Drain Tom Image 1 Leeds City 1905

Description

Much travelled Pollokshaws, Glasgow born centre forward Tom Drain played junior football for Drongan Juniors in 1899 and was on the books at Glasgow Celtic in 1900 without making their first eleven. He joined Ayr in 1901 and played for Maybole in 1902 before heading south to England where he joined Second Division Bradford City in 1903, making his Football League debut against Barnsley that October, scoring in a 3-1 victory. He scored in each of his first four games for The Bantams including a hat-trick against Bolton Wanderers in a 3-3 draw, but he fell out of favour at Valley Parade early in 1905 and transferred to new League entrant Leeds City in July 1905 after 13 goals in 34 appearances. He will be remembered as the player who scored the first goals for Leeds City after their election to the Football League. He scored both goals as City earned their first point in their third game in a 2-2 draw with Lincoln City at Elland Road on 11th September 1905. but he was soon a reserve with Fred Hargreaves preferred to him and after scoring 3 times in 9 appearances he returned to Scotland with Kilmarnock (1906), Aberdeen (1907) and Vale of Leven (1908) before heading back to England with Carlisle United (1908) and Exeter City later the same year. He then returned to Football League action when he joined Woolwich Arsenal for the start of the 1909-10 campaign, making his debut in a 5-1 home defeat to Aston Villa on the opening day of the season and playing once more before joining Blackpool in October 1909, where he made 4 appearances as a half back. He finally returned to Scotland firstly with Nithsdale Wanderers in 1910 and finally with Galston in 1911.