Biography:

Thomas Clark Fisher Johnson was born in Dalton-in Furness  on the 19th August 1901.

Tommy (or “Tosh” as he was nicknamed) signed for Manchester City in 1919 having impressed Club officials following some excellent performances for Dalton Casuals in the Barrow area, whilst still an apprentice at the local shipyard.

Following the return of league football in August 1919, Tommy was forced to wait for his debut until February 1920 when he wore the number 9 shirt for City for the first time in a Football League game at Middlesbrough, scoring both goals in a 2-0 City win.

Playing either as an inside forward or as a centre forward, he went on to play for City throughout the 1920’s , at Hyde Road up to 1923 and then at Maine Road where he scored one of City’s goals in their first ever league match at Maine Road against Sheffield United. Although he made only infrequent appearances in his early seasons at the Club, he established himself in the City team towards the  end of the 1921/2 season and during the following 1922/23 season.

He went on to make a total of 328 league appearances for City, scoring 158 goals. He also played for City in the 1926 FA Cup Final which City lost to Bolton Wanderers by 0-1.

Tommy still holds the record of the most number of goals scored in a single season. He scored 38 (in 39 league appearances) of City’s season total of 95 goals during the 1928/9 season, City’s first season back in Division One of the Football League, following the Club’s promotion from Division Two as Champions the previous season . Tommy also scored five of City’s six goals in a 6-2 win against Everton at Goodison Park in September 1928.

Notable facts/stories:

A street near Maine Road has been named after him – Tommy Johnson Walk, Moss Side, Manchester.

Non-City career (briefly):

Tommy also won full England international honours, his debut for England coming in 1926 when he scored for England in a 5-3 win over Belgium. He won two caps whilst with City – and a further three caps whilst with Everton, also playing for the Football League and for a Football Association XI.

In March 1930, after eleven years’ service to City, Tommy moved to Everton for a fee of £6,000 where he went on to rack up a further 146 league appearances at Goodison Park between 1930 and 1934, helping them to gain promotion from the Second Division and then winning the First Division League Championship. He also played for Everton against City in the 1933 FA Cup Final which Everton won by 3-0. He went on to finish his professional playing career with Liverpool before a short spell as Player-Manager at non-League Darwen.

He returned to Manchester in the late 1930’s where he became a Publican at two pubs in Stockport and Gorton, Manchester.

Tommy passed away on 28^th January 1973 at the age of 71.