{{Short description|English footballer (1899–1964)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}} {{Use British English|date=June 2020}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Tom Lilley | image = | caption = | fullname = Thomas Lilley<ref name=ENFA/> | birth_date = {{birth date|1899|12|13|df=y}}<ref name=ENFA/> | birth_place = Newbottle, England | death_date = 1964 (aged 64) | death_place = County Durham, England | height = {{height|ft=5|in=11}}<ref name=ToNelson/> | position = Full back | years1 = 19??–1922 | clubs1 = Methley Perseverance | years2 = 1922–1923 | clubs2 = Huddersfield Town | caps2 = 3 | goals2 = 0 | years3 = 1923–1924 | clubs3 = Nelson | caps3 = 14 | goals3 = 0 | years4 = 1924–1926 | clubs4 = Hartlepools United | caps4 = 60 | goals4 = 0 | years5 = 1926–1928 | clubs5 = Sunderland | caps5 = 1 | goals5 = 0 | years6 = 1928–1930 | clubs6 = St Mirren | caps6 = | goals6 = | years7 = 1930–1931 | clubs7 = Fulham | caps7 = 7 | goals7 = 0 | years8 = 1931–1932 | clubs8 = Annfield Plain | years9 = 1932 | clubs9 = Herrington Colliery Welfare | years10 = 1932–193? | clubs10= Shiney Row Swifts | years11 = 1933–193? | clubs11= Sunderland District Omnibus | totalcaps = 85 | totalgoals = 0 }} '''Thomas Lilley''' (13 December 1899 – 1964) was a professional footballer who played as a full back. He made 85 appearances in the Football League playing for Huddersfield Town, Nelson, Hartlepool United, Sunderland and Fulham, and spent two seasons in the Scottish League with St Mirren. He also played non-League football for Methley Perseverance, Annfield Plain, Herrington Colliery Welfare, Shiney Row Swifts and the Sunderland District Omnibus Company works team.
==Life and career== Lilley was born in 1899 in Newbottle, County Durham, a son of John Lilley, a coal miner, and his wife Sarah.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ancestrylibraryedition.co.uk/interactive/7814/DURRG13_4692_4695-0389?pid=29859281 |title=Thomas Lilley |work=Census Returns of England and Wales, 1901 |at=RG13/4693 34 |via=Ancestry Library Edition |url-access=subscription}}</ref> Having acquired a reputation as "one of the best backs in the West Riding League" while playing for Methley Perseverance,<ref>{{cite news |title=New Town back |newspaper=Leeds Mercury |date=29 November 1922 |page=9}}</ref> and attracted offers from Third Division North clubs Chesterfield and Hartlepools United,<ref name=ToHudds/> the 22-year-old Lilley joined FA Cup-holders Huddersfield Town on a month's trial in late November 1922.<ref>{{cite news |title=Castleford comments |newspaper=Sports Special |location=Sheffield |date=29 November 1922 |page=9}}</ref> To the disappointment of Third Division North clubs Chesterfield and Hartlepools United, who had made "good offers" for his services, the trial proved successful.<ref name=ToHudds>{{cite news |title=North and South |newspaper=Derby Daily Telegraph |date=30 December 1922 |page=4}}</ref> Lilley made his Football League debut on Christmas Day 1922, standing in for right-back Ned Barkas for a First Division match against Birmingham that finished goalless. He played twice more during March, and was retained for the next season, but made no more first-team appearances.<ref name=ENFA/>
Lilley joined Second Division club Nelson in mid-November. His hopes of regular football were raised when he displaced player-manager Dave Wilson from the team for the next match, a visit to Coventry City.<ref name=ToNelson>{{cite news |title=Nelson's capture. New player signed last night |newspaper=Burnley Express |date=10 November 1923 |page=10}}</ref> The match ended as a 4–4 draw, and Lilley did not make another appearance until the new year,<ref name=ENFA/> when he stood in for the injured Clem Rigg and,<ref>{{cite news |title=Successful reshuffle |newspaper=Athletic News |location=Manchester |date=21 January 1924 |page=6}}</ref> according to the ''Lancashire Daily Post'', showed himself to be a "full back of great steadiness and resource".<ref>{{cite news |title=A dour defender |newspaper=Lancashire Daily Post |date=26 January 1924 |page=6}}</ref> He played regularly from mid-January to April 1924 when, after an unexpected defeat at home to Port Vale put Nelson in increased danger of relegation, he lost his place to his namesake Bob Lilley.<ref>{{cite news |title=Changes at Nelson |newspaper=Burnley Express |date=16 April 1924 |page=6}}</ref> Nelson were relegated, and Lilley moved on again, to Hartlepools United of the Third Division North.<ref>{{cite news |title=Hartlepools' new back |newspaper=Shields Daily News |date=2 August 1924 |page=6}}</ref>
He began the season at left-back, but broke a collarbone in collision with an opponent in his seventh match and was out for a couple of months.<ref>{{cite news |title=Third Division. Brilliant 'keeper holds up Rotherham County. Back's collar-bone broken |newspaper=Sheffield Daily Telegraph |date=29 September 1924 |page=8}}</ref><ref name=ITMC>{{cite web |url=http://www.inthemadcrowd.co.uk/UI/Person.aspx?oid=446 |title=Tom Lilley |website=In The Mad Crowd |publisher=John Phillips |accessdate=16 June 2020}}</ref> After three weeks back in the team, he fell heavily and broke it again.<ref>{{cite news |title=Lilley's mishap |newspaper=Athletic News |location=Manchester |date=19 January 1925 |page=2}}</ref> He returned to the side, completed the last six matches of the season without incident, signed on for another year, was ever-present in Third Division matches as Hartlepool finished sixth in the 1925–26 table,<ref name=ITMC/> and earned himself a move to Sunderland. The fee was undisclosed, but the Hartlepool directors "declared themselves satisfied";<ref>{{cite news |title=Hartlepools United. Lilley transferred to Sunderland |newspaper=Northern Daily Mail |location=West Hartlepool |date=7 May 1926 |page=3}}</ref> it was later reported as £750.<ref name=Paisley/>
