Tommy Sword
Thomas William Sword (born 12 November 1957) is a former professional football defender, who played primarily for Stockport County and has since been inducted into their Hall of Fame.
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Thomas William Sword[1] | ||
Date of birth | [1] | 12 November 1957||
Place of birth | Newcastle-upon-Tyne,[1] England | ||
Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)[2] | ||
Playing position(s) | Defender | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
Bishop Auckland | |||
1979–1986 | Stockport County | 238 | (51) |
1986–1987 | Hartlepool United | 18 | (0) |
1987 | → Halifax Town (loan) | 8 | (2) |
1987 | Stockport County | 7 | (1) |
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 17:01, 12 January 2009 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 17:01, 12 January 2009 (UTC) |
Biography
Born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Sword started his professional footballing career with Stockport County after making a name for himself as a free-scoring striker in the Northern Football League with Bishop Auckland. He started in good form at County, scoring twice in a 2–1 win over Hartlepool United on his full debut, but was soon asked to play in defense when County were short due to injuries. Sword enjoyed a successful transition from striker to defender, playing out the remainder of his career at the back. Despite playing from defense, he maintained a good scoring record thanks mostly to converting a remarkable 25 penalties. Sword was transferred to Hartlepool for £5,000 in July 1986, but after an appalling spell (he is often referred to as one of Pools' worst ever players) he soon returned to County for a brief stint to finish his footballing career.
He was very well regarded at County, and was awarded a testimonial against Manchester City soon after finishing playing professionally. In April 2005 he was inducted into Stockport's hall of fame.[3]
References
- "Tommy Sword". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
- Dunk, Peter, ed. (1987). Rothmans Football Yearbook 1987–88. London: Queen Anne Press. p. 344. ISBN 978-0-356-14354-5.
- Stockport County Hall of Fame Archived 16 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine