 Holford, in his first spell at charge atPort Vale | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Thomas Holford | ||
| Date of birth | (1878-02-22)22 February 1878 | ||
| Place of birth | Hanley, England | ||
| Date of death | 6 April 1964(1964-04-06) (aged 86) | ||
| Place of death | Blurton,Stoke-on-Trent, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Wing-half | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Cobridge | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1898–1908 | Stoke | 248 | (30) |
| 1908–1914 | Manchester City | 172 | (34) |
| 1914–1924 | Port Vale | 56 | (1) |
| Total | 476 | (65) | |
| International career | |||
| 1903 | England | 1 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1914–1918 | Port Vale (player-manager) | ||
| 1932–1935 | Port Vale | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Thomas Holford (22 February 1878 – 6 April 1964) was an Englishfootballer who played forStoke,Manchester City,Port Vale and theEngland national team. His primary position waswing-half. Still, he played in many different positions throughout his career.[2] He later managed Port Vale on two separate occasions, serving throughoutWorld War I, before three years from 1932 to 1935. He also served the club for many years as a trainer and ascout. In 1924, he turned out for the Vale at 46 years and 68 days, making him one of the oldest players in theEnglish Football League.
Thomas Holford was born on 22 February 1878 inHanley, Staffordshire.[3] He was the fifth of six children to Thomas Henry and Anna Davis (née Edwards), a potter's manager and potter's sponger respectively.[3] He worked in the pottery industry from at least 1891 to 1921.[3] He married Sarah Jane Platt in 1903, and the couple had two daughters, Lily and Annie.[3]
Holford started his career with Granville's Night School and Cobridge before he moved on to one ofthe two local league clubs;Stoke in 1899.[3] He "did not put a foot wrong" in his first seasons at the club before establishing himself as the centre of Stoke's half-back line betweenJames Bradley andGeorge Baddeley followingAlf Wood's departure in March 1901.[4] For the next ten seasons Holford was a near ever-present in the Stoke team, racking up 105 consecutive appearances from March 1903 to March 1906.[4] His good performances won him an Englandcap in 1903 and he is considered the smallest centre-back ever to play for England at just 5 ft 5.[4] During Holford's time at the club he played the game in a fiery style, although he was neversent off.[4] He succeeded George Baddeley ascaptain in 1905.[4] Holford'smanagerHorace Austerberry described him as "an excellentpasser of the ball and one who played every match as if it was his last". In 1908, Stoke went bust and dropped out of theEnglish Football League and played in the Birmingham League. Holford was too good to be lost tonon-League football, so he had to leave his hometown club, for which he played nearly 270 games.[5]
In April 1908, he signed forFirst DivisionManchester City, making his debut on 21 April againstBristol City, a match which finished goalless. In his firstfull season at the club he made 27 appearances and was the club's second-highest goalscorer with 15 goals, which included threehat-tricks.[6] However, Manchester City finished second-bottom in theFirst Division, and Holford again sufferedrelegation. Holford won a Second Division championship medal in the1909–10 season as his club immediately returned to the top flight. Though he had been an ever-present in1912–13,[7] Holford lost his place in the first-team in the1913–14 season, making all but three of his 15 appearances in the first ten weeks of the season. He made his last appearance for Manchester City on 13 April 1914 againstNewcastle United,[8] giving him a final total of 183 appearances and 38 goals for the club.[2]
Upon leaving Manchester, he joinedPort Vale back inthe Potteries asplayer-manager. He led the side to a North Staffordshire Infirmary Cup victory in 1915. Still, two years later, he was conscripted into the army to serve as agunner in theRoyal Garrison Artillery.[9] After playing his part inWorld War I, as well as guesting forNottingham Forest andNewcastle United,[9] he returned to Vale in the summer of 1919. Regaining his place, he helped the club to win theStaffordshire Senior Cup and share the North Staffordshire Infirmary Cup in 1920. Due to his age, he hardly played after October 1920, but played his part in the club's 1922 North Staffordshire Infirmary Cup achievement.[10]
He retired as a player at the end of the1922–23 season. Over his full career Holford played 474 league games, an exceptionally large number for the period, he had played everywhere except ingoal. Upon his retirement, he became a trainer for Port Vale, only to make his final appearance on 5 April 1924 at aclub record age of 46 years and 68 days.[10] At the time, this also made him the second-oldest to play in the Football League, afterBilly Meredith, and as of 2008, he is the sixth oldest Football League player of all time.[11]
