On this day: Alec Thomson
By: Mark Henderson on 14 Jun, 2012 00:29
ALEC Thomson, one of Celtic´s most potent attacking players in the first half of the 20th century, was born on this day in 1901.
The Fifer signed for the Hoops from Wellesley Juniors in 1922 and would go to make 451 appearances until he departed the club 12 years later for Dunfermline.
He found the net 101 times during this period, making him part of a select band of Celtic players to have scored over a century of goals for the club.
Boasting excellent control, passing ability and vision, he was also a regular source of supply for the likes of Jimmy McGrory, something acknowledged by the goalscoring great himself.
Although his achievements were eclipsed by more celebrated Celtic contemporaries like McGrory and Patsy Gallacher, he was certainly a talented individual and one valued by manager Willie Maley, a fact indicated by the amount of games he played for the club.
His first winner´s medal arrived in the 1925 Scottish Cup final which has become famed as the ´Patsy Gallacher Final´ because of the Irishman´s incredible goal which helped the Hoops beat Dundee.
After evading several challenges, the forward apparently somersaulted into the net with the ball between his feet. Thomson earned further Scottish Cup medals in 1927, 1931 and 1933. He was also part of the Celtic side which won the league championship in 1926.
He bagged his 100th goal for the club on December 2, 1933, opening the scoring in a home match with Airdrie. He left the club six months later. Thomson died in 1975.
