England Football Online
Players Index Page Last Updated
27 February 2023
 
 

Tom Clare

Stoke FC

 4 appearances, 0 goals

P 4 W 3 D 1 L 0 F 16: A 3
88% successful
1889-94

captain: none
minutes played: 360

Timeline
  Thomas Clare
Birth Saturday, 4 February 1865 in Spragg Street, Congleton, Cheshire
  registered in Congleton January-March 1865
Baptism Sunday, 5 March 1865 in Mowcop, Biddulph, Staffordshire.
 

According to the 1871 census, Thomas is the sixth of seven children to Thomas Charles and Elizabeth Leigh (née Cottrell) living in 4 Albert Street in Oldcott, Wolstanton. His father is an earthenware manufacturer.
 

According to the 1881 census, and now with three more younger siblings (the older three siblings have moved on), Thomas Jnr is a encaustic tile maker, his father still a earthenware manufacturer, all living at 21 John Street in Wolstanton.

 

According to the 1891 census, Thomas is one of eight children, one of them new in the past ten years, still living with their parents in Wolstanton High Street in Goldenhill. Thomas is a encaustic tile draughtsman.
Marriage to Beatrice Vaughan, in mid-1891. Beata is born in Ruabon, Denbighshire in Wales.
  registered in Wolstanton July-September 1891
Children Tommy and Beata Clare had one daughter together. May Vaughan (b.1893).
 

(His father died 16 December 1899)
According to the 1901 census, Thomas is now married to Beata, with one daughter, May. They live at 25 High Lane in Burslem. He is a manager for tile spraying machines.
 

Not on the 1911 or 1921 census', probably in Canada. But no evidence can be found of when he emigrated. He became a Gunner in the CFA
(His mother had died on 22 April 1920).
According to a 1922 Directory in Seattle, US, Thomas, a saleman, and Beata, were living at h3511 West Othello in the city.
Death Friday evening, 27 December 1929 in Yellow Point, Ladysmith, Vancouver, British Colombia, Canada, "of Myocarditis, acute dilatation."
aged 64 years 326 days registered in British Columbia Death Index 1872-1990
"NANAIMO, Dec 28..—Thomas Clare, 64, resident of Nanaimo district for 17 years, died suddenly in his home, Yellow Point, Friday evening. He was well-known in sport circles and at one time was manager of Nanaimo football team. He is survived by his widow and one daughter, Mrs. O.D. Roberts, Cedar district."

