Gerry Wolstenholme's Blog - Posts Tagged "barrow-fc"
‘A fitting heir to the crown worn by Farm, West and Waiters’
Kevin Anthony Thomas 1945-2022
Kevin Thomas was born in Prescot on 13 August 1945 and, after schoolboy football, he played his early senior football as a goalkeeper for Prescot Cables in the Lancashire Combination. Blackpool’s Merseyside scout Verdi Godwin spotted him, knew that he was good enough to play League football and recommended him to Blackpool manager Ronnie Suart. Blackpool duly signed him as an amateur on 29 March 1966 and after watching him in the Blackpool junior sides Suart regarded him as ‘a great prospect’.
He made his debut for the reserve side in the Central League against Manchester United reserves on 4 May 1966 when Blackpool lost 2-1. He also appeared in the two final Central League games of the season, a 9-0 victory over Chesterfield reserves on 7 May 1966 and a 1-0 defeat by Manchester City reserves on 9 May 1966, thus playing three Central League games in the 1965/66 season.
He was signed as a professional just prior to his 21st birthday on 2 June 1966 when his weekly wage was £16 plus an additional £14 if and when he played in the first team. And he began the 1966/67 season as the regular goalkeeper for the Central League side as England international Tony Waiters held the first team spot. He went on to alternate with Alan Taylor for the goalkeeper’s spot in the Central League side until he made his League debut in the top flight of English football against Sheffield United at Bloomfield Road on 8 April 1967 and he was quickly in action ‘when brilliantly cutting out a low diving header from centre forward Jones in the opening minutes’. He later ‘made a fine save from Woodward’ but, despite having had much of the play, Blackpool lost 1-0.
After missing one League game he returned to the side to play in the final four games of the season, beginning with a 1-0 home defeat by Everton on 22 April when with the score 0-0 he ‘did well to hold on to a Gabriel lob under the challenge of Royle and Ball’ but the former was to sink Blackpool later with the only goal of the game when his powerful header just defeated him as he ‘got a hand to it but could not keep it out of the net’.
On 29 April there followed a 2-2 draw at Craven Cottage against Fulham, both goals coming from Alan Clarke before a 3-1 home defeat by West Bromwich Albion on 6 May. In the latter game Tony Green made his Blackpool debut and the Birmingham Daily Post reported, ‘Thomas, their new young goalkeeper, and Tony Green, a young inside-left signed recently from Albion Rovers, shone particularly brightly for Blackpool.’ And after goals from a free kick and a penalty to add to Jeff Astle’s opener the final comment was ‘Osborne [WBA goalkeeper] matched the fine goalkeeping of Thomas.’
And his season culminated in a 3-1 victory at high-flying Liverpool on 13 May 1967 when he played his part in what the Liverpool Echo described as ‘this full of confidence Blackpool defence’. This was only Blackpool’s sixth victory of the season and their second on Merseyside, having previously beaten Everton 1-0. Unfortunately the poor run of form saw them relegated to Division II.
He played five League games, 22 Central League games, one Lancashire Senior Cup tie and two friendly games in the 1966/67 season.
The encouraging post-season comment by manager Stan Mortensen was, ‘This boy has done exceptionally well in the few games he has played for us. I was particularly pleased with his fine display against Liverpool in the last match of the season. In this game I thought he was excellent.’ One critic’s view of him was ‘Kevin has made his mistakes. But he has a quiet, professional confidence in his own ability, a keen eye, quick reflexes and good positional sense and anticipation. When time and experience have rubbed off the rough edges, Thomas could be a fitting heir to the crown worn by Farm, West and Waiters.’
He began the 1967/68 season in the League side, playing in a 2-0 victory over Preston North End at Deepdale on 19 August 1967 and then retained his place for two further games before Alan Taylor took over following a 4-1 defeat by Millwall on 26 August 1967.
Back in the Central League side, he was often in the news such as when he kept Blackpool in the game against Burnley reserves on 24 February 1968 as he firstly ‘pulled off a great save from the Burnley winger [Murray], pushing the ball for a corner’, secondly when he ‘did well to cut out a centre from Bourne’ and then when, as France burst through, he ‘spotted the danger and rushed out to clear at the expense of a corner’. Blackpool won the game 2-0 with goals from Ronnie Brown and Tony Marsden.
Although playing only three League games in the 1967/68 season, he was a stalwart of the Central League side in which he appeared 38 times. He also played three Lancashire Senior Cup ties and three friendly games.
Once again in the 1968/69 season he was a regular in the Central League side, playing 34 games. However he did return to the League side for his first appearance of the season when he replaced the injured Alan Taylor in the third round FA Cup tie against Coventry City on 4 January 1969 when Blackpool lost 3-1 after conceding three goals in the final seven minutes.
And he later replaced ‘flu victim Taylor in the League side for the game against Aston Villa on 22 March 1969 for his first League appearance of the 1968/69 season. He was ‘taken by surprise’ after just two minutes when ‘Godfrey unleashed a right-foot drive from 25 yards that went high into the top left-hand corner of the net’ but Blackpool recovered to draw 1-1 and he retained his place for three further games, a 2-0 defeat by Bury, a 4-1 victory over Bolton Wanderers and a 1-1 draw with Sheffield United.
In addition to his Central League appearances he played four League games and one FA Cup tie in the 1968/69 season.
With the signing of Harry Thomson for the 1969/70 season Blackpool decided that they had a surplus of goalkeepers and on 3 September 1969 Blackpool reluctantly announced that they were prepared to listen to offers for him. Even so he played two Central League games at the start of that season, with his final game for Blackpool being a 2-2 draw with Burnley reserves on 6 September 1969.
After a Blackpool career that had encompassed 12 League games, one FA Cup tie, 99 Central League games, four Lancashire Senior Cup ties and four friendly games he was transferred to Tranmere Rovers for a fee of £3,000 on 10 September 1969. He went on to play 18 League games for Tranmere Rovers before a transfer to Oxford United in July 1971 after a recommendation from former Blackpool goalkeeper Tony Waiters. He played five League games for Oxford United before moving for a short spell with non-league Kettering Town.
He returned to League football when he was transferred to Southport in July 1974 and he won the club’s Player of the Year award in his first season, 1974/75, when he appeared in 44 of 46 League games, one FA Cup tie and one League Cup tie.
A knee injury suffered in training in December 1975 cost him his place in the Southport side and although he made an attempt at a comeback, in a 4-0 defeat by Crewe Alexandra on 13 February 1976, it was not to be. And he had played 67 League games, two FA Cup ties and four League Cup ties for Southport when they, with great sadness, cancelled his registration on 6 May 1977 when he was obliged to retire from first-class football on medical advice.
But he was not finished with the game for he joined non-league Barrow in the summer of 1977 and he remained at the club for five seasons, apparently playing with his leg strapped up the whole time. And he made a return appearance at Bloomfield Road in a pre-season friendly game on 1 August 1979 when Barrow defeated a Blackpool reserve side 4-1.
He was a crowd favourite at Barrow where ‘his agility and bravery were never in doubt’ and he even scored one goal. That goal was a twice taken penalty against Gravesend & Northfleet at the end of the 1981/82 season. For his loyal service, Barrow gave him a joint testimonial with Dave Large against a Manchester United XI.
After leaving Barrow he helped out Wren Rovers in the pre-season of 1983/84 in order to solve a goalkeeping crisis at the club and he once more he appeared against Blackpool in a pre-season friendly game on 4 August 1983 when his side lost 2-1.
Workington Town signed him for the 1983/84 season and he later played local league football in Blackpool and made a fleeting non-league comeback with Runcorn in 1985.
After retirement from football he became a postman in Blackpool, retiring in 2009. He was also a first-class tennis player, being a member of South Shore Tennis Club for many years.
He died in Trinity Hospice, Blackpool, on 9 October 2022. John Cross, secretary of Blackpool’s Former Players’ Association (FPA) commented, ‘Desperately sad news to report that former Pool goalie Kevin Thomas has passed away yesterday. Kev had suffered a massive stroke earlier in the week. Sincere condolences go to Kev's wife Judy and the family, daughter Justine and two grandchildren, and to all Kev's many friends. R.I.P. Kev x.’ John added, ‘Kev was a great pal of mine having worked with him in Royal Mail for 15 years or so. He loved his family and all his friends and it was always great to be in his company [having also known him, I can confirm that, RIP Kevin]’.
Blackpool Football Club released a statement on social media that stated, ‘The club is saddened to learn of the passing of former goalkeeper Kevin Thomas at the age of 78. Our thoughts and condolences go out to his family.’
His funeral will take place at Carleton Crematorium on Thursday 27 October at 2pm.
Kevin Thomas was born in Prescot on 13 August 1945 and, after schoolboy football, he played his early senior football as a goalkeeper for Prescot Cables in the Lancashire Combination. Blackpool’s Merseyside scout Verdi Godwin spotted him, knew that he was good enough to play League football and recommended him to Blackpool manager Ronnie Suart. Blackpool duly signed him as an amateur on 29 March 1966 and after watching him in the Blackpool junior sides Suart regarded him as ‘a great prospect’.
He made his debut for the reserve side in the Central League against Manchester United reserves on 4 May 1966 when Blackpool lost 2-1. He also appeared in the two final Central League games of the season, a 9-0 victory over Chesterfield reserves on 7 May 1966 and a 1-0 defeat by Manchester City reserves on 9 May 1966, thus playing three Central League games in the 1965/66 season.
He was signed as a professional just prior to his 21st birthday on 2 June 1966 when his weekly wage was £16 plus an additional £14 if and when he played in the first team. And he began the 1966/67 season as the regular goalkeeper for the Central League side as England international Tony Waiters held the first team spot. He went on to alternate with Alan Taylor for the goalkeeper’s spot in the Central League side until he made his League debut in the top flight of English football against Sheffield United at Bloomfield Road on 8 April 1967 and he was quickly in action ‘when brilliantly cutting out a low diving header from centre forward Jones in the opening minutes’. He later ‘made a fine save from Woodward’ but, despite having had much of the play, Blackpool lost 1-0.
After missing one League game he returned to the side to play in the final four games of the season, beginning with a 1-0 home defeat by Everton on 22 April when with the score 0-0 he ‘did well to hold on to a Gabriel lob under the challenge of Royle and Ball’ but the former was to sink Blackpool later with the only goal of the game when his powerful header just defeated him as he ‘got a hand to it but could not keep it out of the net’.
On 29 April there followed a 2-2 draw at Craven Cottage against Fulham, both goals coming from Alan Clarke before a 3-1 home defeat by West Bromwich Albion on 6 May. In the latter game Tony Green made his Blackpool debut and the Birmingham Daily Post reported, ‘Thomas, their new young goalkeeper, and Tony Green, a young inside-left signed recently from Albion Rovers, shone particularly brightly for Blackpool.’ And after goals from a free kick and a penalty to add to Jeff Astle’s opener the final comment was ‘Osborne [WBA goalkeeper] matched the fine goalkeeping of Thomas.’
And his season culminated in a 3-1 victory at high-flying Liverpool on 13 May 1967 when he played his part in what the Liverpool Echo described as ‘this full of confidence Blackpool defence’. This was only Blackpool’s sixth victory of the season and their second on Merseyside, having previously beaten Everton 1-0. Unfortunately the poor run of form saw them relegated to Division II.
He played five League games, 22 Central League games, one Lancashire Senior Cup tie and two friendly games in the 1966/67 season.
The encouraging post-season comment by manager Stan Mortensen was, ‘This boy has done exceptionally well in the few games he has played for us. I was particularly pleased with his fine display against Liverpool in the last match of the season. In this game I thought he was excellent.’ One critic’s view of him was ‘Kevin has made his mistakes. But he has a quiet, professional confidence in his own ability, a keen eye, quick reflexes and good positional sense and anticipation. When time and experience have rubbed off the rough edges, Thomas could be a fitting heir to the crown worn by Farm, West and Waiters.’
He began the 1967/68 season in the League side, playing in a 2-0 victory over Preston North End at Deepdale on 19 August 1967 and then retained his place for two further games before Alan Taylor took over following a 4-1 defeat by Millwall on 26 August 1967.
Back in the Central League side, he was often in the news such as when he kept Blackpool in the game against Burnley reserves on 24 February 1968 as he firstly ‘pulled off a great save from the Burnley winger [Murray], pushing the ball for a corner’, secondly when he ‘did well to cut out a centre from Bourne’ and then when, as France burst through, he ‘spotted the danger and rushed out to clear at the expense of a corner’. Blackpool won the game 2-0 with goals from Ronnie Brown and Tony Marsden.
Although playing only three League games in the 1967/68 season, he was a stalwart of the Central League side in which he appeared 38 times. He also played three Lancashire Senior Cup ties and three friendly games.
