Tom Nolan (footballer, born 1909)
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Thomas Gerard Nolan[1] | ||
Date of birth | [1] | 13 June 1909||
Place of birth | Preston, England[1] | ||
Date of death | 1969 (age 59–60)[1] | ||
Position(s) | Centre-forward | ||
Youth career | |||
Preston Catholic College | |||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
Preston North End | |||
Manchester Central | |||
1931–1935 | Port Vale | 107 | (52) |
1935–1936 | Bradford Park Avenue | 36 | (14) |
1936–1940 | Port Vale | 94 | (35) |
Total | 237+ | (103+) | |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Thomas Gerard Nolan (13 June 1909 – 1969) was an English footballer, noted for his powerful cannonball shots. He was Port Vale's most prolific forward of the 1930s.[2]
Playing career
Nolan played for Preston North End and Manchester Central, before joining Port Vale in October 1931.[1] He hit 11 goals in 21 games to become the club's top-scorer, helping the "Valiants" to remain in the Second Division on goal average.[1] Nolan then scored eight goals in 17 appearances in 1932–33, including a hat-trick in a 4–1 win over Plymouth Argyle at The Old Recreation Ground on 29 April.[1]
In the 1933–34 season he scored 22 goals in 32 appearances, including hat-tricks in home wins over Bury, Hull City, and Nottingham Forest.[1] He was the club's top-scorer for a second successive season in 1934–35, hitting 16 goals in 40 games.[1] However, he was transferred to Bradford Park Avenue in July 1935.[1] He hit 17 goals in 42 league appearances at Park Avenue, before he returned to Port Vale in a trade for George Stabb in September 1936.[1] The "Valiants" had been relegated to the Third Division North in his absence.[1] He hit 12 goals in 41 appearances in 1936–37, including a hat-trick over eventual league champions Stockport County.[1] He was dropped at the start of the 1937–38 campaign in favour of Jack Roberts, though he still managed to hit the net seven times in his 20 appearances.[1] He hit 17 goals in 41 games in 1938–39 to become the club's top-scorer for a fourth time.[1] In February 1940, Nolan retired from the game due to his war duties.[1] In his two spells with Port Vale he scored 96 goals in 221 appearances, over all competitions.[1]
Statistics
Source:[3]
Club | Season | Division | League | FA Cup | Other | Total | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
Port Vale | 1931–32 | Second Division | 19 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 11 |
1932–33 | Second Division | 17 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 8 | |
1933–34 | Second Division | 32 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 22 | |
1934–35 | Second Division | 39 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 16 | |
Total | 107 | 54 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 110 | 57 | ||
Bradford Park Avenue | 1935–36 | Second Division | 35 | 14 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 17 |
1936–37 | Second Division | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
Total | 36 | 14 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 17 | ||
Port Vale | 1936–37 | Third Division North | 37 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 41 | 12 |
1937–38 | Third Division North | 18 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 7 | |
1938–39 | Third Division South | 39 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 17 | |
Total | 94 | 35 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 102 | 36 | ||
Career total | 237 | 103 | 13 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 254 | 110 |
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 215. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
- ^ Fielding, Rob (15 April 2021). "Five of the best - Port Vale strikers of the 1930s". onevalefan.co.uk. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
- ^ Tom Nolan at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
- Pages containing links to subscription-only content
- Articles with short description
- Use dmy dates from April 2016
- Use British English from April 2016
- 1909 births
- 1969 deaths
- Footballers from Preston, Lancashire
- Military personnel from Preston, Lancashire
- English footballers
- Association football forwards
- Preston North End F.C. players
- Manchester Central F.C. players
- Port Vale F.C. players
- Bradford (Park Avenue) A.F.C. players
- English Football League players
- British military personnel of World War II