Gerry Wolstenholme's Blog - Posts Tagged "st-mirren"
A Century of League Goals
Thomas (Tommy) White 1939-2019
Tom White was born at Musselburgh on 12 August 1939. He was a bustling centre forward who started his career with Bonnyrigg Rose before moving to Scottish League side Raith Rovers, where he scored 11 goals in 30 games, his career there having been interrupted by two years' National Service. He moved on to St Mirren, where he scored 20 goals in 35 League games before being transferred to Heart of Midlothian, where he played 37 League games, scoring 30 goals, eight Cup games, scoring five goals, and 16 other games, scoring 13 goals, a record of 48 goals that earned him the moniker 'Goal-a-game White'. However, a serious car crash curtailed his career at Hearts, from where he was selected for the Scottish League against the Irish League but he had to withdraw through illness. Also while at Hearts he played for Tottenham Hotspur in The John White Memorial Match for his older brother John White, who was tragically struck by lightning on a golf course aged just 27, against an All Star Scotland XI at White Hart Lane on 10 November 1964, when he scored the first of Spurs' goals in a 6-2 defeat.
He left Hearts finally when he was exchanged for Aberdeen's Don Kerrigan in the summer of 1965 and his brief spell at the club saw him score four goals in 14 games before a move into English football when he joined Crystal Palace along with team-mate John McCormick in May 1966. He went on to play 37 League games, make two substitute appearances and score 13 goals for Palace. He was then signed by Blackpool from Crystal Palace for a fee of £19,000 on 11 March 1968.
He made his League debut for Blackpool against Aston Villa on 16 March 1968 when Blackpool won 1-0 with a goal from Gordon Milne. He scored his first League goal for the Seasiders in his third game when Plymouth Argyle were defeated 2-0 on 30 May 1968. Then after five games in which he failed to score he scored both goals in the 2-0 victory over Portsmouth on 27 April 1968. He scored one further goal, in a 3-1 victory over Derby County on 4 May 1968 which gave him four goals in the 11 League games he played in the 1967/68 season. And he was such a wholehearted player that the endearing chant of 'Tom, Tom, Tom. Tom, Tommy White' regularly rang round the terraces at Bloomfield Road.
He began the 1968/69 season in fine form and he scored both goals in the 2-0 defeat of Hull City on the first day of the season, 10 August 1968, and he featured in the opening 11 games before injury interrupted his season. He was in and out of the side for the remainder of that season as Blackpool tried to replace him with a variety of occasional centre forwards. On one occasion he returned from his injury for his first Central League game of the season and he scored twice as Blackpool defeated Burnley reserves 3-1 on 14 December 1968.
And perhaps not surprisingly, he was 'way below form' as 'the attack seldom functioned smoothly' despite Blackpool defeating Norwich City 2-1 on 19 March 1969. In an injury-hit season he played 22 League games, scoring five goals, one FA Cup tie, two League Cup ties, scoring two goals, and four Central League games, scoring three goals, in the 1968/69 season.
He was unfortunately not fully fit when the 1969/70 season began and on 3 September 1969 Blackpool reluctantly announced that they were ready to listen to offers for him and he was placed on the transfer list.
Supposedly recovered from his ankle injury, he made his first League start of the 1969/70 season against Watford on 20 September 1969. With Blackpool one goal behind, he was replaced after 68 minutes and Blackpool went on to lose 3-0. Although at one time he 'seemed a little slow off the mark' when chasing a Hutchison cross, he did have a couple of memorable moments when on the field. They came when his 'shot on the turn from 16-yards was going low into the corner of the net when Walker dived full length to save' and then when he was 'spoken to by the referee for challenging goalkeeper Walker'.
It was his only League game of the 1969/70 season and it turned out to be his final game for Blackpool, for whom he played 34 League games and scored nine goals plus three Cup ties scoring two goals. Blackpool gave him a free transfer on 19 June 1970 and he immediately joined Bury and went on to play 46 League games, make two substitute appearances and score 13 goals for the club. He had one final League club when he was transferred to Crewe Alexandra in December 1971 but he played only four League games for the club without scoring a goal. However he did score a most creditable total of 100 goals in his 241 senior League games for his various clubs.
He later had a spell with then non-League Fleetwood before he was appointed caretaker-manager of Blackpool in April 1990 after Jimmy Mullen had resigned and he was in charge until the end of the season when Graham Carr was appointed on a permanent basis.
