Bob Thomson
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Robert Thomson | ||
| Date of birth | 29 December 1890 | ||
| Place of birth | Croydon, England | ||
| Date of death | 1971 (aged 80–81) | ||
| Place of death | Croydon, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) | ||
| Playing position | Centre Forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| –1911 | Croydon Common | ||
| 1911–1922 | Chelsea | 83 | (23) |
|
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. | |||
Robert 'Bob' Thomson (29 December 1890 – 1971) was an English footballer who played during the early 20th century, mainly prior to World War I.
Playing as a forward, Thomson carved out a career in the game despite having only one eye, resulting from a childhood accident with a firework. When asked how he dealt with a ball coming to him on his blind side, Bob would answer: 'I just shut my other eye and play from memory.'
He started out with his local side Croydon Common[1] before joining west Londoners Chelsea in September 1911. His most successful season with Chelsea came in 1914-15, when his six goals in eight FA Cup games helped his team reach the final, where they lost to Sheffield United.[1]
When competitive football was abandoned in Britain in 1915, Thomson continued to turn out for Chelsea in unofficial wartime matches, scoring 100 goals in three seasons 1915-17. He played twice more for the club in FA cup when hostilities ended.
He made a total of 95 appearances and scored 29 goals.[2]
He signed for Charlton Athletic in 1921.