Lives in Cricket No 20 - Maurice Tompkin

Chapter Four Football winters Like his father, Maurice was a very talented footballer. After his achievements at the Board School in Countesthorpe, his first sporting success was as part of the Countesthorpe United football team who played in the City League in Leicester. He was part of the team that was promoted from Division Three in 1935/36; in that season, playing on the right wing, his name frequently appeared on the score sheet, as it did in the following season when they were defeated in the City Shield semi-final. As the name suggests, the league had many teams in the city and his name was becoming well known in local football circles, inevitably coming to the attention of the city’s professional side. His early games for the Leicester City junior teams, towards the end of the 1937/38 season, were played as an amateur. In February, playing for the ‘A’ team against Chesterfield, he impressed with his speed, scoring a goal in a 2-0 victory. Playing for the Reserves against Southend Reserves, he ‘met the ball breast high, and running in, sent it into the net’ to score the fifth goal in a 6-2 drubbing, and overall he ‘showed up extremely well.’ On 12 March 1938, against Chelsea Reserves, he was described as ‘the shining light of the City forward line, and it was hard luck when a cleverly directed shot hit the upright.’ Tompkin was ‘ready to seize every opportunity, but could not register on target.’ Before the month was out he signed as a professional footballer. On 9 April he played for the Reserves in the Leicestershire Senior Cup final against Leicestershire Nomads. This was quite an occasion. The Leicester Imperial Band played, and spectators were ‘reminded that they could park their cars at Leicestershire County Cricket Club motor car park’, under the supervision of the RAC, as this was only a short walk from the football club ground at Filbert Street. No real surprise that he should make his First Division debut for Leicester City in their final match of the season. Birmingham City needed to win to keep their First Division status, but there was little at stake for Leicester who for once were not threatened with relegation themselves. This was perhaps a game he should not have played, and because of the present health and safety rules, one he would not have been allowed to play in recent years. He was concussed in the game the week before, a Reserves game against Northampton, and stayed on the pitch after the collision, but could later recall nothing of the game. 34