Tommy Fraser
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Thomas Francis Peter Fraser (born 5 December 1987) is an English former
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 as a
midfielder 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 boundarie ...
. Starting his career with hometown club
Brighton & Hove Albion Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club (), commonly referred to simply as Brighton, is an English professional football club based in the city of Brighton and Hove. They compete in the Premier League, the top tier of the English football league ...
, Fraser was youth team captain and then a semi-regular in the first team for three seasons. In June 2009, he signed with
Port Vale Port Vale Football Club are a professional football club based in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England, which compete in . Vale are the only English Football League club not to be named after a place; their name being a reference to the valley o ...
, where he was quickly made captain. He left the club in January 2011, and immediately joined Barnet. He remained with the club London club for ten months, before joining
Whitehawk Whitehawk is a suburb in the east of Brighton, England, south of Bevendean and north of Brighton Marina. The area is a large, modern housing estate built in a downland dry valley historically known as Whitehawk Bottom. The estate was original ...
in December 2011. Fraser emigrated to Australia in February 2013, before returning to Whitehawk in the summer. He then had brief spells at
Ebbsfleet United Ebbsfleet United Football Club is a professional football club based in Northfleet, Kent, England. As of the 2021–22 season, the club competes in the National League South, the sixth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1946 fr ...
, Peacehaven & Telscombe, Lewes and Burgess Hill Town (over two spells), Whitehawk again and
Bognor Regis Town Bognor Regis Town Football Club is an English football club based in Bognor Regis, West Sussex. Nicknamed 'The Rocks',the club is an FA Chartered Standard Community club affiliated to the Sussex County Football Association. They currently compet ...
.


Early life

Fraser's father, Frankie, was a youth player at
Brighton & Hove Albion Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club (), commonly referred to simply as Brighton, is an English professional football club based in the city of Brighton and Hove. They compete in the Premier League, the top tier of the English football league ...
before a knee injury ended his professional career; he went on to play for
Whitehawk Whitehawk is a suburb in the east of Brighton, England, south of Bevendean and north of Brighton Marina. The area is a large, modern housing estate built in a downland dry valley historically known as Whitehawk Bottom. The estate was original ...
. He is also the grandson of former
Richardson Gang The Richardson Gang was an English crime gang based in South London, England in the 1960s. Also known as the "Torture Gang", they had a reputation as some of London's most sadistic gangsters. Their alleged specialities included pulling teeth ...
member "Mad" Frankie Fraser. He has said: "I couldn't tell you anything he's done and I've never read a book about it. I'm not really interested – he's just my grandad as far as I'm concerned." Growing up in Brighton, Fraser attended
Varndean School Varndean School is a secondary school serving a large area of Brighton, England. In 2013, 2017 and 2022, Ofsted inspectors described Varndean as a 'Good' school. Varndean shares the Surrenden Campus with Balfour Primary School, Dorothy Strin ...
and Varndean College. He is an Arsenal fan.


Career


Brighton & Hove Albion

Fraser was born in Brighton and progressed through the youth ranks at
League One The English Football League One (often referred to as League One for short or Sky Bet League One for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League One from 2004 until 2016) is the second-highest division of the English Football Leag ...
side
Brighton & Hove Albion Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club (), commonly referred to simply as Brighton, is an English professional football club based in the city of Brighton and Hove. They compete in the Premier League, the top tier of the English football league ...
, where he was awarded a professional contract in the summer of 2006. In March 2006, Fraser was sent on loan to Conference South side
Bognor Regis Town Bognor Regis Town Football Club is an English football club based in Bognor Regis, West Sussex. Nicknamed 'The Rocks',the club is an FA Chartered Standard Community club affiliated to the Sussex County Football Association. They currently compet ...
, where he made only one appearance. On 9 September 2006, Fraser made his debut for Brighton at The New Den, coming off the bench; later in the game Fraser cleared off the line as
Millwall Millwall is a district on the western and southern side of the Isle of Dogs, in east London, England, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It lies to the immediate south of Canary Wharf and Limehouse, north of Greenwich and Deptford, eas ...
looked to have scored, but Fraser's actions saved the club's clean sheet as Brighton won the match 1–0. Fraser started life on the wing, before later taking up a position in the centre of midfield. At times he was also used as a defender, a role in which he earned praise off his teammate Matt Richards in February 2008, before he was offered a one-year contract two months later. After 102 appearances and 3 goals for the "Seagulls", Fraser left Brighton after the expiration of his contract in June 2009.


