Thomas Vallance

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Thomas Vallance
Thomas Vallance footballer (1).jpg
Personal information
Full name Thomas Henshall Wilson Vallance [1]
Date of birth 28 March 1924
Place of birth Stoke-on-Trent, England [1]
Date of death July 1980 (aged 56) [1]
Position(s) Winger
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1943–1946 Stoke City
1946–1947 Torquay United 0 (0)
1948–1950 Arsenal 15 (2)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Thomas Henshall Wilson Vallance (28 March 1924 - July 1980) was an English professional footballer who played as an outside-left. [1]

Contents

Career

Vallance was born in Stoke-on-Trent, and was the son of Jimmy Vallance, the trainer at Stoke City. Vallance began his career at Stoke City during the Second World War. He moved to Torquay United in 1945, playing in the FA Cup First Round, second leg tie which Torquay drew away to Newport County to lose 2–1 on aggregate in November 1945 . He left Torquay before playing a league game and subsequently joined Arsenal in 1947. Mainly a reserve, he finally made his league debut on 4 September 1948 in a 1–1 draw against Sheffield United after Arsenal's regular left-winger, Denis Compton had been injured. He shared the left wing position with Ian McPherson that season, playing 14 times and scoring twice, but played just once the following season as McPherson and Compton monopolised the left wing position. After several more seasons in Arsenal's reserves, he left the club on a free transfer in 1953.

Vallance was the brother-in-law of England international Stanley Matthews — Vallance's sister, Betty, had married Matthews in 1934.

Career statistics

Source: [2]

ClubSeasonLeagueFA CupTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Torquay United 1945–46 War League001010
Arsenal 1948–49 First Division 14200142
1949–50 First Division100010
Career total15210162

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Lowe, Simon (2004). Potters at War. Desert Island Books. ISBN   1-874287-78-3.
  2. Thomas Vallance at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)

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