Unable to dislodge Ernie England from the left-back position nor Warney Cresswell from the right, and not considered first reserve when either man was unavailable, Lilley was nevertheless retained for a second season. On 27 August 1927, with Cresswell gone, England unwell and new arrival Bob Thomson suffering from an groin injury, Lilley made his Sunderland debut at left back in a 3–3 draw at home to Portsmouth.<ref>{{cite news |title=Sunderland's side |newspaper=Leeds Mercury |date=26 August 1927 |page=9}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thestatcat.co.uk/Season.aspx?SeasonID=49 |title=1927–28: Football League Division 1 |website=The Statcat |accessdate=16 June 2020}}</ref> It was his only senior appearance for the club, and he was transfer-listed at a fee of £350.<ref name=Paisley>{{cite news |title=''Untitled'' |newspaper=Yorkshire Post |date=8 August 1928 |page=7}}</ref>
Lilley signed for Scottish First Division club St Mirren.<ref name=Paisley/> He was brought into the team in November at left back as one of two changes to a relatively settled side,<ref>{{cite news |title=St Mirren's decision |newspaper=Courier and Advertiser |location=Dundee |date=7 November 1928 |page=8}}</ref> and remained in it, helping the team reach the semi-final of the Scottish Cup<ref>{{cite news |title=Aberdeen take the count. Exciting Cup tussle at Paisley |newspaper=Courier and Advertiser |location=Dundee |date=6 March 1929 |page=9}}</ref> and finish eighth in the League. He signed on for another season, was a regular at left back throughout, and turned down the club's offer of another year.<ref name=MirrenToFulham/> He had scored eight goals from 72 matches in all competitions.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.stmirren.info/id102.html |title=Player profiles L |website=StMirren.info |accessdate=23 June 2020}}</ref> He was transfer-listed at £750, returned to England and signed for Fulham of the Third Division South.<ref name=MirrenToFulham>{{cite news |title=Sporting notes |newspaper=Midlothian Advertiser |date=30 May 1930 |page=4}}<br>{{cite news |title=Fulham sign T. Lilley |newspaper=Northern Daily Mail |location=West Hartlepool |date=12 July 1930 |page=9}}</ref> Lilley played in Fulham's first seven matches, after which another recent arrival, Joe Reid, took his place. He appeared twice more in December, but those were his last, and his contract was cancelled at the end of the season.<ref name=ENFA/><ref>{{cite news |title=Football League meeting |newspaper=Yorkshire Post |date=1 June 1931 |page=17}}</ref>
Lilley returned to the north east of England where he was appointed captain of North-Eastern League club Annfield Plain.<ref>{{cite news |title=Tom Lilley |newspaper=Northern Daily Mail |location=West Hartlepool |date=29 September 1931 |page=8}}</ref> He moved on to Herrington Colliery Welfare in February 1932,<ref>{{cite news |title=Herrington's capture |newspaper=Sunderland Echo |date=31 August 1932 |page=9}}</ref> and in August, became one of three professionals on the books of another Wearside League club, Shiney Row Swifts.<ref>{{cite news |title=Round the camps with the Wearside Leaguers |last=Wanderer |newspaper=Sunderland Echo |date=25 August 1932 |page=8}}</ref> By late 1933, he was playing as an amateur for the Sunderland District Omnibus Company team in a local midweek league.<ref name=ENFA>{{cite web |url=http://www.enfa.co.uk/playersearch.php |title=Player search: Lilley, T (Tom) |website=English National Football Archive |accessdate=17 June 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Ryhope & District Wednesday League |newspaper=Sunderland Echo |date=21 November 1933 |page=9}}</ref> He also played bowls competitively.<ref>{{cite news |title=Sunderland L.N.E.R.—a team for the future |last=Wanderer |newspaper=Sunderland Echo |date=19 August 1939 |page=14 |quote=That tie against the Services, in which all the rinks were up, those of T. Lilley, once on Sunderland F.C. books, and R. French very much so, emphasizes the strength of the district side}}.</ref> The 1939 Register finds him living in Catherine Terrace, New Herrington, with his wife, Elizabeth, and working as a colliery stoneman.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ancestrylibraryedition.co.uk/interactive/61596/tna_r39_2790_2790a_011?pid=5419599 |title=Thomas Lilley |work=1939 Register |at=RG101/2790A FFTZ |via=Ancestry Library Edition |url-access=subscription}}</ref> He died in 1964 at the age of 64; his death was registered in the Durham Northern district.<ref name=ENFA/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=qKGo6qja8z1TudZsvHM6Fw&scan=1 |title=Index entry |website=FreeBMD |publisher=Office for National Statistics |accessdate=17 June 2020 |url-access=subscription}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lilley, Tom}} Category:1899 births Category:1964 deaths Category:Footballers from Houghton-le-Spring Category:English men's footballers Category:Men's association football full-backs Category:Methley Perseverance F.C. players Category:Huddersfield Town A.F.C. players Category:Nelson F.C. players Category:Hartlepool United F.C. players Category:Sunderland A.F.C. players Category:St Mirren F.C. players Category:Fulham F.C. players Category:Annfield Plain F.C. players Category:English Football League players Category:Scottish Football League players Category:20th-century English sportsmen