Arthur Herbert Thompson
Arthur Herbert Thompson was an English soldier and amateur association football player, known for playing in the first official Superclásico of Argentine association football.
Born and raised in Sevenoaks, Thompson moved to Buenos Aires in 1911 to work as a staff member for the British Bank of South America. He started his association football career with Estudiantes from October 1911 to July 1913 making 15 appearances and scoring 8 goals, after which he moved to River Plate, where he played the first official Superclásico. He played 3 more games in 1914 before going back to England in October of that year. Thompson participated in the First World War, and died in the Battle of the Somme during the capture of Gueudecourt. He is one of the three Englishmen to have ever played in the club, and the only English River Plate player to have ever played in a Superclásico.
Early life
Thompson grew up in 6 Argyle Road, Sevenoaks along with his two brothers: Sidney Ernest Thompson and Cecil George Thompson. Thompson and his brother Sidney went to the Lady Boswell's School primary school, they moved to the Sevenoaks School for their high school. In 1908, Thompson played in the starting eleven of his school's association football team. After graduating from school, he became secretary of the Old Sennockians' Club. His father Arthur William Thompson was the Sevenoaks Post Office superintendent.Career
Estudiantes
Thompson travelled to Argentina in 1911 to work for the British Bank of South America as a staff member. Thompson's first job in a bank was at the Union of London Bank and Smith’s Bank as a clerk. He began playing Argentine association football in October 1911 with Estudiantes as a centre-forward, where he played 15 matches and scored 8 goals, one of his most important goals for the club was in the Round of 16 of the Copa de Honor against River Plate in July 1913, the club whom he joined later in the same month.River Plate
His first match in River Plate was on 24 August 1913 against Boca Juniors, where River won 2–1, making it the first official Superclásico in the history of Argentine association football. In 1914, Thompson played three more matches for River Plate as a defender: a 3-0 win against Banfield, a 2-1 win against Belgrano Athletic Club and a 2-0 loss against Racing Club. Thompson returned to England from Argentina on 3 October 1914 in the port of Liverpool, boarding the RMS Amazon. He is one of the three Englishmen to have ever played in the club, and the only English River Plate player to have ever played in a Superclásico.Military career and death
Thompson volunteered immediately after the outbreak of the First World War for the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry. Where he was a lieutenant in the 12th Battalion that arrived in December 1915, but was later attached to the 10th Battalion. Thompson already had experience in the military, as he had been a trooper in the Queen's Own West Kent Yeomanry for four years. Thompson would later temporarily become the Captain of the 10th battalion until his death in the Battle of the Somme during the Capture of Gueudecourt on 25 September 1916, After his death, his wife received this letter from Second Lieutenant F. R. Parker Dexter:His obituary would be published by the Sevenoaks Chronicle on 6 October 1916, which is cited by the Sevenoaks War Memorial, where he is remembered. Furthermore, Thompson is also remembered in the Thiepval Memorial at the Pier and Face 11 C and 12 A section, and in the Anglican Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Buenos Aires.