Once again in the 1968/69 season he was a regular in the Central League side, playing 34 games. However he did return to the League side for his first appearance of the season when he replaced the injured Alan Taylor in the third round FA Cup tie against Coventry City on 4 January 1969 when Blackpool lost 3-1 after conceding three goals in the final seven minutes.
And he later replaced ‘flu victim Taylor in the League side for the game against Aston Villa on 22 March 1969 for his first League appearance of the 1968/69 season. He was ‘taken by surprise’ after just two minutes when ‘Godfrey unleashed a right-foot drive from 25 yards that went high into the top left-hand corner of the net’ but Blackpool recovered to draw 1-1 and he retained his place for three further games, a 2-0 defeat by Bury, a 4-1 victory over Bolton Wanderers and a 1-1 draw with Sheffield United.
In addition to his Central League appearances he played four League games and one FA Cup tie in the 1968/69 season.
With the signing of Harry Thomson for the 1969/70 season Blackpool decided that they had a surplus of goalkeepers and on 3 September 1969 Blackpool reluctantly announced that they were prepared to listen to offers for him. Even so he played two Central League games at the start of that season, with his final game for Blackpool being a 2-2 draw with Burnley reserves on 6 September 1969.
After a Blackpool career that had encompassed 12 League games, one FA Cup tie, 99 Central League games, four Lancashire Senior Cup ties and four friendly games he was transferred to Tranmere Rovers for a fee of £3,000 on 10 September 1969. He went on to play 18 League games for Tranmere Rovers before a transfer to Oxford United in July 1971 after a recommendation from former Blackpool goalkeeper Tony Waiters. He played five League games for Oxford United before moving for a short spell with non-league Kettering Town.
He returned to League football when he was transferred to Southport in July 1974 and he won the club’s Player of the Year award in his first season, 1974/75, when he appeared in 44 of 46 League games, one FA Cup tie and one League Cup tie.
A knee injury suffered in training in December 1975 cost him his place in the Southport side and although he made an attempt at a comeback, in a 4-0 defeat by Crewe Alexandra on 13 February 1976, it was not to be. And he had played 67 League games, two FA Cup ties and four League Cup ties for Southport when they, with great sadness, cancelled his registration on 6 May 1977 when he was obliged to retire from first-class football on medical advice.
But he was not finished with the game for he joined non-league Barrow in the summer of 1977 and he remained at the club for five seasons, apparently playing with his leg strapped up the whole time. And he made a return appearance at Bloomfield Road in a pre-season friendly game on 1 August 1979 when Barrow defeated a Blackpool reserve side 4-1.
He was a crowd favourite at Barrow where ‘his agility and bravery were never in doubt’ and he even scored one goal. That goal was a twice taken penalty against Gravesend & Northfleet at the end of the 1981/82 season. For his loyal service, Barrow gave him a joint testimonial with Dave Large against a Manchester United XI.
After leaving Barrow he helped out Wren Rovers in the pre-season of 1983/84 in order to solve a goalkeeping crisis at the club and he once more he appeared against Blackpool in a pre-season friendly game on 4 August 1983 when his side lost 2-1.
Workington Town signed him for the 1983/84 season and he later played local league football in Blackpool and made a fleeting non-league comeback with Runcorn in 1985.
After retirement from football he became a postman in Blackpool, retiring in 2009. He was also a first-class tennis player, being a member of South Shore Tennis Club for many years.
He died in Trinity Hospice, Blackpool, on 9 October 2022. John Cross, secretary of Blackpool’s Former Players’ Association (FPA) commented, ‘Desperately sad news to report that former Pool goalie Kevin Thomas has passed away yesterday. Kev had suffered a massive stroke earlier in the week. Sincere condolences go to Kev's wife Judy and the family, daughter Justine and two grandchildren, and to all Kev's many friends. R.I.P. Kev x.’ John added, ‘Kev was a great pal of mine having worked with him in Royal Mail for 15 years or so. He loved his family and all his friends and it was always great to be in his company [having also known him, I can confirm that, RIP Kevin]’.
Blackpool Football Club released a statement on social media that stated, ‘The club is saddened to learn of the passing of former goalkeeper Kevin Thomas at the age of 78. Our thoughts and condolences go out to his family.’
His funeral will take place at Carleton Crematorium on Thursday 27 October at 2pm.
