Johnny Thomson, The Prince of Goalkeepers

There are stories that you are told when you are wee that have a huge impact and they stay with you throughout your life. The story of John Thomson is one of those stories for me.

Thomson was born in Kirkcaldy in 1909 and grew up in the mining village of Cardenden. Aged 14 he worked at Bowhill Colliery and played junior football where his talents as a goalkeeper were quickly spotted and he signed for Celtic aged 17.

By 22, he had played over 200 games for the first team and won 4 caps for Scotland. They say that goalkeepers peak in their late 20s and early 30s and there are loads of examples of keepers playing at the top closer to 40. But Thomson's career and short life ended in tragedy.

John Thomson died 80 years ago today as a result of injuries inflicted on the pitch - an accidental collision with an opposition player during an Old Firm match against Rangers.

Tens of thousands of people attended his funeral including many who walked from Glasgow to Bowhill Cemetery in Fife - a roundtrip of 110 miles. This weekend, fans re-enacted the journey in tribute to Thomson which culminated in annual kids football tournament held in his memory.

Tonight a play about his life opens at the King's Theatre in Glasgow. This journal doesn't do justice to the man they called the Prince of Goalkeepers so I would urge you to have a look online if you don't already know the story. The poster for the play seemed like the obvious choice for today's blip.