Jimmy Thompson

Jimmy Thompson

Born in West Ham in 1898, Jimmy had played for several clubs before he turned up at Luton in the summer of 1925.

Signed as a left-winger it soon became apparent that he had goals in him and was switched to centre-forward where he top scored with 25 League goals in 1925-26. In the following campaign he was averaging a goal a game before a bad injury kept him out of the side - nevertheless he still finished joint top scorer in this truncated season.

Big clubs were now taking an interest and a big fee took him to Chelsea in 1927 where he continued to score regularly. His playing career path then took a haphazard course incorporating clubs as diverse as Tunbridge Wells, Linfield and Lucerne before he was appointed manager of Dartford Town as War broke out.

His second career proved just as successful for as a super-scout he spotted the likes of Jimmy Greaves, Terry Venables, Bobby Tambling and many others for Chelsea.

Jimmy died on Epsom Racecourse in 1984.