Tom Waring	Aston Villa FC 5 appearances, 4 goals (1 on debut) P 5 W 4 D 0 L 1 F 18: A 9 80% successful 1931-32 captain: none minutes played: 450
Profile
Full name	Thomas Waring
Born	12 October 1906 at 4 Chapel Place in Higher Tranmere, Birkenhead, Cheshire [registered in Birkenhead, December 1906].
Baptism	4 November 1906 at St. Catherine's Church, Higher Tranmere. This baptism entrant states he was born on 19 October, however, both the 1939 register and death register states the 12th.
Census Notes	According to the 1911 census, Thomas is the third of four children to Henry Arthur and Charlotte. They live at 15 Walker Place in the Higher Tranmere area of Birkenhead. His father is a plasterer.
	According to the 1939 register, Thomas, now married, is also a plasterer. They live with his parents around the corner at 90 Church Road in Higher Tranmere.
Married	to Barbara Lavin [registered in Birkenhead, September 1929]. Two children, Audrey M. (b.1929) and William J. (b.1946).
Died	20 December 1980, aged 74 years 69 days [registered in Liverpool, December 1980]. His ashes are scattered at the Holte End side of the Villa Park pitch.
Height/Weight	6' 1½", 12st. 0lbs [1932], 6' 1", 13st. 4lbs [1938].
Source	Douglas Lammings' An English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990] & FindMyPast.com
Club Career
Club(s)	Began his career playing schoolboy football in Birkenhead, and played junior football with Tranmere Celtic FC. He signed on with his local professional club, Tranmere Rovers FC in early 1926. He scored 23 goals in just 24 league appearances. Aston Villa FC then beat several clubs to pay £4750 for him on 13 February 1928. Following 159 goals in 216 league appearances, Barnsley FC broke their transfer record to signed him on 29 November 1935. After just eighteen league appearances and seven goals, he moved on to Wolverhampton Wanderers FC on 18 July 1936, where he scored just three more goals in just ten more league appearances as he lasted just three months, before he returned to Tranmere Rovers FC on 15 October and 42 goals in 74 league appearances followed. Signed for Accrington Stanley FC on 9 November 1938, who broke their own transfer fee record to bring him and Herbert Hamilton to Peel Park. After ten goals in 22 league appearances, he signed for Bath City FC on 11 July 1939. He continued to play well into middle-age with various local worksides, including Ellesmere Port Town FC, shipyard club Grayson's FC, Birkenhead Dockers FC and Harrowby FC.
Club honours	Football League Division One runners-up 1930-31, 1932-33; Football League Division Three North winners 1937-38;
Individual honours	None
Distinctions	Scored six of Tranmere Rovers FC eleven goals against Durham City FC, 7 January 1928.
Source	Douglas Lammings' An English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990].
England Career
Player number	One of four who became the 560th players (563) to appear for England.
Position(s)	Centre-forward
First match	No. 176, 14 May 1931, France 5 England 2, an end-of season tour match at Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir, Colombes, Paris, aged 24 years 214 days.
Last match	No. 181, 9 April 1932, England 3 Scotland 0, a British Championship match at Empire Stadium, Wembley, London, aged 25 years 180 days.
Major tournaments	British Championship 1931-32;
Team honours	British Championship winners 1931-32;
Individual honours	None
Distinctions	None
England Disgrace
"FOOTBALLER SUMMONED" "Mrs Waring, wife of Thomas ("Pongo") Waring, the Aston Villa and England footballer, was granted a separation order at Birmingham to-day. Waring, who did not appear, was ordered to pay £2 a week for his wife and 10s. for the five-year-old child" - Sunderland Echo, Wednesday, 23 October 1935. "INTERNATIONAL IN COURT SCENE - BURSTS INTO TEARS WHEN WIFE COLLAPSES" "Thomas Waring, the former Aston Villa international, who is now with Barnsley, was the central figure in a scene in the Birmingham Police Court to-day. He was charged on a warrant with arrears of maintenance to his wife amounting to £19 10s. on an order for £2 10s. a week, made last October. When the magistrates' clerk asked Mrs. Waring whether she applied for the payment of the arrears, the wife said: "No, I want to let it drop." The unused were discussing this position when Mrs. Waring collapsed, and police officers carried her from the court in a distressed condition. Waring had been standing in the dock calmly, but as he noted his wife's condition he burst into tears. The chairman of the unused said that Waring would have to pay the £19 10s. arrears and £1 13s. 9d costs, or go to prison for seven days. Walking down the dock steps, Waring said, "My summer wages only come to £5 a week, and I have to pay £2 10s. under the order. How can I do it?" - Northern Daily Mail, Monday, 13 July 1936. "FOOTBALLER IN BUS SCENE - CHARGES DISMISSED" "Thomas Waring, of Wall-lane, Birkenhead, appeared at Birkenhead to-day to answer three charges arising out of a scene on a Tranmere 'bus last night. He was charged with disorderly behaviour, wilfully