Tommy Younger

Thomas Younger (10 April 1930 – 13 January 1984) was a Scottish footballer who played as a goalkeeper for Hibernian, Liverpool, Falkirk, Leeds United, Stoke City and the Scotland national team.[1]

Tommy Younger
Personal information
Full name Thomas Younger[1][2]
Date of birth (1930-04-10)10 April 1930[1]
Place of birth Edinburgh, Scotland[1]
Date of death 13 January 1984(1984-01-13) (aged 53)[1]
Place of death Edinburgh, Scotland
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Youth career
– Hutchison Vale
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1948–1956 Hibernian 181 (0)
1956–1959 Liverpool 120 (0)
1959–1960 Falkirk 6 (0)
1960 Stoke City 10 (0)
1960–1961 Rhyl
1961 Toronto City 23 (0)
1961–1963 Leeds United 37 (0)
Total 377 (0)
National team
1955–1958 Scotland 24 (0)
1955[3] Scottish League XI 4 (0)
1958[4] SFA trial v SFL 1 (0)
Teams managed
1959–1960 Falkirk[5]
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Career

Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, Younger signed for his hometown club Hibernian in 1948. He was part of the successful side of the early 50s, winning two titles in 1950–51 and 1951–52.

Liverpool manager Phil Taylor signed Younger in June 1956 for £9000. He made his debut at Anfield on 18 August 1956 in a league match against Huddersfield Town. Huddersfield spoilt Younger's day by taking both points from a 3–2 win. He kept his first clean-sheet two games later at Gigg Lane as the Reds beat Bury 2–0. Younger immediately took over the No.1 jersey at Anfield and played in 43 of Liverpool's 45 matches in his first season. Younger spent three years at Liverpool, only missing six matches during this time making a total of 127 appearances. In 1959, he was allowed to leave to take on a player/manager role in Scotland.

Younger joined Falkirk as player manager in 1959. A back injury led to his retirement as a player.

After finding out that the injury was not as bad as first diagnosed, he signed for Stoke City in 1960.[1] Younger played ten league games for Stoke towards the end of the 1959–60 season.[1] He endured a difficult time playing in a struggling side at the Victoria Ground. In his ten matches Stoke lost nine of them with Younger conceding 22 goals. He was released at the end of the season.[1]

He played three matches for Welsh league side Rhyl before Leeds United manager Don Revie, who was bringing experienced players to cope with declining fortunes at the club, signed Younger in 1961. He made 42 appearances for Leeds in 13 months before retiring for a second (and final) time in October 1962. In 1961, he played in the Eastern Canada Professional Soccer League with Toronto City.[6]

International career

Younger was capped by Scotland 24 times, in an unbroken sequence spanning three years.[7] He made his debut on 4 May 1955 in a friendly international against Portugal at Hampden Park, Glasgow.[7] The Scots were too strong for their Iberian counterparts, winning the game 3–0 and thus gaining Younger his first clean-sheet at national level. Younger also had the honour of keeping goal for the Scottish side during the 1958 World Cup in Sweden. His appearance at the finals against Paraguay was also his last appearance for the national side.[7]

After playing

After his retirement he stayed on at Leeds as a scout. He then took a coaching role in Canada at Toronto City.[8]

After his stint in Toronto he returned to Hibs as this time as director. Younger became vice president of the Scottish Football Association to Willie Harkness taking over as president after Harkness retired from that in May 1983. Younger held the position until his death eight months later on 13 January 1984, aged 53.[9][7] He was survived by his wife, Mary, three daughters and a son.[7]

Career statistics

Club

Source:[10]

Club Season Division League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Hibernian 1948–49 Scottish First Division 400000—40
1949–50 Scottish First Division 2901090—390
1950–51 Scottish First Division 29050110—450
1951–52 Scottish First Division 2403000—270
1952–53 Scottish First Division 270507040430
1953–54 Scottish First Division 1100090—200
1954–55 Scottish First Division 2400060—300
1955–56 Scottish First Division 330206050410
Total 1810160480902540
Liverpool 1956–57 Second Division 4001000—410
1957–58 Second Division 3905000—440
1958–59 Second Division 4101000—420
Total 12007000—1270
Falkirk 1959–60 Scottish Second Division 600000—60
Stoke City 1959–60 Second Division 1000000—100
Leeds United 1961–62 Second Division 3102030—360
1962–63 Second Division 600000—60
Total 3702030—420
Career Total 3540250510904390

International

Source:[11]

National teamYearAppsGoals
Scotland 195560
195650
195780
195850
Total240

See also

References
  1. Matthews, Tony (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. Lion Press. ISBN 0-9524151-0-0.
  2. "Tommy Younger". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
  3. SFL player Thomas Younger, London Hearts Supporters Club
  4. Scottish trial match at Easter Road, Glasgow Herald, 4 February 1958
  5. Falkirk FC Managers
  6. Jose, Colin (2001). On-Side - 125 Years of Soccer in Ontario. Vaughan, Ontario: Ontario Soccer Association and Soccer Hall of Fame and Museum. p. 242.
  7. Reynolds, Jim (14 January 1984). "Tommy Younger, a man who lived for football". The Herald. Herald & Times Group. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
  8. "Scottish, Irish Leagues Will Send Players Here". The Montreal Gazette. 2 May 1962. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
  9. scottishfa.co.uk "David Will - An Obituary" 25 September 2009
  10. Tommy Younger at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
  11. Younger, Tommy at National-Football-Teams.com
  • Mourant, Andrew (1992). Leeds United: Player by Player. Guinness Publishing Ltd. p. 19. ISBN 0-85112-568-9.
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