Tommy Sloan
Encyclopedia
Thomas "Tommy" Sloan was a Scottish
professional footballer who played as a right winger, most notable for being a member of the first Motherwell
side to win the Scottish Cup
, in 1951-52
.
Born in Barrhead
, Renfrewshire
, Sloan joined local Junior
side Arthurlie
in 1942 and, after switching from centre forward
to the right wing, became a regular in the first team. With the Second World War
at its destructive zenith, many of Sloan's contemporaries enlisted in the British
armed services
to fight abroad. However, his work manufacturing munitions at the Shanks
factory in Barrhead was considered a reserved occupation
and he remained in Scotland. He would later work in the dockyards
in Renfrew, another reserved occupation.
Sloan's performances with Arthurlie led to his selection for the Scotland Junior international side. They also attracted the attention of several League
clubs and in 1945, after a dispute with the Arthurlie management, he signed for Hearts
. He agreed, however, to stay with Arthurlie for the duration of their Scottish Junior Cup
campaign, eventually helping them to the final, where they lost 2–0 to Fauldhouse United
.
Sloan made his debut for Hearts in the 1946–47 season and quickly became a regular feature in the side. His supply from the right wing helped the burgeoning Terrible Trio inside forward combination of Conn
, Bauld
and Wardhaugh
in their prolific scoring feats, while Sloan himself maintained a respectable scoring record.
The death of Hearts manager Davie McLean in February 1951 eventually led to Sloan's departure from Tynecastle
. McLean's assistant, Tommy Walker, inherited the role of manager and, after an initial settling-in period, started to remould the side in his image. One of his first signings was veteran Rangers
winger Eddie Rutherford
and, for the first time in five seasons, Sloan found himself out of the first-team. In November 1951, Sloan and another displaced team-mate Charlie Cox
joined Motherwell in a £6,500 joint transfer.
Within months of their move to Fir Park
, the Scottish Cup draw afforded the opportunity for Sloan and Cox to play former club Hearts, in the semi-final at Hampden Park
. After two close games were drawn 1–1, the pair enjoyed their revenge on former manager Walker as Motherwell won the second replay 3–1, reaching the final for the fourth time in their history. They had lost all three previous finals, to Celtic
(twice) and Clyde
, but Sloan helped the Steelmen overcome the weight of history to record a comfortable 4–0 win over Dundee
.
Surprisingly, Motherwell suffered their first ever relegation the following year, although in an incredibly tight competition they finished only five points behind fourth-placed Hearts. Sloan stayed with the side despite their demotion, helping them win the Second Division title at the first attempt in 1953–54. He appeared in the Motherwell side that reached the 1954 Scottish League Cup Final
, but Hearts proved too strong on that occasion, winning 4–2.
Sloan eventually left Motherwell for English
non-league side Gloucester City in 1957, where he stayed for three seasons. He returned to Scotland to coach old side Arthurlie in 1960 in his native Barrhead, concurrently returning to work in the town's Shanks factory.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
professional footballer who played as a right winger, most notable for being a member of the first Motherwell
Motherwell F.C.
Motherwell Football & Athletic Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. The club compete in the Scottish Premier League and are one of only seven teams to have remained in this league since it was founded in 1998...
side to win the Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
, in 1951-52
1951-52 in Scottish football
The 1951–52 season was the 55th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Scottish League Division A:Champions: HibernianRelegated: Greenock Morton, Stirling Albion-Scottish League Division B:Promoted: Clyde, Falkirk...
.
Born in Barrhead
Barrhead
Barrhead is a town in East Renfrewshire, Scotland, southwest of Glasgow on the edge of the Gleniffer Braes. As of the 2001 census its population was 19,813....
, Renfrewshire
Renfrewshire
Renfrewshire is one of 32 council areas used for local government in Scotland. Located in the west central Lowlands, it is one of three council areas contained within the boundaries of the historic county of Renfrewshire, the others being Inverclyde to the west and East Renfrewshire to the east...
, Sloan joined local Junior
Scottish Junior Football Association
The Scottish Junior Football Association is an affiliated national association of the Scottish Football Association and is the governing body for the Junior grade of football in Scotland. The term "Junior" refers to the level of football played...
side Arthurlie
Arthurlie F.C.
Arthurlie Football Club are a Junior Scottish football team based in Barrhead, East Renfrewshire, near Glasgow. They play at Dunterlie Park, on Carlibar Road, adjacent to Barrhead railway station. They currently play in the Stagecoach Super League, Premier Division...
in 1942 and, after switching from centre forward
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
to the right wing, became a regular in the first team. With the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
at its destructive zenith, many of Sloan's contemporaries enlisted in the British
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
armed services
Armed Services
Armed Services is a collective term that refers to the major organisational entities of national armed forces, so named because they service a combat need in a specific combat environment. In most states Armed Services include the Army also known as Land Force or Ground Force, Navy also know a...
to fight abroad. However, his work manufacturing munitions at the Shanks
Armitage Shanks
Armitage Shanks is a British manufacturer of bathroom fixtures and plumbing supplies.In 2004 Armitage Shanks had eight factories in the UK, the largest in Armitage, Staffordshire. Armitage Shanks is one of the sponsors of the Loo of the Year Awards....
factory in Barrhead was considered a reserved occupation
Reserved occupation
A reserved occupation is an occupation considered important enough to a country that those serving in such occupations are exempt - in fact forbidden - from military service....
and he remained in Scotland. He would later work in the dockyards
Shipyard
Shipyards and dockyards are places which repair and build ships. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance and basing activities than shipyards, which are sometimes associated more with initial...
in Renfrew, another reserved occupation.
