Thomas Sawyer: Man United outside-right Profile & Stats
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Portrait of Thomas Sawyer

Thomas Sawyer

Position: outside-right

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PWDLFA

HAN P W D L F A Diff Win%
H 2 2 0 0 2 0 +2 100.00
A 4 1 0 3 4 8 -4 25.00
TOTALS 6 3 0 3 6 8 -2 50.00

Name: Thomas "Tom" Sawyer
Birthdate: 12-11-1870
Age: 155
Birthplace: Longton, Staffordshire, England
Height:
Weight:
Years at Club: 1899-1901
Signing Info: Transferred from: ?, 09/1899, £
Previous Clubs: Derby County, Macclesfield, Stockport County,
Debut: 14/10/1899 v Birmingham City (A) 0-1 (League Division Two)
Farewell: Transferred to Chorley, 05/1901, £
Passed Away: 17/02/1958

Biography

There is no telling how good a footballer Tom Sawyer would have been had he not put country before club. From his mid-teens, he enlisted as a soldier and was promptly sent to India. The talented outside-right soon developed a reputation as "the smartest player in the British Army", but it took seven years before he finally returned home.
Within 10 days Sawyer was snapped up by top flight Derby County who arranged a friendly for their reserve team on December 29th, 1894, specifically to try him out. However, a glut of injuries forced his selection for the first team instead in league matches with Sheffield Wednesday and Aston Villa. At this high standard, Tom "failed to come up to expectations", and he was cast as a reserve thereafter.
In 1895-96, Sawyer moved to Macclesfield in the Lancashire League, scoring on his debut versus Everton Reserves on September 21th. He played 17 games for the them, netting 6 goals, then spent a few games with Stockport County towards the end of that campaign, before joining South Shore of the Lancashire League in October 1897. He spent two seasons with the Blackpool-based club where apparently he was a marked man: "The way Sawyer performed backward somersaults and other acrobatic feats when roughly tackled would have done credit to a practiced gymnast".
After a trial with Newton Heath's reserves in September 1899, Tom signed professional with the club on October 2nd. That same day he was given a run-out in a first-team friendly with Renton then faced Small Heath in a Division Two tussle a fortnight later. Tom performed capably, but not well enough to dislodge regular right winger Willie Bryant. Thus, he spent the best part of two years putting himself about in the second eleven, sometimes rather too strongly: he was cautioned by the Lancashire FA in February 1901 for rough play!
Sawyer's best spell with the Heathens came in April 1901 when he played in the last four league games of the season. Surprisingly, he soon lost his spot, Heath allowing him to play for Chorley in the early part of 1901-02 before selling him to Chesterfield. He only played nine times for them but that was enough for him to make the news rather too graphically...
In a reserve outing against Whittington in February 1902, Tom was chasing the ball in an attempt to keep it in play when he overran the side line. Up ahead a cluster of trees cast a shadow over the ground preventing him from noticing a low boundary rope. He crashed violently into it, laying open a knee and displacing his kidneys. He was rushed to the Crown Inn where he convalesced for a couple of months.
In August 1902, fully recovered, Sawyer signed for Poolsbrook United but soon found Coventry City's surroundings much more to his liking. He played for them for a few months until a peeved Poolsbrook reported both him and his club to the FA and demanded he paid them £2 in bonus money back. Sawyer continued to live in Coventry thereafter and worked as a painter. He passed away a fortnight after the Munich Air Disaster at Gawsworth New Hall in Macclesfield. Thanks to Charbel Boujaoude for his tireless researching effort & the correct information on Thomas Sawyer. Also thanks to Debbie Poynton great grand-daughter of Thomas Sawyer for extra information. Biography kindly provided by Charbel Boujaoude.
 
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Season Goals Season Apps
No Season League Goals League Apps LC Goals LC Apps FAC Goals FAC Apps CS Goals CS Apps EC Goals EC Apps Europa Goals Europa Apps SC Goals SC Apps CWC Goals CWC Apps IC Goals IC Apps CWC Goals CWC Apps Season
Goals		 Season
Apps
1. 1899-1900 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
2. 1900-1901 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4
TOTALS 0 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6

Detailed Match & Performance Charts

MUFC Player Goals MUFC Player Appearances MUFC Player Opponent Manager MUFC Player Club Manager
No Opponent Goals Appearances
Player has never scored for club.
No Opponent Appearances Goals
1. Birmingham City 2 0
2. Loughborough Town 1 0
3. Barnsley 1 0
4. Grimsby Town 1 0
5. Chesterfield 1 0
No Opponent Manager No
1. Jones, Alfred 2
2. Loughborough Town Committee 1
3. McCartney, John 1
4. Grimsby Town Committee 1
5. Gillies, Gilbert 1
No MUFC Managers Count
1. West, James 4
2. Albut, Alf 2
Stadiums Competition Opponents Opponent Nationality
No Stadium Count
1. Bank Street 2
2. Muntz Street 2
3. Oakwell 1
4. The Athletic Ground 1
No Competition Count
1. League Division Two 6
No Opponent Count
1. Birmingham City 2
2. Loughborough Town 1
3. Barnsley 1
4. Grimsby Town 1
5. Chesterfield 1
No Opponent Nationality Count
1. England 6
Roy Keane own goal v Real Madrid Old Trafford 2000 Cup Finals
No Date Opponent Competition Own Goals
Player has never scored an own goal against the club.
No Date Opponent WDL F-A Competition
Player never featured in a Cup Final.
Penalties scored for Manchester United Manchester United Hat-Tricks
No Date Opponents Competition Penaltys
Player has never scored a penalty for the club.
No Date Opponent Competition Goals
Player has never scored a hat-trick or better during a game.
 
Red Cards  
No Date Opponent Competition
Player has never been sent off during a match.
 

All Matches played
No Date Comp Opponent WDL F-A HAN Goal!! Scorers Opponent scorers
1. 14-10-1899 Div 2 Birmingham City L 0-1 A 0 Walter Main 50'
2. 14-01-1900 Div 2 Loughborough Town W 2-0 A 0 William Jackson ??', Robert Parkinson ??'
3. 06-04-1901 Div 2 Birmingham City L 0-1 A 0 John McMillan ??'
4. 09-04-1901 Div 2 Barnsley L 2-6 A 0 William Jackson ??', William Morgan ??' Joe Halliwell ??', ??', Jack Carlin ??', Frank Mawson ??', Andrew Swan ??', Don Lees ??'
5. 13-04-1901 Div 2 Grimsby Town W 1-0 H 0 Hugh Morgan 67' (pen)
6. 27-04-1901 Div 2 Chesterfield W 1-0 H 0 Thomas Leigh 25'
 

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