They never die who live in the hearts they leave behind

It was Saturday, September 5, 1931, the young Celtic goalkeeper John Thomson was playing against his biggest rivals, Rangers, in a crucial game at Ibrox. John was an outstandingly brave goalkeeper who was already being lauded as one of Scotland's greatest goalkeepers. His quick reflexes and ability to block even the hardest of shots had won him international recognition and he was well prepared for a tough game that day. Tragically fate intervened, and the game would be his last. John was renowned for his courage and fearlessness, and his full blooded dive at the feet of the Rangers forward Sam English as the player went to shoot would not have been a surprise to anyone watching. As the Rangers player shot, John Thomson's head took the full blast of the Rangers player's knee, leaving the goalkeeper unconscious, his head bleeding profusely. He never recovered consciousness and died later that evening in hospital. None of the stunned fans who saw this terrible accident would ever forget it, or forget the young unassuming 22 year old who had so much talent but tragically so few years to use it. John was laid to rest in his home town in Fife, in a funeral attended by over 40,000 people. Even after 80 years, John Thomson lives on in the memory of thousands of Celtic supporters paying testament to the simple epitaph on his gravestone;

"They never die who live in the hearts they leave behind."