South Yorkshire Times December 19, 1959

Don and Dearne Schools’ Captain

Recommended For Wembley Place

Fifteen -years-old, six feet tall, 12 stones 4 lbs. in, weight—a powerful tackle which will deter any centre for ward and above all an overwhelming sense of modesty. These are the ingredients which make up one of the best schoolboy footballers, if not the best in the Don and Dearne area, Robert Eric Thompson, captain of the Don and Dearne Schools’ team.

Besides being captain of Don and Dearne, he has recently been chosen as reserve to the Yorkshire Schoolboys team which will meet Lancashire at Oakwell, on December 30th. This has conic as a big surprise to many people, the surprise being that he has not been chosen to play for the team itself.

30-Yard Goal

He has been playing for Don and Dearne for two seasons now, has been captain since the start of this season, and on Saturday he guided the team into the third round of the Yorkshire Wylie Shield when they beat South West Yorkshire 4-0 at Denaby.

Robert himself scored the best goal of the match when he hit the ball into the rack of the net from thirty yards out. beating the goalkeeper completely. No-one was more surprised to see his shot score than Robert, who realised he had kicked the bolt with his right foot, and he is a natural left footer!! Undeterred by the Yorkshire selectors’ decision, the Don and Dearne Schools’ Football Committee have confidently recommended him for a place in the England Schoolboy’s team which will play at Wembley in the near future, and now he is eagerly awaiting the news that he has been accepted for a trial .

Around Chairs at Home

Robert has been playing football for as long as he can remember, and his father, Mr Archie Thompson, told me at their home at 11, Park Hill Lane, Wombwell, “He even used to dribble round the chairs in the house when he was little.”

His father is is keen supporter, and never misses one of his matches. He travelled to Farsley, with him when he had a trial match for Yorkshire, and is always full of praise for his talented son.

“I am very proud of him, and I hope he goes much farther with his footballing career,” said Mr Thompson. So do a lot of people.

Everyone is full of praise for his footballing skill his family is teammates and his friends at school, but Robert is very modest.

“I don’t want anyone to think that I’m a big head,” he said, but there is not much fear of that.

He attends Wombwell County Secondary School (Technical Department) where he is studying for his G.C.E.

Robert trains two nights each week, open to play his way onto the Wembley turf. “If he is picked for England,” said his father, “all the family will go to Wembley.”