John Thomson lost his life and Sam English was never the same.. it was a tragedy
Ex-Ger Little’s trophy win is a poignant reminder of injury horror
ANDY LITTLE looks back at lifting the Sam English Rosebowl as a poignant reminder of the cruel twists of fate football can bring.
The former Rangers striker’s 22-goal haul in season 2012-13 made him top scorer at Ibrox which comes with a memento that recognises goals, glory and an ultimate sadness from the history of the club.
Fellow Northern Irishman English’s collision with Celtic keeper John Thomson on September 5, 1931 saw the Hoops No.1 rushed to hospital with a fractured skull that cost him his life.
That tragedy isn’t lost on Little who suffered a freak training-ground accident training with Stirling in 2017 that cut short his career.
The clash left him with a depressed skull fracture, a fractured eye socket and two cracked bones in his neck. The parallels with English have become intertwined
Little said: “Of course there was no blame attached to Sam but that one moment seemed to define his entire career.
“Sam played on but was eventually forced to walk away from the game he loved at just 28 as it had all taken such a heavy toll on him.
“Obviously Sam’s situation was far more serious than mine, as John Thomson lost his life, but when you suffer a really serious injury it puts everything into perspective.
“I was rushed to the Forth Valley Hospital then spent 10 days in Edinburgh’s Western General. I didn’t remember a thing about the incident. My former Rangers team-mate Ross Perry spent the night at the hospital, which was great, but he must have been sick of me repeatedly asking him what happened!”
Such was the impact English had on the club during his time at Ibrox, in 2008 the Supporters Association commissioned a rose bowl, Sam’s favourite flower, to mark his achievement of scoring 44 league goals in his first season which remains a record to this day.
English died from motor neurone disease at 58 and
Little Littl was stunned to get his hands on a bowl containing 44 silver balls to represent each of his compatriot’s goals.
He said: “I was at the endof-season Player of the Year dance and I got a tap on the shoulder, ‘ You’re up next, Andy!’ I thought Lee McCulloch had won the race for top scorer, as I didn’t realise the award was for league goals only. You can imagine my speech!
“I was as proud as punch. I scored 22 goals that season – half the total Sam managed.
“But to think I had won such a beautiful trophy at the club
I had loved since I was a wee boy was just such a wonderful feeling.
“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.”
Little has regular stints doing media work with his old club and insists winning the Sam English rose bowl was the realisation of a dream.
He said: “I achieved far more than I ever expected and I loved every minute of my time with Rangers and Northern Ireland. But I have never regretted my decision to retire. The enjoyment had gone out of football and once you go part-time, after being at a club like Rangers, you really need to enjoy what you’re doing.
“But by winning awards like the Sam English rose bowl, it means there will always be a bit of me in the magnificent trophy room at Ibrox, and that’s something special.”
Tortured: The Sam English Story, published by Pitch Publishing, is available from all good bookshops, or by contacting author Jeff Holmes via twitter @JeffH1960 or at jeffholmes.co.uk
Sam’s situation was obviously far more serious because John Thomson lost his life
ANDY LITTLE