McLintock Tom Image 4 Burnley 1898

Description

Maybole, Ayrshire born left back Tom McLintock began his known football career with Clyde in 1890 and from there moved to Kilmarnock in 1891. He joined First Division club Burnley in the summer of 1893 and made his Football League debut at Newton Heath (now Manchester United) the same September, immediately establishing himself as The Clarets’ regular left back. Indeed he only missed one match in his debut season and was an ever present in the following two campaigns, missing only 4 more matches through to the end of the 1897-98 season. It was said of him around that time “Gifted with a fine turn of speed, he is a splendid full-back, being sure of foot and strong in defence.”

Although Burnley were relegated in 1897, he missed one match as they won the Second Division Championship in 1897-98 to return to the top flight at the first time of asking. After their relegation back to the Second Division in 1900, he lost his regular left back berth and played only 21 matches over the following two seasons, although in September 1900 he was tried as a centre forward in his only match that autumn, and when he returned to first team action at the end of March 1901, it was on the left wing. In his fifth match in that position the next month, he scored all four goals in a 4-0 win over Blackpool, including two penalties, and early the next season he retained the left wing berth for 3 matches before his final 10 matches for The Clarets between October and December 1901, when he reverted to left back.

Having lost his place before the 1901 year end, McLintock didn’t feature in Burnley’s 1902-03 campaign, and after 14 goals in 254 appearances for The Clarets he moved back to re-join Kilmarnock in 1903, where he subsequently finished his career.