Biography
Centre forward Dennis Thompson began a trial with the Tigers in March 1947 having impressed with his local side Whitburn Colliery – Dennis was born and raised in Whitburn, a coastal village between Sunderland and South Shields. He scored prodigiously for the reserves over the next few weeks, including a five goal haul in an East Riding Cup game against Filey Town, and in April 1947 he was given special dispensation by the Football Association to register as a professional player so late in the season. After making his debut at outside left, he moved to centre forward for his second start against Accrington Stanley and celebrated by scoring a hattrick in a 3-0 win. In a hectic May fixture schedule caused by numerous winter postponements, Thompson played three more times and scored again on the final day of the season against New Brighton.
Retained for the 1947/48 season, Dennis started the opening four fixtures and scored braces against Lincoln City on the opening day and Accrington Stanley a week later. However in early September Thompson was dropped down to the Reserves when City signed Norman Moore from Grimsby Town, and the consistency of Moore rendered Dennis surplus to requirements – he was placed on the transfer list in January 1948 and left shortly after with a remarkable record of eight goals in nine starts, five of those goals scored against one club.
In February 1948 Thompson returned to his North East roots and signed for North Eastern League side South Shields, a club he served for four years. By 1954 he had given up the game and was working as a fitter at Whitburn Colliery. He died in Sunderland in September 2001.
Details
Nationality: England
Date/Place of Birth: 10 April 1924, Whitburn
Hull City First Game: 19 April 1947, Barrow A (Division Three North), 23 years, 9 days old
Hull City Final Game: 2 September 1947, Rochdale A (Division Three North), 23 years, 145 days old
Clubs
Whitburn Colliery, Hull City (1947-1948), South Shields (1948-1952)
Hull City Record
Career: 9 apps, 8 goals
Dennis Thompson| Season | LGE App | LGE Gls | FAC App | FAC Gls | FLC App | FLC Gls | EUR App | EUR Gls | OTH App | OTH Gls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1946/47 | 5 | 4 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1947/48 | 4 | 4 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |