Tom Collins (footballer)

Thomas Collins (16 April 1882 – 30 July 1929) was a Scottish footballer who played for Heart of Midlothian, Bathgate, East Fife and Tottenham Hotspur.[3][4]

Tom Collins
Personal information
Full name Thomas Collins
Date of birth (1882-04-16)16 April 1882
Place of birth Leven, Scotland
Date of death 30 July 1929(1929-07-30) (aged 47)
Place of death London, England[1]
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Position(s) Full back
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Leven Thistle
1903–1905 Heart of Midlothian 22 (0)
1905Bathgate (loan)
1905–1906 East Fife
1906–1910 Heart of Midlothian 136 (1)
1910–1915 Tottenham Hotspur 113 (1)
International career
1909 Scotland 1 (0)
1909–1910[2] Scottish League XI 2 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

The full back transferred to Tottenham from Hearts (where he had featured on the losing side in the 1907 Scottish Cup Final) in 1910 for a fee of £825.[5] Collins made a total of 122 appearances in all competitions for Spurs between 1910 and 1915 and scored a solitary goal for the club.[6] English football was then suspended; Collins spent time back in Scotland and made some guest appearances for East Fife.[1]

International career

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While with Hearts, Collins represented Scotland on one occasion, a 1909 British Home Championship match against Wales.[7] He was selected for the Home Scots v Anglo-Scots trial match twice after he moved to Tottenham, but did not gain another full cap.[8]

Military service

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Collins served in the Royal Field Artillery during World War I; he saw active service in France and in 1917 suffered near-fatal injuries in a shell blast, with his left arm and leg having to be amputated (he later had an artificial leg fitted).[1]

Career statistics

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International

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Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Scotland 1909 1 0
Total 1 0

References

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  1. ^ a b c Mitchell, Andy (2021). The men who made Scotland: The definitive Who's Who of Scottish Football Internationalists 1872-1939. Amazon. ISBN 9798513846642.
  2. ^ "Thomas Collins - Scotland Football League Record from 27 Feb 1909 to 24 Oct 1910 clubs - Heart of Midlothian". londonhearts.com. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  3. ^ Joyce, Michael (2004). Football League Players' Records. soccerdata. p. 57. ISBN 1-899468-63-3.
  4. ^ (Hearts player) Tom Collins, London Hearts Supporters Club
  5. ^ Heart of Midlothian history Retrieved 4 February 2009.
  6. ^ Tottenham Hotspur F.C A-Z of players, Retrieved 29 November 2012 Archived 15 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ Mon 1 Mar 1909 Wales 3 Scotland 2, London Hearts Supporters Club
  8. ^ John Litster (October 2012). "A Record of pre-war Scottish League Players". Scottish Football Historian magazine. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)