One of the club's finest goalscorers of the post-war period, Thompson had two spells at Pools. He top-scored in 1957/58 with sixteen goals, and stayed with the club after the terrible finish to that season meant that they were placed in the new Division Four for the 1958/59 campaign. A good start in the bottom tier encouraged Derby to step in, and Thompson left the club. He returned in 1963 and finished top scorer in each of the next two seasons.