Tom Adamson

Tom Adamson
Personal information
Full name	Thomas Kay Adamson
Date of birth	12 February 1897
Place of birth	Mossend, Scotland
Date of death	21 October 1959 (aged 62)
Place of death	Kettering, Northamptonshire
Height	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Position(s)	Left back
Youth career
1913–1914	Craighead
1914–	Cambuslang Rangers
Senior career*
Years	Team
1919–1920	Blantyre Celtic
1920–1928	Bury
1929–1934	Brentford
1934–1935	Stockport County
1935	Ards
Managerial career
1935	Ards (player-manager)
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Thomas Kay Adamson (12 February 1897 – 21 October 1959) was a Scottish professional footballer, best remembered for his time as a left back in the Football League with Bury and Brentford. He later had a short tenure as player-manager of Irish League club Ards.

Playing career

Early years and Bury

A left back, Adamson began his career at Scottish junior clubs Craighead, Cambuslang Rangers, Blantyre Celtic and moved to England to join Second Division club Bury in 1920.^[4] Over the course of 9 years at Gigg Lane, Adamson made 286 appearances and helped the Shakers to promotion back to the First Division in the 1923–24 season.^[4]

Brentford

Adamson dropped down to the Third Division South to sign for Brentford prior to the beginning of the 1929–30 season.^[5] He immediately broke into the team and made 36 appearances during his debut season,^[6] a campaign memorable for the Bees' record-breaking 21 home wins.^[7]

Adamson was a mainstay of the team for the following two seasons and made 28 appearances to help the Bees to the Third Division South title in the 1932–33 season.^[6] Age caught up to Adamson and he made just eight appearances during the 1933–34 Second Division season,^[6] before departing Griffin Park at the end of the campaign.^[5] Adamson made 153 appearances in five seasons with the Bees.^[5]

Stockport County

Adamson returned to the Manchester area to sign for Third Division North club Stockport County in 1934.^[5] He failed to make an appearance for the club and ended his Football League career in 1935,^[4] having failed to score in over 400 professional matches.^[1]

Managerial career

Adamson had a short spell as player-manager of Irish League club Ards in 1935.^[8] Former Brentford full back partner Alexander Stevenson was one of his signings.^[5]

Personal life

While growing up, Adamson went to school with future Scottish internationals Hughie Gallacher and Alex James.^[5]

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club	Season	League			FA Cup		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Brentford	1929–30^[6]	Third Division South	35	0	1	0	36	0
	1930–31^[6]		36	0	5	0	41	0
	1931–32^[6]		35	0	5	0	40	0
	1932–33^[6]		27	0	1	0	28	0
	1933–34^[6]	Second Division	8	0	0	0	8	0
Career total			141	0	12	0	153	0

Honours

Blantyre Celtic

Lanarkshire Cup: 1919–20^[9]

Brentford

Football League Third Division South: 1932–33^[6]

References

^ ^a ^b Joyce, Michael (2012). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: Tony Brown. p. 5. ISBN 978-1905891610.
^ England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858–1995
^ "The lure of promotion. Bury". Athletic News. Manchester. 13 August 1923. p. 6.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Adamson Tommy Bury 1922". Vintage Footballers. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Haynes, Graham; Coumbe, Frank (2006). Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006. Harefield: Yore Publications. p. 8. ISBN 978-0955294914.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford. Brentford FC. pp. 370–372. ISBN 0951526200.
^ "Brentford FC History". www.brentfordfc.co.uk. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
^ "Ards Football Club – Managers". Irish Football Club Project. Archived from the original on 31 October 2015. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
^ "To Filll Winship's Place". Middlesex County Times (Ealing Edition). 3 August 1929.