Dunsmore Tommy Image 1 Luton Town 1939

Description

Motherwell, Lanarkshire born left back Tom Dunsmore started his football career with Motherwell Miners Welfare in 1932 and played for Bellshill Athletic in 1933 before joining Royal Albert in 1934. He signed for Hibernian in 1935, where he made his debut in a Scottish Cup tie at Vale Ocube in February 1936 and spent three years at Easter Road, scoring once, in a 3-2 defeat in the Edinburgh derby at Heart of Midlothian in September 1937, in 43 appearances, before heading south to join Second Division Luton Town in the close season of 1938.

He made his Football League debut at West Bromwich Albion in August 1938 and missed only two League matches in his debut season as Luton finished 7th, but his career was interrupted by the outbreak of the Second World War. Having played wartime league football for Luton Town in 1939-40 he returned to Scotland and joined Dundee United towards the end of March 1940.

Dunsmore played in their final six Eastern Regional League fixtures, scoring a penalty in a 10-2 victory over Stenhousemuir, and, having played in the drawn first match, he also scored a penalty in the Emergency War Cup semi final replay victory over Airdrie in front of over 20,000 spectators at Easter Road. He then played in the War Cup Final in front of 75,000 spectators at Hampden Park, as Dundee United were narrowly beaten 1-0 by Glasgow Rangers. He left United in June 1940 but he returned to Tannadice after the War’s end in October 1945, playing one further wartime league fixture for them that month at Arbroath.

He then returned to Kenilworth Road playing 2 FA Cup ties for The Hatters in January 1946 against eventual winners Derby County before returning to Scotland to join Albion Rovers later the same year, with whom he finished his career. Peculiarly, by the time he joined The Wee Rovers, he had also made exactly 43 appearances for Luton Town in peacetime football.