Thomas Vallance
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] | ||
Playing position | Winger | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1943–1946 | Stoke City | 0 | (0) |
1946–1947 | Torquay United | 0 | (0) |
1948–1950 | Arsenal | 15 | (2) |
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
Thomas Henshall Wilson Vallance (28 March 1924 - July 1980) was an English professional footballer who played as an outside-left.[1]
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.
References
- Harris, Jeff (1995). Hogg, Tony, ed. Arsenal Who's Who. Independent UK Sports. ISBN 1-899429-03-4.