Harry Thomson (footballer)

Henry Watson Thomson (25 August 1940 – 14 March 2013) was a Scottish professional footballer. He played as a goalkeeper.[2]

Harry Thomson
Personal information
Full name Henry Watson Thomson
Date of birth (1940-08-25)25 August 1940
Place of birth Edinburgh, Scotland
Date of death 14 March 2013(2013-03-14) (aged 72)
Place of death Barrow-in-Furness, England
Playing 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)
National team
1967 Scotland XI[1] 4 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

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, an Italian newspaper called him "A god in a green jersey", after Thomson kept a clean sheet over two legs in Burnley's 3–0 aggregate victory.[3]

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.[4]

References
  1. Stephen Bell; Andre Zlotkowski (6 June 2008). "Scotland XI Tour of Asia and Oceania 1967". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 7 April 2011.
  2. "Harry Thomson". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
  3. Calley, Roy (1992). Blackpool: A Complete Record 1887–1992, p.120
  4. "Harry Thomson: 1940–2013". Burnley Football Club. 15 March 2013. Retrieved 15 March 2013.
  • Harry Thomson at Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Database
  • Calley, Roy (1992). Blackpool: A Complete Record 1887–1992. Breedon Books Sport. ISBN 1-873626-07-X.
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