Toms Billy Image 1 Oldham Athletic 1921

Description

The Curragh, Kildare born inside left Billy Toms joined Altrincham in 1913 and also played for Eccles Borough in 1914 before First World War interrupted his football career, during which he was awarded the Military Cross. After the War he joined First Division Manchester United in 1919, making his Football League debut against Middlesbrough that October. Toms scored 4 times in 15 appearances before being signed by Plymouth Argyle for E500 in September 1920, playing 28 times scoring 5 goals in their maiden Football League campaign, which proved to be his only season at Home Park.

After playing his part in Argyle’s inaugural League season, he then signed for Oldham Athletic in the 1921 close season, scoring 5 goals in 20 appearances for The Latics in his single season at Boundary Park. He then joined Coventry City and was the club’s leading scorer during 1922-23 with 19 goals in 31 games including a hat-trick against Wolves on Christmas Day, scoring twice the next day in the return fixture at Molineux. Toms holds the distinction of scoring Coventry’s first hat-trick in the Football League.

He next joined Stockport County in the summer of 1923, scoring once in 5 appearances for The Hatters before signing for Wrexham in October 1923, for whom he played two seasons scoring 11 times in 45 appearances. He joined Crewe Alexandra in December 1924 scoring 8 times in 25 appearances for The Alex before winding down his career with spells at non league Great Harwood in 1925, subsequently playing for Winsford United in 1926. Eccles United in 1927 and CWS Margarine Works, Manchester in 1928 before his eventual retirement.