Cpl Tom Gracie - Glasgow born Footballer

liverpool annie · May 8, 2009

Here's a brave and talented man ... played for Liverpool at one time too !

In Memory of
Corporal THOMAS GRACIE

19024, 16th Bn., Royal Scots
who died age 26
on 23 October 1915
Former Heart of Midlothian Football Club player.

Remembered with honour
GLASGOW (CRAIGTON) CEMETERY

19024 Cpl Tom Gracie was a Glasgow born footballer. Born 1889 he became a meat salesman to trade but his footballing talent soon had him a place with Shawfield Juniors. From there he progressed to Strathclyde F.C. and then in 1907 he signed for Airdrieonians. A year later young Tom was moving to Greenock Morton and from there his talent impressed the large English club Everton while he was standing as a reserve for the England v Scotland game. He appeared to fail to make the breakthrough, so much so he went across the town, or is it park, to play for arch rivals Liverpool, now one of the giants in the game. At the end of season 1913/14 the Heart of Midlothian had a financial problem. The new stand was nearing completion and the club required money to pay for this, the only course was to sell, and the big name to leave was Percy Dawson! The high scoring forward joined Blackburn Rovers for £2500 and Hearts replaced him with Tom Gracie. Money being tight, somewhat like the directors, they found their man for a mere £400 at Liverpool! His 'scientific' football was too good for the Liverpool side,and he felt 'unappreciated there.' However Tom fitted in well with the Hearts players and in what was hoped to be a championship winning side he became Hearts record goal scorer with 29 league goals in season 1914/15. His total was 34 goals from 39 appearances, a bargain buy! His scoring skill earned him a international cap against the Irish league in 1915.

By November 1914 the early surge of enthusiasm for enlistment had began to fade a little. Returning wounded brought news of the reality of war but the energetic patriotism of those who were not able to enlist grew apace! There were many who frowned on those who played football while others died for their king and country just over the channel. Letters filled the pages from aged patriots desperate to enlist but unable because of, well anything that suited them really. Yet their delight in the war against the German impertinence did not diminish. Girls gave out white feathers in the streets to young men in civvies, other blatantly snubbed them, and all the while pressure built on the footballers going about their business. It takes about a year to train an army, yet many had enlisted yearning to fight immediately, others wished all available men to join them, and eventually this pressure told. Some Hearts men had already gone off to war. One or two were Territorial's or reservists, others had enlisted straight away, along with friends or family. Then Sir George McCrae decided to enquire if the Hearts men would join the battalion he was raising. After 'persuasion,' several did, others were soon to find a place elsewhere in the army.

Tom Gracie enrolled in McCrae's 16th Royal Scots, and along with the rest of the squad endangered their clubs very real Championship chances. Military training, much of which involved long route marches, by seasons end led to some players suffering so much from blisters and other problems they played in boots two sizes to big, stuffed with several pairs of socks! Celtic however claimed the title with hearts a mere four point behind, this when Celtic players had not enrolled, and Hearts players trained to fight a war, was an extraordinary success! For Tom this was only half the trouble. He was in fact very ill, and frequently rose from his sick bed to score goals for the Hearts. The situation must have been desperate during 1915 yet the truth was kept from the rest of his mates, only manager John MacCartney knew. While the battalion was stationed at Ripon, Yorkshire, a major training area, late in 1915 Tom was sent home to Glasgow because of his ill health. He died in Stobhill Hospital, Glasgow on 23rd October 1915. He was twenty six, and had the football world at his feet. His great goal scoring success was even more remarkable when the truth came out, Gracie had been suffering from leukaemia!

He was laid to rest in Craigton Cemetery, Glasgow. His brother had been killed recently at Loos, and his brother in Law in Gallipoli. Sadly typical of so many Scots families at that time. When people speak of 'hero's' or 'brave men' I suggest Tom Gracie is included. To play so well and score so frequently when enduring army life and serious disease must rank as 'heroic' in a manner few others have ever achieved
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carndook · Jul 29, 2009

An excellent post. As well as the Gracie family losing two sons and a son-in-law in World War 1, they lost two grandsons in the Second World War

liverpool annie · Aug 1, 2009

Hi Carndook and welcome !

Sorry to be so tardy answering you ! ...... do you have ties to Tom ? I'd be interested to hear more about him !

It's so sad that so many young men were lost in his family

Annie

carndook · Aug 14, 2009

Sorry for the tardy response too.

No, I have no ties with the Gracie family. I saw your post and became aware of the Gracie grave in Craigton Cemetery, in Glasgow. I visited the grave and found the additional information about the Second World War.

He was a former Heart of Midlothian player, and I think you'll find that that club's players volunteered en masse to serve in the First World War.

liverpool annie · Nov 14, 2009

I came across this today ....

Birthdate - 12.06.1889
Birthplace - Glasgow, Scotland
Other clubs - Airdrieonians, Hamilton Academical, Arthurlie, Greenock Morton, Everton, Hearts
Bought from - Everton
Signed for LFC - £Exchanged for Uren 23.02.1912
Liverpool debut - 24.02.1912
Last appearance - 28.02.1914
Debut goal - 24.02.1912
Last goal - 25.12.1913
Contract expiry - 1914
LFC league games/goals - 33 / 5
Total LFC games/goals - 34 / 5

Harold Uren went to Everton and Bill Lacey and inside-forward Tommy went the opposite way. Gracie made 32 league appearances plus 1 in the FA cup during the three seasons which led up to the outbreak of the First World War. He made a scoring debut at Bury on 24th February 1912 but that was his only goal from 6 matches that season. Thirteen more league appearances followed in 1912-13, scoring 1 goal and in his final season with the club, 1913-14, Tommy managed another 3 goals from 14 games.

Gracie returned to Scotland with Hearts in 1914 and was the joint-leading scorer in the Scottish League in the 1914-1915 season with 29 goals in 37 games. As well as playing with Hearts at the time he served as corporal with the 16th Royal Scots combining military training with his football training. Sadly, Gracie was diagnosed with leukemia in March 1915 and passed away in his home town only 26 years of age on 23rd of October, 1915.

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