Harry Thomson

Who was Harry Thomson?

Henry Watson "Harry" Thomson was a Scottish professional footballer. He played as a goalkeeper.

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.

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.