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Dave Thomas (footballer, born 1917)

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Dave Thomas
Personal information
Full name David Watkin John Thomas[1]
Date of birth (1917-07-06)6 July 1917
Place of birth Stepney, England
Date of death 30 March 1991(1991-03-30) (aged 73)[1]
Place of death Dovercourt, England
Position(s) Centre forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
0000–1938 Romford
1938–1948 Plymouth Argyle 74 (29)
1948–1950 Watford 105 (41)
1950–1953 Gillingham 80 (42)
1953 Sittingbourne
Managerial career
0000–1955 Chatham Town
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

David Watkin John Thomas (6 July 1917 – 30 March 1991) was an English footballer who played as a centre forward. He played in the Football League for Plymouth Argyle, Watford and Gillingham, scoring 112 goals in 259 appearances. He also played non-league football for Romford and Sittingbourne. His brother, Bob, played in the Football League for several clubs as an inside forward.

Life and career

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Born in Stepney, Thomas began his career in non-league football with Romford.[2][3] He joined Football League club Plymouth Argyle in 1938, as manager Jack Tresadern's first signing,[3] and established himself as the club's first choice centre forward after Bill Hullett was transferred to Manchester United.[3][4] He made 23 appearances in the Second Division before the Second World War put an end to competitive football in September 1939.[4] He continued to play for Argyle in the South West Regional League until December, scoring five goals in six matches,[4] before guesting for Brentford, Clapton Orient, Fulham, Gillingham, Grimsby Town and West Ham United during the course of the war.[1] Thomas returned to Plymouth Argyle after the war had finished to take part in the 1945–46 Football League South.[3][4] Towards the end of the campaign, his brother Bob joined the club from Brentford and the pair scored 36 goals between them in the 1946–47 season.[3]

Thomas lost his place in the team to Maurice Tadman at the beginning of the 1947–48 campaign.[3] He made his final appearance for Argyle in January 1948 before being transferred to Third Division South club Watford.[3][4] Thomas spent three seasons with Watford and was the club's leading goalscorer twice.[5] He scored 41 league goals in 105 appearances before joining Gillingham in 1950,[2] where he continued to score regularly. He was Gillingham's leading goalscorer in his first season with the club and was tied with Derek Lewis in the 1951–52 campaign.[6] He left the club in 1953 and finished his career back in non-league football with Sittingbourne.[2][4] He later managed Chatham Town and acted as trainer for Gravesend & Northfleet.[1] Thomas died in Dovercourt on 30 March 1991 at the age of 73.[7]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Watford Football Club archive 1881–2017 – Players – Stuart to Trotter" (PDF). Retrieved 16 May 2017.
  2. ^ a b c Joyce, Michael (2004). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: SoccerData. p. 257. ISBN 1-899468-67-6.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Knight, Brian (1989). Plymouth Argyle: A Complete Record 1903–1989. Derby: Breedon Books. p. 114. ISBN 978-0-907969-40-2.
  4. ^ a b c d e f "Dave Thomas". GoS–DB. Greens on Screen. Retrieved 9 March 2012.
  5. ^ Jones, Trefor (1998). Watford Season by Season. T.G. Jones. ISBN 0-9527458-1-X.
  6. ^ Brown, Tony (2003). The Definitive Gillingham F.C.: A Complete Record. Nottingham: SoccerData. pp. 60–61. ISBN 1-899468-20-X.
  7. ^ Triggs, Roger (2001). The Men Who Made Gillingham Football Club. Tempus Publishing Ltd. p. 316. ISBN 0-7524-2243-X.
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