Bobby Thomson (footballer born 1943)
Encyclopedia
Robert Anthony "Bobby" Thomson (5 December 1943 – 19 August 2009) was an English professional footballer. He made 478 appearances in the Football League
and won eight caps
for England
.
Something of a legend at his first club - Wolverhampton Wanderers
, he is considered to be one of the finest full-backs ever to have played for the team. Departing Wolves in 1969, he then moved on to Birmingham City
and then Luton Town
. His later career involved moving between numerous clubs, both at home and abroad. He spent time as a player-manager at both Connecticut Bicentennials
and Stafford Rangers
.
, then in Staffordshire
. He joined local side Wolverhampton Wanderers
in 1959 upon leaving Lyndon High School in Solihull
. He signed professional forms in July 1961, before making his senior debut on 27 January 1962 in an FA Cup
tie against Black Country rivals
West Bromwich Albion
. Between his debut in 1962 to 1967 he missed just 11 first team games.
Unfortunately for Thomson, he was too late for the glory years, and instead came through under the tail-end of manager Stan Cullis
' sixteen year reign. Their best finish during Thomson's time was fifth in the First Division
in 1962–63. The club fell to the Second Division
in 1964–65. They won promotion
at the second time of asking - in 1966–67, as runners-up. In Summer 1967 he was part of the Wolves side that played in the United States
, guesting as the Los Angeles Wolves
, under which guise they won the United Soccer Association
league championship.
In March 1969, Thomson moved on to Birmingham City
for £40,000, teaming up with his former boss Stan Cullis, though Cullis retired early the next year. In 1971–72, Birmingham managed to gain promotion to the top tier, as runners-up behind Norwich City
. He also spent part of 1971 on loan at nearby Third Division
Walsall
.
In 1972, he moved on to Luton Town
, another Second Division side with ambitions of top-flight football. Thomson's teams had a knack of finishing second in the second tier, as the Hatters achieved this in 1973–74, as they watched Middlesbrough
sprint away with the title. Luton were unfortunate to go back down in 1974–75
, finishing a mere point from the safety of Tottenham Hotspur
in 19th.
In 1976, his career drawing to a close and his best days behind him, Thomson went back to the States, spending a short period with Hartford Bicentennials
. He returned to the Football League
, and the West Midlands
, with Third Division Port Vale
in October 1976. He made an 'impressive' debut in a 3–2 defeat to Wrexham at Vale Park
on 16 October 1976 and earned himself a regular first team spot. He returned to the re-branded Connecticut Bicentennials
as the player-coach in March 1977.
He stayed with the Connecticut Bicentennials for two years, before returning to England with non-league Worcester City
. He later became player-manager of Stafford Rangers
. Another spell in the USA with Memphis Rogues
in the NASL
followed, before he joined Brewood, Solihull Borough
and then Tipton Town
.
with the senior team
between 1963 and 1964. He was selected by Alf Ramsey
and made his full international debut on 20 November 1963 in an 8–3 Home International
victory over Northern Ireland
. His final international appearance came in December 1964.
He also played fifteen games for the England under-23 team, which was a record.
in the West Midlands
. He was known to take part in Wolves All Stars charity games from his retirement up until his last years, as well as help coach youngsters in Oldbury
.
He died of prostate cancer
at Russells Hall Hospital
in Dudley
at the age of 65. He had defeated a first occurrence of the illness, only to succumb after suffering a relapse.
with Birmingham City
with Luton Town
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
and won eight caps
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
for England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
.
Something of a legend at his first club - Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
, he is considered to be one of the finest full-backs ever to have played for the team. Departing Wolves in 1969, he then moved on to Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
and then Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
. His later career involved moving between numerous clubs, both at home and abroad. He spent time as a player-manager at both Connecticut Bicentennials
Connecticut Bicentennials
The Hartford Bicentennials was a soccer team based out of Hartford, Connecticut that played in the North American Soccer League. The team played at Dillon Stadium....
and Stafford Rangers
Stafford Rangers F.C.
Stafford Rangers Football Club is a semi-professional English football team from Stafford which plays in the Northern Premier League Premier Division.The team wear black and white stripes with black shorts...
