Jack Thomas (footballer, born 1890)

John William Thomas MSM (30 September 1890 – 1947) was an English professional footballer who played in the Football League for Newcastle United as an inside right.[1]

Jack Thomas
Personal information
Full name John William Thomas[1]
Date of birth 30 September 1890[2]
Place of birth Sacriston, England
Date of death 1947 (aged 56–57)[2]
Position(s) Inside right
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
0000–1910 Spennymoor United
1910–1911 Brighton & Hove Albion 1 (0)
1911–1912 Newcastle United 1 (0)
1912–19?? Spennymoor United
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Personal life

Either side of the First World War, Thomas worked as a miner,[3] latterly in Sacriston.[4]

After the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914,[3] he enlisted as a lance corporal in the Durham Light Infantry.[2] In 1915, Thomas took part in the Second Battle of Ypres. During the battle, he was taken prisoner of war near Boetleer's Farm and was sent to Germany,[5] where he was incarcerated with French prisoners and learnt the language.[3] He eventually escaped with four other French prisoners and by using a compass which had been hidden in a cake sent from home, he made it to the neutral Netherlands.[3] Upon his return to Britain, Thomas was interrogated as a possible German spy, but was then sent back to France to work in counter-espionage,[3] by posing as a French dock worker in Le Havre and Dieppe.[4] He won the Meritorious Service Medal during the course of his service.[6]

Career statistics
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Brighton & Hove Albion 1910–11[7] Southern League First Division 100010
Newcastle United 1911–12[8] First Division 100010
Career total 200020

References
  1. Joyce, Michael (2012). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: Tony Brown. p. 285. ISBN 978-1905891610.
  2. "Thomas, J.W., Sgt., MSM, 1914–1918 (1947)". North East War Memorials Project. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  3. Henderson, Tony (30 September 2014). "The Newcastle United footballers who went to war for their country". The Chronicle. Newcastle. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  4. Hazlewood, Paul. "A tribute to Albion's fallen". www.brightonandhovealbion.com. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  5. "'Wor' War heroes". Newcastle United Football Club. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
  6. "United In The Wars – Part One!" (PDF). True Faith. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
  7. Carder, Tim; Harris, Roger (1997). Albion A–Z: A Who's Who of Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. Hove: Goldstone Books. p. 238. ISBN 978-0-9521337-1-1.
  8. "John Thomas". 11v11.com. Retrieved 2 June 2017.


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