Tom Adamson

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Tom Adamson

| image =

| fullname = Thomas Kay Adamson

| birth_date = 12 February 1897

| birth_place = Mossend, Scotland

| death_date = 21 October 1959 (aged 62)England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858–1995

| death_place=Kettering, Northamptonshire

| height = {{height|ft=5|in=11}}{{Cite news |date=13 August 1923 |title=The lure of promotion. Bury |page=6 |work=Athletic News |location=Manchester}}

| position = Left back

| youthyears1 = 1913–1914

| youthclubs1 = Craighead

| youthyears2 = 1914–

| youthclubs2 = Cambuslang Rangers

| years1 = 1919–1920

| clubs1 = Blantyre Celtic

| caps1 =

| goals1 =

| years2 = 1920–1928

| clubs2 = Bury

| caps2 = 271

| goals2 = 0

| years3 = 1929–1934

| clubs3 = Brentford

| caps3 = 141

| goals3 = 0

| years4 = 1934–1935

| clubs4 = Stockport County

| caps4 = 0

| goals4 = 0

| years5 = 1935

| clubs5 = Ards

| caps5 =

| goals5 =

| manageryears1 = 1935

| managerclubs1 = Ards (player-manager)

}}

Thomas Kay Adamson (12 February 1897 – 21 October 1959) was a Scottish professional footballer, best remembered for his time as a left back in the Football League with Bury and Brentford. He later had a short tenure as player-manager of Irish League club Ards.

Playing career

= Early years and Bury =

A left back, Adamson began his career at Scottish junior clubs Craighead, Cambuslang Rangers, Blantyre Celtic and moved to England to join Second Division club Bury in 1920.{{Cite web |title=Adamson Tommy Bury 1922 |url=https://www.vintagefootballers.com/product/adamson-tommy-image-1-bury-1922/ |access-date=15 November 2021 |website=Vintage Footballers |language=en-GB}} Over the course of 9 years at Gigg Lane, Adamson made 286 appearances and helped the Shakers to promotion back to the First Division in the 1923–24 season.

= Brentford =

Adamson dropped down to the Third Division South to sign for Brentford prior to the beginning of the 1929–30 season.{{Cite book |last1=Haynes |first1=Graham |title=Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006 |last2=Coumbe |first2=Frank |publisher=Yore Publications |year=2006 |isbn=978-0955294914 |location=Harefield |page=8}} He immediately broke into the team and made 36 appearances during his debut season,{{Cite book |title=100 Years Of Brentford |publisher=Brentford FC |year=1989 |isbn=0951526200 |editor-last=White |editor-first=Eric |pages=370–372}} a campaign memorable for the Bees' record-breaking 21 home wins.{{Cite web |title=Brentford FC History |url=https://www.brentfordfc.com/en/history |access-date=19 December 2016 |website=www.brentfordfc.co.uk}}

Adamson was a mainstay of the team for the following two seasons and made 28 appearances to help the Bees to the Third Division South title in the 1932–33 season. Age caught up to Adamson and he made just eight appearances during the 1933–34 Second Division season, before departing Griffin Park at the end of the campaign. Adamson made 153 appearances in five seasons with the Bees.

= Stockport County =

Adamson returned to the Manchester area to sign for Third Division North club Stockport County in 1934. He failed to make an appearance for the club and ended his Football League career in 1935, having failed to score in over 400 professional matches.{{Cite book |last=Joyce |first=Michael |title=Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939 |publisher=Tony Brown |year=2012 |isbn=978-1905891610 |location=Nottingham |page=5}}

Managerial career

Adamson had a short spell as player-manager of Irish League club Ards in 1935.{{Cite web |title=Ards Football Club – Managers |url=http://home.online.no/~smogols/ifcp/clubs/ards/managersards.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151031125920/http://home.online.no/~smogols/ifcp/clubs/ards/managersards.htm |archive-date=31 October 2015 |access-date=14 June 2015 |website=Irish Football Club Project}} Former Brentford full back partner Alexander Stevenson was one of his signings.

Personal life

While growing up, Adamson went to school with future Scottish internationals Hughie Gallacher and Alex James.

Career statistics

Division !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals
class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" \|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition ! rowspan="2" \|Club ! rowspan="2" \|Season ! colspan="3" \|League ! colspan="2" \|FA Cup ! colspan="2" \|Total
rowspan="5" \|Brentford \|1929–30 \| rowspan="4" \|Third Division South \|35 \|0 \|1 \|0 \|36 \|0
1930–31 \|36 \|0 \|5 \|0 \|41 \|0
1931–32 \|35 \|0 \|5 \|0 \|40 \|0
1932–33 \|27 \|0 \|1 \|0 \|28 \|0
1933–34 \|Second Division \|8 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|8 \|0
colspan="3" \|Career total !141 !0 !12 !0 !153 !0