Sloan's performances with Arthurlie led to his selection for the Scotland Junior international side. They also attracted the attention of several League
Scottish Football League
The Scottish Football League is a league of football teams in Scotland, comprising theScottish First Division, Scottish Second Division and Scottish Third Division. From the league's foundation in 1890 until the breakaway Scottish Premier League was formed in 1998, the Scottish Football League...
clubs and in 1945, after a dispute with the Arthurlie management, he signed for Hearts
Heart of Midlothian F.C.
Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian...
. He agreed, however, to stay with Arthurlie for the duration of their Scottish Junior Cup
Scottish Junior Cup
The Scottish Junior Cup, known as The Emirates Junior Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual football competition organised by the Scottish Junior Football Association for all its member clubs. The competition has been held every year since the inception of the SJFA in 1886 and as of the...
campaign, eventually helping them to the final, where they lost 2–0 to Fauldhouse United
Fauldhouse United F.C.
Fauldhouse United F.C. are a Scottish Junior football club based at Park View in Fauldhouse, West Lothian.The club won the Scottish Junior Cup in 1946 and now play in the SJFA East Region, South Division.-Other Honours:...
.
Sloan made his debut for Hearts in the 1946–47 season and quickly became a regular feature in the side. His supply from the right wing helped the burgeoning Terrible Trio inside forward combination of Conn
Alfie Conn, Sr.
Alfred "Alfie" Conn was a Scottish professional footballer, most commonly remembered as part of the Terrible Trio of the Heart of Midlothian side of the 1950s, along with Willie Bauld and Jimmy Wardhaugh...
, Bauld
Willie Bauld
William "Willie" Russell Logan Gavin Chalmers Bauld was a footballer who played for Newtongrange Star, Heart of Midlothian, Edinburgh City and the Scotland national team.-Heart of Midlothian:...
and Wardhaugh
Jimmy Wardhaugh
Jimmy Wardhaugh was a Scottish professional footballer, most fondly remembered as part of the Terrible Trio Heart of Midlothian forward line of the 1950s, alongside Willie Bauld and Alfie Conn...
in their prolific scoring feats, while Sloan himself maintained a respectable scoring record.
The death of Hearts manager Davie McLean in February 1951 eventually led to Sloan's departure from Tynecastle
Tynecastle Stadium
Tynecastle Stadium is a football stadium situated in the Gorgie area of Edinburgh, Scotland, which is the home ground of Scottish Premier League club Hearts. Tynecastle has a seating capacity of 17,420, which makes it the seventh largest football stadium in Scotland...
. McLean's assistant, Tommy Walker, inherited the role of manager and, after an initial settling-in period, started to remould the side in his image. One of his first signings was veteran Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
winger Eddie Rutherford
Eddie Rutherford
Edward 'Eddie' Rutherford was a Scottish footballer who played for Rangers, Hearts and Scotland.-Career:Born in Govan, Scotland, Rutherford joined Rangers from Mossvale in 1941 but during the Second World War he was posted to England so he guested for Lincoln City and Bradford City...
and, for the first time in five seasons, Sloan found himself out of the first-team. In November 1951, Sloan and another displaced team-mate Charlie Cox
Charlie Cox (footballer born 1926)
Charlie Cox was a Scottish football player. He played for Heart of Midlothian and Motherwell.Some reference books list Cox as having played once for Scotland, in a 3–0 defeat by France in 1948, but he never played international football.- External links :*, Neil Brown*, London Hearts...
joined Motherwell in a £6,500 joint transfer.
Within months of their move to Fir Park
Fir Park
Fir Park Stadium is a football stadium situated in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. The stadium plays host to the home matches of Scottish Premier League club Motherwell.- History :...
, the Scottish Cup draw afforded the opportunity for Sloan and Cox to play former club Hearts, in the semi-final at Hampden Park
Hampden Park
Hampden Park is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The 52,063 capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland...
. After two close games were drawn 1–1, the pair enjoyed their revenge on former manager Walker as Motherwell won the second replay 3–1, reaching the final for the fourth time in their history. They had lost all three previous finals, to Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
(twice) and Clyde
Clyde F.C.
Clyde Football Club are a Scottish professional football team currently playing in the Third Division of the Scottish Football League. Although based for the last fifteen years in the new town of Cumbernauld, they are traditionally associated with an area that covers Rutherglen in South...
, but Sloan helped the Steelmen overcome the weight of history to record a comfortable 4–0 win over Dundee
Dundee F.C.
Dundee Football Club, founded in 1893, are a football club based in the city of Dundee, Scotland. They are nicknamed The Dee or The Dark Blues and play their home matches at Dens Park. Their shirt colour is dark blue. Dundee currently play in the Scottish First Division, having been relegated from...
.
Surprisingly, Motherwell suffered their first ever relegation the following year, although in an incredibly tight competition they finished only five points behind fourth-placed Hearts. Sloan stayed with the side despite their demotion, helping them win the Second Division title at the first attempt in 1953–54. He appeared in the Motherwell side that reached the 1954 Scottish League Cup Final
1954 Scottish League Cup Final
The 1954 Scottish League Cup Final was played on 23 October 1954, at Hampden Park in Glasgow and was the final of the 9th Scottish League Cup competition. The final was contested by Heart of Midlothian and Motherwell. Hearts won the match 4–2, mainly thank to a hat-trick by Willie...
, but Hearts proved too strong on that occasion, winning 4–2.
Sloan eventually left Motherwell for English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
non-league side Gloucester City in 1957, where he stayed for three seasons. He returned to Scotland to coach old side Arthurlie in 1960 in his native Barrhead, concurrently returning to work in the town's Shanks factory.
External links
- Appearances at londonhearts.com
- Tommy Sloan's Recollections at Barrhead People's Story Group Website (contains audio file)