Tom Page (footballer)

Tom Page
Page in a Port Vale squad photo in 1920
Personal information
Full name Thomas Page[1]
Date of birth (1888-11-15)15 November 1888[1]
Place of birth Kirkdale, Liverpool, England[1]
Date of death 26 October 1973(1973-10-26) (aged 84)[1]
Place of death Gloucester, England[1]
Height 5 ft 6+1⁄2 in (1.69 m)[2]
Position(s) Inside-forward
Youth career
Carada
Pembroke
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Rochdale
1913 Everton 7 (2)
1913–1920 St Mirren
1920–1929 Port Vale 285 (59)
1929–1930 New Brighton 8 (1)
Total 300+ (62+)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals
Page in 1928

Thomas Page (15 November 1888 – 26 October 1973) was an English footballer and international baseball player who played as an inside-forward. Three of his brothers, Louis, Jack and Willie, were also professional footballers.[3]

Career

Page played for Carada, Pembroke, and Rochdale before spending six weeks at Everton in 1913.[4] He then moved on to St Mirren, and guested for South Liverpool during World War I.[1] He had a trial with Liverpool before joining Port Vale for £400 in June 1920.[1] He hit nine goals in 41 appearances in 1920–21, including one in the 2–1 Potteries derby victory over Stoke at The Old Recreation Ground on 25 September, the club's first league goal against Stoke.[1][5]

He was top scorer in the 1921–22 season with 10 goals in 39 games, helping the team to share the North Staffordshire Infirmary Cup in 1922.[1] He also scored another goal against Stoke on 7 January, in a 4–2 defeat in the FA Cup First Round tie at the Victoria Ground.[1] However, he struck just once in 26 games in 1922–23. For the 1923–24 season, he was joint-top scorer with Billy Briscoe, hitting ten goals in 39 games.[1] He continued to be a bogey player for the "Potters", scoring in another 4–2 defeat on 13 October.[1] He hit five goals in 29 appearances in 1924–25, as Vale finished eighth in the Second Division.[1]

By 1925–26, Wilf Kirkham was the club's number one goal threat, though Page still managed to score 10 goals in 37 appearances.[1] It was much the same story in 1926–27 and 1927–28, as he bagged 10 goals for three seasons running.[1] However, he was goalless in his seventeen appearances in the 1928–29 season, as the club were relegated into the Third Division North.[1] Now at the age of 40, he was released, having played 302 games (286 in the league) and scored 65 goals (59 in the league) for the club.[1] He still continued his career though, signing a contract with New Brighton, also of the Third Division North.[1]

Career statistics

Source:[6]

Club Season Division League FA Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Everton 1913–14 First Division 7 2 0 0 7 2
Port Vale 1920–21 Second Division 39 9 1 0 40 9
1921–22 Second Division 37 9 1 1 38 10
1922–23 Second Division 24 1 1 0 25 1
1923–24 Second Division 37 9 1 1 38 10
1924–25 Second Division 28 5 1 0 29 5
1925–26 Second Division 36 9 1 1 37 10
1926–27 Second Division 34 9 3 1 37 10
1927–28 Second Division 33 8 3 2 36 10
1928–29 Second Division 17 0 0 0 17 0
Total 285 59 12 6 297 65
New Brighton 1929–30 Third Division North 8 1 1 0 9 1
Career total 300 62 12 6 312 68

Honours

Port Vale

  • North Staffordshire Infirmary Cup: 1922[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 224. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
  2. ^ "The lure of promotion. Port Vale". Athletic News. Manchester. 13 August 1923. p. 6.
  3. ^ "Louis Page". England football online.com. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  4. ^ "profile". Everton F.C. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
  5. ^ "Cult Hero 40: Tom Page". onevalefan.co.uk. 4 December 2014. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  6. ^ Tom Page at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)