Tom Johnson (4 May 1911 – 19 August 1983) 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 lea ...

who played as a defender. He made over 250 appearances for

Sheffield United Sheffield United Football Club is a professional football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The club competes in the Championship, the second tier of English football. They are nicknamed "the Blades" due to Sheffield's history ...

, the club which his father and brother also played for.

Career

Despite his family connections, Johnson had been playing for his local side Ecclesfield United as an amateur when he was signed by

in September 1928, but remained on part-time terms. Despite making his

league League or The League may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band * ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football * ''League of Legends'', a 2009 multiplayer online battle a ...

debut in March 1930 in a home game against

Bolton Wanderers Bolton Wanderers Football Club ( ) is a professional association football, football club based in Horwich, Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in EFL League One, League One, the third level of the Englis ...

, Johnson was seen as a slow developer and had to wait until the 1934–35 season before he could begin to establish himself in the first-team, only becoming a full-time professional in 1935. Having finally established himself, Johnson grew in confidence and missed very few games in the following seasons, appearing in the 1936 FA Cup Final, and being awarded the club captaincy in 1938 and leading United to promotion a year later. With the outbreak of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Johnson remained with United until 1941 while working in a reserved occupation, playing regularly in the wartime leagues as well as making guest occasional appearances for

Stockport County Stockport County Football Club is a professional association football club based in Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. The team competes in EFL League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Formed in 1883 as Heaton ...

Sheffield Wednesday Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is a professional association football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English football league system. Formed in 1867 as an off ...

and Chesterfield. After returning with an ankle injury from active duty 1943, Johnson played no football until 1946, by which time he was in dispute with United over his contract. Handed a free transfer, Johnson joined Lincoln City in March 1946, captaining their 1947–48 season promotion side, and making 75 league appearances before retiring in 1949 and becoming Lincoln's Yorkshire

scout Scout may refer to: Youth movement *Scout (Scouting), a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement ** Scouts (The Scout Association), section for 10-14 year olds in the United Kingdom ** Scouts BSA, sect ...

Personal life

Johnson was born in the

Ecclesfield Ecclesfield is a village and civil parish in the City of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, approximately 6 miles (9 km) north of Sheffield City Centre. Ecclesfield civil parish had a population of 32,073 at the 2011 Census. Ecclesfiel ...

area of

Sheffield Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, situated south of Leeds and east of Manchester. The city is the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire and some of its so ...

, and educated at Barnsley Grammar School. He was the son of Harry Johnson Snr. and younger brother of Harry Johnson Jr. who both also played for

. At the outset of

, Johnson became an electrician at Whitwell Colliery, but then joined the RAF in 1940. Johnson served in East Africa but was invalided out of the service with an ankle injury in 1943. Following his retirement from playing, Johnson opened an electrical business in Sheffield.

Honours

;Sheffield United *

FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...

1936 Events January–February * January 20 – The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King Edward VIII, following the death of his father, George V, at Sandringham House. * January 28 – Death and state funer ...

runners-up * Division Two: 1938–39 runners-up ;Lincoln City *

Division Three North The Third Division North of the Football League was a tier in the English football league system from 1921 to 1958. It ran in parallel with the Third Division South with clubs elected to the League or relegated from a higher division allocated to ...

: 1947–48 winners

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Tom 1911 births 1983 deaths Footballers from Sheffield English men's footballers Men's association football defenders Ecclesfield United F.C. players Sheffield United F.C. players Lincoln City F.C. players English Football League players People educated at Holgate School, Barnsley Stockport County F.C. wartime guest players Sheffield Wednesday F.C. wartime guest players Chesterfield F.C. wartime guest players Royal Air Force personnel of World War II Royal Air Force airmen Sportspeople from Ecclesfield Military personnel from South Yorkshire 20th-century English sportsmen