Andy Thomson

Andrew Thomson (born 1 April 1971) is a Scottish former professional footballer, currently women's first-team assistant coach at Rangers. Thomson played in 548 league matches, scoring 194 league goals in a career that saw him play for Queen of the South, Partick Thistle, Falkirk and Stenhousemuir in Scotland and Southend United, Oxford United, Gillingham and Queens Park Rangers in England.

Playing career Queen of the South (first spell) Thomson was born in Motherwell. He signed on 28 July 1989 for Dumfries club Queen of the South from Motherwell-based boys' club Jerviston as an 18-year-old. As Thomson became more experienced the goals started to flow and never stopped in his five seasons at Palmerston Park. Arguably his finest achievement with Queens was the 1990–91 Scottish League Cup run to the quarter finals, where Queens eliminated higher division opponents Dundee and Dunfermline Athletic, before being defeated by a late goal versus Celtic at Parkhead.

Thomson scored 109 goals in all competitions during his first spell in Dumfries, with 93 of those goals scored in 175 league appearances. In season 1993–94, Thomson was Queens Player of the Year and was also awarded the Scottish Second Division's Player of the Year Award, that he also won for the 1991–92 season. Thomson was also Scottish football's top scorer for the 1993–94 season. at Roots Hall. As well as being a record transfer fee paid at that particular time by the "Shrimpers", this still remains the highest fee received by Queens.

Southend United and Oxford United Thomson played for Southend United from 1994–95 until 1997–98, where he scored 28 goals in 122 league appearances, then spent the 1998–99 season playing for Oxford United, where he scored 7 goals in 38 league appearances.

On 28 May 2000, Thomson scored the winning goal for Gillingham in the Football League Second Division play-off final at Wembley Stadium. Thomson had come on as an extra time substitute in the 97th minute of the game. Thomson scored with two minutes of play left on the clock. Following Ty Gooden's centre from the left, the diving Thomson stole in front of Stuart Balmer to glance the ball into the far corner of the net. The 3–2 win versus Wigan Athletic ensured the Kent club's first ever promotion to the second tier of English football. The club's website described the goals as, "The most iconic moment in the long history of Gillingham Football Club encapsulated in a few moments of extra time football". The "Gills" were knocked out of the FA Cup in the quarter finals, the first time they had ever reached so far, at Stamford Bridge, when they lost 5–0 to Chelsea. During his time with the London side Thomson featured as a 60th minute substitute in the 1–0 loss in the 2003 Football League Second Division play-off final to Cardiff City.

Thomson then returned to Scotland on 10 July 2003.

Thomson scored 28 goals in 67 league appearances for QPR in his two seasons at Loftus Road, which were 2001–02 and 2002–03.

Return to Scotland Thomson played for Partick Thistle in the 2003–04 season, where he scored 5 goals in 21 league appearances and then Falkirk for two seasons, which were 2004–05 and 2005–06, where he scored 9 goals in 28 league appearances and won the 2004–5 Scottish First Division title.

Thomson returned to the Doonhamers at the start of the 2006–07 season. Thomson said on his return to Queens, "Things have changed quite a bit while I've been away – a new stand, a completely new set-up and a more modern type of training system". Thomson added, "Norman Blount was an excellent chairman."

Coaching career Thomson started his coaching career as head coach of the University of Strathclyde's men's football team and he led them to the British Universities and Colleges League Championship in 2014 and 2015. Thomson then joined Edusport Academy as head coach, a football academy for young French players studying in Scotland, who currently play in the Lowland League. Thomson then joined the University of Stirling's men's football team, as assistant manager to the club's manager Shelley Kerr. In August 2017, Thomson was appointed assistant coach of the SWNT, joining up again with Shelley Kerr.

Thomson has a UEFA A-Licence and holds an MSc in Performance Coaching from the University of Stirling.

On 28 February 2025, Thomson was appointed women's first-team assistant coach at Rangers.

Honours

Player Gillingham Football League Second Division play-offs: 2000

Falkirk Scottish First Division: 2004–05 Queen of the South Player of the Year: 1993–94