Billy Thompson
British rugby league referee
About Billy Thompson
Lived 1933 – 2021 (aged 87–88). Billy Thompson was a British.
William Henry Thompson MBE (21 September 1933 – February 2021) was a British rugby league referee. He refereed 17 Test matches, including the World Cup final in 1977. He also refereed three Challenge Cup Finals.
Thompson was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 1985 Birthday Honours for services to rugby league.
Biography Born in Huddersfield, Thompson was an aspiring footballer in his younger years, and was on the books at Gillingham, but failed to make the grade. He became a referee, and was added to the Rugby Football League's Grade One referee's list during the 1967–68 season.
He took charge of his first Challenge Cup final in 1971, and became the first referee to send off a player in a Challenge Cup final when he dismissed Syd Hynes for an alleged headbutt on Alex Murphy.
In 1980, he refereed the inaugural State of Origin game between Queensland and New South Wales in Australia.
His final game as a referee was the 1984 Challenge Cup final, after which he was forced to retire, aged 50.
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Important facts
People in Billy Thompson's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Billy Thompson's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Billy Thompson?
British rugby league referee (1933-2021)
When was Billy Thompson born?
Billy Thompson was born on 21 September 1933.
When did Billy Thompson die?
Billy Thompson died in 2021.
What nationality was Billy Thompson?
Billy Thompson was British.
Sources & further reading
· DBpedia: Billy Thompson (referee)
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Billy Thompson. https://biography.guide/billy-thompson-1933/
MLA: "Billy Thompson." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/billy-thompson-1933/.
Chicago: "Billy Thompson." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/billy-thompson-1933/.
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