Tortured: The Sam English Story

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Tortured: The Sam English Story

Tortured: The Sam English Story

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The striker was also singled out for abuse by rival players and supporters - including by celtic fans when he was playing for Liverpool and Hartlepool down in England - for years afterwards until he was forced out of the game at 28. Only Sandy Archibald, who wasn’t playing, managed a joke. He told wee Alan Morton 'if you behave yourself, son, we’ll mebbe let you have a game with the big yins today'. It is a fitting commemoration. So is Tortured: The Sam English Story. Hopefully, the book will help to ensure that future generations have a different opinion of a true Rangers great. Liverpool played Sheffield United in his third match,” said Holmes. “A rival player called him a murderer and gave him a hard time. A report of the game said that English adopted a fighting stance when he did. The referee found out about it afterwards, the player was reported to the FA, severely censured and forced to apologise.

English won two full international caps in 1932 for Ireland. He made his debut in a home game at Windsor Park, Belfast on 17 September 1932, losing 4–0 to Scotland. English won his second and last cap on 7 December 1932, in a 4–1 defeat away against Wales with English scoring Ireland's goal. [6] Later life and legacy [ edit ] Although not selected on the opening day of the following season, he then had a run of 11 consecutive matches in which he hit the netthree times before losing his place in the side. His appearances after that were restricted and he played his final game for Liverpool in the penultimate First Division fixture of the 1934-35 season, away to Tottenham. In the first-half, Sam went up with the keeper John Falconer for a ball and accidently caught him in the jaw with his head. Falconer went down motionless. As soon as it happened the celtic players got a hold of English. But the keeper got up and played on.” He would slump into a state of depression every September around about the time of the game and refuse to speak to anyone. He never spoke about football, never spoke about his career, never spoke about that incident.” His career was overshadowed by the death of Celtic goalkeeper John Thomson who died as a result of an accidental collision with English during an Old Firm game in 1931.

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Yet, as Holmes delved deeper and unearthed further information, he found the commonly-held perception of the Northern Ireland-born, Glasgow-raised footballer did him a gross disservice. Trying to overcome his part in the tragedy, Englishmade a blistering start to his Anfield career and by the halfway stage of the league season he had already scored 16 times. But he only startedeight matches during the second-half of the season, scoring a furtherfour times. Little, who retired from football in 2018 and is now a Rangers youth coach, is delighted he managed to etch his name in the Ibrox club’s history books during his time there.

Maley was renowned for being gracious when it came to Rangers,” said Holmes. “But he was asked if he thought it was an accident. He said: ‘I hope it was an accident’. That coloured how English was regarded by a lot of celtic fans.” I always wondered how he could end up as Rangers record goalscorer in that first season (he netted 44 times in 35 league games in the 1931/32 season). How could he do that with the death of John Thomson preying on his mind? It would eventually finish him. But it was because he had a lot of sympathy at the start. It got worse and worse and worse.” I achieved far more than I ever expected and I loved every minute of my time with Rangers and Northern Ireland. It was incredible and gave me experiences to cherish for the rest of my life. English eventually grew disillusioned, hung up his boots after what he described as “seven years of joyless sport”, returned to Glasgow, took a job as a sheet metal worker in the shipyards and retreated from public view.English's career was overshadowed by an incident on 5 September 1931 where he was involved in a collision with John Thomson, the Celtic goalkeeper. Thomson dived for the ball and his head collided with English's knee (not his boot, as sometimes claimed). Thomson suffered serious injuries to his skull and died in hospital a few hours later. The official enquiry found that the collision was an accident, and cleared English of any blame; a view which was fully supported by Thomson's family and all players from both teams who were on the field at the time. Nevertheless, English was deeply traumatised by what had happened to Thomson. [2] [3] Sheffield United had an outstanding Irish striker called Jimmy Dunne at that time. He was a staunch Republican and had once served time in his homeland for being a member of the IRA. He was playing in that game. Was he in the dressing room winding his team mates up before the game? You just don’t know. But the death of Thomson followed English.” Five minutes after the re-start, Celtic were pressing high in an attempt to get an opener. The ball was in Rangers’ quarter of the field when Marshall managed to steal possession. He transferred at right angles to Meiklejohn, who slipped it forward to Fleming, standing on the touchline a few yards on the Celtic side of the halfway line. McGonagle came tearing across, but Fleming dodged him and sent the ball low up the centre to be chased by English. Rangers 3 – 0 Queen's Park, Glasgow Cup Final (10/10/1931)". Fitbastats.com . Retrieved 2 April 2014. English died in the Vale of Leven Hospital in Alexandria, at the age of 58 after battling motor neurone disease. [2] [3]

I don’t think Sam ever put it behind him,” he said. “It was always there. It never went away. I spoke his son-in-law, Ronnie Cree, when I was writing the book and he told me it had affected him until the day he died. The middle of the Celtic defence had a gaping hole and, with McStay in a hopeless position to catch him, Thomson decided to leave his goal in an effort to halt English. Just inside his penalty area, the keeper, with that bravery which was one of his greatest attributes, dived for the ball. The Rangers striker would endure open hostility towards him on the park as well as some brutal treatment following the death of Thomson. It started when he returned to action in the Glasgow Cup semi-final against celtic at Parkhead a few weeks later. It was a sad end to the career of a one-time goalscoring phenomenon who had been the hottest property in British football during his brief but glorious peak and had commanded record transfer fees on every occasion he was sold. a b c Jardine, Christine (26 February 2009). "Recognition at last for Rangers' top goal-scorer". Herald Scotland . Retrieved 2 April 2014.English was cleared of any malicious intent by a fatal accident inquiry and graciously absolved of any blame by Thomson’s grieving family. Psychologically, however, he was deeply traumatised by the tragic death of his brilliant opponent. It would haunt him for the remainder of his days. WHEN Jeff Holmes started the research for his biography of the Rangers legend Davie Meiklejohn, the author had, like so many people over the decades, a preconceived idea about who his team mate Sam English had been.

After retiring from playing, English worked as a coach for Duntocher Hibs and Yoker Athletic before finding employment in a shipyard. [2] Some suggested the size of the Ibrox attendance for this Old Firm game – in the region of 80,000 – was down to the resurgence of Celtic, but there was little evidence to support this. The Old Firm was always well patronised. The spectators were clearly looking for thrills; for first-class football, and for a battle of craft and cleverness. If you had told me when I signed for Rangers at 17, what I would achieve and experiences what I have done in professional football, I wouldn’t have believed you,” he said. Samuel English was born in the hamlet of Crevolea in Aghadowey, Ireland. In 1924 his family moved to Dalmuir in Scotland, and for a time he worked at the John Brown & Company Shipyard. [2] Club career [ edit ]But to think that I’d won such a beautiful trophy at the club I’d loved since I was a wee boy was just such a wonderful feeling.” An ill-considered comment by Willie Maley, the celtic manager who hadn’t witnessed what happened in the fateful Old Firm game from his vantage point in the main stand, inadvertently turned many of those who stood on the terraces at Parkhead against English. I hadn’t long turned 23 and this was my first big game. Rangers against Celtic at Ibrox. League champions versus the cup holders. The reporter added: "Early in the game the old Celtic–Rangers weakness of 'footbody' instead of football was evident. It didn’t creep into the proceedings: it completely enveloped them from the outset, and not a minute passed without the referee’s whistle blowing for some sort of infringement or other. Trainers and assistant trainers were the busiest men on show."



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