Thomas Higginson Broad (31 July 1887 – 1966) was an English
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby ...
who played in
the Football League
The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional association football, football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in Association football around the wor ...
for
Bristol City
Bristol City Football Club is a professional football club based in Bristol, England, which compete in the , the second tier of English football. They have played their home games at Ashton Gate since moving from St John's Lane in 1904. The ...
,
Chesterfield,
Manchester City,
Oldham Athletic
Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is a professional football club in Oldham, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system.
The history of Oldham Athletic be ...
,
Southampton
Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...
,
Stoke and
West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion Football Club () is an English professional football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was formed in 1878 and has pl ...
.
His brother
Jimmy was also a footballer.
Football career
Broad was born in
Stalybridge and after playing youth football with various clubs, he had an unsuccessful trial with
Manchester City in 1904.
In September 1905, he signed his first professional contract with
West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion Football Club () is an English professional football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was formed in 1878 and has pl ...
where he made 14 league and cup appearances before joining
Chesterfield in February 1908.
Broad remained at
Saltergate
Saltergate, officially the Recreation Ground, was the historic home of Chesterfield Football Club, and was in use from 1871 until the club's relocation in July 2010, a 139-year history that made it one of the oldest football grounds in Englan ...
until the end of
the 1908–09 season, at the end of which the "Spireites" were relegated to the
Third Division. Broad then returned to his native
Lancashire
Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly.
The non-metropolitan county of Lancash ...
, joining
Oldham Athletic
Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is a professional football club in Oldham, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system.
The history of Oldham Athletic be ...
in May 1909. At the end of Broad's
first season at
Boundary Park
Boundary Park is a football stadium in Oldham, Greater Manchester, England. Its name originates from the fact that it lies at the northwestern extremity of Oldham, with Royton and Chadderton lying immediately north and west respectively.
Bound ...
, the "Latics" were promoted to the
First Division as runners-up to
Manchester City. After three years with Oldham, during which he made over 140 first-team appearances, Broad was on the move again, this time back to the
Second Division
In sport, the Second Division, also called Division 2 or Division II is usually the second highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Following the rise of Premier League style compet ...
with
Bristol City
Bristol City Football Club is a professional football club based in Bristol, England, which compete in the , the second tier of English football. They have played their home games at Ashton Gate since moving from St John's Lane in 1904. The ...
.
Broad remained with the
Ashton Gate club until after the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, making over 110 appearances,
before again returning to Lancashire and the First Division, with
Manchester City. Two years at
Hyde Road were followed by three seasons at
Stoke where Broad along with his brother
Jimmy helped the "Potters" finish as Second Division runners-up in
1921–22, although this was followed by relegation the
following season.
After three years in
the Potteries
The Staffordshire Potteries is the industrial area encompassing the six towns Burslem, Fenton, Hanley, Longton, Stoke and Tunstall, which is now the city of Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire, England. North Staffordshire became a centre of ...
, where Broad made 89 first-team appearances, he moved to
the South Coast to join
Southampton
Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...
.
Broad still holds the distinction of being the oldest player ever signed by the "Saints", being just three weeks short of his 37th birthday.
At
The Dell, he was used as cover for
Bill Henderson and only had a run of three games in October, followed by six in April. In September 1925, Broad moved to
Weymouth of the
Western League, before playing out his career with
Rhyl
Rhyl (; cy, Y Rhyl, ) is a seaside town and community in Denbighshire, Wales. The town lies within the historic boundaries of Flintshire, on the north-east coast of Wales at the mouth of the River Clwyd ( Welsh: ''Afon Clwyd'').
To the we ...
.
Career statistics
Source:
Honours
; Oldham Athletic
*
Football League Second Division
The Football League Second Division was the second level division in the English football league system between 1892 and 1992. Following the foundation of the FA Premier League, the Football League divisions were renumbered and the third t ...
runners-up:
1909–10
; Stoke
*
Football League Second Division
The Football League Second Division was the second level division in the English football league system between 1892 and 1992. Following the foundation of the FA Premier League, the Football League divisions were renumbered and the third t ...
runners-up:
1921–22
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Broad, Tommy
1887 births
People from Stalybridge
1966 deaths
English footballers
Association football forwards
English Football League players
West Bromwich Albion F.C. players
Chesterfield F.C. players
Oldham Athletic A.F.C. players
Bristol City F.C. players
Manchester City F.C. players
Stoke City F.C. players
Southampton F.C. players
Weymouth F.C. players
Rhyl F.C. players