Celtic in the Thirties: Unpublished works of David Potter – Bertie Thomson

The Celtic Star

·18 November 2024

Celtic in the Thirties: Unpublished works of David Potter – Bertie Thomson

Celtic in the Thirties: Unpublished works of David Potter today features Bertie Thomson…

The late David Potter

Name: BERTIE THOMSON Born: July 12 1907 Died: September 17 1937 Appearances: 131 Goals: 30 Scottish League medals: none Scottish Cup medals: 1930/31, 1932/33 Glasgow Cup medals: 1930/31 Glasgow Charity Cup medals: none Scotland Caps: 1

Bertie & Alec Thomson. Playing for Celtic in the Thirties. Graphic by Celtic Curio for Matt Corr’s new book Celtic in the Thirties, out 5 November 2024.

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Unpublished works of David Potter – Bertie Thomson

Robert Austin Thomson was born in Johnstone on 12 July (of all days!) in 1907, the year in which Celtic had become the first team to win both the Scottish League and the Scottish Cup in the same year. He was small but sturdy – clearly he was never likely to be a defender, but he was also fast and tricky, with a great deal of ball control. He had played for juvenile teams such as Broomfield Juveniles and Possil Hawthorn, before joining the famous junior team Glasgow Perthshire in 1927.

The day of Bertie’s debut was 16 November 1929, against Cowdenbeath at Parkhead. It was a dull, typical Glasgow November sort of day with a mediocre crowd, and the performance of Celtic was in tune with the uninspiring form they had shown all season. But the young Bertie, slight and slender, had a few runs down the wing and some worthwhile crosses, and this was enough to keep him in the team. The following week at Muirton Park in Perth, Bertie impressed as Celtic won 6-1. He scored himself and played a part in at least two of McGrory’s three goals. He was thus established in the Celtic team.

Bertie Thomson. Photo The Celtic Wiki

But that team continued to be unpredictable and disappointing, and four successive defeats around New Year 1930 killed what chance there might have been of any challenge for a major honour. But in spite of the continuing inconsistent performances of the team, discerning pundits began to realise that there was something in this small, insignificant looking youngster. He had speed, and he could use the ball at speed; he had the ability to turn a man, to charge for the by line and to cross. Not only that, but he could dribble and tease as well, and in addition could score the occasional goal himself.

Stories circulated about Bertie’s lifestyle

But Glasgow being the place that it was, a rival for any village in gossip, stories circulated about Bertie’s lifestyle. His association with publicans and bookmakers was well known. Bertie was a youngster who saw life for the enjoyment. As a professional football player, he recognised the need to keep himself fit and to train regularly. This did not prevent him enjoying life to the full when he was off duty.

Celtic were fortunate in 1930/31 in having a steady team, comparatively free of injuries and playing some fine football to cheer up their fans who had suffered for so long. Bertie Thomson fitted into this team perfectly with his right-wing partner Alec Thomson, and with Peter Wilson, that tremendous passer of a ball, at right-half, the “right side triangle”, as it was called, was a mighty one.

Celtic 1930/31. Back; Willie Cook, Peter Kavanagh, Hugh Smith & Peter Wilson.Middle; Peter McGonagle, Chic Geatons, Denis O’Hare, John Thomson, Bobby Whitelaw, Willie Hughes & Will Quinn (Trainer).Front; Bertie Thomson, Alec Thomson, Jimmy McGrory, Jimmy McStay, Peter Scarff & Charlie Napier.

Celtic had an important early success when they beat Rangers 2-0 at Parkhead in September 1930. The great Alan Morton of Rangers missed a penalty early on, then immediately afterwards Celtic broke down the right, with Bertie Thomson feeding namesake Alec Thomson to put them ahead. Then, as time ticked away with Celtic growing more and more confident, it was Bertie himself who settled the issue. Celtic had set down an early marker and then came the bitter-sweet Glasgow Cup final on 11 October 1930. Realising that Bertie was a major threat, Rangers employed a disagreeable character called Jock Buchanan to deal with him in any way he could.

