Former Central School pupil and footballer dies

Grantham Town legend, Colin Thompson has died. He was 78.

Colin made 310 appearances and scored 93 times in the two spells he had with the club in the 60s and 70s

He brought supporters many memories in both League and FA Cup triumphs.

Peter Colin Thompson was born in Mombassa, Kenya.  When his family returned to England, he became a pupil at the Boys Central School, where he was captain of the school soccer team – as a goalkeeper.

After school, he joined Grantham Colts.

He scored on his Grantham Town debut in the final league fixture of the 1960/61 season at Spalding United and then, in his first game after the Summer break at Skegness Town, netted four more goals. Colin played in that season’s FA Cup First Round tie at Brierley Hill Alliance and the victorious Lincolnshire Senior Cup Final at home to Boston United.

The following season he made only 10appearances, but by the 1963/64 campaign, Colin was playing some of his best football and helped put Grantham well on their way to the Midland League Championship, before his final match at Long Eaton United in March.

He soon signed for Peterborough United for what was described by the club as “a quite reasonable fee” and had a successful spell there making 94 appearances and scoring 18 goals, using his first Christian name of Peter, until the end of the decade.

He returned to Grantham after a brief spell at Nuneaton Borough for the start of the 1970/71 season at Belper and Colin was soon awarded the club captaincy.

Within a couple of weeks he had shown the fans that he was still as good as ever by putting four goals past the Retford Town keeper.

The  following Spring though, with appearances in both legs of the Midland League Cup Final, plus the season finished with a League Championship medal. In the 1971/72 campaign he played in the FA Trophy Quarter-Final match at home to Yeovil Town and won a County Cup winner’s medal after the team defeated Scunthorpe United, to go with his award for the team’s second consecutive Midland League title.

His prominence continued in the side as they progressed into the Southern League, winning another League Championship, and he also played in the November 1972 FA Cup First Round Proper at Bradford City.

Colin missed just two League Cup ties during the 1973/74 season, giving him more FA Cup memories as the club beat Hillingdon Borough and Rochdale in the Proper rounds, before finally going out to Jack Charlton’s Middlesbrough side.

He scored his final goal for the club in March 1975 at home to Stourbridge, with his last appearance at the end of the same month at Burton Albion when he suffered a broken leg.

Colin moved to the Peterborough area and returned to his original career as a motor vehicle technician.