the next game against Dundee
Dundee F.C.
Dundee Football Club, founded in 1893, are a football club based in the city of Dundee, Scotland. They are nicknamed The Dee or The Dark Blues and play their home matches at Dens Park. Their shirt colour is dark blue. Dundee currently play in the Scottish First Division, having been relegated from...
he decided to give the 18 year-old Thomson a chance. After then Thomson was able to hold down the position and he helped the team finish second in the league behind Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
and win the Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
with a 3–1 victory against East Fife
East Fife F.C.
East Fife Football Club are a Scottish football club based in the Fife coastal town of Methil...
in the Final. The next year his work effort and team play was noticed by many, and one football journalist wrote:
Thomson did play for Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
, but the accident was also soon to come. His first major injury scare happened on 5 February 1930 against Airdrieonians
Airdrieonians F.C.
Airdrieonians Football Club, more commonly known as Airdrie, were a Scottish professional football team from the town of Airdrie, in the Monklands area of Lanarkshire....
, in which he broke his jaw, fractured many ribs, damaged his collar bone and lost two teeth. His friend Jim Ferguson said "What was in his mind when he made the breakneck, goal-saving dives for which he was renowned". John replied that he thought of nothing but keeping his eye on the ball and if the ball was there to be won he had to go for it. Although John still continued to play football, his mother Jean tried to dissuade him from playing, as she said that she had a premonition of his death.
The second medal that he won was also a Scottish Cup winners medal in 1931 against Motherwell
Motherwell F.C.
Motherwell Football & Athletic Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. The club compete in the Scottish Premier League and are one of only seven teams to have remained in this league since it was founded in 1998...
. After a 2–2 draw, a replay was held in which Celtic won 4–2. These two Scottish Cup wins were the only two medals that he won with Celtic.
International career
John made his first international appearance against FranceFrance national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
on 18 May 1930 in a 2–0 win. This was in the time before caps were awarded for matches other than Home Internationals
British Home Championship
The British Home Championship was an annual football competition contested between the United Kingdom's four national teams, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland from the 1883–84 season until the 1983–84...
(see Stewart Imlach
Stewart Imlach
-External links:* * by Angus Robertson MP....
), so Thomson won his first cap against Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
on 25 October 1930. He made another two international appearances for Scotland, keeping clean sheets against Northern Ireland and England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
.
Personal life
In 1931, John Thomson became engaged to Margaret Finlay. John Finlay (the father of Margaret) who was General Manager of Edinburgh Collieries Company Limited was a keen supporter of Celtic FC. He was given a chance to become a director at the club but he refused as he was an Evangelical who attended the Church of Christ. However, he took his 5 children to weekly Celtic FC home matches. In 1930, they were introduced to John Thomson the Celtic international goalkeeper. John and Margaret were instantly attracted to each other and they soon developed a close relationship. Thomson became a regular visitor to the family home and Margaret was present at the Old Firm match where her fiance died.Death
On 5 September 1931, Celtic were playing their old rivals RangersRangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
at Ibrox Stadium
Ibrox Stadium
Ibrox Stadium is a football stadium located on the south side of the River Clyde, on Edmiston Drive in the Ibrox district of Glasgow. It is the home ground of Scottish Premier League club Rangers and has an all-seated capacity of 51,082...
in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
in front of 80,000. Early in the second half Thomson and a Rangers player, Sam English
Sam English
Samuel English was an Irish football player who played for several clubs, but is mainly remembered for his time with Rangers.-Early life:He was born in the hamlet of Crevolea in Aghadowey, Northern Ireland...
, went for the ball at the same time. Thomson's head collided with English's knee, fracturing his skull
Skull fracture
A skull fracture is a break in one or more of the bones in the skull usually occurring as a result of blunt force trauma. If the force of the impact is excessive the bone may fracture at or near the site of the impact...
and rupturing an artery in his right temple. Thomson was taken off the field in a stretcher; most people assumed that he was just badly concussed, but a few people who had seen his injuries suspected worse. One source said, "There were gasps in the main stand, a single piercing scream being heard from a horrified young woman"; this was believed to be the scream of 19-year-old Margaret Finlay, who was watching with Jim Thomson (brother of John). One Rangers player, also a medical student, said later that as soon as he saw him he gave little chance for his survival.
After having treatment from the St Andrew's Ambulance Association, he was taken to a stretcher. According to The Scotsman
The Scotsman
The Scotsman is a British newspaper, published in Edinburgh.As of August 2011 it had an audited circulation of 38,423, down from about 100,000 in the 1980s....
he was "seen to rise on the stretcher and look towards the goal and the spot where the accident happened". The game ended 0–0. Thomson was taken to the Victoria Infirmary in Glasgow. He had a lacerated wound over the right parietal bones of the skull, which meant that there was a depression in his skull of 2 inches in diameter. At 5pm he suffered a major convulsion. Dr Norman Davidson carried out an emergency operation to try and lower the amount of pressure caused by the swelling brain, but the operation was unsuccessful and he was pronounced dead by 9.25pm.
