Position : Left back (also played on wing)
Played : 2005-06
Appearances : 17
Goals : 0
Tommy was signed from Northampton where he had fallen out with manager Colin Calderwood. He started out at Aston Villa but only made one appearance in a League Cup tie before moving to Blackpool for £50,000 in 2001. Tommy made 122 appearances and played in 2 LDV Vans finals and a play-off final before moving to Northampton in 2004 to be closer to his family.
Tommy was another baffling signing; we already had two left backs - why did we need another ? The answer was depressing- Parkin’s persistent obsession with playing defensive players on the left wing. I remember one fan coming up to us at half time after Tommy’s first appearance in a pre-season game and promising that “If he (Tommy) ever gets to the by-line and crosses it in I’ll show my arse”. Unfortunately (for Dale that is) his posterior remained under cover. The fact that Tommy had yet to score a League goal should have given a clue as to his attacking prowess. Even when he had time and space his delivery was poor. A free kick which led to Grant Holt’s goal at home to Mansfield was his only real contribution. After the first few games he was in and out of the side. Towards Christmas he got a few games in his proper position but still didn’t look very good with opponents being able to beat him on both sides.
Tommy was finding travelling up to games difficult and didn’t want to relocate his family so a loan to Cambridge in the Conference was sorted out for the second half of the season. This was made permanent in the summer which probably cost us as he was on a two year contract. After 10 games of the subsequent season he picked up a toe injury and announced his retirement from the game in March 2007. This turned out to be premature and he was playing for Kettering at the start of the next season. He made 39 appearances over two seasons before being released in 2009 whereupon he signed for Corby Town. A year later he returned to Kettering as player-coach but left after six months when he refused to take a paycut. He is now back at Corby Town again.
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