Suddenly snapped and lashed out

Buchanan had already created history of a dubious kind by being the first player to be sent off in a Scottish Cup final and today he fouled Bertie repeatedly. Bertie took Buchanan’s abuse (physical and verbal) for long enough until he suddenly snapped and lashed out at Buchanan. The referee saw this and Bertie was sent off, but Bertie would have the last laugh as Celtic won 2-1.

Bertie won himself an honour in being chosen to play for the Scottish League against the English League at White Hart Lane on 5 November. Unfortunately the result was by no means favourable – 7-3 for the English League, and Thomson’s chances of winning a full international cap took a setback. His time would come, however and his private fan club within the Celtic support grew. Celtic’s chances of winning the League championship took a blow when they lost at Ibrox on New Year’s Day.

Photograph taken in Detroit while on their visit to play Michigan all Stars who they beat 5-0 at the University of Detroit Stadium. While in the city they were given a tour of the famous Ford Motor Works.L – R: Willie Cook, Bobby Whitelaw, Hugh Smith, Joe McGhee, Willie Maley, Bertie Thomson, Johnny Thomson, Jimmy McGrory (with cup) Peter Scarff, Charlie Napier, Peter Wilson, Tom Maley, Denis Currie, Willie McGonagle. Photo The Celtic Wiki

It was only a 0-1 defeat, but it led to a few other mishaps including 0-1 defeats to two other Glasgow clubs, Clyde and Partick Thistle. Yet they pushed Rangers to the very end and finished only two points behind them. It was to be Bertie’s best season with consistently good press reports along the lines of “fine aggressive play from Bertie Thomson”, “Bertie Thomson made the goals easy for McGrory” and “discerning fans would note with approbation and later with acclaim the fine wing play of R Thomson”.

Bertie scored a hat-trick to the delight of 64,699 fans

But if the League championship in 1931 was a disappointment, there was more than ample compensation in the Scottish Cup. Bertie scored a hat-trick to the delight of 64,699 fans when Aberdeen came to town in the quarter-final, and starred in the semi. Yet he almost did not make the final. On the Monday before, Celtic played a League game against Clyde at Shawfield. “Bertie Thomson gave the opposition a terrible roasting and kept lively to the last despite heavy treatment” said one newspaper report. Some felt that “heavy treatment” did not quite cover it, as he was felled several times, and limped off the field. But he did make it to the final.

Celtic in the Thirties, Vol One by Matt Corr.

Celtic in the Thirties – Volume Two

The facts of the Celtic v Motherwell Scottish Cup final of 11 April 1931 are well known for their sheer drama… 1-2 down and the game almost over, Bertie crossed, “hard and high” as Jimmy McGrory put it, hoping the find the Golden Crust of the immortal Jimmy. He could hardly have believed what happened next. As Alan Craig, the Motherwell centre-half, rose to nod clear, crucially at the vital time he took his eye off the ball (literally) and the leather hit his head at the wrong angle and went into the net.

McGrory and Thomson ran to greet and hug each other

Hampden exploded. McGrory and Thomson ran to greet and hug each other. The final whistle came immediately. Thomson was lauded by all the support (he had had a fine game up until then, in any case) and the occasion was looked upon as a Celtic victory, so close had they come to defeat. Motherwell lay shattered, Glasgow belonged to Celtic – and Bertie scored twice in the replay.

Bertie Thomson. Photo The Celtic Wiki

All this was good enough for the young Bertie Thomson, but even better was to come that summer in the shape of the tour of North America. It is, perhaps, difficult for us almost a century later, to comprehend what this would have meant for a youngster from Thomson’s background. America was the land of wealth and opportunity, the place where the brave or the desperate went for a new and better life. Thomson had been lucky in that football had given him a hint of what a better life could be.

