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Tommy Crawshaw


mickjj

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Hi Sheff6

Came across this little article about Tommy in a Wednesday vs Bristol Rovers prgramme in December 1980.

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Hi,

Football isn't really my thing but just found this in an old family postcard album.

I hope it is of interest to a Tommy Crawshaw fan!

JSP

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Biography of Tommy from New Wednesday Complete Record out in August 2011 - posted on Owlstalk (there it has served a useful purpose!)

CRAWSHAW, Thomas Henry ‘Tommy’

(1894–1908)

Half-back, 5ft 11in, 12st (1896)

Born: 27 December 1872, Sheffield

Died: 25 November 1960, Sheffield

Signed from: Heywood Central, 24 April 1894

Transferred: Chesterfield Town, June 1908

Career: Park Grange, Attercliffe, Heywood Central, Wednesday, Chesterfield Town, Castleford

Debut: 1 September 1894 v Everton (a) First Division

Last appearance: 7 March 1908 v Sheffield United (h) First Division

Caps: England Full (10), Football League (8)

Appearances/Goals: League 418/24, FAC 47/2

Sheffield-born defender Tommy Crawshaw is without doubt a legend in the club’s long history, being the only man to twice win the FA Cup while wearing the blue-and-white stripes. Crawshaw was one of the outstanding players of his generation and is arguably the Owls’ greatest-ever captain. Once described as a ‘glorious spoiler of the game’, Tommy had countless qualities, including superb heading ability, deceptive pace and a commitment to the cause that was unswerving. He led his side by example and in 14 years at The Wednesday not only lifted the aforementioned FA Cups but also led his side to the Second Division title in 1900 and then to consecutive First Division crowns in the early part of the 20th century. Understandably, he was a huge crowd favourite and proved a greater leader than his predecessor, Billy Betts, who he had been brought to effectively replace in 1894. He made his debut on the opening day of the 1894–95 campaign and within a year was not only a First Division regular but had already won the first of 10 caps for England, making his debut against Ireland in March 1895. The centre half-back teamed up with Bob Ferrier and Herrod Ruddlesdin to form a famous back line, and even though Tommy had passed his 36th birthday he called upon on all his experience and resolve to captain Wednesday to the Cup Final win over Everton in 1907. Age did eventually start to catch up on the inspirational Crawshaw in the following season, but when he was granted a free transfer there was no shortage of clubs queuing up to secure his signature. He eventually moved to neighbours Chesterfield Town – it was thought his signing was the sole reason the Derbyshire club was re-elected into the Football League a few weeks later – and after ending his playing days was employed as secretary at Glossop, until the start of World War One in 1914. He later ran a newsagents and was a publican in the city before hitting hard times in the early 1950s, Wednesday coming to his financial aid by depositing the equivalent of 10 weeks wages in a bank account so their old player could get back on his feet. Thankfully, he recovered and lived to the grand old age of 88 before passing away in Wharncliffe Hospital.

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CRAWSHAW, Thomas Henry 'Tommy'

He later ran a newsagents and was a publican in the city before hitting hard times in the early 1950s ...

Yorkshireman's Arms, 31 Burgess Street 1925-1951 (maybe longer, my list runs out in 1951)

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Yorkshireman's Arms, 31 Burgess Street 1925-1951 (maybe longer, my list runs out in 1951)

Also from Richard - 1901 Census entry

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To think that was almost 20 years ago!!

It was a great day for us as a family, taking my gt grandfather's medals back to Hillsborough. The icing on the cake would have been Wednesday putting any of their good chances to win the game against Everton that afternoon - but it finished 0 -0.

Am I right in thinking they finished 7th in the Premiership that season and didn't re-new manager Trevor Francis's contract, for the following season, for not finishing higher in the league? What price that position in the premiership now?

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A bit of Sheffield Wednesday History from 1903 - playing a charity football match on a Monday afternoon in October against the old enemy, at Bramall Lane.

The game was played to help the fund-raising effort, of that time, towards the founding of Sheffield University, which finally received its charter, as a University, a couple of years later in 1905. Wednesday triumphed 3 - 1 that day with both teams fielding their best players. They were in 1st and 2nd position in the 1st division at the time. The chance of this kind of charity match happening today with any teams in 1st and 2nd places in the Premiership? Definitely zero!

The article was publlshed in Sheffield University's Alunmni magazine in 2012.

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This year is 110 years since Tommy captained Wednesday to two successive League Championships and 120 years since he joined the club, so we celebrated his achievements with a photo or two at the National Football Museum. It took two years of planning and setting up with the Football League, the National Football Museum and the owner of the old FA Cup, but it was worth it in the end.

The trophies in the pictures (on permanent loan to the NFM), are the FA Cup that was in service from 1896 to 1910 and the original Football League Championship trophy that was in service until 1991.

Our two girls Jane and Helen wore replica Wednesday kits from the year 1904 and are pictured wearing their gt gt grandfather's FA Cup winning medals from 1896 and 1907. The kits were made by historical kit makers 'Toffs' and the 1900's-period boots by a specialist firm I found on the internet.

The old FA Cup was taken out of service after Man Utd won it for the first time in 1909 and made an exact replica of it for their trophy cabinet. The FA realised their cup wasn't copyrighted, so they took out a copyright on a new design and retired the old one. The current Championship trophy is an exact but sturdier replica of the original in the pics. The original was taken out of service because it was getting fragile around the narrow parts near the base.

We were allowed to hold the old FA Cup, which was bought by David Gold at Christies in 2005 for £478,000 (saving it from going abroad to overseas bidders), but we were not able to hold the original League Championship trophy because of its fragility.

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What a wonderful way to commemorate a Wednesday #Legend - Love the replica shirts - did you have those made especially for you by Toffs?

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Yes they're the 1930s-40s style that Toffs do, but without the club badge of that era because the shirts didn't have badges in the early 1900's.

The design of the kit changed very little, if at all, from the early 1900's - through to post WWII times, apart from the shorts. They were just as long in the 30s and 40s, but baggier, soToffs customised them to be more drain-pipeish as they would have been in the 1900s.

We had a great day at the National Football Museum where the pics were taken. If you haven't been yet, I would thoroughly recommend it.

By the way, have you been adopted as a honorary 'yellow belly' yet? I've been in Lincolnshire for a good while too - 33 years - but I don't think I've been adopted fully as a YB yet. lol

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Yes they're the 1930s-40s style that Toffs do, but without the club badge of that era because the shirts didn't have badges in the early 1900's.

The design of the kit changed very little, if at all, from the early 1900's - through to post WWII times, apart from the shorts. They were just as long in the 30s and 40s, but baggier, soToffs customised them to be more drain-pipeish as they would have been in the 1900s.

We had a great day at the National Football Museum where the pics were taken. If you haven't been yet, I would thoroughly recommend it.

By the way, have you been adopted as a honorary 'yellow belly' yet? I've been in Lincolnshire for a good while too - 33 years - but I don't think I've been adopted fully as a YB yet. lol

I've got that shirt - wished I asked for it without the badge :-) The blue colour looks more vibrant than mine too! I hope to go to the NFM soon. I've only been in Lincs for 16 years - so no ! My wife is born & bred as are my boys though have made sure they are both Owls! Take care!

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