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) |
–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 |
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]
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]
Club | Season | League | FA Cup | Total | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Brighton & Hove Albion | 1910–11 [7] | Southern League First Division | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Newcastle United | 1911–12 [8] | First Division | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Career total | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |