Tom Johnson (footballer, born 1926)

Thomas Johnson (5 March 1926 – 9 December 2018), known as Tom or Tommy Johnson, was an English footballer who played as a left half or inside forward in the Football League for Darlington and Bradford Park Avenue.[3] He later worked as a physiotherapist for Hartlepool United and Middlesbrough.

Tom Johnson
Personal information
Full name Thomas Johnson[1]
Date of birth (1926-03-05)5 March 1926[1]
Place of birth Stockton-on-Tees, England
Date of death 9 December 2018(2018-12-09) (aged 92)[2]
Position(s) Left half, inside forward
Youth career
Seaton Holy Trinity
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1945–1947 Middlesbrough 0 (0)
1947–194? Darlington 6 (1)
194?–1949 Stockton
1949–1952 Horden Colliery Welfare
1952–1953 Bradford Park Avenue 1 (0)
1953–1954 Annfield Plain
1954–19?? Horden Colliery Welfare
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Life and career

Johnson was born in Stockton-on-Tees.[1] He played football for Seaton Holy Trinity before signing professional forms with Middlesbrough in early 1945.[1][4] He played for their first team in wartime football,[5] but made no appearances in the Football League once that competition resumed, and joined Darlington in August 1947.[1] He made his senior debut in the opening match of the 1947–48 Third Division North season, a 4–2 defeat away to Carlisle United, and appeared in four of the next five fixtures, scoring in a 1–1 draw at home to Gateshead on 1 September. He made one more league appearance later in the season,[6] and then moved into non-league football with Stockton and Horden Colliery Welfare.[7] Johnson signed for Bradford Park Avenue in August 1952. Apart from one league appearance,[1] away to Barrow in September,[8] he played reserve-team football before moving back into non-league with Annfield Plain and a further spell with Horden CW.[9]

After his retirement at the age of 30 due to a head injury, Johnson retrained as a physiotherapist. He went on to work for Hartlepool United for 25 years, before moving to Middlesbrough in 1986.[10]

References
  1. "Tom Johnson". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  2. Fox, Debra (23 December 2018). "Tommy Johnson: 10 touching pictures from funeral of Hartlepool and Middlesbrough FC physio". Hartlepool Mail. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  3. "Tom Johnson". UK A–Z Transfers. Neil Brown. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  4. "League". Northern Daily Mail. West Hartlepool. 10 February 1945. p. 7 – via British Newspaper Archive. I also hear that the latter have verified the high opinion they hold of Tommy Johnson, the Seaton player, and have now signed him on professional forms.
  5. "Seaton Holy Trinity". Northern Daily Mail. West Hartlepool. 19 October 1948. p. 7 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. Tweddle, Frank (2000). The Definitive Darlington F.C. Nottingham: SoccerData. pp. 44, 104. ISBN 978-1-899468-15-7.
  7. Argus (9 December 1949). "World of Sport". Sunderland Daily Echo. p. 15 – via British Newspaper Archive. ...recently signed from Stockton and has already made several appearances for the Horden senior and reserve sides
  8. "More Bradford changes". Yorkshire Post. 5 September 1952. p. 3 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. "Johnson back with his old club". Sunderland Daily Echo. 19 February 1954. p. 27 – via British Newspaper Archive. ...the latest acquisition, Tommy Johnson, signed yesterday. Johnson, an inside forward, played for Horden two seasons ago and since then has had spells with Bradford Reserves and Annfield Plain.
  10. Brownson, Sophie (11 December 2018). "Tributes paid to former Hartlepool United and Middlesbrough FC physiotherapist Tommy Johnson who 'lived his life to help others'". Hartlepool Mail. Retrieved 23 February 2019.


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