Syd Thomas

David Sidney Thomas (12 November 1919 – 19 January 2012) was a Welsh professional footballer who played as a winger. After playing local amateur football as a teenager, he joined Fulham in 1938 after impressing in a trial match, however, due to the outbreak of World War Two, he did not make his professional debut until 1946.

Syd Thomas
Personal information
Full name David Sidney Thomas[1]
Date of birth (1919-11-12)12 November 1919
Place of birth Machynlleth, Wales
Date of death 19 January 2012(2012-01-19) (aged 92)
Place of death Machynlleth, Wales
Height 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)[2]
Position(s) Winger
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1938–1950 Fulham 57 (4)
1950 Bristol City 13 (1)
International career
1947–1948 Wales 4 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

He helped the side win promotion to the First Division in 1949 but left the club the following year to sign for Bristol City. However, he was forced to retire from football soon after having contracted tuberculosis.

Career

Born in Machynlleth, Thomas worked in a local bakery as a teenager while playing amateur football for his local side alongside his two brothers Eric and Leslie,[3] his performances being said to have "amazed" spectators.[4] His reputation attracted the attention of Wrexham, where he played for the club's reserve side during the 1937–38 season but was not offered a contract.[3] In August 1938, he was offered a trial with Second Division side Fulham after being recommended to the club by Bob McCormick, a goalkeeper also from Machynlleth who himself had spent time on trial with the club.[4]

His performance in a trial match for Fulham impressed the club's manager Jack Peart so much that he signed Thomas to a professional contract during the half-time interval.[3][4] However, he was forced to wait for his debut following the outbreak of World War Two, with the Football League suspended during the hostilities. During his war service, Thomas served as a driver in the RAF at a construction site in Sekondi-Takoradi in the African Gold Coast.[4][5]

When the Football League resumed in 1946, Thomas made his professional debut for Fulham eight years after originally signing with the club, playing in a draw with Tottenham Hotspur in November 1946.[3][6] During the 1947–48 season, he made 35 appearances in all competitions and his form saw him called up to make his senior international debut in a 3–0 defeat to England on 18 October 1947 at Ninian Park. His selection for the side attracted huge interest in his home village of Machynlleth and twelve buses of residents travelled to the match to see Thomas play.[4] He played in Wales' three following fixtures but was displaced by Ernie Jones and never played for Wales again.[3]

He helped Fulham to win the Second Division title the following season but featured infrequently for the club as Arthur Stevens was moved to Thomas' preferred position to accommodate new signing Arthur Rowley in the side.[3] Thomas featured in three league matches following the club's promotion to the First Division and was eventually sold to Bristol City in June 1950 for a fee of £9000. However, he and his wife Ivy contracted tuberculosis soon after which led to Thomas' retirement from football.[3][2]

After football

Thomas returned home to Machynlleth following his retirement, working in his family's bakery until 1987.[3][6] He died on 19 January 2012, aged 92.[6]

Honours

Fulham

References
  1. "Syd Thomas". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  2. "Machynlleth man's memories of Matthews and Mortensen". BBC News. 2 February 2011. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  3. Ivan Ponting (2 February 2012). "Syd Thomas: Footballer for Wales and Fulham". The Independent. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  4. "The forgotten tale of Machynlleth's only international footballing superstar". WalesOnline. 16 June 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  5. "Tributes paid to former Wales international Syd Thomas". BBC News. 29 January 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  6. Richard Jones (20 January 2012). "Football legend Syd Thomas dies, aged 92". County Times. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
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