His fiancee married Charles Patrick Straker in December 1945, 14 years after Thomson's death. Their daughter Sybolla was born less than a year later. They later emigrated
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
to Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and Margaret was still living there at the time of her death on 16 March 1980 at the age of 67.
Legacy
His death shocked many people, and there was a well-known song, Johnny Thomson, written to the tune of Arbor Hill. English, who was deeply traumatised by the event, was totally cleared of any responsibility for the accident. Even at the start of the 21st century Thomson's grave in Bowhill, Fife remains a place of pilgrimage for Celtic fans. On his gravestone it reads "They never die who live in the hearts they leave behind".Celtic manager Willie Maley
Willie Maley
William "Willie" Patrick Maley , 25 April 1868 - 2 April 1958, Glasgow, Scotland was a famous Scottish football coach, and the first manager of Celtic Football Club and one of the most successful managers in Scottish football history...
wrote of him:
Thomson was known for his incredible agility, bravery and safe handling, who produced some magnificent displays of goalkeeping.
The journalist John Arlott
John Arlott
Leslie Thomas John Arlott OBE was an English journalist, author and cricket commentator for the BBC's Test Match Special. He was also a poet, wine connoisseur and former police officer in Hampshire...
wrote:
Cardenden
Cardenden is a Scottish town located on the South bank of the River Ore in the parish of Auchterderran, Fife. It is approximately North-West of Kirkcaldy. Cardenden was named in 1848 by the Edinburgh and Northern Railway for its new railway station...
(where he lived as a boy) on 9 September 1931. Lots of them had walked the journey of 55 miles from Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
. Another 20,000 turned out at Glasgow Queen Street station in order to watch two trains set off with two thousand passengers who could afford to pay the four shillings return fare.
Sam English was cleared of any blame in the incident but he was jeered by Scottish fans afterwards and moved south a year later to play with Liverpool FC. However he quit the sport altogether in May 1938, he told a friend that since the accident that killed John Thomson he had "seven years of joyless sport".
The John Thomson Song
The untimely death of Scotland's goalkeeper prospect John Thomson, had shocked the nation so much, that a song was dedicated to him: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.
Recent Years
Scottish Football Association
The Scottish Football Association is the governing body of football in Scotland and has the ultimate responsibility for the control and development of football in Scotland. Members of the SFA include clubs in Scotland, affiliated national associations as well as local associations...
to induct John Thomson into the Scottish Football Hall of Fame
Scottish Football Hall of Fame
The Scottish Football Hall of Fame is located at the Scottish Football Museum. Inductees are picked each year by fans and a committee selects the eight finalists who are inducted at an annual dinner....
,. In November 2008, this was achieved.
A local committee has also been set up called the John Thomson Memorial Committee. This organisation works to make sure that John's name and achievements are remembered throughout the community and Scotland. Every year children in the Cardenden
Cardenden
Cardenden is a Scottish town located on the South bank of the River Ore in the parish of Auchterderran, Fife. It is approximately North-West of Kirkcaldy. Cardenden was named in 1848 by the Edinburgh and Northern Railway for its new railway station...
and Kinglassie
Kinglassie
Kinglassie is a small village in central Fife, Scotland.It is located 0.5 miles to the southwest of Glenrothes...
districts play for the John Thomson Trophy to help ensure his name is perpetuated. On his gravestone, the simple inscription reads: "They never die who live in the hearts they leave behind."
1n 2009, a play written by Celtic historian David Potter was produced by children of the village and performed both in the village itself and at the Scottish Parliament before interested MSPs.
September 2011 marked the 80th anniversary of John's death and the John Thomson Memorial Committee (JTMC) worked in partnership with Celtic Graves Society (CGS) on a "Pilgrimage walk" from Glasgow to Cardenden. The aim was to re-create the walk that many fans took 80 years ago to attend John's funeral in Cardenden.
The walk started on Friday 2 September and arrived in Cardenden on the morning of Sunday 4 September to coincide with the annual John Thomson primary school football tournament which JTMC has organised for nearly thirty years.
Following the tournament and a prize giving ceremony the Pilgrimage walkers attended a wreath laying ceremony around 4.15 p.m. at Bowhill Cemetery.
A play about John Thomson, written by Brian McGeachan and Gerard McDade was performed at Glasgow's King's Theatre from September 5th to September 10th. The opening night fell on the 80th anniversary of John Thomson's death.
External links
- Newsreel of the incident -on 1.11 min, Margaret Finlay can be heard screaming
- The Thomson Legend
- John Thomson, the legend - Welcome to the John Thomson Memorial Committee's Site
- John Thomson lyrics
- John Thomson at Spartacus schoolnet
- London Hearts profile
- John Thomson song being sung
- Tribute page on Celtic FC net
- BBC - Johnny Thomson's Ghost'- the song