Port Vale

Fraser signed with
Port Vale Port Vale Football Club are a professional football club based in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England, which compete in . Vale are the only English Football League club not to be named after a place; their name being a reference to the valley o ...
on a free transfer in June 2009, linking up with former manager
Micky Adams Michael Richard Adams (born 8 November 1961) is an English former professional footballer and football manager. As a player, he was a full back, and made a total of 438 league appearances in a nineteen-year professional career in the English ...
for the 2009–10 season. He was appointed as club captain, after impressing in the pre-season. At twenty one years of age, and new to the club, his appointment came as a surprise to some, especially with more senior options in Sam Stockley,
Marc Richards Marc John Richards (born 8 July 1982) is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker and is now, upon retiring, a first-team coach at Northampton Town. A youth team player at Hednesford Town, he turned professional at Blac ...
and Gareth Owen. However, Adams had faith in the young midfielder's vocal abilities and general leadership qualities. Putting in solid performances in Vale's unbeaten start to the season, he took to the field despite still suffering with an ankle injury. His first goal for the club seemed to come in a 4–0 home win over
Grimsby Town Grimsby Town Football Club is a professional football club based in Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, England, that in the 2022–23 season will compete in , the fourth tier of the English football league system, following the victory in t ...
on 5 September. However, after the match
Marc Richards Marc John Richards (born 8 July 1982) is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker and is now, upon retiring, a first-team coach at Northampton Town. A youth team player at Hednesford Town, he turned professional at Blac ...
claimed the last touch and therefore took the credit for the goal. Fraser seemed to attract violence; on 25 August,
Sheffield Wednesday Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is a professional association football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The team competes in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Formed in 1867 as an offshoot ...
's
Francis Jeffers Francis Jeffers (born 25 January 1981) is an English football coach and former player, who is a first-team coach at Oldham Athletic. Jeffers started his career at his boyhood club Everton, making his debut in 1997 as a 16 year old. After scori ...
was sent off for head-butting Fraser, two weeks later Fraser and
Aldershot Town Aldershot Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Aldershot, Hampshire, England. The team competes in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. The club was founded in the spring ...
captain John Halls almost came to blows before the match had even begun. He was transfer listed in late September, along with the entire Port Vale squad, after manager
Micky Adams Michael Richard Adams (born 8 November 1961) is an English former professional footballer and football manager. As a player, he was a full back, and made a total of 438 league appearances in a nineteen-year professional career in the English ...
saw his team slip to a third consecutive defeat. He remained club captain and a first team regular though, striking up a midfield pairing with Anthony Griffith, who he also shared a house with. His performances as captain earned him public praise from assistant manager
Geoff Horsfield Geoffrey Malcolm Horsfield (born 1 November 1973) is an English former professional footballer and football coach. He made more than 300 appearances in the Football League playing as a striker. He was a "strong and forceful" player, able to h ...
, though the fans were critical at times of his inconsistency. He found himself the new focus of disgruntled supporters in early 2010, following Danny Glover's demotion to the reserves, and
Marc Richards Marc John Richards (born 8 July 1982) is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker and is now, upon retiring, a first-team coach at Northampton Town. A youth team player at Hednesford Town, he turned professional at Blac ...
' rising goal tally. Fraser vowed to ignore the booing. He also retained the captain's armband for the next season, and vowed "to be more mature both on and off the pitch" in order to be a better captain. At the start of the
2010–11 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. ...
season, Fraser set the club a goal of promotion, saying that "I won't be happy until I've achieved promotion with Port Vale". The strong performances of Anthony Griffith and Gary Roberts left only an unfamiliar wide role for Fraser, and a minority of fans became dissatisfied with his performances on the wing and again began booing the young captain. Micky Adams left the club in December 2010, and was replaced by
Jim Gannon James Paul Gannon (born 7 September 1968) is a professional football manager and former player who most recently was manager of Hyde United. He started and finished his career as a player in Ireland, but made most of his professional appear ...
. Two weeks into Gannon's reign Fraser left the club by mutual consent so as to find first team football, preferring this option to a loan deal.


