Cec Thompson
Encyclopedia
Cec Thompson was a British professional rugby league
footballer of the 1940s, '50s and '60s.
He was born in County Durham
, the son of a mother from Durham
and a Trinidadian
father. His father died when he was very young and his childhood was spent in a succession of orphanages.
Thompson took up rugby league
when working near Hunslet
. He turned out to have a natural talent for the game. He went on to play for Great Britain and Ireland and was transferred to Workington Town
in Cumbria
after which he was manager of Barrow
.
All of Thompson's games for Hunslet
and in representative matches were as a second row. For Workington
he played 164 games at second-row, twenty-two at loose forward/lock, and six on the wing. At Barrow
, with the side plagued by injury, he played two games as a second-row against Bramley
and Blackpool Borough
, to make up the numbers.
He was one of the founders of the Student Rugby League
in the UK, when along with Andrew Cudbertson and Jack Abernathy, he founded a team at the University of Leeds
in 1967.
Thompson built up his own window cleaning business, and then qualified to teach Economics with a degree from the University of Leeds
and a teaching diploma at the age of 39, initially at Dinnington Comprehensive School
and then at Chesterfield Grammar School
.
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
footballer of the 1940s, '50s and '60s.
He was born in County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
, the son of a mother from Durham
Durham
Durham is a city in north east England. It is within the County Durham local government district, and is the county town of the larger ceremonial county...
and a Trinidadian
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
father. His father died when he was very young and his childhood was spent in a succession of orphanages.
Thompson took up rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
when working near Hunslet
Hunslet
Hunslet is an inner-city area in south Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is south east of the city centre and has an industrial past.Hunslet had many engineering companies based in the district, such as John Fowler & Co...
. He turned out to have a natural talent for the game. He went on to play for Great Britain and Ireland and was transferred to Workington Town
Workington Town
Workington Town is a professional rugby league club playing in Workington in West Cumbria. They play in the Championship 1. Their stadium is called Derwent Park, which they share with Workington Comets, a speedway team....
in Cumbria
Cumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
after which he was manager of Barrow
Barrow Raiders
Barrow Raiders are an English professional rugby league team from Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, who are coached by Dave Clark. Formed in 1875 as Barrow Football Club, the club is the oldest of the current professional sports teams in Cumbria....
.
All of Thompson's games for Hunslet
Hunslet Hawks
Hunslet Hawks is a professional rugby league club based in Hunslet, West Yorkshire, England. The club, sometimes known as 'the Parksiders' after their former stadium, are currently champions of Championship One.-History:-Early years:...
and in representative matches were as a second row. For Workington
Workington Town
Workington Town is a professional rugby league club playing in Workington in West Cumbria. They play in the Championship 1. Their stadium is called Derwent Park, which they share with Workington Comets, a speedway team....
he played 164 games at second-row, twenty-two at loose forward/lock, and six on the wing. At Barrow
Barrow Raiders
Barrow Raiders are an English professional rugby league team from Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, who are coached by Dave Clark. Formed in 1875 as Barrow Football Club, the club is the oldest of the current professional sports teams in Cumbria....
, with the side plagued by injury, he played two games as a second-row against Bramley
Bramley Buffaloes
Bramley Buffaloes is a rugby league club from the Bramley area of West Leeds in West Yorkshire, England. Previously known simply as Bramley RLFC, the club is a famous name in rugby league, having existed prior to the formation of the Northern Union in 1895...
and Blackpool Borough
Blackpool Borough
Blackpool Borough was a rugby league club based in Blackpool, Lancashire.The team wore tangerine, black and white jerseys.-Blackpool Borough:...
, to make up the numbers.
He was one of the founders of the Student Rugby League
Student Rugby League
The Student Rugby League is the organisation which administrates university and college rugby league in the United Kingdom, on behalf of the Rugby Football League and BUCS....
in the UK, when along with Andrew Cudbertson and Jack Abernathy, he founded a team at the University of Leeds
University of Leeds
The University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
in 1967.
Thompson built up his own window cleaning business, and then qualified to teach Economics with a degree from the University of Leeds
University of Leeds
The University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
and a teaching diploma at the age of 39, initially at Dinnington Comprehensive School
Dinnington Comprehensive School
Dinnington Comprehensive School is a secondary school in Dinnington, in the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England. It is a coeducational comprehensive school for day pupils between the ages of 11 and 18, and takes in approximately 1,500 pupils from Dinnington and surrounding...
and then at Chesterfield Grammar School
Brookfield Community School
Brookfield Community School is a school located on Chatsworth in the west of the town of Chesterfield, Derbyshire in England.-Admissions:Brookfield Community School is a secondary school and a Sports College And A Language College...
.