Obituary
"LOSS TO SPORT.―Death of Mr. Tom Clare.―STOKE AND VALE―International Matches 30 Years Ago.
 "We regret to announce the death of Mr. Tom Clare, which occurred suddenly at his home in Ladysmith, Vancouver, on Friday. The sad news was received by cable by his relatives at Goldenhill yesterday (Sunday) morning.
"The late Mr. Clare―better known as 'Tom'―will be long remembered as one of the finest footballers the district ever produced. The deeds of that great defensive trio of which he was a member―Rowley, Clare, and Underwood―will go down in history.
"Mr. Clare was 64 years old. He was born at Congleton, but came to Goldenhill as a child, where he resided until some time after his marriage to Miss Beata Vaughan, second daughter of the late Mr. T. B. Vaughan, formerly director of Messrs. William Boulton, Ltd., engineers of Burslem. Mr. Clare was the fifth son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Charles Clare, who had a long and honoured connection with Goldenhill, being highly respected and esteemed. Several members of the Clare family still reside in Goldenhill.
"After leaving Goldenhill, the late Mr. Clare resided in other parts of the district until a few years before the Great War, when he went abroad to Vancouver with his family to take up an appointment with Messrs. Morrisons of that city. During the war he enlisted in the Canadian Field Artillery, although he was above the regulation age.
"After a short period of training in Canada, he came to England for further training before proceeding to France. The vigorous life at the front proved too much for him, and he was invalided home with rheumatism, and taken to Buxton Hospital. After leaving Buxton Hospital, he was drafted back with his regiment to Vancouver. Since then he has had a period in San Francisco and Seattle. At the former place he had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Walter Bakewell, of Stoke, who was visiting there. He later returned to the Vancouver district.
"During this Christmastide Mr. Clare's relatives have received from him the usual festive greetings, which he has always maintained since going abroad.
"Mr. Clare started his football career at a very early age with Talke, but he soon joined Goldenhill Wanderers, who had a very good team in those days. Some of his colleagues of the Goldenhill team, most of which earned fame along with Tom, were Abraham Heath, Aaron Scragg, Alfred Rigby, Jacky Farrell, Walter Clare (his brother), Albert Clarke, Cornelius Cooper, A. Trickett, Bob Fox, and Turner. He then joined Stoke and curiously enough his first match for that club was against the Wanderers at Goldenhill, in a Cup-tie. Stoke won this game 1―0, and Goldenhill were captained by Mr. Clare's brother, Walter.
"Readers of 40 years or more ago will remember the sterling games 'Tom' Clare played for Stoke at the present Victoria Ground during his several years' connection with the club. The Rowley, Clare, and Underwood defence was considered one of the best in the country.
"It was this team that represented Stoke in the third round of the F.A. Cup, against Notts. County at Nottingham in 1891, when Notts. County won 1―0. It was following this game, which was refereed by the late Mr. John Lewis (who became a prominent legislator), that the penalty kick came into being. During this particular game Hendry, the Notts left back, repeatedly fisted the ball out of the goal, and at that time only an ordinary free-kick could be given. In the following season, the penalty kick came into operation.
"'Tom' Clare, along with his colleagues, Rowley and Underwood, represented their country in an International game against Ireland at Belfast, and an Inter-League game against Scotland at Glasgow. 'Tom' took part in Internationals against Scotland, Wales and Ireland, and also played for the Professionals against the Amateurs in a game on the County Ground at Stoke. His partner on this occasion was Nick Ross, the famous Preston North End player.
"He later joined Port Vales. After a year or so with them, he had the misfortune to sustain an broken leg, and this ended his playing career. In style he was forceful, with a powerful kick, and scrupulously fair, and, to use a fellow-player's remarks 'the more you met him the more you liked him.'
"Mr. Clare leaves a widow and one married daughter, to whom the deepest sympathy will be extended." - Evening Sentinel, Monday, 30 December 1929.
  
 "The Stoke players work black arm-bands in memory of Tom Clare, and old Stoke International, who died recently in Vancouver." - Evening Sentinel, Saturday, 4 January 1930. [Stoke City FC 0 Swansea Town FC 1]
Funeral: Monday, 30 December 1934, at Jenkins chapel in Namino Municipal cemetery, Dunsmuir Street, Nanimo, Vancouver Island, British Colombia in Canada.
"Rev. Mr. Spurling will officiate at the funeral Monday afternoon from Jenkins chapel, internment in Nanaimo cemetery."
Beata Clare died 3 December 1959 and is buried with her husband.

Douglas Lammings' An English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990], BroughFamily.org &

Playing Career

Club(s)		 Clare started his football career with Talke FC and Goldenhill Wanderes FC. He joined Stoke FC in 1883 and signed professional forms, the first to do so for Stoke. He made his senior debut in 1885, assisted Burslem Port Vale FC in 1886, but remained at Stoke up to 1897 despite announcing his retirement for the end of the 1893-94 season. On leaving, Clare rejoined Burslem Port Vale FC as their captain on 17 August 1897, competing in cup games, then had a trial with Manchester City FC in March 1898, but remained at Vale, breaking his leg in a match against Grimsby Town FC on 1 October 1898, and retiring as a player in early 1901. 

League History
217 appearances, 4 goals		 Stoke FC 1888-96 198 appearances, four goals.
debut: 8 September 1888 Stoke FC 0 West Bromwich Albion FC 2.
Manchester City FC 1898 one appearance.
debut (second division): 16 March 1898 Manchester City FC 0 Newcastle United FC 2.
Burslem Port Vale FC 1898-1901 eighteen appearances.
debut (second division): 3 September 1898 Burslem Port Vale FC 2 Barnsley FC 0.
last (second division): 22 September 1900 Newton Heath FC 4 Burslem Port Vale FC 0.
Club honours Football League Alliance winners 1890-91;
Football League Division Two third place 1897-98 (one appearance).
Individual honours Football League (one appearance).
Staffordshire FA (several occasions)
Height/Weight about 6' 0", 13st. 0lbs [1897].