He was later a business man, a hotelier at the Boston Hotel, in Blackpool and served for 12 years on the club’s board of directors until Owen Oyston took over.
He died in Blackpool on 17 December 2019 after a lengthy illness. Tommy White was a wholehearted player and a lovely man and will be sadly missed by family and friends alike.
Tom White was born at Musselburgh on 12 August 1939. He was a bustling centre forward who started his career with Bonnyrigg Rose before moving to Scottish League side Raith Rovers, where he scored 11 goals in 30 games, his career there having been interrupted by two years' National Service. He moved on to St Mirren, where he scored 20 goals in 35 League games before being transferred to Heart of Midlothian, where he played 37 League games, scoring 30 goals, eight Cup games, scoring five goals, and 16 other games, scoring 13 goals, a record of 48 goals that earned him the moniker 'Goal-a-game White'. However, a serious car crash curtailed his career at Hearts, from where he was selected for the Scottish League against the Irish League but he had to withdraw through illness. Also while at Hearts he played for Tottenham Hotspur in The John White Memorial Match for his older brother John White, who was tragically struck by lightning on a golf course aged just 27, against an All Star Scotland XI at White Hart Lane on 10 November 1964, when he scored the first of Spurs' goals in a 6-2 defeat.
He left Hearts finally when he was exchanged for Aberdeen's Don Kerrigan in the summer of 1965 and his brief spell at the club saw him score four goals in 14 games before a move into English football when he joined Crystal Palace along with team-mate John McCormick in May 1966. He went on to play 37 League games, make two substitute appearances and score 13 goals for Palace. He was then signed by Blackpool from Crystal Palace for a fee of £19,000 on 11 March 1968.
He made his League debut for Blackpool against Aston Villa on 16 March 1968 when Blackpool won 1-0 with a goal from Gordon Milne. He scored his first League goal for the Seasiders in his third game when Plymouth Argyle were defeated 2-0 on 30 May 1968. Then after five games in which he failed to score he scored both goals in the 2-0 victory over Portsmouth on 27 April 1968. He scored one further goal, in a 3-1 victory over Derby County on 4 May 1968 which gave him four goals in the 11 League games he played in the 1967/68 season. And he was such a wholehearted player that the endearing chant of 'Tom, Tom, Tom. Tom, Tommy White' regularly rang round the terraces at Bloomfield Road.
He began the 1968/69 season in fine form and he scored both goals in the 2-0 defeat of Hull City on the first day of the season, 10 August 1968, and he featured in the opening 11 games before injury interrupted his season. He was in and out of the side for the remainder of that season as Blackpool tried to replace him with a variety of occasional centre forwards. On one occasion he returned from his injury for his first Central League game of the season and he scored twice as Blackpool defeated Burnley reserves 3-1 on 14 December 1968.
And perhaps not surprisingly, he was 'way below form' as 'the attack seldom functioned smoothly' despite Blackpool defeating Norwich City 2-1 on 19 March 1969. In an injury-hit season he played 22 League games, scoring five goals, one FA Cup tie, two League Cup ties, scoring two goals, and four Central League games, scoring three goals, in the 1968/69 season.
He was unfortunately not fully fit when the 1969/70 season began and on 3 September 1969 Blackpool reluctantly announced that they were ready to listen to offers for him and he was placed on the transfer list.
Supposedly recovered from his ankle injury, he made his first League start of the 1969/70 season against Watford on 20 September 1969. With Blackpool one goal behind, he was replaced after 68 minutes and Blackpool went on to lose 3-0. Although at one time he 'seemed a little slow off the mark' when chasing a Hutchison cross, he did have a couple of memorable moments when on the field. They came when his 'shot on the turn from 16-yards was going low into the corner of the net when Walker dived full length to save' and then when he was 'spoken to by the referee for challenging goalkeeper Walker'.
It was his only League game of the 1969/70 season and it turned out to be his final game for Blackpool, for whom he played 34 League games and scored nine goals plus three Cup ties scoring two goals. Blackpool gave him a free transfer on 19 June 1970 and he immediately joined Bury and went on to play 46 League games, make two substitute appearances and score 13 goals for the club. He had one final League club when he was transferred to Crewe Alexandra in December 1971 but he played only four League games for the club without scoring a goal. However he did score a most creditable total of 100 goals in his 241 senior League games for his various clubs.
