Aston Villa is deeply saddened to hear of the passing of former player Bobby Thomson, who has died at the age of 87.
The thoughts of everyone at the club are with Bobby’s family and friends at this difficult time.
Thomson boasted an impressive ratio of 70 goals in 172 appearances during his four years in claret and blue, yet he always claimed it should have been 71.
Although he hit a hat-trick in an 8-3 Villa Park romp against Leicester City in April 1962, the rugged, hard-working Scot argued he should have been credited with four because his shot for Villa’s third goal was going in before hitting defender Len Chalmers.
His claim was possibly made tongue-in-cheek because the match report in the Villa News & Record described his effort as being “sliced into the net by Chalmers”.
Thomson was born in Dundee on March 21, 1937, and played as an amateur with Albion Rovers and Airdrieonians before joining First Division champions Wolves in 1953 and signing professional the following year.
His first-team opportunities at Molineux were limited by the likes of Denis Wilshaw, Roy Swinbourne and Jimmy Murray. He played just one league game, scoring in a 2-0 win against Newcastle United in April 1957.
Just over two years later he was signed by Villa manager Joe Mercer for £8,000. It meant stepping down a division, Villa having been relegated the previous season, but Thomson played a major role in reviving the club’s fortunes.
He was on target on his debut, a 3-0 victory over Sunderland, and went on to score 20 league goals, supplementing 23 from Gerry Hitchens and 22 from Peter McParland as Villa bounced back to the top flight as Second Division champions.
He also contributed a dozen goals in each of Villa’s first three seasons back in the First Division, as well as helping the team to victory over Rotherham United in the first League Cup final in 1961.
Thomson was also in the Villa side beaten 3-1 on aggregate by Birmingham City in the 1963 League Cup final and in September that year he moved across the city, spending four years with Blues before ending his career with Stockport County.
He then played non-league football for Bromsgrove Rovers, Gornal and Tamworth, and in more recent years he was a club co-commentator at Villa matches.
Rest in Peace, Bobby.
