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At number 48 in our '100 Players Who Shook The Kop' countdown is flying winger of the sixties, Peter Thompson.
Four years after our ground-breaking '100 Days That Shook The Kop', we are delighted to invite you to enjoy our new '100 Players Who Shook The Kop' series – the definitive countdown of the 100 players who have made the biggest impact at Liverpool.
Over 110,000 supporters have all nominated their own personal Top 10 players in order of impact made and now the definitive top 100 countdown is underway.
Every player who has made the top 100 – and there are some surprises in there - will be honoured on this website via the e-Season ticket console with a specially produced video clip, including archive footage and exclusive interviews.
Since 1892 hundreds of players have represented this club but everyone has their own particular favourites so don't expect this list to be based solely on talent. The greatness of a player can be measured in many ways – obviously, his ability on the pitch is the most important, but 100 PWSTK is much more than that. It's about the impact the individuals chosen have had on this club, be it for a variety of reasons. Maybe it was because of their unique rapport with the crowd, a specific incident that has never been forgotten or anything else that has left a lasting impression.
Name: Peter Thompson
Years at Liverpool: 1963 to 1974
Position: Winger
Date-of-birth: 27/11/1942
Birthplace: Carlisle
Signed from: Preston North End (August 1963)
Games: 415
Goals: 54
Honours: First Division Championship (1963/64, 1965/66), FA Cup (1965), Charity Shield (1964, 1966)
It took a then club record fee of £40,000 for Liverpool to acquire the services of the highly talented Peter Thompson in August 1964 but Bill Shankly was right when he later described the signing as 'daylight robbery'. The flying winger, who possessed lightening pace and intricate close control, went on to become one of the games great entertainers during his decade at Anfield. His capture was viewed as the last piece in the jigsaw as Liverpool prepared to launch an all-out assault on winning the First Division title for the first time 17 years and within nine months Thompson had justified the massive fee paid for him by inspiring the Reds to their number one objective. The Cumbrian-born England international had initially served notice of his ability in 1962 when his goal for Preston North End dumped Liverpool out of the FA Cup in a 5th round 2nd replay at an ice-bound Old Trafford. He was to make amends three years later though as the Reds won the famous old trophy for the first time in its 73-year history, for it was a wonder goal by Thompson that set Liverpool on their way to that memorable Wembley date with Leeds. Sixty-three minutes into a tense semi-final clash with Chelsea at Villa Park he jinked his way through the defence and unleashed a thunderous left foot shot past Peter Bonetti. It was Peter Thompson at his sublime best but the strike was a rare one. If there was one criticism of him, and this is being harsh, it was that he didn't score enough goals but those he did were certainly memorable. Under the watchful eye of Shanks, Thompson evolved into one of the most exciting wide men of his generation and he constantly had the fans at Anfield on the edge of their seats as his mesmerising runs tormented opposition defences. As the decade drew to a close he managed to survive Shankly’s famous mass clear out that saw many stars from the sixties side move on but come the early seventies a serious knee injury was to effectively end his Liverpool career. Thompson left the Reds to join Bolton Wanderers in 1974 before bringing the curtain down on a glittering career with a testimonial against Liverpool at Burnden Park. He remains one of the finest wingers to grace a red shirt and for a club that's been blessed with the likes of Billy Liddell and John Barnes that is some compliment.
Sold to: Bolton Wanderers (January 1974)
Claim to fame: Scoring the opener in the 1965 FA Cup semi-final victory over Chelsea
Did you know? He ran a garage on Walton Breck Road in Anfield after hanging up his boots
Where is he now? Owns a guest house in Harrogate
David Fairclough on Peter Thompson: "Thommo was the sort of glamour player of the sixties team I think. He was the type of player you could be bedazzled by his footwork and just love to watch him go past defenders. You give the ball to Peter and you knew that something was going to happen."
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