Players - Tommy Lucas

Tommy Lucas
Birthdate: 20 September 1895
Birthplace: St Helens, England
Date of death: 11 December 1953
Other clubs: Sherdley Villa, Sutton Commercial, Heywood United, Peasley Cross, Eccles Borough, Alexandra Victoria; Manchester United (wartime guest), Clapton Orient (1933-34)
Signed from: Alexandra Victoria
Signed for LFC: 1916
International debut: 22.10.1921 vs. Northern Ireland
International caps: 3/0 - 24.05.1926
Liverpool debut: 13.09.1919
Last appearance: 22.10.1932
Debut goal: 15.10.1921
Last goal: 15.04.1927
Contract expiry: 11.07.1933
Win ratio: 42.08% W:154 D:92 L:120
Honours: League Championship 1921/22
Wartime games/goals: 39 / 0
League games / goals: 341 / 3
Total games / goals: 366 / 3

Player Profile

Lucas was born at St Helens, a stronghold of Rugby League football, but preferred the round ball to the oval one. Lucas played in Liverpool's defence for nearly a decade and a half between the two World Wars and although he had spells when he was out of the side, his individual League appearance record for the club can only be bettered by 35 men who have worn the famous red shirt over the years. As the Football League returned to being a national competition in 1919, the slight-framed Lucas made 16 appearances. There was fierce competition for the full-back positions at that time and even though he played on 27 occasions for the 1921/22 championship-winning side, he was only called on once the next season due to Ephraim Longworth's and Donald Mackinlay's consistency, despite being an England international! The Derby Day Telegraph noted that Lucas was "not a big fellow, but sturdily built, strong in tackling, and kicks with a fine discrimination as to length and distance." He had "a hefty kick in each boot, and a sound judgment in regard to timing a tackle. And yet he is not a Longworth."

Undaunted by being virtually ignored as Liverpool retained the title, he would bounce back to make nearly 200 appearances in League and cup over the next five years when Longworth's career faded away. Lucas was selected only occasionally in 1928/29 but again with determination he forced himself back into the first-team picture and was one of two 'ever-presents', the other being Archie McPherson, during the 1930/31 League campaign. 
Appearances per season
Season League FA LC Europe Other Total
Totals 341 25 0 0 0 366
1919-1920 16 0 0 0 0 16
1920-1921 29 3 0 0 0 32
1921-1922 27 3 0 0 0 30
1922-1923 1 0 0 0 0 1
1923-1924 28 5 0 0 0 33
1924-1925 37 4 0 0 0 41
1925-1926 39 1 0 0 0 40
1926-1927 39 4 0 0 0 43
1927-1928 28 2 0 0 0 30
1928-1929 5 0 0 0 0 5
1929-1930 31 1 0 0 0 32
1930-1931 42 1 0 0 0 43
1931-1932 16 1 0 0 0 17
1932-1933 3 0 0 0 0 3
A more detailed look at the player's appearances
Apps Minutes Opponent
22 1980 Sheffield United
22 1980 Sunderland
20 1800 Aston Villa
20 1800 Newcastle United
18 1620 Blackburn Rovers
17 1530 Huddersfield Town
16 1440 Arsenal
15 1350 Bolton Wanderers
14 1260 Birmingham City
14 1260 Manchester United
13 1170 West Ham United
13 1170 Manchester City
12 1080 Burnley
11 990 Everton
11 990 Tottenham
11 990 Cardiff City
11 990 Middlesbrough
10 900 Leeds United
10 900 Chelsea
10 900 WBA
8 720 Leicester City
8 720 Bury
8 720 Derby
7 630 Preston North End
7 630 Sheffield Wednesday
6 540 Portsmouth
5 450 Grimsby Town
5 450 Notts County
4 360 Bradford City
4 360 Blackpool
4 360 Nottingham Forest
3 270 Southampton
2 180 Bournemouth
1 90 Southport
1 90 Bradford Park Avenue
1 90 Darlington
1 90 Fulham
1 90 Bristol City
Total Venue
185 Home
181 Away
Total Competition
341 League
25 FA Cup
Total W D L Win % Manager
187 76 51 60 40.6% Matt McQueen
100 41 20 39 41% George Patterson (2nd term)
69 35 19 15 50.7% David Ashworth
9 2 1 6 22.2% George Patterson
1 0 1 0 0% Caretaker Manager
Goals per season
Season League FA LC Europe Other Total
Totals 3 0 0 0 0 3
1919-1920 0 0 0 0 0 0
1920-1921 0 0 0 0 0 0
1921-1922 2 0 0 0 0 2
1922-1923 0 0 0 0 0 0
1923-1924 0 0 0 0 0 0
1924-1925 0 0 0 0 0 0
1925-1926 0 0 0 0 0 0
1926-1927 1 0 0 0 0 1
1927-1928 0 0 0 0 0 0
1928-1929 0 0 0 0 0 0
1929-1930 0 0 0 0 0 0
1930-1931 0 0 0 0 0 0
1931-1932 0 0 0 0 0 0
1932-1933 0 0 0 0 0 0
A more detailed look at the player's goalscoring
Total Competition
3 League
Total Goal origin
3 Penalty
Wartime Appearances / Goals
Season Appearances Goals
1916-1917 29 0
1917-1918 10 0
Milestone Appearances
# Date Against Stadium Competition
1 13.09.1919 Aston Villa Anfield League
50 03.09.1921 Sunderland Anfield League
100 08.03.1924 Newcastle United St James' Park FA Cup
150 18.04.1925 Tottenham Anfield League
200 25.09.1926 Everton Goodison Park League
250 12.11.1927 The Wednesday Anfield League
300 18.04.1930 Newcastle United St James' Park League
350 03.10.1931 Chelsea Stamford Bridge League
Milestone Goals
# Minute Date Against Stadium Competition
1 60 15.10.1921 Preston North End Anfield League
Related Articles
Ex-football star now mine host at Stoke Mandeville

From the Bucks Herald on 30 January 1953.

Tommy Lucas & a cigarette card

John Player & Sons issued Football caricatures by "Mac" - a series of 50 on their cigarette cards. Tommy Lucas was one of the 50 that were featured.

Related Quotes

"One of the best headers of a ball Liverpool ever had was a lad called Tommy Lucas who was very small but could get up amazingly in the air. A bit like Kevin Keegan in that respect."

Leslie "Bee" Edwards, the sports editor of the Liverpool Daily Post and Echo.

Scrapbook
Liverpool's footballers in training by the sea - 20 January 1926
Liverpool's footballers in training by the sea - 20 January 1926