Source

Douglas Lammings' An English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990] & ENFA.

Management Career

Club(s)		 Clare retired from playing with Burslem Port Vale FC in 1901, but continued to coach the players, until he was appointed as secretary-manager on 31 July 1905. He remained until the end of the 1910-11 season. However the club had liquidated when they resigned from the League on 14 June 1907.
League History
76 matches		 Burslem Port Vale FC 1905-1907, 76 appearances, W24, D11 L41. Finished sixteenth in Division Two, and reached second round of the FA Cup.
Club honours None

England Career
Player number One of nine who became the 157th players (158) to appear for England.
Position(s) Right-back
First match No. 36, 2 March 1889, England 6 Ireland 1, a British Championship match at Anfield Road, Anfield, Liverpool, aged 24 years 26 days.
Last match
5 years 36 days		 No. 52, 7 April 1894, Scotland 2 England 2, a British Championship match at Celtic Park, Kerrydale Street, Parkhead, Glasgow, aged 29 years 62 days.
Major tournaments British Championship 1888-89, 1891-92, 1892-93, 1893-94;
Team honours British Championship winners 1891-92, 1892-93;
Individual honours The Players (one appearance, December 1886);
The North (one appearance, January 1887);
The Stripes ((one appearance, February 1892);
The Professionals (one appearance, March 1893)

Beyond England
 Clare emigrated to Canada. - An English Football Internationalists' Who's Who. Douglas Lamming (1990). Hatton Press, p.65/66.


The Numbers
parties Appearances comp. apps minutes captain
5 4 4 360 0 none
The minutes here given can only ever be a guideline and cannot therefore be accurate, only an approximation.
P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
4 3 1 0 16 3 +13 0 2 4 0.75 87.5 +3
All of his matches were played in the British Championship competition

Venue Record

Venue P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
Home 2 2 0 0 12 1 +11 0 1 6.00 0.50 100.0 +2
Away 2 1 1 0 4 2 +2 0 1 2.00 1.00 75.0 +1

Tournament Record

British Championship Competition
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
BC 1888-89 1 1 0 0 6 1 +5 0 0 6.00 1.00 100.0 +1
BC 1891-92 1 1 0 0 2 0 +2 0 1 2.00 0.00 100.0 +1
BC 1892-93 1 1 0 0 6 0 +6 0 1 6.00 0.00 100.0 +1
BC 1893-94 1 0 1 0 2 2 =0 0 0 2.00 2.00 50.0 =0
BC All 4 3 1 0 16 3 +13 0 2 4.00 0.75 87.5 +3

All Competition
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
BC 4 3 1 0 16 3 +13 0 2 4.00 0.75 87.5 +3
P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
4 3 1 0 16 3 +13 0 2 4 0.75 87.5 +3

Match History
 
 Club: Stoke F.C. - four full appearances (360 min) F.A. International Select Committee - four full appearances (360 min)x

Age 21 trial  
two appearances - The Players vs. The Gentlemen, 18 December 1886; The North vs. The South, 22 January 1887;

apps match match details comp res. rundown pos

Age 24
1 36 2 March 1889 - England 6 Ireland 1
Anfield Road, Liverpool		 BC HW   rb
  

one of nine who became the 157th player (158) to appear for England
one of two who became the third player from Stoke FC to represent England

Age 27 trial  
one appearance - The Whites vs. The Stripes, 29 February 1892;

2 44 5 March 1892 - Ireland 0 England 2
Cliftonville Gardens, Belfast		 BC AW   rb
&  

Age 28 trial  
one appearance - The Professionals vs. The Amateurs, 22 March 1893;

3 48 13 March 1893 - England 6 Wales 0
Victoria Ground, Stoke-upon-Trent (home ground)		 BC HW   rb
  

Age 29
50 3 March 1894 - Ireland 2 England 2, Cliftonville Gardens, Belfast BC AD withdrawn
  
4 52 7 April 1894 - Scotland 2 England 2
Celtic Park, Glasgow		 BC AD   rb
  


     

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