Tommy Eggleston

Thomas Eggleston (21 February 1920 – 14 January 2004) was an English footballer and manager.

Tommy Eggleston

Personal information
Full name	Thomas Eggleston[1]
Date of birth	(1920-02-21)21 February 1920
Place of birth	Consett, England
Date of death	14 January 2004(2004-01-14) (aged 83)[2]
Place of death	Tockwith, England[1]
Playing position(s)	Left half, full back
Youth career
0000–1936	Medomsley Juniors
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1936–1946	Derby County	0	(0)
1946–1948	Leicester City	34	(2)
1948–1953	Watford	177	(6)
Teams managed
1967–1970	Mansfield Town
1970–1971	Ethnikos Asteras
	Panachaiki
1973	Everton (caretaker)
1973–1974	Home Farm
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Career

Tommy became a coach and manager, as well as physio, after a playing career interrupted by the Second World War and then ended prematurely by injury.[2] He was also a qualified chiropodist.

His first club was Derby County,[2] whom he joined in 1936 and 10 years later he played a part in helping the Rams to their first, and so far only, FA Cup success.

Although wing-half Tommy was involved in the earlier rounds, he did not play in the final itself, a 4–1 extra-time victory over Charlton Athletic.[3] That same year he moved on to Leicester and in February 1948 was transferred to Watford,[4] for whom he went on to make 186 appearances and score six goals.[2] After leaving the club, he became a trainer at Brentford.[2]

When his playing career ended Tommy turned to coaching and was with Sheffield Wednesday before joining ex-Hillsborough boss Harry Catterick at Everton, as well as a brief spell under the management of Neil McBain at Watford.[5]

Tommy was appointed manager of Mansfield Town in July 1967 [6]

After three years with the Stags he was tempted by a £10,000-a-week offer to take charge of Greek club Ethnikos Asteras.

Upon his return to England he rejoined Everton.[7]

In December 1973 he was appointed manager of Home Farm. This was a sort of homecoming for the Eggleston as his wife Frances was from Rathmines. However, after only three months he left the League of Ireland and then turned to physiotherapy. He was with Plymouth Argyle for two and a half years before replacing Brian Simpson at Ipswich Town.

In his first season, he was back at Wembley as Town triumphed in the FA Cup final, Tommy's big moment coming when he tended to goal hero Roger Osborne as he was overcome with emotion and exhaustion after firing past Pat Jennings.

Town's route to Wembley required them to visit Bristol Rovers in the fifth round and on the morning of the game Tommy was enjoying a stroll, something he did every match day.

He came across a man who had collapsed in the street, having apparently suffered a heart attack, and Tommy quickly administered the kiss of life.

He formed a close working relationship with Catterick and the pair's combined efforts helped Everton to the League Championship in 1963 and the FA Cup three years later.

Catterick collapsed and died after the FA Cup quarter-final at between Everton and Ipswich at Goodison Park in March 1985, when Tommy was present.

Managerial stats

As of 22 September 2007.[6]

Team	Nat	From	To	Record
				G	W	L	D	Win %
Mansfield Town		1 July 1967	1 July 1970	138	49	54	45	35.50
Everton		12 April 1973	28 May 1973	5	1	2	2	35.50

Notes

1. "Tommy Eggleston". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
2. "Watford Football Club archive 1881–2017 » Players – Digweed to Elkes" (PDF). p. 40. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
3. "Tommy Eggleston". 11v11.com. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
4. "Tom Eggleston | Leicester City career stats – FoxesTalk". FoxesTalk. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
5. Oliver Phillips (1991). The Official Centenary History of Watford Football Club. Watford Football Club. ISBN 0-9509601-6-0.
6. "Tom Eggleston's managerial career". Soccerbase. Retrieved 22 September 2007.
7. "EVERTON MANAGERS". ToffeeWeb. Retrieved 22 September 2007.