To read about the free Arsenal video collection and about the Arsenal History Society, please see the note at the foot of this article.
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by Tony Attwood
When I heard that Thomas had signed for Liverpool on this day in 1991 I thought it was a joke – a stupid wind-up. Thomas, the man who had really hurt Liverpool in more ways than can be imagined, had moved to the team we beat to the title in 1989 and 1991.
WTF is going on? is just about all I could think.
Thomas signed for us in 1982, became a pro aged 17 in 1984 and went on loan to Portsmouth. He made his first team début in February 1987 in a minor game: the league cup semi-final against Tottenham H. We lost 1-0 but won the second leg 2-1. Thus was born the fanzine 1-0 down 2-1 up. (The second leg was the one where the Tottenham PA announcer gave out details of tickets for the final at halftime. I wonder what he’s doing now).
That same month he started playing in the league games and was initially seen as a full back who scored. When Dixon came in as the preferred right back, it was obvious to move him forward into midfield. In his first season in midfield we won the league, thanks to a goal a couple of minutes from the end of a game at Liverpool. You may have heard tell of it. Or perhaps even seen the video.
So we get to 26 May 1989. Liverpool had already won the FA Cup, and were going for their second double – which up to that point no one had done. You know what happened.
Thomas was still with us two years on for the 1990/1 title – the one where the FA docked us two points, and we spent the whole of the last game (having already won the title) singing over and over again, “You can stick your ******** two points up your arse”. I was there; I remember the tears of joy and hilarity – for the first time since the Double we had won the league. Being of the older generation I don’t normally find crudities amusing, but that one has always stayed with me and still makes me smirk.
Thomas played 206 games, and scored 30. But it is said that he and George Graham had a row in 1991 and so he was sold to that team from up north. Souness paid £1.5m for him.
In 1992 he won the FA Cup, and scored the opening goal but thereafter was little more than a squad player, chosen behind Redknapp and Barnes.
By February 1998 he was offered out on loan and went to Middlesbrough followed by Benfica (who by then had Souness in charge). When Souness suffered his inevitable sacking (thus qualifying him to be a commentator on Sky etc) Thomas joined Wimbledon on 29 July 2000 playing nine times before giving up football.
He then set up a security service with Nigel Spackman and has played for the Liverpool legends side. Last I heard he was (inexplicably) still living in Liverpool.
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For details of the videos sorted by club, and videos in the order we published them, plus our 21 golden great videos please see here.
100 Years in the First Division: the absolute complete story of Arsenal’s promotion in 1919.
Henry Norris at the Arsenal: There is a full index to the series here.
Arsenal in the 1930s: The most comprehensive series on the decade ever
Arsenal in the 1970s: Every match and every intrigue reviewed in detail.3 December 1949
