Tommy Pearson
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Thomas Usher Pearson[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 6 March 1913 | ||
| Place of birth | Edinburgh, Scotland | ||
| Date of death | 2 March 1999 (aged 85) | ||
| Place of death | Edinburgh, Scotland | ||
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Outside left | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Murrayfield Amateurs | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1933–1947 | Newcastle United | 212 | (46) |
| 1947–1953 | Aberdeen | 84 | (10) |
| Total | 296 | (56) | |
| International career | |||
| 1939 | England (wartime) | 1 | (0) |
| 1945[3] | Scotland (wartime) | 1 | (0) |
| 1947 | Scotland | 2 | (0) |
| 1948[4] | Scottish Football League XI | 2 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1959–1965 | Aberdeen | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Thomas Usher Pearson (6 March 1913 – 2 March 1999) was a Scottish professional football player and manager.
Playing career
Born in Edinburgh, Pearson played for Murrayfield Amateurs, and had a trial for Heart of Midlothian, but signed professional terms with Newcastle United in March 1933. He played over 200 games for Newcastle before and after the Second World War, scoring a total of 52 goals.[5] Pearson was renowned as a skilful and entertaining outside-left, although he won no major honours at St James' Park.
Pearson made a guest appearance for England during a wartime international against Scotland in Newcastle when outside left Eric Brook was injured before the game. Pearson was at the match as a spectator, but agreed to turn out for England.[6][7][8] He was capped twice by Scotland in 1947, which uniquely meant that he had played for both Scotland and England.
In 1948, he was signed by Aberdeen for £4,000, and quickly became a crowd favourite, renowned particularly for his 'double shuffle', which baffled opposing players and spectators alike. Pearson retired at the age of 40, and took up a career as a sports writer, often covering Aberdeen for the Scottish Daily Mail.
Managerial career
In November 1959, Pearson was appointed manager of Aberdeen, in spite of his lack of coaching or managerial experience, and the six years he had spent outside the game, albeit as an observer. Unusually, his predecessor, Davie Shaw stayed on at the club in his former capacity as coach. Pearson's time in office coincided with the departure or retirement of a number of key players, and long-term injuries to others, alleviated only briefly by the emergence of Charlie Cooke, soon on his way to Chelsea. There were a sequence of Scottish Cup exits to lower league teams, and in spite of a Summer Cup final, ultimately lost to Hibs in 1964, Pearson's reign ended with his resignation on 13 February 1965.
Career statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Europe | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Newcastle United | 1933–34 | First Division | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 4 | 1 |
| 1934–35 | Second Division | 25 | 13 | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 27 | 14 | |
| 1935–36 | 40 | 12 | 5 | 2 | - | - | - | - | 45 | 14 | ||
| 1936–37 | 37 | 7 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 38 | 7 | ||
| 1937–38 | 41 | 4 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 42 | 4 | ||
| 1938–39 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 6 | 2 | ||
| 1939–40 | Competitive football cancelled due to the Second World War | |||||||||||
| 1940–41 | ||||||||||||
| 1941–42 | ||||||||||||
| 1942–43 | ||||||||||||
| 1943–44 | ||||||||||||
| 1944–45 | ||||||||||||
| 1945–46 | ||||||||||||
| 1946–47 | Second Division | 38 | 4 | 6 | 2 | - | - | - | - | 44 | 6 | |
| 1947–48 | 21 | 3 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 22 | 4 | ||
| Total | 212 | 46 | 16 | 6 | - | - | - | - | 228 | 52 | ||
| Aberdeen | 1947–48 | Scottish Division One | 9 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 2 |
| 1948–49 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 3 | ||
| 1949–50 | 20 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 6 | ||
| 1950–51 | 19 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 3 | ||
| 1951–52 | 20 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 2 | ||
| 1952–53 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| Total | 85 | 10 | 14 | 3 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 116 | 16 | ||
| Career total | 297 | 56 | 30 | 9 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 344 | 68 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scotland | 1947 | 2 | 0 |
| Total | 2 | 0 | |
Managerial record
| Team | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | L | D | Win % | |||
| Aberdeen | 1959 | 1965 | 229 | 84 | 89 | 56 | 36.68 |
References
- ^ "Tommy Pearson". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
- ^ "Newcastle United. Prospects of promotion not much improved". Sunday Dispatch Football Guide. London. 23 August 1936. p. vi – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Scotland Unofficial Matches 1939-1945, RSSSF, 23 July 2020
- ^ (SFL player) Tommy Pearson, London Hearts Supporters Club
- ^ "NUFC All-Time Top Goalscorers Stats". Archived from the original on 25 March 2008. Retrieved 11 April 2007. NUFC all-time top goalscorers
- ^ "NUFC players scottish internationals". Archived from the original on 12 September 2006. Retrieved 11 September 2006.
- ^ http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/lo/extra/7022508.html [dead link]
- ^ "Sat 02 Dec 1939 England 2 Scotland 1". londonhearts.com. London Hearts Supporters' Club. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
- ^ Scott, Kenneth H. "Thomas Usher -Tommy- Pearson | Player Profile | toon1892 ~ a site for Newcastle United fans everywhere..." www.toon1892.com. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
- ^ "Aberdeen Football Club Heritage Trust - Player Profile". afcheritage.org. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
- ^ "Tommy Pearson | Scotland | Scottish FA". www.scottishfa.co.uk. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
- ^ "afcheritage.org - Aberdeen Football Club Managers". afcheritage.org. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
- Webster, Jack (2003). The First 100 years of The Dons: The official history of Aberdeen Football Club 1903 – 2003. Hodder & Stoughton, London. ISBN 0-340-82344-5.