He later had a spell with then non-League Fleetwood before he was appointed caretaker-manager of Blackpool in April 1990 after Jimmy Mullen had resigned and he was in charge until the end of the season when Graham Carr was appointed on a permanent basis.
He was later a business man, a hotelier at the Boston Hotel, in Blackpool and served for 12 years on the club’s board of directors until Owen Oyston took over.
He died in Blackpool on 17 December 2019 after a lengthy illness. Tommy White was a wholehearted player and a lovely man and will be sadly missed by family and friends alike.
An Uncompromising Defender
Henry Mowbray 1947 - 2022
Born in Hamilton-on 1 May 1947 he was a full back who played his junior football for Blairhall Colliery before signing for Cowdenbeath for the 1966/67 season. He went on to play 20 League games and score one goal for Cowdenbeath. Blackpool scouts were impressed with what they saw and the club signed him for a fee of £6,000, plus an additional £2,000 after he had played 20 League games, on 1 May 1967. It was the record fee that Cowdenbeath had received for a player at that time.
He made his Blackpool debut in a pre-season friendly game against Hibernian on 8 August 1967 when he replaced Roger Aindow at half-time in a 6-2 victory for the Seasiders. He made a second appearance in a pre-season friendly game that ended in a 2-2 draw with Manchester City reserves on 12 August.
He opened the season in the Central League side against Preston North End when Blackpool lost 3-2 on 19 August. He also played in the second Central League game, a 1-1 draw with Sheffield United on 26 August.
After his first two Central League games he made his League debut against Ipswich Town on 29 August 1967, replacing Tommy Thompson, when the game was drawn 1-1. Thereafter his form was such that he retained his place for 11 further League games before he suffered an injury in a 1-0 defeat by Queens Park Rangers on 28 October kept him out of the side for three games.
He returned to action to test his fitness in a Central League game against Aston Villa reserves when Blackpool won 4-0 but after a second game when Wolverhampton Wanderers were defeated 1-0, he required further treatment. Immediately he felt that he had recovered full fitness he was reintroduced into the League side against Portsmouth on 2 December as John Craven, who had been substituting for him, returned to the forward line. Blackpool lost the game 2-1.
He played four games but the injury was still troubling him and he had to withdraw from the side. After further treatment he had an extended run in the Central League side before returning to League action in a 1-0 win over Aston Villa on 16 March 1968. He retained his place until the end of the season when he had played 27 League games and had been an integral part of the Blackpool side that narrowly missed out on promotion to the top flight on the slenderest of goal average at the first attempt. He also played three League Cup ties, nine Central League games, one Lancashire Senior Cup tie and two friendly games in the 1967/68 season.
After playing in three pre-season friendly games when the Seasiders toured Scotland, he started the 1968/69 season as the regular left back in the League side, appearing in the opening 10 League games and three League Cup ties until injury against Manchester City in a third round League Cup tie put him out of action. Blackpool won the City game 1-0.
He was to play only two further League games that season, action against Portsmouth on 14 December 1968 when Blackpool lost 1-0 and against Aston Villa on 22 March 1969 when the game was drawn 1-1. He did, however, make spasmodic appearances for the Central League side and ended the season having played 12 League games, three League Cup ties, nine Central League games and three friendly games in the 1968/69 season.
He began the 1969/70 season in the Central League side and played 10 of the first 11 games before he earned a League recall against Middlesbrough on 27 September 1969 when he replaced the injured Bill Bentley as Blackpool won 2-0. He kept his place for a lengthy run in the side.
And after Blackpool had beaten Millwall 3-1 on 11 October 1969 and had not lost since Mowbray got into the side one critic wrote, ‘One player who has played a man-sized part in Blackpool’s recent successes is left back Henry Mowbray, whose career is taking another turn for the better after a few ups and downs in the past year. Mowbray spent most of last season on the sidelines because of an injury and eventually underwent a cartilage operation early in the year. And when he recovered his first team spot had gone to Bill Bentley, who the club had bought from Stoke City for £30,000. Mowbray’s chance to get back to the limelight came when Bentley was injured in the League Cup match at Crystal Palace on September 24. He played against Middlesbrough the following Saturday and although Bill is fit again now Mowbray has held his place. Blackpool were fortunate in having a ready-made replacement for the defence after losing the services of a first team player like Bentley. Let’s hope we have not tempted fate by saying it but Mowbray had not been in a losing Blackpool side up to last week since making his comeback.’ Blackpool finally had an eight-game unbeaten run after his arrival in the side.
