Barrie Thomas

Barrie Thomas
Personal information
Date of birth (1937-05-19)19 May 1937
Place of birth Measham, England
Date of death 30 August 2025(2025-08-30) (aged 88)
Position Forward
Youth career
1952–1954 Leicester City
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1954–1957 Leicester City 7 (3)
1957–1959 Mansfield Town 72 (48)
1959–1962 Scunthorpe United 91 (67)
1962–1964 Newcastle United 73 (48)
1964–1966 Scunthorpe United 52 (26)
1966–1968 Barnsley 43 (19)
Total 338 (211)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Barrie Thomas (19 May 1937 – 30 August 2025) was an English professional footballer who played as a forward. Over the course of his career, Thomas made a total of 338 appearances in the Football League for five clubs over a period of fourteen years, scoring 211 goals.[1]

Background

Barrie Thomas was born on 19 May 1937 in Measham, Leicestershire.[1] He died on 30 August 2025, at the age of 88.[2]

Career

Thomas began his career as a youth player with Leicester City.[1] His senior career began with Leicester City as a seventeen-year-old in 1954, but over the next three seasons, Thomas only managed to play in seven league games, scoring three league goals in the process.[3] Thomas moved to Mansfield Town in 1957, and spent two seasons with the club, scoring 48 league goals in 72 league games.[4] Thomas' next club was Scunthorpe United, moving there in 1959. Thomas' form in the 1961–62 season saw him score 30 league goals in 22 league games by Christmas 1961,[5] and a total of 31 goals in 24 games in all competitions.[6] Thomas' goalscoring record attracted attention from First Division clubs including Manchester United, Bolton Wanderers and Fulham.[5] Leeds United had a bid of £30,000 rejected by the Scunthorpe United board of directors.[5] However, Thomas was eventually sold to Newcastle United in January 1962 in a part-exchange deal, which saw John McGuigan moving in the opposite direction.[5] Newcastle also paid Scunthorpe either £35,000,[5] or £45,000.[7] In his three seasons at Scunthorpe, Thomas scored 67 league goals in 91 league games.[8] Thomas' exit had a detrimental effect on Scunthorpe United's season; attendances at their home matches fell by 20% after Thomas left,[5] and the club dropped from 1st to 4th in the League.[6] Thomas spent two years at Newcastle United, scoring 48 goals in 73 games,[9] before returning to Scunthorpe in 1964. Thomas spent a further two years at Scunthorpe, scoring 26 goals in 52 games in his second spell with the club.[8] Thomas' final club was Barnsley, where he scored 19 goals in 43 games over two years,[10] before retiring in 1968 because of injury.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Player profile". Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Database. Retrieved 12 October 2009.
  2. ^ In Memoriam: Barrie Thomas Scunthorpe United F.C.
  3. ^ "LEICESTER CITY : 1946/47 – 2008/09". Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Database. Retrieved 12 October 2009.
  4. ^ "MANSFIELD TOWN : 1946/47 – 2007/08". Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Database. Retrieved 12 October 2009.
  5. ^ a b c d e f George Young (21 January 2005). "Scunthorpe United 1961–62". When Saturday Comes. Archived from the original on 26 September 2009. Retrieved 12 October 2009.
  6. ^ a b "Highs & Lows". Scunthorpe United F.C. official website. Archived from the original on 26 August 2009. Retrieved 12 October 2009.
  7. ^ Paul Newman (5 January 2005). "Princes of prudence face kings of cash". The Independent. London. Retrieved 12 October 2009.
  8. ^ a b "SCUNTHORPE UNITED : 1950/51 – 2008/09". Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Database. Archived from the original on 10 October 2009. Retrieved 12 October 2009.
  9. ^ "NEWCASTLE UNITED : 1946/47 – 2008/09". Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Database. Retrieved 12 October 2009.
  10. ^ "BARNSLEY : 1946/47 – 2008/09". Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Database. Retrieved 12 October 2009.
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