Bertie was badly affected by the terrible events of 5 September 1931

Bertie was badly affected by the terrible events of 5 September 1931, when John Thomson, the goalkeeper, met his death in a collision with Rangers’ Sam English. Celtic never really recovered, but the 1931/32 season was not without its moments for Bertie Thomson. Deservedly he won his one and only full Scottish cap when he was chosen for the match against Wales in Wrexham on 31 October, scoring Scotland’s second goal in the 3-2 win. The following week he played for the Scottish League against the English League at Parkhead and this time, he was on the winning side.

Bertie flanked by “Peter” McGonagle left and Peter Scarff, right. 1931 North American tour. Photo The Celtic Wiki

It was beginning to look as if Bertie was about to have a great career in international football, but on 23 January 1932, in a 0-1 defeat at Hamilton Accies, he was taken off with a broken bone in his right foot, putting him out of action for the foreseeable future (although he did manage to return before the end of the season) and certainly depriving him of the chance to play for Scotland at Wembley.

Probably this long lay-off that finished Bertie’s career

It was probably this long lay-off that finished Bertie’s career. Footballers often find it hard to cope with a spell on the side lines, and it is in these circumstances that the siren voices of alcohol and other blandishments are hard to resist. By the time that the 1932/33 season began, Bertie was not as fit nor as sharp as he might have been. The skill was still there, and he was as yet only 25, but the rot had sadly set in.

Celtic stars Peter Scarff and Bertie Thomson, 1931. Photo The Celtic Wiki

The team went to Hampden on 17 September 1932 to play Queen’s Park. It was a shocker, and the team went down 1-4. Defeats by Queen’s Park were always hard for manager Maley to take, and he blasted all and sundry, but singled out Bertie Thomson in particular. Maley ordered him to train on Monday morning with the rest of the players and to come back on Monday afternoon for an extra spell.

Both sides in the dispute then over-reacted. Thomson refused and Maley suspended him sine die. Thomson asked for a transfer, then recanted and wrote a letter of apology, which was ignored until the middle of November, when he was allowed back to train.

The team’s form slowly improved

Once Bertie returned (and he had made an effort with his fitness) the team’s form slowly improved, and Celtic restored a little self-respect when they won the Scottish Cup in April. The finalists were again Motherwell, but the 1933 Final was a dull game played on a dull day with only one goal between the teams. That was when Bertie made space on the wing and crossed to give McGrory a simple tap-in. Maley was gracious enough to shake Bertie’s hand and to congratulate him, but the damage to the relationship had been done.

After only two games of the next season, Blackpool approached Maley for Bertie Thomson. A fee of £5,000 was handed over and Bertie possibly felt that, much as he loved Celtic, a change might do him and his health some good. But it didn’t work out. He was always Bertie Thomson of Celtic – and really of nobody else. Illness, injury and unhappiness pursued him, and little more than a year later he returned to Scotland to play for Motherwell, a team, like Bertie, very much past their best.

Little is known of what was left of his short life

His career fizzled out at Motherwell, then he had some games as an amateur for a Dublin side called Bridewell in 1936, but little is known of what was left of his short life. It came as a shock to read in the death notices of the newspapers that Robert Thomson had died on 17 September 1937 at the house of his mother, 327 Argyle Street, Glasgow. He was only 30.

Hardly anyone had even known that he was ill, suffering from heart problems and jaundice. He was buried at the Abbey Cemetery, Elderslie, and the tombstone sums him up when he is described as “Bertie of Celtic”. He would not wish to be known any other way.

Bertie Thomson’s grave. Photo The Celtic Wiki

David Potter

Celtic in the Thirties by Matt Corr, Volumes One & Two, Published by Celtic Star Books, November 2024. Image The Celtic Star

Matt Corr’s wonderful new books, Celtic in the Thirties, Volumes One & Two are both out now on Celtic Star Books and you can order a signed copies by clicking on the links below…