In the season that Blackpool regained top flight football, he went on to play 24 League games plus making two substitute appearances, one League Cup tie, two FA Cup ties plus making one substitute appearance in the competition, 12 Central League games, one Lancashire Senior Cup tie and one friendly game for Blackpool in the 1969/70 season.
He started the 1970/71 season as substitute for the League side and he replaced John Murray after 59 minutes in the opening game when Blackpool lost 3-0 to Huddersfield Town on 15 August 1970. As Bill Bentley moved to midfield, he kept his place in the side for a number of games thereafter.
He scored his one and only first team goal for Blackpool in the 4-0 victory over West Ham United in the third round of the FA Cup on 2 January 1971 when he latched on to a free kick taken by Tony Coleman and fired the ball home 10 minutes from time. He did score another senior goal for the club in what turned out to be his final game in a Blackpool shirt when he scored the winner for the Central League side in a 3-2 defeat of West Bromwich Albion reserves on 1 May 1971.
He played 25 League games plus making one substitute appearance, one League Cup tie, two FA Cup ties, scoring one goal, eight Central League games, scoring one goal, and two friendly games for Blackpool in the 1970/71 season. In his Blackpool career, therefore, he made 104 League and Cup appearances and 38 Central League appearances. He also played 10 other games.
With Jimmy Armfield as manager of Bolton Wanderers, he was well aware of Mowbray’s ability and so he secured his transfer from Blackpool for a fee of £4,000 on 4 May 1971. He went on to play 31 League games for Bolton before leaving after the 1972/73 season.
He joined St Mirren for the 1973/74 season and he played 18 League games for the club in his one season there. He left the club to join Australian side Melbourne Hakoah for the 1974/75 season. He played in excess of 50 games for the club before moving on to Hakoah Sydney City. He also spent time at both his Australian clubs as a coach. Outside of football, he worked for the Australian government while playing in Sydney.
After seven years in Australia he returned to Scotland to live in Dunfermline where he managed an amateur team, East Port. Outside of football he later worked for Saltire Hospitality a bespoke catering and event co-ordination company based in Edinburgh.
He was a keen supporter and regularly attended celebratory functions at Blackpool where it was always a delight to meet up with him and it gives me great sadness to report of his passing in hospital on 8 July 2022.
Born in Hamilton-on 1 May 1947 he was a full back who played his junior football for Blairhall Colliery before signing for Cowdenbeath for the 1966/67 season. He went on to play 20 League games and score one goal for Cowdenbeath. Blackpool scouts were impressed with what they saw and the club signed him for a fee of £6,000, plus an additional £2,000 after he had played 20 League games, on 1 May 1967. It was the record fee that Cowdenbeath had received for a player at that time.
He made his Blackpool debut in a pre-season friendly game against Hibernian on 8 August 1967 when he replaced Roger Aindow at half-time in a 6-2 victory for the Seasiders. He made a second appearance in a pre-season friendly game that ended in a 2-2 draw with Manchester City reserves on 12 August.
He opened the season in the Central League side against Preston North End when Blackpool lost 3-2 on 19 August. He also played in the second Central League game, a 1-1 draw with Sheffield United on 26 August.
After his first two Central League games he made his League debut against Ipswich Town on 29 August 1967, replacing Tommy Thompson, when the game was drawn 1-1. Thereafter his form was such that he retained his place for 11 further League games before he suffered an injury in a 1-0 defeat by Queens Park Rangers on 28 October kept him out of the side for three games.
He returned to action to test his fitness in a Central League game against Aston Villa reserves when Blackpool won 4-0 but after a second game when Wolverhampton Wanderers were defeated 1-0, he required further treatment. Immediately he felt that he had recovered full fitness he was reintroduced into the League side against Portsmouth on 2 December as John Craven, who had been substituting for him, returned to the forward line. Blackpool lost the game 2-1.
He played four games but the injury was still troubling him and he had to withdraw from the side. After further treatment he had an extended run in the Central League side before returning to League action in a 1-0 win over Aston Villa on 16 March 1968. He retained his place until the end of the season when he had played 27 League games and had been an integral part of the Blackpool side that narrowly missed out on promotion to the top flight on the slenderest of goal average at the first attempt. He also played three League Cup ties, nine Central League games, one Lancashire Senior Cup tie and two friendly games in the 1967/68 season.
