Henry Watson Thomson (25 August 1940 – 14 March 2013) was a Scottish professional footballer. He played as a goalkeeper.[4]
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Henry Watson Thomson[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 25 August 1940 | ||
| Place of birth | Edinburgh, Scotland | ||
| Date of death | 14 March 2013 (aged 72) | ||
| Place of death | Barrow-in-Furness, England | ||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –1959 | Bo'ness United | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1959–1969 | Burnley | 117 | (0) |
| 1969–1971 | Blackpool | 61 | (0) |
| 1971–1972 | Barrow | 40 | (0) |
| Total | 218 | (0) | |
| International career | |||
| 1967 | Scotland[3] | 2 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Thomson was born in Edinburgh, but began his professional career with English club, Burnley, having joined the Clarets from Scottish junior side Bo'ness United in 1959. In a decade at Turf Moor, he made 117 league appearances. After a 1966–67 Fairs Cup third-round tie against Napoli, the Daily Express called him "a God in a green jersey", after Thomson kept a clean sheet over two legs in Burnley's 3–0 aggregate victory.[5]
Thomson made two appearances for the Scotland national team during a 1967 overseas tour that the Scottish Football Association decided in October 2021 to reclassify as full internationals.[6]
In 1969, he joined Burnley's Lancashire rivals Blackpool for £5,000. He made his debut in the first game of the 1969–70 season, on 9 August 1969, in a 2–1 victory over Portsmouth at Bloomfield Road. He played in all but two of Blackpool's 48 league and cup games that season, displacing Alan Taylor.
In Thomson's second and final season at Blackpool, 1970–71, he made 21 league appearances. His final game for the club occurred on 13 February 1971, in a 2–0 defeat at Coventry City.
Thomson finished his thirteen-year career at Barrow in 1972.
He died of throat cancer on 14 March 2013, and was survived by his wife, two children and four grandchildren.[7]
References edit
- Specific
- ^ Gorman, Douglas; Tossani, Gabriele (30 September 2021). "Scotland Unofficial Matches 1960-1967". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
- ^ "Harry Thomson". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
- ^ Stephen Bell; Andre Zlotkowski (6 June 2008). "Scotland XI Tour of Asia and Oceania 1967". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 7 April 2011.
- ^ "Harry Thomson". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
- ^ Calley, Roy (1992). Blackpool: A Complete Record 1887–1992, p.120
- ^ "Former Scotland players to be recognised with international caps including Sir Alex Ferguson". scottishfa.co.uk. Scottish Football Association. 9 October 2021. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
- ^ "Harry Thomson: 1940–2013". Burnley Football Club. 15 March 2013. Retrieved 15 March 2013.
- General
- Harry Thomson at Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Transfer Database
- Calley, Roy (1992). Blackpool: A Complete Record 1887–1992. Breedon Books Sport. ISBN 1-873626-07-X.