Fleetwood Tommy Image 1 Rochdale 1910

Description

Toxteth, Liverpool born centre half Tommy Fleetwood started his career playing for non league sides Nelson Excelsior in 1904, Hayne Street Mission and St George the Martyr, both teams in Bolton, in 1905 and 1906, and for Hindley Central in 1907 before joining Lancashire Combination club Rochdale in 1908, where his performances were impressive enough for First Division hometown club Everton to be persuaded to sign him in March 1911.

He made his Football League debut the same month against Bradford City, soon establishing himself as a first team regular at Goodison Park as a tough, no nonsense centre half. He missed only four matches as Everton finished runners up in the League Championship in his first full season, and only three as they won the League Championship in 1914-15, the final peacetime season before the onset of the First World War forced the suspension of peacetime football immediately at its end.

Indeed he played both sides of the War for Everton, and was a regular in their first four post war seasons before losing his place in February 1923, playing his final Everton match at right back against Bolton Wanderers in April 1923. In August 1923 he joined Second Division club Oldham Athletic after 34 goals in 285 appearances for Everton, but he only played 5 times for The Latics that season before joining then Cheshire County League Chester in 1924, his final known club before his eventual retirement.