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Ken Thomson (footballer)

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Not to be confused with Kenny Thomson.

Ken Thomson
Personal information
Full name Kenneth Gordon Thomson[1]
Date of birth 25 February 1930[1]
Place of birth Aberdeen, Scotland[1]
Date of death 15 June 1969(1969-06-15) (aged 39)[2]
Place of death Middlesbrough, England[1]
Position(s) Centre half
Youth career
Banks O' Dee
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1948–1952 Aberdeen 29 (0)
1952–1960 Stoke City 278 (6)
1960–1962 Middlesbrough 84 (1)
1962–1963 Hartlepools United 28 (2)
Total 419 (9)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Kenneth Gordon Thomson (25 February 1930 – 15 June 1969) was a Scottish footballer, who played in the Football League for Hartlepools United, Middlesbrough and Stoke City. He made 278 appearances for Stoke.[1]

Career

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Born in Aberdeen, Thomson was poised to sign for Stoke in 1946 from Scottish club Banks O' Dee but he was called up for national service in the Royal Air Force.[1] After his demob Thomson joined his home town club Aberdeen.[1] Stoke manager Frank Taylor finally got his signature for a fee of £22,000 in September 1952.[1] A strong and commanding defender Thomson was soon made captain by Taylor. His first season with the club, in 1952–53, saw relegation to the Second Division. In the final match against Derby County he chose to take a penalty awarded and missed, had he scored Stoke could have stayed up.[1]

Despite this Thomson went on to make over 300 appearances for Stoke in all competitions before new manager Tony Waddington sold him to Middlesbrough in December 1959 for £8,500.[1] He spent two seasons with Boro and ended his career with Hartlepools United.[1]

Personal life

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His career was tinged with controversy surrounding his involvement in the 1964 British football match-fixing scandal which saw him jailed for six months.[1][3] Thomson died of a heart attack in 1969 at the age of 39.[1]

Career statistics

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Source:[4]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Aberdeen 1948–49 Scottish First Division 3 0 0 0 6 0 9 0
1949–50 Scottish First Division 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
1950–51 Scottish First Division 4 0 0 0 0 0 4 0
1951–52 Scottish First Division 20 0 3 0 6 0 29 0
1952–53 Scottish First Division 0 0 0 0 6 0 6 0
Total 29 0 3 0 18 0 50 0
Stoke City 1952–53 First Division 38 2 2 0 — 40 2
1953–54 Second Division 40 2 3 0 — 43 2
1954–55 Second Division 41 0 6 1 — 47 1
1955–56 Second Division 37 0 5 0 — 42 0
1956–57 Second Division 40 0 1 0 — 41 0
1957–58 Second Division 37 0 5 0 — 42 0
1958–59 Second Division 38 2 2 0 — 40 2
1959–60 Second Division 7 0 0 0 — 7 0
Total 278 6 24 1 — 302 7
Middlesbrough 1959–60 Second Division 18 0 1 0 — 19 0
1960–61 Second Division 38 0 1 0 1 0 40 0
1961–62 Second Division 25 1 2 0 1 0 28 1
1962–63 Second Division 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 0
Total 84 1 4 0 2 0 90 1
Hartlepools United 1962–63 Fourth Division 28 2 1 0 0 0 29 2
Career total 419 9 32 1 20 0 471 10

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Matthews, Tony (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. Lion Press. ISBN 0-9524151-0-0.
  2. ^ "Ken Thomson". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  3. ^ Hodgson, Derek (17 March 1995). "Sixties scandal that shocked the game". The Independent. London. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
  4. ^ Ken Thomson at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
[edit]
  • Ken Thomson at Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Transfer Database
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