Barbour Tommy Image 2 Derby County 1912

Description

Largs, Ayrshire born right half or left back Tommy Barbour began his football career with Kilbirnie Ladeside before joining Second Division Derby County in July 1908 despite Kilbirnie having previously agreed to sell him to Woolwich Arsenal, making his Football League debut at Tottenham Hotspur that October, being ever present at right half for the rest of the season as Derby finished fifth in the table, and he played in Derby’s 1909 FA Cup semi final matches against Bristol City, when The Rams lost in a replay to Bristol City at St Andrews.

Barbour missed only one match in 1910-11, by now featuring mainly at right back but also at centre half, and the following season helped Derby to win the Second Division Championship, during which he was part of a defence that set a club record of six consecutive matches without conceding a goal in April 1912, and after spending 1912-13 at right half, he also played at left back as they were relegated in 1913-14 when Barbour was again a near ever present, missing one match. In the final season before the onset of the First World War forced the suspension of peacetime football in the summer of 1915, Barbour was again a near ever present, again missing one match, as Derby won the Second Division Championship for the second time in four years, Barbour mainly featuring at left back.

During the First World War he served as a private with the Derbyshire Yeomanry at Gallipoli and in Egypt and Italy. By now featuring mainly at left back, he returned to The Baseball Ground before the resumption of peacetime football, where again he played 37 League matches as Derby successfully fought relegation in 1919-20. However he lost his place in February 1921 and joined Darlington in the summer of 1921, after 3 goals in 294 appearances.

For Darlington he mainly featured at left back, playing in their inaugural League match, a win over Halifax Town in August 1921, and helping Darlington to finish runners up in the Third Division (North), narrowly missing out on promotion. Having made 33 appearances for The Quakers, he returned to Derby County for 1922-23 but didn’t play again for the first eleven before joining Birmingham & District League club Burton All Saints in 1923 before his eventual retirement.