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Players Index Page Last Updated
30 December 2022
 
 

Tommy Cook

Brighton & Hove Albion FC

1 appearance, 0 goals

P 1 W 1 D 0 L 0 F 1: A 0
100% successful

1925

captain: none
minutes played:
90

Timeline

  Corporal Thomas Edwin Reed Cook
Birth 5 February 1901 in 30 South Street, Cuckfield, Sussex [registered in Cuckfield, March 1901].
 

According to the 1901 census, the two month old Thomas is the youngest of two children, both sons, to Alfred and Eliza. They live at 30 South Street, Cuckfield. His father is a naturalist.

 

According to the 1911 census, Thomas Edwin is now a scholar, and he and his brother still live with their parents at 30 South Street. His father is a confectioner. His mother is not on this census return but they are still married.

"CASES AT PETTY SESSIONS
"At the Haywards Heath Petty Sessions on Monday,... Thomas Cook, Cuckfield, was called upon for 5s. for riding a bicycle without lights." -
Friday, 26 January 1917, Sussex Express, Surrey Standard, and Kent Mail.
  According to the 1921 census, Thomas Edwin Reed, an engine fitter, is the youngest of the two sons living with their parents still at 30 South Street.
First marriage to Ivy Ethel Pratt [registered in Cuckfield, June 1925], Divorced 30 April 1931 (see below).
"FOOTBALLER THREATENED
"A Brighton message states that Tommy Cook, the International football player and centre-forward for Brighton and Hove Albion, has been threatened with death by men who drove up to his house in Cuckfield a few days ago in a motor-car. The Albion directors have communicated with the Football Association and the East Sussex police." -
Saturday, 18 December 1926, The Echo
"COMPLAINT BY A FAMOUS FOOTBALLER
"The police are investigating complaints by Tommy Cook that mysterious visitors have endeavoured to intimidate him, apparently in regard to his play in the Brighton team. He has also reported the matter to the Albion directorate, who have decided to place the facts before the Football Association and to make them public.
"During the past week, it is said, several attempts have been made by men, whose identity is not known, to interview Cook at his residence at Haywards Heath, and elsewhere. Calls were made upon Mrs. Cook and upon relatives. Last Monday the men found Cook at home. They drove up in a motor car, and two of them called at the house and tried to persuade Cook to go out to the car, on the pretext that a certain well-known footballer desired to be introduced to him. As none of the three men remaining in the car resembled the footballer whose name they used, Cook refused to leave his house.
"Further conversation gave Cook the impression that the real purpose of the visit was either to intimidate him or to bribe him. He refused to listen to any further overtures; and when the men left him, it is said, their language was violent and their attitude threatening.
"Mr. C.F. Brown, the chairman of the Brighton and Hove Football Club directorate, told a Press representative on Saturday night that one of Cook's visitors promised him they 'would do him a bit of good.' Cook interpreted this as meaning that they wished to influence his play, and refused to have anything to do with them. He said he would telephone the police, and the men left, stating, in a menacing way, that would not be their last visit. A man standing near heard one of them say, as they drove away, that they 'would do Cook in.'
"" -
Monday, 20 December 1926, The Yorkshire Post
"NOT OVER BRIGHTON'S TIE WITH THE WEDNESDAY
"There was a suggestion that the intimidation of Tommy Cook was in connection with the visit of the Southern club to Hillsborough, in the English Cup-tie. Cook, yesterday, told the representative of a London paper that this was not so. The gang wanted him to let down his club over the match with Aberdare. Cook's practical reply was to to score two goals." -
Tuesday, 21 December 1926, The Sheffield Daily Independent.

