English returned to Scotland with Queen of the South before finishing his career at Hartlepool at the age of 28. His Rangers' teammate, Bob McPhail, paid him the ulitmate praise: "Though I never played with the great Dixie Dean of Everton, I did play against him. I would have taken English before him."

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. He continued: “There was sympathy there at first. He got a lot of sympathy from players and fans over the next month or two. But it slowly dissipated. Before he knew it he was a target. Players would say: ‘Watch that murderer’. If he went near a keeper they would say: ‘He’s killed somebody else’.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. 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 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.

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. 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 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. Previous winners include Kris Boyd, Kenny Miller and Nikica Jelavic, and of course Alfredo Morelos and Jermain Defoe have now been added, so I’m in good company.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.” Samuel English (18 August 1908 – 12 April 1967) was a Northern Irish footballer who played for several clubs during the 1930s, but is mainly remembered for his time with Rangers. English also won two international caps for Ireland. Thomson's head collided with English's knee which ruptured an artery in his right temple which led to Thomson's death. a b c Jardine, Christine (26 February 2009). "Recognition at last for Rangers' top goal-scorer". Herald Scotland . 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]