Tom Baddeley Explained

Tom Baddeley
Fullname:Thomas Baddeley
Birth Date:2 November 1874
Birth Place:Bycars, Staffordshire, England
Death Place:Stoke-on-Trent, England
Position:Goalkeeper
Youthclubs1:Burslem Swifts
Years1:1893–1896
Clubs1:Burslem Port Vale
Caps1:64
Goals1:0
Years2:1896–1907
Clubs2:Wolverhampton Wanderers
Caps2:296
Goals2:0
Years3:1907–1910
Caps3:9
Goals3:0
Years4:1910
Clubs4:Stoke
Caps4:7
Goals4:0
Years5:1910–1911
Clubs5:Whitfield Colliery
Totalcaps:376
Totalgoals:0
Nationalyears1:1903–1904
Nationalcaps1:5
Nationalgoals1:0
Nationalteam2:Football League
Nationalcaps2:4
Nationalgoals2:0

Thomas Baddeley (2 November 1874 – 24 September 1946) was an England international footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Baddeley made over 350 league appearances in his playing career and earned five caps. After starting his career in the English Football League with Burslem Port Vale, he spent 1896 to 1907 at Wolverhampton Wanderers. Then he ended his career with spells at Bradford Park Avenue and Stoke.

Early and personal life

Thomas Baddeley was born on 30 October 1874 in Bycars, near Burslem, Staffordshire.[1] He worked as a baker.[1] He married Phoebe Anne Blackham in 1904 and had three sons: Sydney, Thomas (who died in 1910 at the age of three), and Tom (born 1912).[1] He was working as a potters turner in 1911.[1] According to the 1921 census, he worked as a beer seller. He employed a servant, though he was unemployed by 1939.[1] He died on 24 September 1946 and was buried at Burslem cemetery with his son, Tom, and wife.[1]

Playing career

Burslem Port Vale

Baddeley began his professional career with Burslem Port Vale in 1893 after joining the club from local non-League side Burslem Swifts.[2] He played two Second Division games in the 1893–94 season, as Joe Frail and Hugh Mackay shared the number one jersey.[2] Baddeley then established himself between the sticks to become an ever-present at the Athletic Ground during the 1894–95 and 1895–96 seasons.[2] However, he was suspended by the club in August 1896 after signing professional forms with another club and was sold on to Wolverhampton Wanderers in October 1896 for £50.[2]

Wolverhampton Wanderers

He broke through into the first-team the following year, making his league debut on 1 September 1897 in a 3–0 win over Preston North End.[3] The team went on to finish third in 1897–98, eighth in 1898–99, and fourth in 1899–1900. In his first three years at Wolves, he kept 31 clean sheets.[4] Conversely Baddeley was also in goal in 1900 when Wolves were sensationally knocked out of the FA Cup by Queens Park Rangers at home.[5] Wolves went on to finish 13th in 1900–01, 14th in 1901–02, 11th in 1902–03, eighth in 1903–04, and 14th again in 1904–05, before suffering relegation in last place in 1905–06 after conceding 99 goals in 38 games. They then went on to post a sixth-place finish in the Second Division in 1906–07.

Later career

After making a total of 315 appearances in an 11-year stay at Molineux, he left Wolves in 1907 for Southern League side Bradford Park Avenue. They finished 13th in 1907–08, and were then elected into the English Football League. He played in their first-ever league match in September 1908, as the club went on to finish in 16th place in 1908–09 and 10th place in 1909–10. However, he returned to the Midlands with Stoke after failing to become a regular in the Bradford team. His stay at the Victoria Ground proved short, though, and he played seven Birmingham & District League games in the 1909–10 season before he dropped into non-League action with nearby Whitfield Colliery, before retiring in May 1911.

International career

Baddeley made his England debut on 14 February 1903, in a 4–0 win over Ireland at his home club ground of Molineux. He won four further caps over the next fourteen months, playing against Scotland (twice), Wales, and Ireland again.

Career statistics

Club statistics

Source:

ClubSeasonLeagueFA CupTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Burslem Port Vale1893–94Second Division200020
1894–95Second Division30010310
1895–96Second Division30020320
1896–97Midland League200020
Total64030670
Wolverhampton Wanderers1897–98First Division29020310
1898–99First Division30030330
1899–1900First Division32020340
1900–01First Division34030370
1901–02First Division30010310
1902–03First Division26010270
1903–04First Division31030340
1904–05First Division22030250
1905–06First Division35000350
1906–07Second Division 27010280
Total29601903150
Bradford Park Avenue1908–09Second Division 9010100
Stoke1909–10Birmingham & District League /
Southern League Division Two
700070
Career total37602303990

International statistics

England national team[6]
YearAppsGoals
190320
190430
Total50

Honours

England

1902–03 (shared), 1903–04[1]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: England Goalkeepers – Tom Baddeley . englandfootballonline.com . 11 March 2023.
  2. Book: Kent, Jeff. Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. 13. 1996. 0-9529152-0-0.
  3. Book: Matthews, Tony . The Legends of Wolverhampton Wanderers . 2006 . Breedon Books . Derby . 13 . 1-85983-518-X.
  4. http://www.iffhs.de/?b4a390f03be4ac07cda14b45fdcdc3bfcdc0aec70aec01 iffhs – Goal keeping aggregate record without conceding a goal
  5. http://www.freewebs.com/captainbeecher/number82.htm Match report of Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Queens Park Rangers 1900
  6. Web site: Tom Baddeley. national-football-teams.com. 7 August 2015.