Only just read the news about Mickey Thomas.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/47184051

 

All of us who remember the wonderful John Neal Chelsea team of the 80's will have nothing but good memories of Mickey. A great player who gave his all every time he played.

For the younger Chelsea fans who don't know him it is worth researching Mickey's life story. An interesting character to say the least. It would make a good film.

Also found this thread from @Backbiter in the Shed End archives.

https://www.theshedend.com/topic/17498-mickey-thomas/

 

 

Good luck Mickey, pray you can beat this.

Edited February 9, 20197 yr by just

All the very best Mickey Thomas.

I remember Mickey scoring a beautiful goal against Wednesday in the Milk Cup, 1985 I think.

Keep fighting Mickey.

One of the most memorable games in our history and I was lucky enough to be there. Mickey with the assist for the second and scoring the third himself.

 

Yes , keep fighting Mickey.

Just got back from the pub and i shall refrain from mentioning today's game. What i did want to mention was a past Chelsea player. Mickey Thomas.1984/85, 44Apps and 9 goals. He has been diagnosed with Stomach Cancer at the age of 64. there is fund raiser campaign ,https://www.gofundme.com/help-mickey-t-fight-cancer. so any thing you can give would help. Thanks. 

3 minutes ago, Mart584 said:

Just got back from the pub and i shall refrain from mentioning today's game. What i did want to mention was a past Chelsea player. Mickey Thomas.1984/85, 44Apps and 9 goals. He has been diagnosed with Stomach Cancer at the age of 64. there is fund raiser campaign ,https://www.gofundme.com/help-mickey-t-fight-cancer. so any thing you can give would help. Thanks. 

https://www.theshedend.com/topic/32449-mickey-thomas/

 

 

Thanks, I should have checked.

Apologies if already posted elsewhere.

https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/2019/2/14/there-s-only-one---?cardIndex=0-4

Mickey Thomas faces the biggest battle of his life – but he will do it with the full backing of the Chelsea faithful, with whom he shared a unique relationship during his brief stint at the Bridge.

Former Blues ace Thomas was recently diagnosed with stomach cancer, for which he is now receiving treatment, and the whole footballing community has got behind one of the game’s great characters to show him their support.

‘I’ve had messages from all around the world, I have never seen anything like it,’ said Thomas earlier this week. ‘I didn’t know I was that well liked.’

While he is still a regular at the home of our next FA Cup opponents, Manchester United, where works on their in-house TV station, Thomas also has a very special relationship with Blues fans of a certain vintage, after hitting it off with them immediately after joining the club in 1984.

‘The fans here are incredible,’ said the former Wales international in an interview with the club’s magazine a few years back. ‘I scored two goals and setup the other on my home debut against Sheffield Wednesday – you don’t get off to a much better start than that.

‘I remember Joey Jones telling me to go to Gate 13 if I scored and I think that endeared me to the Chelsea fans. I went in there with a gold chain on and came out without it!’

That was part of a lengthy unbeaten start to his time in west London, as he was the final piece in John Neal’s jigsaw puzzle to help secure our return to the top flight as champions of the Second Division.

Much of that team was well loved by the supporters, having helped turn around the fortunes of a club which had previously been languishing in the second tier, but Thomas was certainly among those to have the most adulation bestowed upon them.

‘I think fans love players who give everything and I think I typified that at most teams I played at,’ he explains. ‘If you’re not doing well but you’re still giving 110 per cent, the fans will stick with you.

‘I remember my first game against Chelsea after joining West Brom. The fans sung my name from beginning to end and the manager, Nobby Stiles, said to me, “I don’t know what you did at Chelsea, but you must have been some player. I’ve won the World Cup and European Cup and I’ve never seen a player get a reception like that before in my life”.

‘I had it again when I played them while I was at Shrewsbury Town and the fans were singing for me to score a goal! I just didn’t want to play against Chelsea.’

It may have been short and sweet, but it seems that nothing will ever match his time as one of the Kings of the King’s Road.

‘It was great for me to join a team like Chelsea. I think it took me about five seconds to agree to the move.

‘There were so many characters there, too, and we had all the ingredients to be successful – everyone got on well. The team was there too. We had Dixon and Speedie up front, a no-nonsense midfielder like Johnny Bumstead. And Pat Nevin, of course, was a genius. I played the best football of my career at Chelsea, without a doubt.’

The last word on Thomas, however, goes to the late Scott Cheshire, a Chelsea historian who could capture the essence of a footballer like no other.

‘He captivated his new fans with enthusiasm, boundless energy and industry,’ wrote Cheshire in his book “The Legends of Chelsea”, which is essential reading for any Blues fan. ‘No one ran throughout the 90 minutes of a game so apparently unceasingly, cajoling his team-mates to emulate his example – his indomitable fighting spirit was infectious.

‘At times his refusal to come out of any tackle, or situation, second-best brought him into conflict with opponents or referees, but under the surface there was always a lurking sense of fun.’

One of those oft-referred to great characters who are apparently missing from the modern game – there’s only one Mickey Thomas and everyone at Chelsea Football Club is behind you.

Some positive news:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/amp/football/48390089

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/48390089

Former Wales winger Mickey Thomas says he is cancer free following an operation.

The 64-year-old was diagnosed with stomach cancer in January and began treatment soon after.

In a social media post, Thomas said: "After a massive operation I have just found out today I am cancer free.

"I still have a 9 week chemo course as an insurance policy and a long road to recovery."

He added: "Thank you for all the support and especially to the people who operated on me and saved my life."

Thomas won 51 caps for Wales and spent three years at Manchester United, from 1978-1981, and nine seasons with Wrexham across two spells, making his final appearance in 1993, aged 38.

He famously scored the equaliser with a superb free-kick when the Welsh club, then of the fourth tier, knocked out league champions Arsenal in the 1992 FA Cup third round.

He has been a co-commentator on Manchester United games on local radio in recent years.

During his 22-year playing career, Thomas also played for Everton, Brighton, Stoke, Chelsea, West Bromwich Albion, Derby, Shrewsbury and Leeds.

 

Boyne posted some good news about Mickey T on Vintage Blues and film page 517 earlier.