obstructing Police-Sergeant Jackson in the course of his duty and maliciously causing damage to a plate-glass window value £7. He pleaded not guilty to all three charges. The magistrate found the first two charges proved, but dismissed them under the Probation Act on payment of costs. Stanley Allen, a 'bus conductor, said that Waring went beyond the stage and would not pay excess fare. Waring gave a lot of trouble and he went for police assistance. When Constable Akins asked Waring to get off it was alleged that he became violent, pushed the constable in the chest and forced him on to the pavement. Sergeant Jackson said that when he was taking another man from the 'bus to the police station Waring rushed him and the three fell against a shop window, which was smashed. When Waring was asked for his name and address, he replied: "You know my bastard name." After a submission by Mr. Berkson, the Bench ruled that there was no case to answer on the charge of malicious damage. Waring, in evidence, said that he offered to pay the excess fare. The constable pushed him as he was getting off the 'bus, and he retaliated by pushing him back. When he went up to the sergeant he did so with the intention of telling his friend to give his name and address. He did not jump on the sergeant's back." - The Lincolnshire Echo, Monday, 20 September 1937. ""PONGO" WARING'S INCOME-TAX ARREARS" "The affairs of Thomas Waring were discussed at Birmingham yesterday during the hearing of a summons against him for twenty pound arrears of income-tax and costs. "Although he is an excellent centre-forward." said Mr. C. C. Ladds, for Waring. "he is in other directions irresponsible." After playing for Aston Villa, said Mr. Ladds, he had been engaged by Barnsley and then by Wolverhampton. He was an undischarged bankrupt. On October 26 last year he was transferred to his present club. At the time he was engaged he was earning the maximum Football League rate of eight pound a week. He was now earning four pound 5s. a week. Waring paid two pound 10s. a week under a seperation agreement. His bonus with the Tranmere club was withheld to help pay other liabilities. He would have to appear on a judgement summons at Tranmere on November 11. The unused ordered Waring to pay the twenty pound or go to prison for six weeks. The second order would be withheld on condition that Waring paid 15s. a week towards the arrears." - The Northern Daily Mail, Saturday, 6 November 1937. "ACCRINGTON F.C. DISMISS TWO PLAYERS, FINE A THIRD" "Accrington Stanley directors, after a two and half hours' meeting last night fined Thomas Waring ten pounds, severely reprimanded him, and ordered him to make a written apology to the management and to the directors for his conduct on the train journey back from Barnsley on Monday evening, and afterwards in a private hotel in Accrington at which the team had been staying over the Christmas weekend. W.G. Tyson and Thomas Jones, two other members of the team, were given 14 days' notice of termination of agreement, with the right to appeal to the Football Association." - The Lancashire Daily Post, Thursday, 29 December 1938. ""PONGO," FIRE GUARD DEFAULTER" "Failure to perform fire-guard duties cost Thomas Waring, of Birkenhead, a five pound fine and 1s. coasts at Birkenhead to-day. Waring, who pleaded guilty, described himself a rigger. He said he was at present unemployed and was allowed to pay at the rate of 10s, a week. Chief Inspector H. Mitchell said between 23 December and 9 February Waring should have attended at a Birkenhead centre on 11 occasions, but had done only one duty. He told a constable that on each occasion he had handed in a note at the fire guard office. Seen later, Waring was told that from inquiries at his place of employment it had been found that only on one or two occasions had he finished work as late as 8 p.m. In Court Waring said he might have been playing football on one of two of the dates, but the magistrates' clerk said the only two Saturdays were 6 and 13 March. Chief Inspector Mitchell said that since proceedings were started Waring had turned up on every available date." - Evening Dispatch, Friday, 14 May 1943.
Beyond England
His later essays into junior football coincided with employment at Merseyside docks. - An English Football Internationalists' Who's Who. Douglas Lamming (1990). Hatton Press, p.260.

Tom Waring - Match History

Club: Aston Villa F.C. - five full appearances (450 min)

F.A. International Selection Committee - five full appearances (450 min)x

Age 24
1	176	14 May 1931 - France 5 England 2, Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir, Paris	tour	AL	Start 71	cf
2	177	16 May 1931 - Belgium 1 England 4, Stade DC Bruxelles, Bruxelles		AW	Start	cf

Age 25
3	178	17 October 1931 - Ireland 2 England 6, Windsor Park, Belfast	BC	AW	Start 12,50	cf
4	179	18 November 1931 - England 3 Wales 1, Anfield Road, Liverpool	BC	HW	Start	cf
5	181	9 April 1932 - England 3 Scotland 0, Empire Stadium, Wembley	BC	HW	Start 36	cf

Notes

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CG