Thomas Eli Evans (February 1896 – after 1926) was an English professional footballer who played in the

Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...

for Birmingham and Brighton & Hove Albion. Evans was born in Dudley, which is now in the West Midlands county. He played local football before joining Birmingham during the First World War. When the

resumed, Evans made his debut in the Second Division on 27 September 1919, standing in for Joe Roulson at

right half A midfielder is an outfield position in association football. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundari ...

in a home game against Huddersfield Town which Birmingham won 4–2. He played five more games during the 1919–20 season, in each case taking Roulson's place at right half either in his absence or while he switched to the left to replace

Percy Barton Percy Barton (20 January 1893 – October 1961) was an England international footballer who played as a left half. He played for Birmingham both before and after the First World War, making 349 appearances in all competitions, and was a member ...

.Matthews, p. 162. Unable to establish himself as a first-team player, Evans spent the 1921–22 season in the Third Division South with Brighton & Hove Albion, but played only five matches when regular right half

Jack Woodhouse John Woodhouse (5 December 1888 – 1958) was an English professional footballer who played as a right half in the Southern League and the Football League for Brighton & Hove Albion. He was called up to play for the FA XI on a tour of South Af ...

was unavailable through injury. He then returned to the

Black Country The Black Country is an area of the West Midlands county, England covering most of the Metropolitan Boroughs of Dudley, Sandwell and Walsall. Dudley and Tipton are generally considered to be the centre. It became industrialised during its ro ...

where he played for several years in the Birmingham & District League for Cradley Heath.

References

1896 births Year of death missing Footballers from Dudley English men's footballers Men's association football wing halves Cradley Heath F.C. players Birmingham City F.C. players Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. players English Football League players {{England-footy-midfielder-1890s-stub