Tom Watson (footballer, born 1900)

Tom Watson (footballer, born 1900)
Thomas Houston Watson (4 October 1900 – 13 May 1978) was an Irish professional footballer. He began his career with Irish Intermediate League side Crusaders as a half back before joining Cardiff City in 1925 where he converted to defence. He became a regular first team player during his debut season in the Football League and later played in the 1927 FA Cup Final, helping the side become the only team from outside England to win the competition.
He made more than 100 appearances for Cardiff in all competitions until a cartilage injury cost him his place in the side. He returned to Ireland with Linfield, winning a league and cup double in his first season. He later returned to play for Crusaders before managing amateur side Whiteabbey, where he won the Irish Football Alliance in his first season. He later became a referee. Watson also won a single cap for Ireland, in a match against Scotland in 1926, and played for representative sides of both the Irish Intermediate League and Welsh League during his career.
Early life
Watson was born in Belfast on 4 October 1900 to Janet and William James Watson. His father worked as a caulker.
Club career
Early years
Watson began his football career as a youth player with Glenarm before joining Irish Intermediate League side Crusaders. His performances for the side led to him being selected to represent an Intermediate League XI in matches against their counterparts from other leagues, including captaining the side against a Yorkshire League XI in February 1925. Crusaders had previously sold Jimmy Nelson, a childhood friend of Watson, to Cardiff City in 1921 where the Scotsman had impressed. Cardiff subsequently approached Crusaders to enquire "Have you any more players like Jimmy?". This correspondence ultimately led to Watson and Tom Sloan joining Cardiff.
Cardiff City
Watson signed for the Welsh side in August 1925 on a free transfer. During his time with Crusaders, he had played as a half back but on arrival at Cardiff, the club's coaching staff believed he would be more suited to a defensive role. He was trialled in the new position for several reserve matches and impressed the club enough for the change to be made permanent.
He began the 1925–26 season as cover for club captain Jimmy Blair from the side. He made his debut for the club in a 1–0 victory over West Ham United on 7 September 1925 in place of Blair. Starting alongside Nelson, the Belfast Telegraph noted that the pair were "sorely tried". His second appearance came more than a month later in a 5–0 defeat to Arsenal again in place of the injured Blair. Despite the heavy defeat, Watson earned praise in match reports and maintained his place in the side. Despite only appearing in one further match, Watson was selected for a Welsh League XI to play their counterparts from the Irish League in Swansea on 31 October. He missed only three further games during the remainder of the campaign for Cardiff, making a total of 33 appearances in all competitions during the year as he formed a defensive partnership with Nelson. His form led the club to transfer list Blair in the first half of the season before selling him towards the end of the year.
In his second season with Cardiff, Watson made a further 45 appearances in all competitions, including playing in all seven matches of their successful FA Cup run. Ahead of the final, Watson was described as "one of the best tacklers playing this season" in the Daily Herald. The newspaper also noted that his partnership with Nelson formed one of the "best pairs of backs in the country." Cardiff defeated Arsenal 1–0 to become the only team from outside England to win the competition. He remained prominent during the first half of the 1927–28 season, missing only 2 of the first 20 league matches of the campaign. However, from late December, his season was blighted by injuries; he made only two appearances in the second half of the campaign, the second in a heavy 7–1 defeat against Derby County on 31 March 1928. He underwent knee surgery in October 1928 in attempt to rectify his cartilage injury problems, having not made an appearance during the new season. As such, he appeared only once during the 1928–29 campaign, returning in a 3–1 defeat to Manchester City in the final month of the campaign.
His injury problems and the form of his replacement William Roberts led to his departure from the club as he was unable to regain his place. At the end of the season Watson was placed on the transfer list, along with Sloan. Watson received interest from Fulham and Derry City who both made approaches, with Cardiff seeking around £500 for the transfer. However, Watson was instead transferred to Linfield along with Sloan.
Return to Ireland
In his first year with Linfield, he helped the side to a double by winning both the Irish League and Irish Cup. In the final of the cup, on 29 March 1930, Linfield secured a 4–3 victory over Ballymena United. Watson was involved in a clash of heads with Ballymena player Kilpatrick with the score tied at 3–3 which left the opposition player unable to continue. The Belfast News Letter reported that the incident had likely turned the game in Linfield's favour, writing "Had that accident not happened, Ballymena would, in all probability, have got the winning goal."
The Irish Cup victory completed an unusual treble of winning the major cup competition in three countries after already having won the FA Cup and the Welsh Cup. He remained with Linfield until August 1932 when he returned to his first club Crusaders.
International career
Watson represented Ireland at youth level before receiving his first call-up to the senior side in February 1926, following a number of withdrawals due to injury, for a match against Scotland. Ireland lost the match 4–0.
Later life
After retiring from playing, Watson managed amateur side Whiteabbey and also served on the club's committee. In his first season in charge, he led the club to the Irish Football Alliance title. His success saw him named on a three-man shortlist for the vacant managerial role at Bangor. He later became a referee in the Irish Junior League, officiating his first match in September 1938. Watson married his partner Daisy and the couple had four children. He died at his home in Newtownabbey in May 1978 at the age of 77.
Career statistics
Honours
Player
Cardiff City
FA Cup winner: 1927
Welsh Cup winner: 1927
Linfield
Irish League winner: 1929–30
Irish Cup winner: 1930
Manager
Whiteabbey
Irish Football Alliance winner: 1934–35
References
Bibliography
Pre-1950 IFA men's international footballers
Cardiff City F.C. players
Linfield F.C. players
1900 births
1978 deaths
Men's association football fullbacks
Crusaders F.C. players
Association footballers from Belfast
Men's association footballers from Northern Ireland
NIFL Premiership players
English Football League players