Tommy Black (footballer, born 1979)

Thomas Robert Black (born 26 November 1979) is an English former footballer. He played for multiple clubs in the Football League, making over 100 appearances for Crystal Palace at Championship level.

Tommy Black
Personal information
Full name Thomas Robert Black
Date of birth (1979-11-26) 26 November 1979
Place of birth Chigwell, Essex, England
Height 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Position(s) Midfielder
Youth career
Arsenal
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1998–2000 Arsenal 1 (0)
1999 → Carlisle United (loan) 5 (1)
1999–2000 → Bristol City (loan) 4 (0)
2000–2007 Crystal Palace 127 (10)
2004 → Sheffield United (loan) 4 (1)
2006 → Gillingham (loan) 17 (5)
2006 → Bradford City (loan) 4 (0)
2007–2008 Southend United 38 (2)
2008–2009 Stevenage Borough 6 (0)
2009 Barnet 5 (0)
2009 Grays Athletic 9 (1)
2009 Grays Athletic 2 (0)
2009–2010 Hemel Hempstead Town ? (?)
2010–2012 AFC Hornchurch 47 (11)
2013–2014 Debden Sports Club 9 (3)
Managerial career
2009–2010 Hemel Hempstead Town
(player-assistant manager)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 12:07, 2 April 2010 (UTC)

Club career

Black began his career with Arsenal as a trainee, where he played alongside his older brother Michael. He was a regular in Arsenal's 1998 FA Premier Youth League-winning side, and was later sent out on loan twice for one month with Carlisle United and for a month with Bristol City. He made just two first team appearances for Arsenal, one in the League Cup against Middlesbrough on 30 November 1999 which Arsenal lost on penalties, and the other in the Premier League in a 1–0 win against Everton on 29 April 2000.

Unable to break into the Arsenal first team, Black signed for Crystal Palace in July 2000 for £500,000. Black played regularly and was well liked at Palace, receiving the Division One Player of the Month award in December 2002. After Palace were promoted a loan bid came in from Leeds United for both Black and Dougie Freedman – both were rejected. However, he did join Sheffield United on loan for a month in December 2004, scoring once against Coventry City,[1] and in January 2006, still unable to break into the first team, he went out on loan again, this time to Gillingham, where he scored five goals and was an instant hit with the fans.

Nevertheless, Gillingham did not purchase him, and Black later had the choice of another loan move, to either Bradford City or Brentford. Black chose Bradford, after Brentford withdrew their bid through lack of funds, but his spell at Bradford was cut short after just six games, when he broke a rib.[2] Black was released by Palace in May 2007 and on 3 July signed for Southend United on a Bosman transfer, rejecting the chance to join Watford. He was released by Southend United at the end of the 2007–08 season.[3] This was followed by a short spell at Stevenage Borough before joining Barnet in January 2009,[4] where he played in all five of the club's games during January before he was again released.[5] He signed for Grays Athletic in March 2009.[6] He made his debut in a 2–1 victory over Mansfield Town.[7] Grays' squad was disbanded at the end of the season,[8] however he rejoined the club at the start of the 2009–10 season.[9] He was released on 31 August, after two substitute appearances.

Black linked up with his former Grays manager, Gary Phillips at Hemel Hempstead Town as a player-assistant manager in September 2009. On 1 April 2010, he joined AFC Hornchurch.

He signed for Debden Sports who play in the Essex Olympian Football League for the remainder of the 2012–13 season.

References
  1. "Blades blunted by Coventry". Sky Sports. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  2. "Bring winger Black to City". Telegraph & Argus. 6 January 2007. Retrieved 18 May 2008.
  3. "Five players shown Southend exit". BBC Sport. 19 May 2008. Retrieved 20 May 2008.
  4. "Barnet bring in Furlong and Black". BBC Sport. 2 January 2009.
  5. "Lockwood and Hughes join Barnet". BBC Sport. 2 February 2009.
  6. "Black Is The New Blue". Grays Athletic FC. 20 March 2009. Retrieved 22 March 2009.
  7. "Grays 2–1 Mansfield". BBC Sport. 21 March 2009. Retrieved 22 March 2009.
  8. Hammonds, Stuart (21 June 2009). "Grays catch early train!". The Non-League Paper. p. 9.
  9. "Three new signings head to Grays". BBC Sport. 7 August 2009. Retrieved 7 August 2009.
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