Tommy Garrett
Encyclopedia
Thomas "Tommy" Garrett (28 February 1926 – 16 April 2006) was an English
professional football
er. He represented his country on three occasions.
Garrett was a miner
playing for Horden Colliery when Blackpool
signed him as a 16-year-old in 1942, initially as a forward. It was as a full-back, however, that he established himself - and as a "footballing" defender, who preferred to pass his way out of trouble rather than kicking it downfield. He also spent hours practicing heading the ball.
Garrett made his debut for the Seasiders on 29 March 1948, in a single-goal defeat at Derby County
. He didn't become a regular in the side until Ron Suart
left for Blackburn Rovers
in 1949.
The 1950s are the most successful decade in Blackpool's history to date. Garrett would be at the club playing top division football throughout, as would goalkeeper George Farm
, fellow defender Hugh Kelly
, right winger Stanley Matthews
, forward Jackie Mudie
and outside left Bill Perry
.
He could perform equally well on either flank, and played in both the 1951 and 1953 FA Cup Final
s, appearing in the latter with a broken nose sustained a week beforehand. It was during this period of his career that he gained his England
caps, partnering Alf Ramsey
. He made his international debut against Scotland
on 5 April 1952.
After 14 years with Blackpool, Garrett joined Millwall
on a free transfer in May 1961, making a dozen appearances for the Lions before retiring from the professional game and joining Fleetwood Town
. He then played for a short time in Australia
, with Mayfield United, and eventually settled there. He died on 16 April 2006 in Wallsend, New South Wales
.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
professional football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
er. He represented his country on three occasions.
Garrett was a miner
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
playing for Horden Colliery when Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
signed him as a 16-year-old in 1942, initially as a forward. It was as a full-back, however, that he established himself - and as a "footballing" defender, who preferred to pass his way out of trouble rather than kicking it downfield. He also spent hours practicing heading the ball.
Garrett made his debut for the Seasiders on 29 March 1948, in a single-goal defeat at Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
. He didn't become a regular in the side until Ron Suart
Ron Suart
Ronald Suart is an English former football player and manager.-Playing days:Suart was a full-back at Blackpool, playing alongside fellow defenders George Farrow and Harry Johnston in a team which also included Stanley Matthews and Stan Mortensen. Blackpool reached the 1948 FA Cup Final, but Suart...
left for Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
in 1949.
The 1950s are the most successful decade in Blackpool's history to date. Garrett would be at the club playing top division football throughout, as would goalkeeper George Farm
George Farm
George Neil Farm was a Scottish professional football goalkeeper and manager.Born in Slateford, a suburb of Edinburgh, Farm represented his country on ten occasions, the last three of which occurred after a gap of five years....
, fellow defender Hugh Kelly
Hugh Kelly (footballer)
Hugh Thomas "Hughie" Kelly was a Scottish professional football player and manager. He played as a defender and spent his entire 14-year professional career with Blackpool.-Club career:...
, right winger Stanley Matthews
Stanley Matthews
Sir Stanley Matthews, CBE was an English footballer. Often regarded as one of the greatest players of the English game, he is the only player to have been knighted while still playing, as well as being the first winner of both the European Footballer of the Year and the Football Writers'...
, forward Jackie Mudie
Jackie Mudie
John "Jackie" Knight Mudie was a Scottish international footballer who played as a forward. He won seventeen caps for his country, helping the Scots to qualify for the 1958 FIFA World Cup....
and outside left Bill Perry
Bill Perry (footballer)
William "Bill" Perry was a South African-born English professional footballer. He spent thirteen seasons at Blackpool during the 1950s and 1960s.-Club career:...
.
He could perform equally well on either flank, and played in both the 1951 and 1953 FA Cup Final
FA Cup Final 1953
The 1953 FA Cup Final, also known as the Matthews Final, was the eighth to be held at Wembley Stadium after the Second World War. The football match was contested between Blackpool and Bolton Wanderers, with Blackpool winning 4-3. The match became famous for the performance of Blackpool winger...
s, appearing in the latter with a broken nose sustained a week beforehand. It was during this period of his career that he gained his England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
caps, partnering Alf Ramsey
Alf Ramsey
Sir Alfred Ernest "Alf" Ramsey was an English footballer and manager of the English national football team from 1963 to 1974. His greatest achievement was winning the 1966 World Cup with England on 30 July 1966...
. He made his international debut against Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
on 5 April 1952.
After 14 years with Blackpool, Garrett joined Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
on a free transfer in May 1961, making a dozen appearances for the Lions before retiring from the professional game and joining Fleetwood Town
Fleetwood Town F.C.
Fleetwood Town F.C. is an English football club based in Fleetwood, Lancashire. They currently play in the Conference National having been defeated in the Conference National play-off semi-final by AFC Wimbledon in the 2010–11 season.-History:...
. He then played for a short time in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, with Mayfield United, and eventually settled there. He died on 16 April 2006 in Wallsend, New South Wales
Wallsend, New South Wales
Wallsend is a western suburb of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, located from Newcastle's central business district. It is part of the City of Newcastle local government area.- Origins :...
.