After playing in three pre-season friendly games when the Seasiders toured Scotland, he started the 1968/69 season as the regular left back in the League side, appearing in the opening 10 League games and three League Cup ties until injury against Manchester City in a third round League Cup tie put him out of action. Blackpool won the City game 1-0.
He was to play only two further League games that season, action against Portsmouth on 14 December 1968 when Blackpool lost 1-0 and against Aston Villa on 22 March 1969 when the game was drawn 1-1. He did, however, make spasmodic appearances for the Central League side and ended the season having played 12 League games, three League Cup ties, nine Central League games and three friendly games in the 1968/69 season.
He began the 1969/70 season in the Central League side and played 10 of the first 11 games before he earned a League recall against Middlesbrough on 27 September 1969 when he replaced the injured Bill Bentley as Blackpool won 2-0. He kept his place for a lengthy run in the side.
And after Blackpool had beaten Millwall 3-1 on 11 October 1969 and had not lost since Mowbray got into the side one critic wrote, ‘One player who has played a man-sized part in Blackpool’s recent successes is left back Henry Mowbray, whose career is taking another turn for the better after a few ups and downs in the past year. Mowbray spent most of last season on the sidelines because of an injury and eventually underwent a cartilage operation early in the year. And when he recovered his first team spot had gone to Bill Bentley, who the club had bought from Stoke City for £30,000. Mowbray’s chance to get back to the limelight came when Bentley was injured in the League Cup match at Crystal Palace on September 24. He played against Middlesbrough the following Saturday and although Bill is fit again now Mowbray has held his place. Blackpool were fortunate in having a ready-made replacement for the defence after losing the services of a first team player like Bentley. Let’s hope we have not tempted fate by saying it but Mowbray had not been in a losing Blackpool side up to last week since making his comeback.’ Blackpool finally had an eight-game unbeaten run after his arrival in the side.
In the season that Blackpool regained top flight football, he went on to play 24 League games plus making two substitute appearances, one League Cup tie, two FA Cup ties plus making one substitute appearance in the competition, 12 Central League games, one Lancashire Senior Cup tie and one friendly game for Blackpool in the 1969/70 season.
He started the 1970/71 season as substitute for the League side and he replaced John Murray after 59 minutes in the opening game when Blackpool lost 3-0 to Huddersfield Town on 15 August 1970. As Bill Bentley moved to midfield, he kept his place in the side for a number of games thereafter.
He scored his one and only first team goal for Blackpool in the 4-0 victory over West Ham United in the third round of the FA Cup on 2 January 1971 when he latched on to a free kick taken by Tony Coleman and fired the ball home 10 minutes from time. He did score another senior goal for the club in what turned out to be his final game in a Blackpool shirt when he scored the winner for the Central League side in a 3-2 defeat of West Bromwich Albion reserves on 1 May 1971.
He played 25 League games plus making one substitute appearance, one League Cup tie, two FA Cup ties, scoring one goal, eight Central League games, scoring one goal, and two friendly games for Blackpool in the 1970/71 season. In his Blackpool career, therefore, he made 104 League and Cup appearances and 38 Central League appearances. He also played 10 other games.
With Jimmy Armfield as manager of Bolton Wanderers, he was well aware of Mowbray’s ability and so he secured his transfer from Blackpool for a fee of £4,000 on 4 May 1971. He went on to play 31 League games for Bolton before leaving after the 1972/73 season.
He joined St Mirren for the 1973/74 season and he played 18 League games for the club in his one season there. He left the club to join Australian side Melbourne Hakoah for the 1974/75 season. He played in excess of 50 games for the club before moving on to Hakoah Sydney City. He also spent time at both his Australian clubs as a coach. Outside of football, he worked for the Australian government while playing in Sydney.
After seven years in Australia he returned to Scotland to live in Dunfermline where he managed an amateur team, East Port. Outside of football he later worked for Saltire Hospitality a bespoke catering and event co-ordination company based in Edinburgh.
He was a keen supporter and regularly attended celebratory functions at Blackpool where it was always a delight to meet up with him and it gives me great sadness to report of his passing in hospital on 8 July 2022.
