Tommy Pearson
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Thomas Usher Pearson[1] | ||
Date of birth | 6 March 1913 | ||
Place of birth | Edinburgh, Scotland | ||
Date of death | 2 March 1999 | (aged 85)||
Place of death | Edinburgh, Scotland | ||
Position(s) | Outside left | ||
Youth career | |||
Murrayfield Amateurs | |||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1933–1947 | Newcastle United | 212 | (46) |
1947–1953 | Aberdeen | 84 | (10) |
Total | 296 | (56) | |
International career | |||
1939 | England (wartime) | 1 | (0) |
1945[2] | Scotland (wartime) | 1 | (0) |
1947 | Scotland | 2 | (0) |
1948[3] | Scottish League XI | 2 | (0) |
Managerial career | |||
1959–1965 | Aberdeen | ||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Thomas Usher Pearson (6 March 1913 – 2 March 1999) was a Scottish professional football player and manager.
Playing career
Born in Edinburgh, Pearson played for Murrayfield Amateurs, and had a trial for Heart of Midlothian, but signed professional terms with Newcastle United in March 1933. He played over 200 games for Newcastle before and after the Second World War, scoring a total of 52 goals.[4] Pearson was renowned as a skilful and entertaining outside-left, although he won no major honours at St James' Park.
Pearson made a guest appearance for England during a wartime international against Scotland in Newcastle when outside left Eric Brook was injured before the game. Pearson was at the match as a spectator, but agreed to turn out for England.[5][6][7] He was capped twice by Scotland in 1947, which uniquely meant that he had played for both Scotland and England.
In 1948, he was signed by Aberdeen for £4,000, and quickly became a crowd favourite, renowned particularly for his 'double shuffle', which baffled opposing players and spectators alike. Pearson retired at the age of 40, and took up a career as a sports writer, often covering Aberdeen for the Scottish Daily Mail.
Managerial career
In November 1959, Pearson was appointed manager of Aberdeen, in spite of his lack of coaching or managerial experience, and the six years he had spent outside the game, albeit as an observer. Unusually, his predecessor, Davie Shaw stayed on at the club in his former capacity as coach. Pearson's time in office coincided with the departure or retirement of a number of key players, and long-term injuries to others, alleviated only briefly by the emergence of Charlie Cooke, soon on his way to Chelsea. There were a sequence of Scottish Cup exits to lower league teams, and in spite of a Summer Cup final, ultimately lost to Hibs in 1964, Pearson's reign ended with his resignation on 13 February 1965.
References
- ^ "Tommy Pearson". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
- ^ Scotland Unofficial Matches 1939-1945, RSSSF, 23 July 2020
- ^ (SFL player) Tommy Pearson, London Hearts Supporters Club
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 25 March 2008. Retrieved 11 April 2007.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) NUFC all-time top goalscorers - ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 12 September 2006. Retrieved 11 September 2006.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/lo/extra/7022508.html
- ^ "Sat 02 Dec 1939 England 2 Scotland 1". www.londonhearts.com. London Hearts Supporters' Club. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
- Webster, Jack (2003). The First 100 years of The Dons: The official history of Aberdeen Football Club 1903 - 2003. Hodder & Stoughton, London. ISBN 0-340-82344-5.
External links
- Use dmy dates from August 2012
- 1913 births
- 1999 deaths
- Footballers from Edinburgh
- Scottish footballers
- Aberdeen F.C. players
- Newcastle United F.C. players
- Stoke City F.C. wartime guest players
- Scotland international footballers
- England wartime international footballers
- Scotland wartime international footballers
- Scottish football managers
- Aberdeen F.C. managers
- Scottish Football League players
- Scottish Football League representative players
- English Football League players
- Scottish Football League managers
- English Football League representative players
- Association football outside forwards
- Royal Air Force personnel of World War II