Pirie Tom Image 2 Queen’s Park 1921

Description

Gorbals, Glasgow born centre half Tom Pirie began his football career with Battlefield Juniors in 1918 and joined Central League club Bathgate in 1919. An amateur footballer, he signed for Scottish League club Queen’s Park in October 1920 and made his Scottish League debut against Heart of Midlothian the same month, scoring 3 goals in 99 matches through to December 1923. Between September and December 1923 he spent time as an amateur on the books of Manchester United, but didn’t get into their first team, and joined Aberdeen in May 1924.

Described as “a splendid and loyal player”, Pirie scored 17 goals in 52 appearances for Aberdeen, often playing at centre forward for The Dons and his goals being  credited with saving them from relegation in 1924-25, and he attracted First Division Cardiff City to sign him in June 1926, making his Football League debut against Manchester United the same September at centre forward. He played 4 more times for Cardiff in April 1927 at centre half as they closed in on their FA Cup Final triumph, for which he wasn’t selected, and he didn’t make any further first team appearances for The Bluebirds in 1927-28 before he joined Bristol Rovers in May 1928.

After 14 appearances for The Pirates he was signed by Brighton & Hove Albion in February 1929, but he failed to break into the first team at The Goldstone, and returned to Scotland in 1930 to join Ross County, where he played out his career.