Former Player Remembers: Tom Sweenie

[davieG]

https://www.lcfc.com/news/2284087/former-player-remembers-tom-sweenie/featured

 

Tom Sweenie was an inside forward who, when he played for Leicester City in the mid 1960s, was undoubtedly one of the most talented young footballers in the old First Division. When he spoke to Club Historian John Hutchinson, he reminisced about his time at Filbert Street.
ByJohn Hutchinson

He also recalled the terrible injury which effectively ended his senior career. Tom, who was born in Paisley in 1945, began by talking about his early career in Scottish football. 

He said: “I was spotted as a 16-year-old playing for the Scottish semi-professional club Johnstone Burgh by the same Leicester City scout who had sent Frank McLintock from Johnstone Burgh to Leicester a few years earlier. He told (manager) Matt Gillies to move quickly as Liverpool were interested in signing me. So Leicester invited me, my father and my team manager to the 1963 FA Cup Final when they played Manchester United. I didn’t know where Leicester was but I‘d heard of their internationals like Gordon Banks, Frank McLintock and Davie Gibson. They were top of the league and were playing in the cup final so I thought that Leicester must be some team! 

“Then we went to the post-final banquet at the Dorchester Hotel. I’d been brought up on beans and toast! They introduced me to the President of Atlético Madrid. I was on cloud nine! Leicester even arranged for me to fly to Scotland and back for a Johnstone Burgh cup game. I’d never been on a plane before. 

“A week earlier I’d taken a call from (the legendary Liverpool manager) Bill Shankly. I’d never spoken to a stranger on the phone before, only my parents. I couldn’t get a word in but he told me not to do anything before I’d spent a week at Liverpool, but after my time at Leicester I decided that Liverpool wouldn’t be able to supersede this and I signed for Leicester (in July 1963).

“My league debut was a First Division match at Blackpool (in November 1963). I was 18. Jimmy Armfield, Tony Green and future World Cup Winner Alan Ball were in their team. I was thrown in probably earlier than had been intended because Davie Gibson was injured. I scored two goals. I remember the first one. I was around the 18-yard box, a cross came into me and I side-footed it in through a crowded goalmouth. I then scored a second. Then Tony Waiters (Blackpool’s England international goalkeeper) brought me down and Len Chalmers scored the penalty to make it 3-3. 

I was young and very naive. Matt Gillies started talking to me about budgets and finances. This was way over my head and in the end I just said: 'Give me a pen and I’ll sign the contract on offer. Sorry to have wasted your time!'

Tom Sweenie
“When I first came to Leicester, my father had insisted that the Club arrange two days a week for me to finish my apprenticeship as a carpet fitter. Matt Gillies said that to make the grade I needed to play full-time for the first four months before the carpet fitting started. After the Blackpool game, he came to me and said: ‘Forget the carpets!’ 

Tom also talked about winning the League Cup with Leicester City, how he adjusted to life after his career was brought to a premature end following a very bad knee injury at Nottingham Forest and about some of the truly great players he played against. 

He added: “Before my injury, the Scottish press said that I’d be in the Scotland side with the likes of Denis Law and Dave Mackay. I noticed that fellow Scots at Leicester like Jackie Sinclair and Bobby Roberts had just had pay rises so I went in to see manager Matt Gillies to ask for one too. I was young and very naive. Matt Gillies started talking to me about budgets and finances. This was way over my head and in the end I just said: 'Give me a pen and I’ll sign the contract on offer. Sorry to have wasted your time!'”

Following his debut, Tom made several other first team appearances in the 1963/64 season and was in the team which defeated Stoke City in the second leg of the League Cup Final at Filbert Street in April 1964.

The following season (1964/65), Tom became more established in the side, making 22 First Division appearances playing alongside top scorer Jimmy Goodfellow. He also played in the first leg of the League Cup Final against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. 

The following season (1965/66) clubs were allowed to use one substitute for the first time and Tom became the first player to score for Leicester City as a substitute when he netted against Blackburn Rovers at Filbert Street in April 1966.

Eleven months later, in February 1967, Tom’s career was cruelly cut short by injury at the age of only 21.

“In a match at Nottingham Forest (in February 1967) I had an injury from which I never recovered,” Tom explained. “I had the ball on the halfway line, near the left touch line. David Nish came inside for the pass. I gave him the ball and went for the return. I put my full weight on my left leg and this Forest player came at me right over the top. The referee never saw it!

I played with some great players at Leicester: Gordon Banks, Davie Gibson, Derek Dougan, Mike Stringfellow and Jackie Sinclair who was great striker of the ball. I played against great players too, like Denis Law, Bobby Charlton, George Best, Jimmy Greaves, Dave Mackay, Bobby Moore and Geoff Hurst.

Tom Sweeney
“I met up with the player about a year later. By this time, he had also been out a long time through injury and we were both trying to make a comeback in a reserve game. We both knew what had happened but he said to me that I was too quick for him. But that is not the case. He went over the top. I have since been told that he was quite a nice chap and that what he did to me was out of character.”

After leaving Filbert Street Tom had a trial at Arsenal in July 1968. 

He continued: “(Ex-Leicester star) Frank McLintock was playing for Arsenal then. He told the Arsenal management that it was worth giving me a three-month trial to see if I could recover. I didn’t really enjoy it though. I was in a hotel and my wife, back in Sapcote, had just had our first baby so I came back. 

“Another ex-Leicester City player (winger) was Billy Hodgson. I’d played with him at Filbert Street. He was the funniest player I ever met. He was coach at York City and he took me up there but I wasn’t right.”  

Tom had to give up his Football League career after that. He joined non-league Burton Albion in 1969, who were managed by his ex-Leicester City team-mate Richie Norman, and he later had spells at Leamington, Bedworth Town, Shepshed Charterhouse and Enderby Town. He also set up a carpet fitting business.

Thinking back on his Leicester City career, Tom concluded: “I played with some great players at Leicester: Gordon Banks, Davie Gibson, Derek Dougan, Mike Stringfellow and Jackie Sinclair who was great striker of the ball. I played against great players too, like Denis Law, Bobby Charlton, George Best, Jimmy Greaves, Dave Mackay, Bobby Moore and Geoff Hurst. The most difficult opponent I faced was Nobby Stiles. Looking back, I’m glad that I played in the era that I did. Winning the League Cup was a highlight. I wish I had it on film.”

[enmac]

I must have seen him play but remember little being very young at the time although I can picture his face . Imagine getting a phone call from Bill Shankly. Must have been some player. Incredibly unlucky to have been so badly injured at just 21.

[Billy Box]

I remember seeing Tom play for the Foxes on Easter Saturday  1964 against  my team Liverpool. Although Liverpool won 0-2 and went on to win the league, Tom was constant threat in that game at Filbert Street that day.