He won his onlyEnglandcap on 14 February 1903, in a 4–0 win overIreland atMolineux.[12][3]
Holford was nicknamed "Dirty Tommy" due to his sometimes recklesstackling.[13] He was also regarded as an excellent passer of the ball.[14]
He had two spells as manager of Port Vale, the first as player-manager from 1914 to 1918 when he was player-manager. His second appointment came in June 1932, with the club in theSecond Division.[15] He signed wingersBob Morton andJimmy McGrath, and led the Vale to aclub record 9–1 victory overChesterfield on 24 September.[15] After top scorerStewart Littlewood picked up an injury, he signed ex-England internationalLouis Page as a replacement; and also boosted the club's defence by signingLen Armitage.[15] In January 1933, he sold left-backJimmy Oakes toCharlton Athletic for £3,000.[15] His team finished four points above relegation in1932–33, and he releasedBilly Easton, Louis Page,Stewart Littlewood,Tom Tippett,Jock Leckie, andBen Davies, whilstWilf Kirkham retired.[15]
He signed players such asTrevor Rhodes,Jack Vickers,Ken Gunn, andBilly Tabram, the result of which was an eighth-place finish in1933–34 – then a record best for the "Valiants".[15] However, "the end of an era" followed, as players such asBill Cope,Sydney Dickinson, Len Armitage, Billy Tabram,Fred Mills,George Poyser, andJimmy McGrath departed.[15]
In preparation for the1934–35 campaign, Holford signed goalkeeperJohn Potts, 'outstanding' outside-rightJohn Friar, inside-leftDavid Galloway, and centre-halfJoe Craven.[15] After a good start, results tailed off into a scrap against relegation, and Vale ended up fifth from bottom.[15] Leaving the club in summer 1935 were:James Baker, Bob Morton,Jack Blackwell,Joe Craven, Galloway,Ted Critchley, andJack Round.[15] He prepared for the1935–36 season by signing strikerGeorge Stabb, centre-halfHarry Griffiths, left-wingerArthur Caldwell, left-backRoderick Welsh, and right-halfMichael Curley.[15] However, he was relieved of his post in September 1935 so that he could concentrate his efforts onscouting.[15] He retired as a scout in 1950, having also been a trainer at the club from July 1939 to July 1946.[10]
Holford was a cousin ofWilf Kirkham.[10]
Source:[16]
| Club | Season | Division | League | FA Cup | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Stoke | 1898–99 | First Division | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 1899–1900 | First Division | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | |
| 1900–01 | First Division | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | |
| 1901–02 | First Division | 29 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 33 | 3 | |
| 1902–03 | First Division | 33 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 37 | 2 | |
| 1903–04 | First Division | 34 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 35 | 3 | |
| 1904–05 | First Division | 34 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 36 | 2 | |
| 1905–06 | First Division | 36 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 38 | 2 | |
| 1906–07 | First Division | 35 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 36 | 5 | |
| 1907–08 | Second Division | 29 | 12 | 6 | 3 | 35 | 15 | |
| Total | 248 | 30 | 21 | 3 | 269 | 33 | ||
| Manchester City | 1907–08 | First Division | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1908–09 | First Division | 26 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 17 | 15 | |
| 1909–10 | Second Division | 30 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 34 | 13 | |
| 1910–11 | First Division | 29 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 31 | 2 | |
| 1911–12 | First Division | 32 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 34 | 2 | |
| 1912–13 | First Division | 38 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 40 | 0 | |
| 1913–14 | First Division | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | |
| Total | 172 | 34 | 11 | 4 | 183 | 38 | ||
| Port Vale | 1919–20 | Second Division | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 0 |
| 1920–21 | Second Division | 23 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 24 | 1 | |
| 1921–22 | Second Division | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | |
| 1923–24 | Second Division | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 56 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 58 | 1 | ||
| Career total | 476 | 65 | 34 | 7 | 510 | 72 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | 1903 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 1 | 0 | |
| Team | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | |||
| Port Vale[16] | 1 June 1932 | 30 September 1935 | 137 | 47 | 31 | 59 | 034.3 |
Manchester City
Port Vale
England
Port Vale
