The "Saints", who included the 18-year-old Charles Miller (considered to be the father of football in Brazil[3]) in their line-up, were "outplayed fairly and squarely on every point", although the spectators "thoroughly enjoyed the exhibition" and looked forward to witnessing "more matches of a similar character" in future.
Although Underwood had effectively retired in the summer of 1893 (making only two further appearances for Stoke), Thomson now found his way into the first-team blocked by Billy Dickson, who had been moved back from inside-right.
For Southampton's inaugural league season, Thomson was one of three players recruited from Stoke, together with Charles Baker and Alf Littlehales.
Thomson and Littlehales, together with Bill Jeffery (recruited from Woolwich Arsenal) and local men George Marshall and Ernie Taylor, were the mainstay of the Saints' defence throughout the season in which they finished in third place.
[7] The 1895–96 season followed a similar pattern to the previous year, with Southampton finishing third, behind Millwall Athletic and Luton Town, and reaching the First Round proper of the FA Cup, where they were defeated by a First Division club; this time it was Sheffield Wednesday who ran out 3–2 victors.