Weston Tommy Image 1 Aston Villa 1920

Description

Halesowen, Worcestershire born left back Tommy Weston began his football career playing for several local amateur sides including Quarry Bank in 1907, Old Hill Comrades in 1908, Coombs Wood in 1909 and Stourbridge in 1910 before joining First Division club Aston Villa in 1911. He made his Football League debut against Manchester City in January 1912, and he soon established himself as first choice full back earning a reputation as a tough and uncompromising defender. He helped Villa win the FA Cup in 1913 as they beat Sunderland 1-0 in the Final at The Crystal Palace, and was part of the team that finished runners up in the League Championship in 1913 and 1914.

His career was then interrupted by the onset of the First World War that forced the suspension of peacetime football in May 1915, and during the War, Weston made six wartime league appearances for Villa and also turned out for neighbours, Birmingham, serving in the Army during the conflict. On his service in the War, the following comes from The Villa News and Record in 1919: “A private in the Army, joining up in 1917. He took part in the action on the St Quentin front, which lasted from 21st to the 26th March 1918, and was wounded in the attack on Ervilliers on the 26th of that month. Weston has also done work on guns.”

After the War, Weston returned to Villa Park and won the FA Cup Final again in 1920 as they beat Huddersfield Town  1-0 in the Final at Stamford Bridge. He made 179 appearances for The Villans in the seven seasons he spent at Villa Park, despite losing four seasons to the War. He left Villa Park in the summer of 1922 and joined newly promoted First Division club Stoke where he only managed to play four matches in the autumn of 1922 before deciding to retire.