SOCCER

Grey River Argus, 16 November 1931, Page 2

SOCCER

BRITISH MATCHES Saturday’s Results (Aus. & N.Z. Cable Assn). LONDON, November 14. To-day’s Association football matches resulted as follows: ENGLISH FIRST DIVISION. Arsenal 4 v. Westham United 1. Birmingham 2 v. Leicester C. 0. Blackburn R. 4 v. Middlesbro 2. Blackpool 1 v. Sheffield W. 2. Derby C. 1 v. Newcastle United 0. Everton 7 v. Chelsea 2. Manchester C. 4 v. Grimsby T. 1. Portsmouth 3 v. Huddersfield T. 2. Sheffield U. 4 v. Bolton W. 0. Sunderland 3 v. Liverpool 0. W. Bromwich A. 3 v. Aston V. 0. ENGLISH SECOND DIVISION. Barnsley 1 v. Stoke City 0. Bradford City 1 v . Burnley 2. Bristol City 0 v. Bradford 0. Bury 1 V. Tottenham Hotspur 1. Leeds U. 4 v. Preston N. End 1. Millwall 5 v. Chesterfield 0. Notts County 2 v. Charlton A. 2. Oldham A. 1 v. Manchester U. 5. Plymouth A. 3 v. Wolverhampton W. 3 Port Vale 2 v. Nottingham F. 0. Swansea T. 3 v. Southampton 4. ENGLISH THIRD DIVISIONSOUTHERN SECTION. Brentford 0 v. Norwich City 0. Cardiff City 0 v. Queen’s 'P. R. 4. Coventry City 4 v. Clapton P. 2. Exeter City 1 v. Swindon T. 1. Fulham 2 v. Wansfield Town 1. Gillingham. 1 v. Torquay U. 1. Luton Town 3 v. Bristol R. 0. Northampton T. 1 v. Bournsmouth 1. Reading 3 v. Crystal Palace 0. Southend U. 3 v. Watford 0. ENGLISH THIRD DIVISIONSOUTHERN SECTION. Barrow 4 v. Rochdale I. Chester 3 v. York City 0. Darlington 2 v. Stockport C. 0. Gateshead 4 v. Carlisle United 0. Halifax T. 1 v. Accrington S. 0. Hartlepool U. 0 v. Tranmere R. 5. Hull C. 4 v. Doncaster Rovers 1. Lincoln City 7 v. Southport 0. New Brighton 0 v. Crewe A. 1. Walsall 2 v. Wrexham 0. SCOTTISH—FIRST DIVISION. Aberdeen J v. Kilmarnock 1. Airdrieouians 2 v. Cowdenbeath 10. Ayr United 1 v. Partick Thistle 2. Dundee 2 v. Motherwell 2. Hamilton A. 4 v. Dundee U. 2. Leith Athletic 2 v. Falkirk 1. Queen’s Park 4 v. Morton 1. Rangers 2 v. Clyde 2. St. Mirren 1 v. Third Lanark 1. SCOTTISH—SECOND DIVISION. Brochin City 2 V. Arbroath 0. Edinburgh City 4 v. Armadale f>. Dunfermline A. 3 v. Queen of the South 1. E. Stirling 5 v. Forfar Athletic 0. Hibernians 4 v. Albion Rovers 1. King’s Park 2 v. Dumbarton 2. Montrose ° v. Raith Rovers 4. St. Johnstone 4 v. Alloa 1. Stenhousemuir 3 v. St. Bernards 1.

Famous Goalkeeper SCOTLAND’S IDOL DEAD. Thomson, the famous international goalkeeper, perhaps the most famous goalkeeper in the world—the man whom Scotland mobbed and cheered in the streets after many of his brilliant displays—gave his life on September 5 in saving his side from defeat. Celtic were playing their keenest rivals, Glasgow Rangers, and 55.000 spectators watched the drama—which was to become tragedy—six minutes after the start of the second half. Sam English, the Rangers’ centreforward, caught a forward pass and broke through the. Celtic defence. He was clear of the backs, and had only Thomson to beat. It seemed a certain goal, but Thomson made a daring dive at the forward’s feet ... the ball was diverted past the post ... and Thomson lay unconscious on the penalty spot. He was carried on a stretcher to the pavilion, and afterwards taken to a hospital, where he died that night from his injuries. His skull had been fractured. The game was drawn, no goals being scored. A year ago a similar accident befel Thomson. He was then kicked in the head. He was in a nursing homo for some days and was unable to speak, writing what he had to say. Thomson, who was aged 24, was a native of Kirkcaldy. He joined Celtic five years ago, and last season was capped against England, Ireland, Wales and France. Thomson’s .fiancee, Miss Margaret Finlay, of West Lothian, who accompanied him to all his matches, rushed to tho pavilion when he was carried there. Last winter he fractured his jaw, injured his shoulder blade, and broke two ribs.

Thousands of people stormed Trinity Church, Glasgow, for the memorial service to Thomson. When the church doors were opened the crowds, who had waited for hours, surged forward and clamoured for admission. Women screamed and shouted for help as they were pinned against the railings surrounding the church. Two women fainted and had to be carried into a neighbouring hospital to receive medical attention. The police j were completely overpowered, and another setion of the hysterical crowd.

crushed to the side entrance of the Church by mounting the railings. Police reserves were summoned by telephone. The lessons at the service were to have been read by Peter Wilson, a player in the Celtic team to which Thomson belonged, and David Meiklejohn, captain of the Rangers, who were Celtic’s opponents at the fatal match. So great was the crowd that Wilson was unable to gain admission to the church to read the lesson. There were poignant moments inside the church. On drapery hanging from the pulpit the initials of the dead footballer and his club appeared in green, the colours of the famous Scots team. Sam English, with whom Thomson collided when he received his fatal injury, sat with his head buried in his handkerchief throughout the proceedings. When the Dead March in “Saul” was played he was observed to be weeping. Since the tragedy English had been prostrate with grief. | When the service had ended and the congregation had left, the waiting crowd in the street poured into the church and filled it. The minister, therefore, took the unprecedented course of repeating the memorial service for the second congregation. The Rev. H. S. McClelland, himself a keen football follower, said in his address that he had been an eye-wit-ness of Thomson ’s injury. He remarked: ‘‘What we saw then was an act of superb and uncalculating courage, an act of supreme and unfaltering loyalty. ’ ’ There were extraordinary funeral tributes when Thomson was buried at Cardenden, Fifeshire. Special excursion trains were run from Glasgow to take 5000 people to the graveside. A van was attached to one train to carry 200 wreaths, sent from all parts of England and Scotland. Coal mines throughout the Cardenden district were closed for the day. The mourners from Glasgow lined up at the station and walked four deep to the house of Thomson’s parents, where brass and pipe bands performed. The dead player’s international cap, which he received only a fortnight previously, was placed on the coffin. At the head of the coffin was a floral wreath constructed in the design of an empty goal. It had been arranged that a service should be held in the Thomsons’ little cottage, but the crowds were so large that the coffin was taken out into the open air in front of the cottage, and the service was conducted there. A touching tribute was a little bunch of flowers from the ‘‘mascot”' of Thomson’s team, a little boy who took pleasure in shaking the players’ hands every Saturday. The tiny graveyard was at Bowbill, in the shadow of the winding-towers of the pit where Thomson worked as a boy.