Bob Thompson (footballer, born February 1890)

Robert Thompson (27 February 1890 – 1958) was an English professional footballer who made 154 appearances in the Football League playing as a full back for Leicester Fosse, Everton, Millwall and Tranmere Rovers. He was a regular in the Everton team that won the 1914–15 Football League title.

Bob Thompson
Personal information
Full name Robert Thompson[1]
Date of birth (1890-02-27)27 February 1890[1]
Place of birth Bell's Close, Scotswood, England
Date of death 1958 (aged 67–68)[1]
Position(s) Full back
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Blaydon
Swalwell
19??–1911 Scotswood
1911–1913 Leicester Fosse 27 (0)
1913–1921 Everton 83 (0)
1921–1922 Millwall 9 (0)
1922–1923 Tranmere Rovers 35 (5)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Life and career

Thompson was born in 1890 in Bell's Close, Scotswood, Northumberland. He was a younger son of William Dann Thompson, a cartman, and his wife, Dorothy.[2][3] The 1911 Census finds him living with his widowed mother and younger brother, still in Bell's Close, and working as a sand extraction labourer.[4]

Thompson played non-league football in the Newcastle area for Blaydon, Swalwell and Scotswood[1] before signing for Football League Second Division club Leicester Fosse in 1911. He made his debut on 16 September in a 4–1 defeat away to Nottingham Forest, and made nine league appearances in the 1911–12 season. He appeared more often in the following season,[2] and attracted the attention of First Division club Everton. He and team-mate George Harrison signed for Everton in April 1913 for a fee of £750 the pair.[5]

Thompson made his first appearance on 4 October 1913 in a 2–0 win at home to Middlesbrough and was almost ever-present for the rest of the season.[1] Having finished 15th in 1913–14, Everton won the 1914–15 Football League title as well as reaching the semi-final of the FA Cup. Thompson played in 33 of the 38 league matches and all 5 cup-ties.[1] He acted as club captain during the First World War, giving way to Tom Fleetwood when competitive football resumed.[6] Injury interfered with Thompson's later career at Everton: he made 17 appearances in the first post-war season but rarely played in 1920–21, new signing Jock McDonald being preferred to partner Dickie Downs at full back, and was listed for transfer.[1][7]

He signed for Millwall, but made only nine appearances in the Third Division South and returned north at the end of the season to join Tranmere Rovers as captain.[1][8] He played regularly, making 35 appearances in the Third Division North, and scored his first Football League goal from the penalty spot in a 4–1 defeat to Stalybridge Celtic on 2 September 1922.[1] He retired at the end of the season and took a pub, the Albany Hotel in Kirkdale, Liverpool.[9]

Thompson died in 1958.[1]

References
  1. "Player search: Thompson, R (Bob)". English National Football Archive. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  2. "Robert Thompson". FoxesTalk. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  3. "1891 England Census for Robert Thompson". RG12/4243 95 – via Ancestry.com.
  4. "1911 England Census for Robert Thompson". RG14/30879 – via Ancestry.com.
  5. "Everton Transfers: 1913/14". EFCStatto. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  6. "Everton Captains". EFCStatto. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  7. "Thompson leaving Everton". Sports Special. Sheffield. 11 June 1921. p. 3.
  8. "Tranmere". Athletic News. Manchester. 7 August 1922. p. 7.
  9. "Bob Thompson setles down". Liverpool Echo. 31 August 1923. p. 7.
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