Celtic
football club has known its share of joys and anguish over the past 126 years. From the joy of Lisbon and the Stein era to
the despair of losing much loved sons before their time. John Thomson, Johnny
Doyle and of course the wonderful Tommy Burns spring to mind when one
contemplates such things. In the early 1930s the Club was stunned by the tragic
accidental death of John Thomson, who in defending his goal in a match at Ibrox
paid the ultimate price. In grainy newsreel footage we can see the Prince of
goalkeepers lying prostrate on the Ibrox turf as team mates and opposition
players, realising the seriousness of his injuries, frantically call for help.
Among his team mates on that lamentable day in 1931 was an up and coming
inside-forward with a powerful running style and an eye for goal. His name was
Peter Scarff. Willie Maley had high hopes that the lad from Linwood would be a
star and a replacement for the excellent Jimmy McMenemy.
Peter had
burst into the team in 1929 and as a direct running inside forward soon had the
fans buzzing. His contribution in the Glasgow Cup Final victory over Rangers
was said to be crucial and as the Celts fought their way to the 1931 Cup final,
Scarff was again a vital component of the team. The powerful Motherwell team of
the era awaited Celtic in the final. They had put together a very strong side
which would be champions the following season and finish second in the league
on 4 further occasions between 1927-34. It would be no easy task for Celtic to
win the cup. 104,000 crowded into Hampden to watch Motherwell have the better
of a physical and bruising first half. Celtic were 2-0 down and Maley told his
players in no uncertain terms at half time that they must match Motherwell’s effort and
physicality as well as playing their own passing game. The second half saw
Celtic more dangerous but the clock showed 82 minutes and still it was 0-2. Then the
talismanic McGrory scored and belief surged through Celtic’s ranks and the support became more voiciferous. Scarff,
Nappier and McGrory stretched the Motherwell defence in desperate attempts to
force an equaliser. Scarff’s ability to go past defenders and either shoot or
cross was causing Motherwell problems. However, as the clock reached 89 minutes
and the Motherwell fans roared in anticipation of a famous victory, fate finally
intervened. Motherwell defender, Craig chased a through ball towards his own
goal as the keeper advanced to deal with it. Craig headed it back towards the
keeper and to his horror it flew past him and into the empty net. Celtic had
got out of jail in the very last minute, it was 2-2 and how their fans roared at their narrow escape!
In the
replay of that final of 1931 Celtic played with a vigour and zest missing from
the first match. McGrory and R Thompson hitting two goals each in an
entertaining match as Celtic won 4-2 to claim their record thirteenth Cup
victory. Peter Scarff played his part and as he celebrated with McGrory, John
Thomson and the rest of the side he could never have envisaged the tragedies
which lay ahead. Less than 5 months after that cup final victory, John Thompson
was dead and within 7 months Peter had coughed up blood during a match with
Edinburgh side Leith Athletic. In 1930s Glasgow, a city of crowded, damp, rat
infested tenements, coughing up blood was more often than not a sign of the
deadly disease tuberculosis. Peter Scarff was a fit young man on the cusp of a
great career with Celtic. His 55 goals in 112 games over less than 3 seasons testified
to his footballing ability. It is recorded that Willie Maley was distraught at
the news of Peter’s illness. He had cried when Peter Johnstone was killed in
World War 1 and was stunned when John Thomson was taken so tragically a
few months earlier. Now he and Celtic faced the agonising wait to see if Peter Scarff
would recover from what was at the time a cruel and often fatal disease. His
fitness and fighting spirit saw his struggle on for another two years but on
December 9th 1933, Peter Scarff died at the tragically young age of
24 Twice in just two years the Celtic
support mourned for a lost son. Who knows the heights Peter would have attained
with Celtic? He was capped by Scotland who recognised him as a rising star of
the game when his illness had intervened and cut short not just his career but
also his life.
Peter Scarff
was remembered at his funeral in his home town of Linwood as a decent and loving young man
and an excellent footballer. A tearful Willie Maley placed a Celtic shirt on his coffin
as he was taken to his final resting place. Newspaper reports of the day speak
of a dense crowd lining the streets as he was taken from the church. Stunned
looking team mates who had attended John Thomson’s funeral 2 years earlier
could have been forgiven for thinking that life could be unfair and cruel at
times. Celtic had lost another bright young prospect but of course, much more
tragically his family had lost a much loved son.
The Celtic
supporters club in Linwood today is named in honour of local boy Peter
Scarff. Time may have flowed on but the Celtic family remember and respect
those who gave their all in that hooped shirt. Peter showed in just three short
seasons that he was the real deal, a strong running inside forward with pace and goals
aplenty. He did not get to fulfil his
promise in a Celtic shirt as his time at the club he held dear was cut so tragically
short but he is rightly remembered as a fine Celt and a great talent.
Rest in
peace Peter. We who never saw you play thank you for all you did for Celtic. Hail Hail.
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