.
Playing style
Thomson was an exceptionally fast full-back and was also extremely adept at back-pedalling.Club career
Thomson was born in SmethwickSmethwick
Smethwick is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell, in the West Midlands of England. It is situated on the edge of the city of Birmingham, within the historic boundaries of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire....
, then in Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
. He joined local side Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
in 1959 upon leaving Lyndon High School in Solihull
Solihull
Solihull is a town in the West Midlands of England with a population of 94,753. It is a part of the West Midlands conurbation and is located 9 miles southeast of Birmingham city centre...
. He signed professional forms in July 1961, before making his senior debut on 27 January 1962 in an FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
tie against Black Country rivals
Black Country derby
The Black Country derby is most commonly the local derby between the English football teams West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers. The term 'Black Country derby' can also be given to a match between either of these teams and Walsall F.C., though such matches are less common as a result...
West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
. Between his debut in 1962 to 1967 he missed just 11 first team games.
Unfortunately for Thomson, he was too late for the glory years, and instead came through under the tail-end of manager Stan Cullis
Stan Cullis
Stanley Cullis was a professional footballer and manager, most notably for Wolverhampton Wanderers. During his term as manager between 1948 and 1964 Wolves became one of the strongest teams in the British game, winning the league title on three occasions, and playing a series of high-profile...
' sixteen year reign. Their best finish during Thomson's time was fifth in the First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
in 1962–63. The club fell to the Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
in 1964–65. They won promotion
Promotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
at the second time of asking - in 1966–67, as runners-up. In Summer 1967 he was part of the Wolves side that played in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, guesting as the Los Angeles Wolves
Los Angeles Wolves
Los Angeles Wolves are a former United States professional soccer team, owned by Jack Kent Cooke, that played for two seasons during the 1960s...
, under which guise they won the United Soccer Association
United Soccer Association
The United Soccer Association is a former professional soccer league featuring teams from the United States and Canada. The league survived only one season before merging with the National Professional Soccer League to form the North American Soccer League. All the teams in the league were imported...
league championship.
In March 1969, Thomson moved on to Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
for £40,000, teaming up with his former boss Stan Cullis, though Cullis retired early the next year. In 1971–72, Birmingham managed to gain promotion to the top tier, as runners-up behind Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
. He also spent part of 1971 on loan at nearby Third Division
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
Walsall
Walsall F.C.
Walsall Football Club are an English association football club based in Walsall, West Midlands. They currently play in League One. The club was founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. The club was one of the founder members of the Second...
.
In 1972, he moved on to Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
, another Second Division side with ambitions of top-flight football. Thomson's teams had a knack of finishing second in the second tier, as the Hatters achieved this in 1973–74, as they watched Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
sprint away with the title. Luton were unfortunate to go back down in 1974–75
Luton Town F.C. season 1974–75
The 1974–75 season was the 89th season in the history of Luton Town Football Club. It was Luton Town's 55th consecutive season in the Football League, and their 58th overall. It was also the team's first season in the First Division since 1959–60, and their sixth overall...
, finishing a mere point from the safety of Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
in 19th.
In 1976, his career drawing to a close and his best days behind him, Thomson went back to the States, spending a short period with Hartford Bicentennials
Connecticut Bicentennials
The Hartford Bicentennials was a soccer team based out of Hartford, Connecticut that played in the North American Soccer League. The team played at Dillon Stadium....
. He returned to the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
, and the West Midlands
West Midlands (region)
The West Midlands is an official region of England, covering the western half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. It contains the second most populous British city, Birmingham, and the larger West Midlands conurbation, which includes the city of Wolverhampton and large towns of Dudley,...
, with Third Division Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
in October 1976. He made an 'impressive' debut in a 3–2 defeat to Wrexham at Vale Park
Vale Park
Vale Park is a football stadium in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England. It is the home ground of Port Vale F.C., who have played at the ground since 1950....
on 16 October 1976 and earned himself a regular first team spot. He returned to the re-branded Connecticut Bicentennials
Connecticut Bicentennials
The Hartford Bicentennials was a soccer team based out of Hartford, Connecticut that played in the North American Soccer League. The team played at Dillon Stadium....
as the player-coach in March 1977.
