Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer – Thursday 19 February 1948

Band Met Billy Thompson but Family Missed Him

Reunion on The Road Home

Billy Thompson, coming home after winning the European lightweight championship in London, yesterday, arrived at Doncaster Station to-day to find a band and an excited crowd of supporters waiting for him, but not the taxi which was to have brought his mother and three sisters up for a fight for the World Lightweight Title with the holder, Ike Williams.

In a Yorkshire Post car – , with his brother, Tom, and his fiancee’s father, Mr. Lloyd, he began the journey to Hickleton. A bus carrying the Hickleton Main Colliery Band and escort of police cars led the way.

Three miles out of Doncaster, the procession met the taxi, carrying Thompson’s mother and sisters Mollie (17), Betty (15), and Pamela (13). The taxi sped on towards the town, but quickly turned round.

Spoke From Car

At Thurnscoe Billy and his family were reunited. He got into their taxi and, with the sliding roof pushed back, he waved to the crowds who stood in doorways, leant from windows and gathered round his car.

Speaking from the car he said: “I want to thank everybody for this grand reception. Thank you all very much indeed. But if you don’t mind, I would like to get something to eat.”

Before Thompson left, Mr. George Rowley, secretary of the Hickleton branch of the National Union Mineworkers, expressed Thumscoe’s thanks to him for bringing yet another honour the village. When Thompson went into his home, children streamed into the front and back gardens to peer through the windows as he showed the prize money to his mother, his gloves to his amateur boxer brother, Tommy, and some picture books had brought back his sister, Pamela.

Thompson had hoped to spend a quiet evening playing his gramophone records, but went to a celebration arranged for him at the social club to which he belongs.