Lachie Thomson
Encyclopedia
W.J.G. "Lachie" Thomson (born 1870, date of death unknown) was an English professional footballer who played as a defender
for Stoke
in the Football League
before joining Southampton St Mary's
for the inaugural Southern League
season in 1894.
in July 1892. Stoke had struggled during the early years of the Football League
, finishing each of the first three seasons at or near the foot of the table. For the 1892–93 season, they were able to field a settled team which was reflected in their league position, finishing in seventh position. During this season, Thomson was an understudy to the former England
international left-back, Alf Underwood
, and as a consequence only made seven first-team appearances.
On 26 April 1893, he was part of a Stoke side who were invited to play a friendly match against Southampton St Mary's
, played at the County Cricket ground
in Northlands Road, Southampton
. The "Saints", who included the 18-year old Charles Miller
(considered to be the father of football in Brazil
) in their line-up, were "outplayed fairly and squarely on every point", although the spectators "thoroughly enjoyed the exhibition" and looked forward to witnessing "more matches of a similar character" in future. Also playing for Stoke were Charles Baker
, Willie Naughton
and Alf Littlehales
, all of whom were to move to Southampton within two years.
Although Underwood had effectively retired in the summer of 1893 (making only two further appearances for Stoke), Thomson now found his way into the first-team blocked by Billy Dickson, who had been moved back from inside-right. As a consequence, Thomson made only two appearances in the No. 3 shirt.
Charity Cup, played at the County Ground in April 1894, with the Saints emerging victorious, defeating the Royal Artillery 5–0 in the final. Described as "strong, with plenty of pluck, he (played) the game with judgement as well as energy".
In 1894, Southampton were one of the nine founder members of the Southern League
, which had been created to enable clubs in southern England, who were not admitted to the Football League
to play competitive football on a regular basis. For Southampton's inaugural league season, Thomson was one of three players recruited from Stoke, together with Charles Baker
and Alf Littlehales
. Thomson and Littlehales, together with Bill Jeffery
(recruited from Woolwich Arsenal) and local men George Marshall
and Ernie Taylor
, were the mainstay of the Saints' defence throughout the season
in which they finished in third place.
In the FA Cup
, Southampton played through all four qualifying rounds, scoring 31 goals to six conceded, but were defeated in the First Round proper, going out 1–4 to Football League First Division
opponents Nottingham Forest
.
The 1895–96 season
followed a similar pattern to the previous year, with Southampton finishing third, behind Millwall Athletic
and Luton Town
, and reaching the First Round proper of the FA Cup, where they were defeated by a First Division club; this time it was Sheffield Wednesday
who ran out 3–2 victors. Thomson appeared in all five Cup matches as well as twelve league matches, occasionally playing at left-half.
In 1896, he moved to the Isle of Wight
, to join Cowes
. In his two years with Southampton, he made a total of 37 appearances, scoring twice.
in Division Two South-West in 1898
. Cowes took the Division title, winning all ten matches played. The overall Southern League Division Two title went to Thames Ironworks
after a play-off match; Cowes were then required to contest a Test Match against the Royal Artillery, which was won 4–1.
Unfortunately, Cowes were unable to survive financially in the Southern League First Division and, after 13 matches, they withdrew from the competition.
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
for Stoke
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
in the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
before joining Southampton St Mary's
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
for the inaugural Southern League
Southern Football League
The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
season in 1894.
Stoke
Thomson was born in Chatham, Kent and joined StokeStoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
in July 1892. Stoke had struggled during the early years of the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
, finishing each of the first three seasons at or near the foot of the table. For the 1892–93 season, they were able to field a settled team which was reflected in their league position, finishing in seventh position. During this season, Thomson was an understudy to the former England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
international left-back, Alf Underwood
Alf Underwood
Alfred "Alf" Underwood was an English footballer who played 130 times for Stoke in the 1880s and 1890s.-Career:...
, and as a consequence only made seven first-team appearances.
On 26 April 1893, he was part of a Stoke side who were invited to play a friendly match against Southampton St Mary's
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
, played at the County Cricket ground
County Ground, Southampton
The County Ground in Southampton, England was a former cricket and football ground. It was the home of Hampshire County Cricket Club from the 1885 English cricket season until the 2000 English cricket season...
in Northlands Road, Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
. The "Saints", who included the 18-year old Charles Miller
Charles William Miller
Charles William Miller was a Brazilian sportsman, who is considered to be the father of football in Brazil.-Early life:...
(considered to be the father of football in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
) in their line-up, were "outplayed fairly and squarely on every point", although the spectators "thoroughly enjoyed the exhibition" and looked forward to witnessing "more matches of a similar character" in future. Also playing for Stoke were Charles Baker
Charles Baker (footballer)
Charles Baker was an English professional footballer who played as an inside forward in Southampton's inaugural season in the Southern League.-Playing career:...
, Willie Naughton
Willie Naughton
William A. "Willie" Naughton was a Scottish professional footballer, who played as an outside-forward for various clubs in Scotland and England in the 1880s and 1890s, including Celtic, Stoke and Southampton...
and Alf Littlehales
Alf Littlehales
Alfred "Alf" Littlehales was an English professional footballer who played at centre-half for Southampton in the 1890s.-Football career:...
, all of whom were to move to Southampton within two years.
