Thomas John "Spill" Spilsbury was a footballer. He played 57 games for Burslem Port Vale

Port Vale F.C.

Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...

 (25 in the Midland Football League

Midland Football League

There have been at least two different football competitions in England which used the name Midland Football League.One existed until 1982 before merging with the Yorkshire League to form the Northern Counties League....

, 16 in the Football League

The Football League

The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...

) and scored one cup goal for the club.

Playing career

Spilsbury played for Dresden United

Dresden United F.C.

Dresden United Football Club were a football club based in the Dresden area of Stoke-on-Trent who were active at the end of the nineteenth century....

 before joining Burslem Port Vale

Port Vale F.C.

Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...

 in February 1897. His debut match could hardly have gone better; a 8–0 home romp over Grantham Rovers. He was a regular until January 1899, and was a member of the 1898 Staffordshire Senior Cup

Staffordshire Senior Cup

The Staffordshire Senior Challenge Cup is a football cup tournament based in the county of Staffordshire in England first competed for in 1877-78. Organised by the Staffordshire Football Association, it is competed for by a mix of clubs from Staffordshire and the surrounding areas. Both...

 winning side during his run. He was released at the end of the 1900–01 season

1900–01 Burslem Port Vale F.C. season

The 1900–01 season was Burslem Port Vale's third consecutive season of football in the Football League. Finishing in ninth place for the second time in three years, the club would have to wait over two decades before they would better such a finish...

.