Bradshaw Tom “Tiny” Image 5 Bury 1926

Description

Centre half Tom “Tiny” Bradshaw was born in Coatbridge, Lanarkshire, began his professional career with English side Bury in September 1922, having been signed from local amateur side Woodside Juniors, making his Football League debut at Southampton in March 1923. A wing half or centre half, Bradshaw spent eight years with the Lancashire club winning promotion with them as Second Division runners up in his first full season, 1923-24. Nicknamed “Tiny”, but Thomas Bradshaw was in fact a giant of a man in the Bury team.

Bradshaw was called up for his senior international debut on 31st March 1928 at Wembley Stadium in a 5-1 win over England, a performance that saw the Scotland side dubbed the ‘Wembley Wizards’. In his one game for Scotland Bradshaw directly nullified Dixie Dean, England’s most potent goalscorer of his generation. Despite such a notable individual and team performance, Bradshaw was the only wizard to have this game as their only full cap.

After 8 goals in 219 games for The Shakers, Liverpool manager George Patterson paid £8,000 for his services in January 1930, he made his debut on 25th January at Anfield against Manchester United. It was a day to remember as Liverpool won the game 1-0. His first goal for Liverpool came on 3rd September 1932 in a match against Newcastle United, where Newcastle won a 4-3 thriller. Bradshaw stayed at the Merseyside club for eight years, playing most of his games at centre half, captaining the side from 1931 to 1934. Tiny was literally a tower of strength in defence for the club which unfortunately had a below average decade in the 1930’s, eventually racking up 4 goals in 291 appearances before joining Third Lanark in 1938, before returning to Merseyside later the same year with non league South Liverpool.