George Thompson
Fast facts:
Born: 1925, Hetton-le-Hill farm, County Durham
Lived: Hetton-le-Hill farm
Position: Winger
Joined Wasps: 1947
Last played: 1954
Born in 1925, at Hetton-le-Hill farm, George Thompson, a farmer by trade, played seven seasons with the Durham Wasps - from their debut in to the world of British Ice Hockey in 1947 up until 1954.
As a teenager, he was one of the many ‘local lads’ who first took to the ice at the original open air canvas-topped ice rink that opened in 1940 and remained for the duration of World War II.
By 1946 at the age of 21, he was a core member of Durham Speedskating Club and part of the septet that achieved a surprise ‘clean sweep’ of silverware at the 1946 Inter-City championships in Dundee.
A National Skating Association Bronze-medalist, George would be one of a trio of that speed team, along with Joe Stephenson and Robert ‘Butch’ Cartwright who would ultimately make the switch from speed tubes to hockey skates and go on to form the Durham Wasps.
The victorious Durham Speed team of 1946 (Thompson family)
Along with his fellow founder-Wasps, Thompson, played a series of two exhibition games in the summer of 1947 between Durham Wasps and a ‘Durham Wildcats’ side.These games would ultimately determine which players, and also, it is thought, which team name would be carried forward to fly the flag for ice hockey Durham.
While making the cut for the squad to face Kirkcaldy Flyers in Wasps’ inaugural game on 18th October 1947 (and the first ever team photo), George ultimately didn’t feature in that historic opener, and wouldn’t see regular ice time until the arrival of Coach Pat McCurry in November of that year.
A second-line winger, George did however play in the famous Durham Wasps v Nottingham Wolves game that Christmas which was the first Wasps’ game to be broadcast live on BBC radio, infront of a 4,000 capacity crowd at the Durham rink.
George netted the Wasps’ opening goal in that game within a minute of the first puck-drop, a match in which Wasps took a shock lead against Nottingham’s ‘second team’, but one that also featured a number of Canadian superstars including the famous ‘Chick’ Zamick from the national-league Panthers. Wasps ultimately went down 7-6 …but with heads held high.
George was also part of the Durham team who had the honour of being the first Wasps’ side to take to the hallowed ice at Wembley in the summer of 1948 in a friendly against Wembley Colts. Over 100 Wasps’ fans also made the journey south to witness Durham’s first ‘away game’ as part of the Empire Pool’s closing gala in preparation for the 1948 London Olympics.
The Wasps’ in ‘The Nest’ 1950. (George is 3rd from the right)
Photo credit: Carlson family
Thompson would go on to be a key player for the Wasps during their Northern Amauter Tournament years from 1948 onwards, in which Durham emerged on top for 5 seasons in a row (1949 to 1953), including two B.I.H.A Amateur play off cup wins in 1950 and ‘53 respectively.
After netting a rare hat-trick in May ‘1951, in an 11-5 game v Streatham Royals, George’s most prolific points-haul came the following season when he netted 22 goals and provided 20 assists from 31 appearances.
Thompson was the 5th top goal-scorer in the 1951/52 season for Wasps, just behind Earl Carlson, Ralph Smith, Gordie Belmore and Bill Booth (all Canadians), and impressively led the Durham-born players’ points table that year.
With 18 goals from 21 games during the 1952/53 season and 10 from 15 the following year, George began to alternate his place in the squad with up-coming Durham youngster Derek Elliot.
ALSO PLAYED IN 1953 ENGLAND GAME AND SCORED EQUALIZER
Married in January of 1954, his Wasps’ team-mates formed a hockey-sticks guard of honour outside the Deaf Hill church.
George retired at the end of the 1953/54 season, but not before icing in a Wasps v England game in March where he set up the legendary Earl Carlson for Durham’s opening first-period goal against the national side.
After hanging up the skates, George continued his farming career on his Hetton-le-Hill farm. He passed away in November 2009 at the age of 84.
Northern Daily Mail, Feb 4, 1954
George, pictured on his Hetton-le-Hill farm in 1990 (Photo: Thompson family)