Although Underwood had effectively retired in the summer of 1893 (making only two further appearances for Stoke), Thomson now found his way into the first-team blocked by Billy Dickson, who had been moved back from inside-right. As a consequence, Thomson made only two appearances in the No. 3 shirt.
Southampton
By the end of the season, Thomson had moved to Southampton, and appeared in the "Saints" matches in the Hampshire County Cricket ClubHampshire County Cricket Club
Hampshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Hampshire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1863 as a successor to the Hampshire county cricket teams and has played at the Antelope Ground from then until 1885, before moving to the County Ground where it...
Charity Cup, played at the County Ground in April 1894, with the Saints emerging victorious, defeating the Royal Artillery 5–0 in the final. Described as "strong, with plenty of pluck, he (played) the game with judgement as well as energy".
In 1894, Southampton were one of the nine founder members of the Southern League
Southern Football League
The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
, which had been created to enable clubs in southern England, who were not admitted to the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
to play competitive football on a regular basis. For Southampton's inaugural league season, Thomson was one of three players recruited from Stoke, together with Charles Baker
Charles Baker (footballer)
Charles Baker was an English professional footballer who played as an inside forward in Southampton's inaugural season in the Southern League.-Playing career:...
and Alf Littlehales
Alf Littlehales
Alfred "Alf" Littlehales was an English professional footballer who played at centre-half for Southampton in the 1890s.-Football career:...
. Thomson and Littlehales, together with Bill Jeffery
William Jeffrey (footballer)
William Walls Jeffrey was an English footballer who played in defence for various teams, including Burnley, Woolwich Arsenal and Southampton St. Mary's in the 1890s.-Football career:Jeffrey was born in Dalderby, near Horncastle, Lincolnshire...
(recruited from Woolwich Arsenal) and local men George Marshall
George Marshall (footballer)
George Marshall was an English amateur footballer who played in defence for Southampton St. Mary's in the 1890s. He was the only player to appear in both Southampton's first-ever FA Cup match and first-ever League match...
and Ernie Taylor
Ernie Taylor (footballer born 1869)
Ernest James "Ernie" Taylor was an English amateur footballer who played for Southampton in the club's first two years in the Southern League.-Football career:...
, were the mainstay of the Saints' defence throughout the season
Southern Football League 1894-95
The 1894-95 season was the first in the history of the Southern League. Sixteen clubs joined the new league, which was split into two divisions...
in which they finished in third place.
In the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
, Southampton played through all four qualifying rounds, scoring 31 goals to six conceded, but were defeated in the First Round proper, going out 1–4 to Football League First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
opponents Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
.
The 1895–96 season
Southern Football League 1895-96
The 1895-96 season was the second in the history of the Southern League. Millwall Athletic won Division One for the second successive season.-Division One:...
followed a similar pattern to the previous year, with Southampton finishing third, behind Millwall Athletic
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
and Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
, and reaching the First Round proper of the FA Cup, where they were defeated by a First Division club; this time it was Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
who ran out 3–2 victors. Thomson appeared in all five Cup matches as well as twelve league matches, occasionally playing at left-half.
In 1896, he moved to the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
, to join Cowes
Cowes Sports F.C.
Cowes Sports F.C. is a football club based in Cowes, Isle of Wight, England. They were established in 1881.The history of Cowes Football Club can be traced back to 1881, when the club was originally formed, although competitive action did not arrive until 1886 in the shape of the Hants and Dorset...
. In his two years with Southampton, he made a total of 37 appearances, scoring twice.
Cowes
Thomson remained with Cowes until the turn of the century, helping them to join the Southern LeagueSouthern Football League
The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
in Division Two South-West in 1898
Southern Football League 1898-99
The 1898-99 season was the fifth in the history of the Southern League. Southampton were Division One champions for the third season in a row. Division Two was split into two regional leagues, with the overall Division Two champions being decided in a playoff in which Thames Ironworks defeated...
. Cowes took the Division title, winning all ten matches played. The overall Southern League Division Two title went to Thames Ironworks
Thames Ironworks F.C.
Thames Ironworks Football Club, the club that later became West Ham United, was founded by Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Co. Ltd owner Arnold Hills and foreman Dave Taylor in 1895. Thames Ironworks took over the tenancy of The Old Castle Swifts' Hermit Road ground in Canning Town until their...
after a play-off match; Cowes were then required to contest a Test Match against the Royal Artillery, which was won 4–1.
Unfortunately, Cowes were unable to survive financially in the Southern League First Division and, after 13 matches, they withdrew from the competition.
Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Stoke Stoke City F.C. Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts... |
1892–93 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| 1893–94 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| Southampton St Mary's Southampton F.C. Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club... |
1894–95 | 15 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 20 | 2 |
| 1895–96 | 12 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 17 | 0 | |
| Career Total | 36 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 46 | 2 | |
Honours
CowesCowes Sports F.C.
Cowes Sports F.C. is a football club based in Cowes, Isle of Wight, England. They were established in 1881.The history of Cowes Football Club can be traced back to 1881, when the club was originally formed, although competitive action did not arrive until 1886 in the shape of the Hants and Dorset...
- Southern LeagueSouthern Football LeagueThe Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
Division Two South-West champions: 1898-99Southern Football League 1898-99The 1898-99 season was the fifth in the history of the Southern League. Southampton were Division One champions for the third season in a row. Division Two was split into two regional leagues, with the overall Division Two champions being decided in a playoff in which Thames Ironworks defeated...