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Players Index Page Last Updated
9 April 2024
 
 

Thomas Downs

Everton FC

 1 appearance, 0 goals

P 1 W 1 D 0 L 0 F 2: A 0
100% successful
1920

captain: none
minutes played: 90

Timeline
  John Thomas Downs
Birth 13 August 1886 at The Kings Arms, Middridge, Newton Aycliffe, County Durham [registered in Auckland, September 1886].
 

According to the 1891 census, John T. is the youngest child of four to William and Elizabeth, living at The Kings Arms in Middridge, just outside of Newton Aycliffe. His father is a coal miner.
 

According to the 1901 census, John T, is now one of eight children, and they all still live at The Kings Arms, He is now a labourer at the local colliery.
Marriage to Eliza Taylor, at All Saints Church in New Shildon, on 22 January 1910 [registered in Auckland, June 1910]. One child, Arthur, born in September 1911. Wilfred came along in 1920.
 

According to the 1911 census, John's family were living at 57 Adelaide Street in Shildon, alongside his wife, Eliza. John is in Barnsley, trading as a professional footballer, mistakenly placed under the name Richard (presumably because he called himself Dickie). He is boarding with Jane Chilvers, a 65 year-old widow, at 53 Doncaster Road in Barnsley.
His army record actually state that he had a middle name of Richard, as stated on his 1915 attestation. In fact, he signed himself as Richard Downs. Which also said he was a hotelkeeper at the Wharncliffe Hotel, on the Sheffield Road in Barnsley. He enlisted with the Royal Army Medical Corps on 11 December 1915 and was discharged on 5 December 1916.
  According to the 1921 census, J.T., a professional footballer (for Everton FC), and is stated as still being married. However, he is one of eight boarding at the St. John Hotel in Liverpool (next to Lime Street Station).
"MAINTENANCE ORDER AGAINST EX-FOOTBALLER
"John Thomas Downs, better known as Dickie Downs, the well known footballer, was ordered at Barnsley yesterday, to pay is wife 10s. per week.
"The two, it was stated, had been living apart for some time under an agreement and it was because Downs had not continued his payment under that agreement that the wife had brought this action.
"Mrs. Downs, replying to Mr. C.M. Clegg, said she knew her husband was unable now to play football or to work regularly at his employment in the pit. She added, however, that he had received a large sum from Brighton and Hove Football Club." - Friday, 10 June 1927, The Sheffield Independent
  According to the 1939 register, John T., an ex-professional footballer, is still married, but his wife is not on this register. He is living at 10 Albert Street in Shildon, along with widowed mother, Elizabeth, and his widowed brother, Arthur, and sister, Laura.
Death 24 March 1949, aged 62 years 223 days [registered in Durham NW, March 1949].

Source

Douglas Lammings' An English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990] &

Playing Career
Club(s) Began playing junior football in Crook, before joining Shildon Athletic FC in September 1907 and joined Barnsley FC in May 1908. After 284 league appearances, scoring ten goals, and following a request to be placed on the transfer list, it was Everton FC that signed Downs on 3 March 1920 for £2500 transfer fee. Despite a deal in March 1923 to join Clapton Orient FC, it was declined because of Down's reluctance to move to London, he had made 92 league appearances when he joined Brighton & Hove Albion FC on 25 August 1924, after appearing in only sixteen league matches, he was placed on the free transfer list in May 1925.
Club honours FA Cup runners-up 1909-10, winners 1911-12;
Individual honours Football League (two appearances)
Distinctions None
Height/Weight 5' 5½", 11st. 3lbs [1916], 5' 6½", 12st. 0lbs [1921].

Source

Douglas Lammings' An English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990].

England Career
Player number One of four who became the 398th players (399) to appear for England.
Position(s) Right-back
Only match No. 123, 23 October 1920, England 2 Ireland 0, a British Championship match at Roker Park, Roker, Sunderland, aged 34 years 71 days.
Major tournaments British Championship 1920-21.
Team honours None
Individual honours None
Distinctions Died eight days after Billy Hibbert

Beyond England
After retiring, he coached in Europe. - An English Football Internationalists' Who's Who. Douglas Lamming (1990). Hatton Press, p.90.

 

Thomas Downs - Career Statistics
Squads Apps comp. apps Mins. goals ave.min comp. goals Capt. Disc.
1 1 1 90 0 0 min 0 none none
minutes are an approximation, due to the fact that many matches rarely stick to exactly ninety minutes long, allowing time for injuries and errors.

 

Thomas Downs - Match Record - All Matches - By Type of Match
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
Home - British Championship 1 1 0 0 2 0 +2 0 1 2.00 0.00 100.0 +1
All 1 1 0 0 2 0 +2 0 1 2.00 0.00 100.0 +1

 

Thomas Downs - Match Record - Tournament Matches
British Championship Competition
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
BC 1920-21 1 1 0 0 2 0 +2 0 1 2.00 0.00 100.0 +1
BC All 1 1 0 0 2 0 +2 0 1 2.00 0.00 100.0 +1
All Competition
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
BC 1 1 0 0 2 0 +2 0 1 2.00 0.00 100.0 +1
All 1 1 0 0 2 0 +2 0 1 2.00 0.00 100.0 +1

 

Thomas Downs - Match History
 Club: Everton F.C. - 1 full cap

F.A. International Select Committee - 1 full capx

Age 34
1 123 23 October 1920 - England 2 Ireland 0, Roker Park, Sunderland BC HW Start rb

Notes

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CG