He stayed with the Connecticut Bicentennials for two years, before returning to England with non-league Worcester City
Worcester City F.C.
Worcester City Football Club is an English football club based in Worcester, Worcestershire. The club are currently members of the Conference North and play at St George's Lane.-History:...
. He later became player-manager of Stafford Rangers
Stafford Rangers F.C.
Stafford Rangers Football Club is a semi-professional English football team from Stafford which plays in the Northern Premier League Premier Division.The team wear black and white stripes with black shorts...
. Another spell in the USA with Memphis Rogues
Memphis Rogues
The Memphis Rogues were a professional soccer team in the former North American Soccer League. They operated in the 1978, 1979, and 1980 seasons and played their home games in Memphis' Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.-History:...
in the NASL
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
followed, before he joined Brewood, Solihull Borough
Solihull Borough F.C.
Solihull Borough F.C. was an English football club from Solihull. In 2007 the club merged with Moor Green to form a new club, Solihull Moors.-History:...
and then Tipton Town
Tipton Town F.C.
Tipton Town F.C. is a football club based in Tipton, West Midlands, England, currently playing in the Midland Football Alliance.-History:The club was originally formed in 1948 under the name of Ocker Hill United and played in the Wolverhampton and District Amateur League...
.
International career
Thomson won eight full capsCap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
with the senior team
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
between 1963 and 1964. He was selected by Alf Ramsey
Alf Ramsey
Sir Alfred Ernest "Alf" Ramsey was an English footballer and manager of the English national football team from 1963 to 1974. His greatest achievement was winning the 1966 World Cup with England on 30 July 1966...
and made his full international debut on 20 November 1963 in an 8–3 Home International
1964 British Home Championship
The 1964 British Home Championship international Home Nations football tournament was an unusual affair in which victory was shared between the England, Scotland and Ireland national football teams after all teams scored four points by beating Wales and then winning one and losing one of their...
victory over Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland national football team
The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. Before 1921 all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association...
. His final international appearance came in December 1964.
He also played fifteen games for the England under-23 team, which was a record.
Later life
He was married to Jan and had three children. After retiring from playing, he ran a sports shop in SedgleySedgley
Sedgley is an urban village within the West Midlands county of England. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Sedgley was formerly an ancient manor composed of several smaller villages, including Gornal, Gospel End, Woodsetton, Ettingshall, Coseley and Brierley...
in the West Midlands
West Midlands (county)
The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...
. He was known to take part in Wolves All Stars charity games from his retirement up until his last years, as well as help coach youngsters in Oldbury
Oldbury
Oldbury may refer to:*Oldbury, Western Australia, a district south of Perth, Australia*Oldbury, Shropshire, a village near Bridgnorth, England, UK*Oldbury, South Gloucestershire, a village south of Bridgnorth, England, UK...
.
He died of prostate cancer
Prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. Most prostate cancers are slow growing; however, there are cases of aggressive prostate cancers. The cancer cells may metastasize from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly...
at Russells Hall Hospital
Russells Hall Hospital
Russells Hall Hospital is an NHS-owned hospital located in Dudley, West Midlands, England.It is situated on the A4101 main road which connects Dudley with Kingswinford, and lies narrowly within Dudley's boundaries just outside Brierley Hill...
in Dudley
Dudley
Dudley is a large town in the West Midlands county of England. At the 2001 census , the Dudley Urban Sub Area had a population of 194,919, making it the 26th largest settlement in England, the second largest town in the United Kingdom behind Reading, and the largest settlement in the UK without...
at the age of 65. He had defeated a first occurrence of the illness, only to succumb after suffering a relapse.
Honours
with Wolverhampton Wanderers- Football League Second DivisionFootball League Second DivisionFrom 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
runners-up: 1966–67
with Birmingham City
- Football League Second Division runners-up: 1971–72
with Luton Town
- Football League Second Division runners-up: 1973–74