Tom Emanuel
{{short description|Welsh footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Tom Emanuel
| image =
| fullname = Thomas D. Emanuel
| birth_date = {{birth date|1915|8|1|df=y}}
| birth_place = Treboeth, Wales
| death_date = {{death year and age|1997|1915}}
| height = {{height|ft=5|in=7}}
| position = Full back
| currentclub =
| youthyears1 =
| youthclubs1 = ICI Works
| years1 = 1935–1938
| clubs1 = Swansea Town
| caps1 = 46
| goals1 = 1
| years2 = 1938–1946
| clubs2 = Southampton
| caps2 = 33
| goals2 = 0
| years3 = 1939–1940
| clubs3 = → Swindon Town (Wartime guest)
| caps3 =
| goals3 =
| years4 =
| clubs4 = → Wrexham (Wartime guest)
| caps4 =
| goals4 =
| years5 = 1946
| clubs5 = Milford United
| caps5 =
| goals5 =
| years6 = 1946–1948
| clubs6 = Llanelly
| caps6 =
| goals6 =
}}
Thomas D. Emanuel (1 August 1915 – 1997){{cite book |title=Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939 |last=Joyce |first=Michael |year=2004 |publisher=Tony Brown|location=Nottingham |isbn=1-899468-67-6|page=84}} was a Welsh footballer who played at left-back for Swansea Town and Southampton in the 1930s and 1940s.
Football career
Emanuel was born in the Treboeth district of Swansea and played rugby in his schooldays. It was only when he was working for ICI that he first played "soccer". He was playing in the final of a local cup competition at Vetch Field when his "impressive form" prompted Swansea Town to offer him a professional contract.{{cite book | title=The Alphabet of the Saints|last= Holley |first= Duncan |author2=Chalk, Gary | publisher= ACL & Polar Publishing |year=1992| isbn=0-9514862-3-3|page=117}}
He spent three seasons with Swansea before he was signed by Southampton's manager Tom Parker for a fee of £2,200, to replace Arthur Roberts who had joined Swansea in August.{{cite book | title=The Alphabet of the Saints|last= Holley |first= Duncan |author2=Chalk, Gary | publisher= ACL & Polar Publishing |year=1992| isbn=0-9514862-3-3|page=284}} Emanuel made his Saints' debut on 24 September 1938, in a 1–0 defeat at Newcastle United. He soon settled into the Southampton defence and the fee looked to have been "money well spent". Emanuel only missed three matches in the remainder of the 1938–39 season and also played the first three matches in the following season before League football was abandoned during the Second World War.{{cite book | title=Saints – A complete record|last= Chalk|first= Gary|author2=Holley, Duncan | publisher= Breedon Books| year=1987|isbn= 0-907969-22-4|pages=100–103}}
During the war, Emanuel made guest appearances for Swindon Town{{cite web|title=Player Profile: Tom Emmanuel (sic) |url=http://www.swindon-town-fc.co.uk/Person.asp?PersonID=EMMANUET|publisher=Swindon Town FC|access-date=9 October 2012}} and Wrexham. His military service took him to India, North Africa, Burma and Madagascar.
Emanuel returned to The Dell after the war and made two appearances in the FA Cup against Newport County in January 1946, before joining Llanelly.
Later career
Family
His younger brother, Len was a Wales schoolboy international who played at left back for Swansea Town and Newport County. Len's son Gary Emmanuel was a Wales under-23 footballer{{cite book|last1=Chalk|first1=Gary|last2=Holley|first2=Duncan|last3=Bull|first3=David|title=All the Saints: A Complete Players' Who's Who of Southampton FC|year=2013|location=Southampton|publisher=Hagiology Publishing|isbn=978-0-9926-8640-6| page=66}} who played for Birmingham City, Bristol Rovers, Swindon Town, Newport County, Bristol City and Swansea City.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.11v11.com/players/thomas-emanuel-44822/ Career details on 11 v 11.com]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Emanuel, Tom}}
Category:Footballers from Swansea
Category:Welsh men's footballers
Category:Swansea City A.F.C. players
Category:Southampton F.C. players
Category:English Football League players
Category:Swindon Town F.C. wartime guest players
Category:Wrexham F.C. wartime guest players
Category:Llanelli Town A.F.C. players