"ALLEGED MISCONDUCT OF CRICKETER
"In the Divorce Court, to-day, Mrs Ivy Ethel Cook, of Ockley, was granted a decree nisi on the ground of the misconduct of her husband, Thomas Edwin Reed Cook, a professional cricketer and footballer, while he was engaged as a cricket coach in South Africa. The case was not defended, and Mrs Cook was granted the custody of the child of the marriage. Mrs Cook's case was that her husband went to South Africa in September, 1929, and on returning in the following April he confessed that he had lived with another woman during almost the whole time he had been there."
- Monday, 20 April 1931, The Daily Mail
Second marriage to Gwendoline I. Smith [registered in Bristol, December 1931]
  Not on the 1939 register, presumed to be in South Africa.
Death 12 January 1950 at Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton, aged 49 years 341 days [registered in Brighton, March 1950], after attempting to take his own life that morning. Living at Oakroyd, Broad Street in Cuckfield.
"SUICIDE VERDICT ON FOOTBALLER
"The Brighton Coroner today recorded a verdict that Thomas Edwin Reed Cook (49), of Cuckfield, Suussex, former international and Brighton and Hove Albion footballer, Sussex county cricketer and cricket coach in England and South Africa, took his life while the balance of his mind was disturbed. In a statement read at the inquest, Dr. Irene F. Callender said that Cook suffered from heart trouble and chronic bronchitis, and had complained of sleeplessness." - Friday, 20 January 1950, Leicester Mercury
"DIED FROM OVERDOSE OF SLEEPING TABLETS
"Former international footballer and County Cricket Club player, Thomas Edwin Reed Cook, who died in the Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton, committed suicide while the balance of his mind was disturbed by taking an overdose of sleeping tablets. This was recorded by the Brighton Coroner (Mr. Charles Webb) at an inquest on Friday. Cook was aged 49 and died on Thursday, January 12. He lived at Oakroyd, Broad-street, Cuckfield.
"The Coroner said: 'It is a sad end to a fine career as an athlete. He was not only well known as a cricketer, but as a footballer also.'
"Eliza Cook, of Oakroyd, Broad-street, Cuckfield, said that on January 12 she went into her son's room at about 8 a.m. and found him lying on the bed fully clothed. She thought she had sat on the bed and fallen back and had not undressed the previous evening.
"She thought her son was asleep and later, finding he did not awaken, she sent for a doctor who arranged for him to be admitted to the Royal Sussex County Hospital, where he died the same day.
"Witness said her son returned in 1947 from South Africa, where he had been in hospital. In April, 1948, he was a cricket coach at Radley College, and he was taken ill again. In February 1949, he was at Harwell and he was in hospital there for about three weeks. He returned to Cuckfield in November, 1949. In December, 1949, he went to Haywards Heath Hospital, and when he returned home at about Christmas he appeared to be better.
"Arrangements were made for him to go to Netley Hospital, the suggested date being about January 9. When that date arrived, he had heard nothing of the arrangements and he collapsed and went to pieces. He went to see Dr. Irene Callender in the evening and she prescribed some capsules. He seemed upset and depressed.
"P.C. E.J. Grose said he had taken a statement from Dr. Callender. The doctor said she first attended Cook in November, 1949, when he had been sent from Harwell with a record that he had heart disease. Arrangements were made for him to be put in Haywards Heath Hospital, where he was X-rayed and examined, and chronic bronchitis and emphysema was found. Arrangements were made for him to go to a convalescent home and, in the meantime, efforts were started to get him employment under the Disabled Persons' Act.
"He complained of sleeplessness and Dr. Callender prescribed the capsules, one of which was to be taken every night, and they proved satisfactory.
"Dr. Callender's statement continued that she gave Cook 30 of the capsules on January 9 to take him over until he went into the convalescent home. He was to go into the home on January 16.
"When she called on January 12, Dr. Callender's statement said, she found the box contained only 11 capsules. She was suspicious that an overdose had been taken. Cook was unconscious and the doctor thought it essential that he should be removed to hospital.
"P.C. Grose produced the box of capsules. On it was written, 'Take one at night.' The box contained 11 capsules.
"Dr. L.R. Janes, pathologist at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, said the cause of death was poisoning by barbitone acid derivatives. The evidence was consistent with a large overdose of the tablets having been taken some hours before Cook was found unconscious. Cook was admitted unconscious at 3.30 p.m. He was treated for barbituric acid poisoning, but he died soon after.
"Cook must have taken 19 tablets between Monday and Thursday. The Coroner said there was a long history of ill-health, starting in 1947."
- Friday, 27 January 1950, Sussex Express & County Herald

Source

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

Playing Career

Club(s)

Played junior football in Sussex and also during the First World War, where he served with the Royal Navy. Joined Cuckfield FC before signing amateur forms with Brighton & Hove Albion FC in August 1921, turning professional in 1923 until 1929. He was placed on Albion's transfer list in May 1930, with the asking price reduced in August. After 209 appearances and 123 goals, he joined Southern League side Northfleet FC on 30 September 1930 and then Bristol Rovers FC on 6 October 1931, initially on a months trial, retiring in June 1933 to concentrate on his cricket.
Club honours: None
Individual honours: One Brighton & Hove buses (623 [YN04 GJK] Scania Omnidekka carried his name March 2004-October 2015 (left)) was named in his honour;
Distinctions Also played for first-class cricket for Sussex CCC 1922-37
Height/Weight 5' 8½", 11st. 4lbs [1927].
 

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

Management Career

Club(s) Spent one season managing Brighton & Hove Albion FC from 4 June 1947. He resigned following a last placing in Division Three South.

England Career

Player number One of four who became the 485th players (488) to appear for England.
Position(s) Centre-forward
Only match No. 144, 28 February 1925, Wales 1 England 2, a British Championship match at Vetch Field, Glamorgan Street, Swansea, aged 24 years 23 days.
Major tournaments British Championship 1924-25;
Team honours None
Individual honours None
Distinctions None

Beyond England

He was appointed as a cricketing coach in Capetown on 4 September 1937. Fought during the Second World War with South African Air Force, making corporal in January 1943. He was seriously injured in an accident at a South African air school which hospitalised him for six months. - An English Football Internationalists' Who's Who. Douglas Lamming (1990). Hatton Press, p.72/73.

 

Tommy Cook - Career Statistics
Squads Apps comp. apps Mins. Goals goals ave.min comp. goals Capt. Disc.
1 1 1 90 0 0 min 0 none none
minutes are an approximation, due to the fact that many matches rarely stick to exactly ninety minutes long, allowing time for injuries and errors.

 

Tommy Cook - Match Record - All Matches - By Type of Match
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
Away - British Championship 1 1 0 0 2 1 +1 0 0 2.00 1.00 100.0 +1
All 1 1 0 0 2 1 +1 0 0 2.00 1.00 100.0 +1

 

Tommy Cook - Match Record - Tournament Matches
British Championship Competition
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
BC 1924-25 1 1 0 0 2 1 +1 0 0 2.00 1.00 100.0 +1
BC All 1 1 0 0 2 1 +1 0 0 2.00 1.00 100.0 +1
All Competition
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
BC 1 1 0 0 2 1 +1 0 0 2.00 1.00 100.0 +1
All 1 1 0 0 2 1 +1 0 0 2.00 1.00 100.0 +1

 

Tommy Cook - Match History
 Club: Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. - 1 full cap

F.A. International Select Committee - 1 full capx

Age 24
1 144 28 February 1925 - Wales 1 England 2, Vetch Field, Swansea BC AW Start cf

Notes

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CG