Jack Thomas (footballer, born 1890)

John William Thomas MSM (30 September 1890 – 1947) was an English professional footballer who played in the Football League for Newcastle United as an inside right.[1]

Jack Thomas
Personal information
Full name John William Thomas[1]
Date of birth 30 September 1890[2]
Place of birth Sacriston, England
Date of death 1947 (aged 56–57)[2]
Position(s) Inside right
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
0000–1910 Spennymoor United
1910–1911 Brighton & Hove Albion 1 (0)
1911–1912 Newcastle United 1 (0)
1912–19?? Spennymoor United
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Personal life

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Either side of the First World War, Thomas worked as a miner,[3] latterly in Sacriston.[4]

After the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914,[3] he enlisted as a lance corporal in the Durham Light Infantry.[2] In 1915, Thomas took part in the Second Battle of Ypres. During the battle, he was taken prisoner of war near Boetleer's Farm and was sent to Germany,[5] where he was incarcerated with French prisoners and learnt the language.[3] He eventually escaped with four other French prisoners and by using a compass which had been hidden in a cake sent from home, he made it to the neutral Netherlands.[3] Upon his return to Britain, Thomas was interrogated as a possible German spy, but was then sent back to France to work in counter-espionage,[3] by posing as a French dock worker in Le Havre and Dieppe.[4] He won the Meritorious Service Medal during the course of his service.[6]

Career statistics

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Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Brighton & Hove Albion 1910–11[7] Southern League First Division 1 0 0 0 1 0
Newcastle United 1911–12[8] First Division 1 0 0 0 1 0
Career total 2 0 0 0 2 0

References

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  1. ^ a b Joyce, Michael (2012). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: Tony Brown. p. 285. ISBN 978-1905891610.
  2. ^ a b c "Thomas, J.W., Sgt., MSM, 1914–1918 (1947)". North East War Memorials Project. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d e Henderson, Tony (30 September 2014). "The Newcastle United footballers who went to war for their country". The Chronicle. Newcastle. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  4. ^ a b Hazlewood, Paul. "A tribute to Albion's fallen". www.brightonandhovealbion.com. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  5. ^ "'Wor' War heroes". Newcastle United Football Club. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
  6. ^ "United In The Wars – Part One!" (PDF). True Faith. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
  7. ^ Carder, Tim; Harris, Roger (1997). Albion A–Z: A Who's Who of Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. Hove: Goldstone Books. p. 238. ISBN 978-0-9521337-1-1.
  8. ^ "John Thomas". 11v11.com. Retrieved 2 June 2017.