Brelsford Tom Image 1 Sheffield Wednesday 1921

Description

Attercliffe, Sheffield born wing half (he played in all three positions across the line) Tom Brelsford began his football career with Wombwel in 1911 and played for Castleford Town in 1912 and Bird-in-Hand in 1913 before signing for First Division Sheffield Wednesday in September 1914. With the interruption of the First World War, Brelsford didn’t make his Football League debut until well after the conflict was over, his debut coming at Liverpool in March 1920 as he played 10 games on the season run in but couldn’t help prevent Wednesday’s relegation to the Second Division.

Brelsford played four more seasons for Wednesday as they attempted to regain their top flight status, scoring 6 times in 122 appearances before joining Barrow in June 1924. He had a single season at Houlker Street, scoring once in 35 appearances, before a return to Yorkshire to join Rotherham County in May 1925. This proved his final season of League football, scoring twice in 39 appearances for The Millers, before he returned to Wombwell in 1926, later playing for The Station Hotel in Sheffield in 1929 before his eventual retirement.

Brelsford was the second youngest brother of four footballers, older brothers Bill Brelsford playing mainly for Sheffield United and also Doncaster Rovers both sides of the First World War, and Charles Brelsford also playing for Sheffield Wednesday prior to The Great War. His younger brother Ben Brelsford played with him at Barrow and also played for Oldham Athletic and Watford among other clubs in the 1920’s and ’30’s.