After 16 years with Celtic, Tommy Burns moved to Kilmarnock in December 1989, where, over the next four and a half years, he took over a number of roles, including player, player-assistant-manager, caretaker-manager and player-manager before resigning on 11 July 1994.
One day later, on 12 July 1994, Tommy Burns became Celtic manager.
On this day in 1907, Robert Austin Thomson – better known as Bertie – was born in Johnstone. 22 years later, after two years with Glasgow Perthshire, Bertie signed for Celtic, where his play as an outside-right excited the fans.
In the dying moments of the 1931 Scottish Cup Final, with Celtic 1-2 down, it was Bertie Thomson who sent over the swirling cross which Motherwell centre-half Alan Craig headed into his own net for the equaliser. Four days later, in the replay, Bertie scored two as Celtic won 4-2 to take the Scottish Cup back to Parkhead for the 13th time.
Two years later, in the 1933 Scottish Cup Final, in another tight clash with Motherwell, Bertie Thomson wriggled his way into the Steelmens’ box to set up Jimmy McGrory for the only goal of the game.
30 goals in 131 appearances might have looked impressive but behind the scenes, Bertie was having his fair share of problems. Excesses in his personal life were not helping his fitness, which meant that the bosses – in particular Willie Maley – were very displeased with him.
Eventually, Celtic had had quite enough and transferred him to Motherwell. When the Steelmen came to Parkhead for a league match on 8 December 1934, Bertie looked only a relic of his glory days in the Hoops but the fans presented him with a decorative horseshoe.
Unfortunately, Bertie Thomson never seemed to be able to resolve his destructive lifestyle and eventually it caught up with him. He died in his mothers’ arms at the age of 30 in 1937.
Jim Craig
