Ken Thomson (footballer)

Ken Thomson
Personal information
Full name	Kenneth Gordon Thomson
Date of birth	25 February 1930
Place of birth	Aberdeen, Scotland
Date of death	15 June 1969 (aged 39)
Place of death	Middlesbrough, England
Position(s)	Centre half
Youth career
	Banks O' Dee
Senior career*
Years	Team
1948–1952	Aberdeen
1952–1960	Stoke City
1960–1962	Middlesbrough
1962–1963	Hartlepools United
Total
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Kenneth Gordon "Ken" 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

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

His career was tinged with controversy surrounding his involvement in the 1964 British betting 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

Club	Season	League			FA Cup		League Cup		Total
Club	Season	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^[1]	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
Hartlepools United	Total		28	2	1	0	0	0	29	2
Career Total			419	9	32	1	20	0	471	10

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ Matthews, Tony (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. Lion Press. ISBN 0-9524151-0-0.
^ "Ken Thomson". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
^ Hodgson, Derek (17 March 1995). "Sixties scandal that shocked the game". The Independent. London. Retrieved 27 February 2012.

External links

Ken Thomson at Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Transfer Database

[The_Encyclopaedia_of_Stoke_City-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ 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.

[1]

[2]

[3]