Lonsdale Tommy Image 2 Grimsby Town 1911

Description

Bishop Auckland, County Durham born goalkeeper Tommy Lonsdale began his football career with Auckland Church Institute and played for West Auckland Town in 1906 and Bishop Auckland in 1907 before joining Second Division Grimsby Town in August 1908, making his Football League debut against local rivals Hull City that December, his only appearance for his debut season when he was understudy to Walter Scott. Lonsdale got his opportunity in February 1910 when Scott joined Everton, but when Grimsby lost their League status at the end of the season Lonsdale dropped into the Midland League. However, they finished as Midland League Champions at the first attempt and at the subsequent re-election vote, replaced local rivals Lincoln City in the Football League for 1911-12.

Lonsdale was Grimsby’s principal glovesman for a further two seasons before losing his place to Martin Spendiff at the start of the 1913-14 campaign, and played only once more for Grimsby before being transferred to Southern League club West Ham United in October 1913 after 88 appearances for The Mariners. He was West Ham’s principal goalkeeper during the rest of the season, making 21 appearances, before joining Southend United where he spent the final season before the onset of the First World War forced the suspension of peacetime football.

During the War, Lonsdale served as a Private in the 17th (Service) Battalion of The Duke of Cambridge’s Own (Middlesex) Regiment, better known as The Footballers’ Battalion, and after the War he returned to Southend United before a return to Football League action with Stalybridge Celtic, joining them in May 1921.

He kept a clean sheet in Celtic’s inaugural Football League fixture as they thumped Chesterfield in August 1921 and was their principal goalkeeper for their two seasons in the League, making 84 appearances, but when they resigned from the League at the end of the 1922-23 season Lonsdale joined Second Division Port Vale in June 1923, where he played in 31 matches during 1923-24, however he suffered a head injury in March 1924 and didn’t play again before retiring at the end of the season, already approaching his 42nd birthday.