Players - Tom Morrison

Tom Morrison
Birthdate: 21 January 1904
Birthplace: Coylton, Ayrshire, Scotland
Date of death: 1973
Other clubs: Troon Athletic (1921-24), St. Mirren (1924-28), Sunderland (1935-36), Gamlingay (1936), Ayr United (1937)
Signed from: St. Mirren
Signed for LFC: £4,000, 08.02.1928
International debut: 02.04.1927 vs. England
International caps: 1/0 (at St. Mirren)
Liverpool debut: 11.02.1928
Last appearance: 10.11.1934
Debut goal: 13.12.1930
Last goal: 24.02.1934
Contract expiry: 06.11.1935
Win ratio: 37.8% W:96 D:56 L:102
League games / goals: 240 / 4
Total games / goals: 254 / 4

Player Profile

Right-half Morrison was at Anfield for eight years between the two World Wars. He had been playing in the Scottish league with St. Mirren when he was signed by Liverpool in February 1928. Morrison made 15 consecutive first division appearances before the end of that year. He was one of only two ever-presents the following season and would average 36 League appearances for the next five years before he moved on to Sunderland after losing his place in the team to Robert Savage in 1934/35. Morrison, who made his last-ever first-team appearance for Liverpool in November 1934, was reported missing by the club in March 1935 after he failed to appear when selected to play in a Central league game on 9 February. Liverpool had imposed two terms of 14 days suspensions, the second of which expired on 12 March. That prompted Liverpool's directors, still without a word of his whereabouts, to report the matter to the authorities. Morrison eventually returned but didn't make another first-team appearance and was sold in November 1935 to Sunderland where he won the League Championship at the end of his one and only season at Wearside.

Morrison was quite a curious character who vanished following Sunderland’s title celebration dinner in May 1936, leaving his medal, wife and child behind him. At that time a fellow by the name of Jock Anderson arrived in the ancient village of Gamlingay, near the border of Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire. He was with a gang of men, who slept in the open and made a living there by pea picking. Anderson wanted to feature for the local village football side and soon his skills were making headlines and many scouts came to watch in view of signing him for league clubs. The centre-forward’s exploits had inspired Gamlingay to reach the top of their division but in the beginning of December 1936 Anderson had departed the village without notifi cation. Gamlingay’s form collapsed in his absence. The Cambridge Independent Pressrevealed on 11 December 1936 who Anderson really was. ‘Gamlingay Football Club have been playing an international footballer unawares. The man was known as Anderson, but it transpires that he is Tom Morrison, the Scottish international and former Sunderland full back, who mysteriously vanished from his home seven months ago.’ Four days before the article was published Morrison was in court in Sunderland as he was charged for leaving his wife and child ‘chargeable to the Public Assistance Committee’. After Morrison’s solicitor promised that the money paid in relief to Mrs. Morrison would be repaid to the authorities along with costs, the charge was withdrawn. Morrison signed for Ayr United before the start of the 1936/37 season but disappeared again from his home and did not report for training. His contract with the club was terminated in August 1937.
Appearances per season
Season League FA LC Europe Other Total
Totals 240 14 0 0 0 254
1927-1928 15 0 0 0 0 15
1928-1929 42 3 0 0 0 45
1929-1930 36 1 0 0 0 37
1930-1931 39 1 0 0 0 40
1931-1932 35 4 0 0 0 39
1932-1933 32 1 0 0 0 33
1933-1934 33 4 0 0 0 37
1934-1935 8 0 0 0 0 8
A more detailed look at the player's appearances
Apps Minutes Opponent
13 1200 Bolton Wanderers
13 1170 Everton
13 1170 Sheffield Wednesday
13 1170 Birmingham City
13 1170 Huddersfield Town
13 1170 Newcastle United
12 1080 Portsmouth
12 1080 Sunderland
11 990 Aston Villa
11 990 Sheffield United
11 990 Blackburn Rovers
11 990 Leicester City
10 900 Arsenal
10 900 Derby
9 810 Middlesbrough
9 810 Leeds United
8 720 Chelsea
7 630 Manchester City
7 630 West Ham United
6 540 WBA
6 540 Grimsby Town
5 450 Burnley
5 450 Wolves
5 450 Blackpool
5 450 Manchester United
4 360 Cardiff City
3 270 Tottenham
2 210 Fulham
2 180 Stoke City
2 180 Bury
1 90 Bristol City
1 90 Tranmere Rovers
1 90 Chesterfield
Total Venue
129 Away
125 Home
Total Competition
240 League
14 FA Cup
Total W D L Win % Manager
250 94 55 101 37.6% George Patterson (2nd term)
2 1 1 0 50% Caretaker Manager
2 1 0 1 50% Matt McQueen
Goals per season
Season League FA LC Europe Other Total
Totals 4 0 0 0 0 4
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 1 0 0 0 0 1
1931-1932 1 0 0 0 0 1
1932-1933 1 0 0 0 0 1
1933-1934 1 0 0 0 0 1
1934-1935 0 0 0 0 0 0
A more detailed look at the player's goalscoring
Total Opponent
1 Middlesbrough
1 Sunderland
1 Everton
1 Arsenal
Total Competition
4 League
Total Goal minute period
1 1-15 minutes
1 31-45 minutes
2 76-90 minutes
Total Goal origin
4 Open play
Milestone Appearances
# Date Against Stadium Competition
1 11.02.1928 Portsmouth Fratton Park League
50 16.03.1929 Birmingham St Andrews League
100 06.09.1930 Middlesbrough Ayresome Park League
150 28.11.1931 Arsenal Highbury League
200 04.03.1933 Arsenal Highbury League
250 06.10.1934 Sheffield Wednesday Hillsborough League
Milestone Goals
# Minute Date Against Stadium Competition
1 1 13.12.1930 Arsenal Anfield League
Related Articles
Half-backs and the attack

Inverness Courier on 8 November 1929.

Scrapbook
Football Cameos - November 1930
Football Cameos - November 1930
Other Clubs
Club Season Club rank League apps League goals Total apps Total goals
Troon Athletic 1921-1923 Scotland N/A N/A N/A N/A
St. Mirren 1925-1926 Scotland Division 1 37 2 37 2
St. Mirren 1926-1927 Scotland Division 1 36 7 36 7
St. Mirren 1927-1928 Scotland Division 1 25 2 25 2
Sunderland 1935-1936 England First Division 21 0 23 0
Gamlingay 1936-1937 Cambridgeshire County League 2 N/A N/A N/A N/A
Ayr United 1937 Scotland Division 1 0 0 0 0
Total 119 11 121 11