Dundee host Rangers on Friday in the Ladbrokes Premiership and so we take a look at a player who played for both clubs, Thomas Kelso who also fought on the Western Front in the Great War 100 years ago.

Thomas Kelso kept up a family tradition when he followed in Uncle Robert’s footsteps by starring for Dundee at right-back and earning one full international cap as a Dundee player in one of the last Scotland internationals before the Great War.

Thomas Kelso was born in Renton, West Dunbartonshire on May 6^th 1882 and started his football career with Third Lanark but after playing as mainly a reserve with the Caithkin Park side, he transferred to Manchester City in August 1906.

Tom made his Man City debut a month later on September 1^st in a 4-1 home defeat to Woolwich Arsenal and in total would make 152 appearances for the Sky Blues, scoring three times. In 1910 he was part of the Manchester City side which won the Football League Second Division title and would play two full seasons in England’s top tier.

After seven years at Maine Road, Kelso moved north to Dundee initially on trial in October 1912 and after impressing Dundee manager William Wallace, signed on full time in February 1913.

Having been patient in waiting for Dundee to offer him terms, Tom didn’t have long to wait for his debut as was pitched into the side at the end of the month in a Scottish Cup 3^rd round tie away at Partick Thistle. In front of 18,000 fans at the four year old Firhill, the Dark Blues won 1-0 thanks to Scottish internationalist RC Hamilton to knock the Maryhill side out for the third season in a row.

In the next round Dundee drew old foes from the 1910 Final Clyde and it turned into an epic three match tie with a second replay played at neutral Hampden. Tom played in all three games but it was the Bully Wee got their revenge for the 1910 defeat by winning 2-1 in Mount Florida.

Tall and fast, Kelso made 34 appearances in his first full season with Dundee and scored five goals, two of them from the spot. Like his uncle Robert Kelso, who was a full-back with Dundee between 1896 and 1898, not only did they play in the same position but he also became the Dark Blues’ regular penalty taker.

Tom’s first goal for the club however came from open play and it was a famous one as it was the winner against Rangers at Ibrox in a 1-0 win on September 20^th 1913.

Five months later Kelso’s consistent performances for Dundee were rewarded with a call up to the full Scotland side, following once again in his Uncle Robert’s footsteps who won seven caps with the national side; one of which was as a Dundee player in 1898 ten years after his previous cap.

Tom lined up at right back for Scotland against Wales in a British International Championship match on February 28^th 1914 in front of 10,000 at Celtic Park and played well in the 0-0 draw.

Despite putting in a decent performance, Tom wasn’t picked for the next international against Ireland in Belfast two weeks later when Celtic’s Joseph Dodds was chosen ahead of him at right-back having played on the left side against Wales. Dodds kept his shirt for the big game of the international season against England at Hampden in April but the press predicted that Kelso would get his chance again for Scotland sooner rather than later.

However the storm clouds of war soon engulfed Europe and the Great War began as the new season was kicking off in August and the 3-1 victory over England would be the last Scotland international for five years.

The First World War therefore effectively ended any chance Kelso had of adding to his solitary cap as well as his football career. He left Dundee that summer to join Rangers for a season, making 22 appearances for the Ibrox side in 1914/15 before leaving to do his bit for King and Country.

After the War Kelso had a swansong at Welsh side Aberdare who after being runners-up of the Southern League (Welsh Section) with Tom in their side in, were given membership of the Football League but their stay was brief when in 1927 they failed to gain re-election after finishing bottom of the Third Division (South).

Tommy had his leg amputated at the age of 90 and learnt to walk again but died at the age of 91 on January 29th 1974. According to his granddaughter Carol Jardine he was always young at heart, a lady’s man, enjoyed a good whisky and enjoyed regaling stories of his pre-War football career.

Honours at Dundee:

Scotland full cap: 1

Appearances, Goals:

League: 37, 5 goals

Scottish Cup: 5

Totals:   42, 5 goals