# George Thomson (footballer, born 1936)

George Matthewson Thomson (19 October 1936 – July 2007) was a Scottish professional footballer who played for Heart of Midlothian, Everton and Brentford as a utility player. He was capped by Scotland at schoolboy and U23 levels and made two appearances for the Scottish League XI.

## Career
### Heart of Midlothian

Thomson began his career with Edinburgh City and joined Scottish League club Heart of Midlothian in April 1953. He had to wait until February 1957 to make his debut, which came in a 1–1 First Division draw with Falkirk. He went on to make six further appearances during the 1956–57 season and was thereafter a regular in the team until his departure in November 1960. He was a fixture in Hearts' 1957–58 and 1959–60 First Division title-winning teams and featured as an ever-present in the latter triumph. He also played in both the 1958 and 1959 Scottish League Cup-winning campaigns. Thomson made 161 appearances and scored 17 goals during three-and-a-half years as a first team player at Hearts.

### Everton

Thomson and Heart of Midlothian teammate Alex Young moved south to join English First Division club Everton for a combined £55,000 fee on 26 November 1960. Thomson was unable to hold a regular place in the team during his 2+1⁄2 seasons with the club, but he managed to make 20 appearances during the club's championship-winning season in 1962–63. He made 77 appearances and scored one goal for the club before departing Goodison Park in late 1963.

### Brentford

Thomson joined newly-promoted Third Division club Brentford November 1963 and stayed at Griffin Park for 4+1⁄2 years, before retiring at the end of the 1967–68 season. Thomson made 179 appearances and scored five goals for Brentford.

## International and representative career

Thomson represented Scotland at schoolboy and U23 level. While with Hearts, he made two appearances for the Scottish League XI against the Irish League XI.

## Personal life

Thomson attended Craiglockhart Primary School, Tynecastle High School and Slateford School. As a player, he was nicknamed "007", because of his looks.

## Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition :
| Club | Season | League | League | League | National Cup | National Cup | League Cup | League Cup | Europe | Europe | Other | Other | Total | Total |
| Club | Season | Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Heart of Midlothian | 1956–57 | Scottish First Division | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Heart of Midlothian | 1957–58 | Scottish First Division | 30 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 35 | 0 |
| Heart of Midlothian | 1958–59 | Scottish First Division | 34 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 49 | 11 |
| Heart of Midlothian | 1959–60 | Scottish First Division | 34 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 1 | — | — | 1 | 0 | 47 | 5 |
| Heart of Midlothian | 1960–61 | Scottish First Division | 12 | 0 | — | — | 7 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 22 | 1 |
| Heart of Midlothian | Total | Total | 117 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 29 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 161 | 17 |
| Everton | 1960–61 | First Division | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 24 | 0 |
| Everton | 1961–62 | First Division | 32 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 33 | 1 |
| Everton | 1962–63 | First Division | 19 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 20 | 0 |
| Everton | Total | Total | 73 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 77 | 1 |
| Brentford | 1963–64 | Third Division | 23 | 1 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 27 | 1 |
| Brentford | 1964–65 | Third Division | 41 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 46 | 0 |
| Brentford | 1965–66 | Third Division | 44 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 47 | 2 |
| Brentford | 1966–67 | Fourth Division | 25 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 28 | 0 |
| Brentford | 1967–68 | Fourth Division | 29 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 31 | 2 |
| Brentford | Total | Total | 162 | 5 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 179 | 5 |
| Career total | Career total | Career total | 352 | 20 | 22 | 0 | 34 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 417 | 23 |
* 1 2 3 4 Appearance in East of Scotland Shield
* 1 2 Appearances in European Cup
* ↑ Appearance in Inter-Cities Fairs Cup

## Honours

Heart of Midlothian
* Scottish League First Division: 1957–58, 1959–60
* Scottish League Cup: 1958–59, 1959–60
* East of Scotland Shield: 1957–58, 1959–60
Everton
* Football League First Division: 1962–63