Barnet

Fraser signed with Barnet on a deal lasting two and a half years. Signed by caretaker manager Paul Fairclough, he played under
Martin Allen Martin James Allen (born 14 August 1965) is an English football manager and former player. He played more than 100 games as a midfielder for both Queens Park Rangers and West Ham United before finishing his playing career with Portsmouth and ...
and then another caretaker manager, Giuliano Grazioli, within the space of a few months. He played a total of fifteen games for the "Bees" in what remained of the
2010–11 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. ...
campaign, as the club retained their Football League status with a final day 1–0 win over former club Port Vale at Underhill; Fraser was a stoppage time substitute in the game. New manager
Lawrie Sanchez Lawrence Philip Sanchez (born 22 October 1959) is a Northern Irish football manager and former international footballer. The defining moment of his playing career came in the 1988 FA Cup Final, when he scored the winning goal for Wimbledon a ...
picked Fraser for just six games in 2011–12, the last of which was a 4–0 defeat to
Swindon Town Swindon Town Football Club is a professional football club based in Swindon, Wiltshire, England. The team currently competes in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. The club has played home matches at the County Ground sin ...
on 24 September. Two months later Fraser left the club by mutual consent. He returned to
Vale Park Vale Park is a football stadium in Stoke-on-Trent, England. It has been the home ground of Port Vale F.C. since 1950. The ground has seen its capacity go up and down, its peak being 42,000 in 1954 against Blackpool, although a club record 49, ...
to train under
Micky Adams Michael Richard Adams (born 8 November 1961) is an English former professional footballer and football manager. As a player, he was a full back, and made a total of 438 league appearances in a nineteen-year professional career in the English ...
, though was not expected to be offered a contract at Port Vale.


Non-league

Fraser joined
Whitehawk Whitehawk is a suburb in the east of Brighton, England, south of Bevendean and north of Brighton Marina. The area is a large, modern housing estate built in a downland dry valley historically known as Whitehawk Bottom. The estate was original ...
of the Isthmian League in December 2011, where he played alongside his younger brother James. Whitehawk won the Isthmian League Division One South title in 2011–12. He made 31 appearances in the
2012–13 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...
season for Darren Freeman's "Hawks", and was sent off in his final game in a 3–1 defeat to Harrow Borough at the
Earlsmead Stadium Earlsmead Stadium is a football stadium in Harrow, north-west London, England. It is the home ground of Harrow Borough F.C. The stadium has a capacity of 3,070 people, which includes 350 seats and standing under cover for 1,000 people. The re ...
on 23 February. He left England to live in Australia in March 2013, signing for
National Premier Leagues Victoria The National Premier Leagues Victoria, commonly known as NPL Victoria, is a semi-professional soccer league in Victoria, Australia. The league is a part of the National Premier Leagues, and is the highest level within the Victorian soccer lea ...
outfit
Melbourne Knights FC Melbourne Knights Football Club is an Australian professional Association football, soccer club based in the suburb of Sunshine North, Victoria, Sunshine North, Melbourne. The club currently competes in the National Premier Leagues Victoria, t ...
. He soon returned to England however, and re-signed with Whitehawk in July 2013. He played 38 Conference South games in the 2013–14 season, helping the club to finish one point above the relegation zone. Fraser joined Steve Brown's
Ebbsfleet United Ebbsfleet United Football Club is a professional football club based in Northfleet, Kent, England. As of the 2021–22 season, the club competes in the National League South, the sixth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1946 fr ...
, also of the Conference South, in May 2014. He signed with Isthmian League club Peacehaven & Telscombe in September 2014. He moved on to Lewes three months later. After leaving Lewes in February 2015, Fraser signed for newly promoted Isthmian League Premier Division side Burgess Hill Town in June 2015. He signed with Whitehawk for a third time in March 2016. Four months later he returned to Burgess Hill Town, before he joined former loan club Bognor Regis Town in November 2016.


Career statistics


Honours

Whitehawk * Isthmian League Division One South: 2011–12


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fraser, Tommy 1987 births Living people Footballers from Brighton People educated at Varndean College English footballers English expatriate footballers Association football midfielders Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. players Bognor Regis Town F.C. players Port Vale F.C. players Barnet F.C. players Whitehawk F.C. players English expatriate sportspeople in Australia Expatriate soccer players in Australia Melbourne Knights FC players Ebbsfleet United F.C. players Peacehaven & Telscombe F.C. players Lewes F.C. players Burgess Hill Town F.C. players English Football League players National League (English football) players Isthmian League players