Tom "Titchie" Thompson was born in Balgownie in 1904 and became a little gem for the 1921 Australian Champions, Balgownie Football Club. "Titchie" is pictured here second from the right, with his captain, the great Judy Masters (who trained with Liverpool before he sent to Gallipoli in World War I) to his left.
Thompson was only 5 feet 4 inches tall, but he got around the heavies of the game with his agility and speed, developing a style of attacking football rarely seen in that era (except in Uruguay).
Although a natural left footed, he developed his right foot to be just as good as his left foot. He made the left wing his own when representing district and state teams. But what made Tom Thompson so outstanding was his ball control, an art he worked on to develop as a youth. One commentator was heard to say "Thompson can trap a ball, turn on a tripeny-bit and make off leaving his opponent dumbfounded".
Tom Thompson had his 18th birthday while a member of Australia's first international team on a ship traveling to New Zealand. The first match (or test as they called then) was played at Dunedin on the 17 May 1922, and although Australia were beaten 2-1, the man of the match was Thompson. The New Zealand crowd was soon amazed at this small man’s "tricks" the ball and his speed. In the second half on numerous occasions the crowd roared as Thompson turned defence into attack. After the game Thompson was mobbed by a section of the crowd patting him on the back for his spectacular display of soccer never seen before in New Zealand (not a surprising reaction from such egg chasing folk).
The first internation played in Australia was The Gabba in Brisbane. The Queensland crowd was barracking the team as it was drawing 1-1 with less than a minute to go. Then Thompson tackled an opposing forward close to his goal line and took off down the wing. At the half way line he crossed to Mitchell on the right, who immediately crossed back to Thompson on the left. The Australian No. 9 "Pudge" Maunder who somehow managed to keep pace with them and fired Thompson's final cross with his left into the roof net as the full time whistle blew. The crowd invaded the pitch and both "Pudge" Maunder and "Titchie" Thompson were carried off on the shoulders of the crowd.
Thompson was a ever present in the Australia teams of the 20s, scoring 19 goals in 19 internationals. In 1925 he was given the man of the match award against an England XI. In 1928 he played for Australia in the first international against Indonesia (or the Dutch East Indies as it was then known).
An Australian newspaper said of him in 1927, "Tommy Thompson still in his early twenties is one of the most brilliant and versatile players that New South Wales has produced, with outstanding performances against New Zealand in 1922 and 1923, Victoria 1923, Canada 1924, England 1925, China and Czechoslovakia in 1927. With his own club he can play at any position, he is a trier at all times and can drive wonderful shots at goal. He will keep the Queensland goalie busy next weekend at the Gabba Ground". Australian Egg Chasing Captain of the 1920’s Alex Ross who followed the football tests claimed "I have seen Thompson play many times and never seen any soccer player in Australia or England to execute ball control as brilliant as Thompson".
Tom Thompson (like his father) was devoted to the Balgownie Football Club and played until the start World War II. On one occasion he broke an opponents leg, and from then on was classed as a "dirty" player by some opponents. In the latter part of his career when he had lost some of his speed, he played most of his football in the back, usually as fullback.
* Credit to Vince Ward of Balgowie for the knowledge.
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