Tommy Caton facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Thomas Stephen Caton | ||
| Date of birth | 6 October 1962 | ||
| Place of birth | Kirkby, England | ||
| Date of death | 30 April 1993 (aged 30) | ||
| Place of death | Bampton, Oxfordshire, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||
| Playing position | Central defender | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1979–1983 | Manchester City | 165 | (8) |
| 1983–1987 | Arsenal | 81 | (2) |
| 1987–1988 | Oxford United | 53 | (3) |
| 1988–1991 | Charlton Athletic | 57 | (5) |
| Total | 356 | (18) | |
| National team | |||
| 1981–1984 | England U21 | 14 | (0) |
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Thomas Stephen Caton (born 6 October 1962 – died 30 April 1993) was an English footballer. He played as a centre half (a type of defender) for several famous clubs. These included Manchester City, Arsenal, Oxford United, and Charlton Athletic. Tommy Caton was a strong leader on the field. He was the captain for both Manchester City and Oxford United. In 1982, he was even named Manchester City's Player of the Year. He also played 14 games for the England under-21 team.
Contents
Playing Career
Manchester City
Tommy Caton was born in Kirkby, Lancashire. He was a talented young player. He played for and captained the England schoolboys team. In 1978, he joined Manchester City as an apprentice. This meant he was learning to be a professional footballer.
He was part of the City team that reached the 1979 and 1980 FA Youth Cup finals. These are competitions for young players. Tommy made his first senior team appearance for City on 18 August 1979. He was only 16 years old. He quickly became a regular player for the team.
In 1981, when he was just 18, he played in the 1981 FA Cup Final against Tottenham Hotspur. Manchester City took the lead, and it looked like Tommy would win a medal. However, Tottenham scored an equalizing goal. This meant the teams had to play again in a replay match. City lost the replay 3–2.
On 6 March 1982, Tommy played his 100th game in the Football League First Division. He was only 19 years and 5 months old. This made him the youngest player in Football League history to reach this milestone. He was also voted Manchester City's Player of the Year for the 1981–82 season.
Tommy scored eight goals while playing for City. His first goal was in a 1–1 draw against Nottingham Forest in March 1982. He even scored two goals against Arsenal in December 1982.
In 1981, Manchester City was at the top of the league. It seemed like they might win the Football League First Division title. But their performance dropped in the second half of the season. They finished in the middle of the table. The team's form continued to be poor in the 1982–83 season. On the last day of that season, City lost 1–0 at home to Luton Town. This loss meant Manchester City was relegated to the Second Division.
Tommy did not want to stay with City in the Second Division. He asked to be transferred to another team. He started the 1983–84 season still playing for City. But in December 1983, he moved to Arsenal for £500,000.
Arsenal
Tommy Caton played his first game for Arsenal on 4 December. This match was against West Bromwich Albion. For his first two years at Arsenal, he was a regular player. He played alongside David O'Leary under manager Don Howe.
However, during the 1985–86 season, he started to lose his place. Younger players like Martin Keown and Tony Adams began to play more. At the end of that season, George Graham became the new manager. By February 1987, Tommy had played 95 games for Arsenal and scored three goals. But he had not played in the first team for almost a year.
Oxford United
In February 1987, Tommy Caton was sold to Oxford United for £160,000. He quickly became the club captain after he arrived. He helped Oxford United avoid being relegated from the First Division. This happened during his first few months at the Manor Ground. He also missed out on winning a trophy. Oxford was knocked out in the semifinals of the 1987–88 League Cup.
Charlton Athletic
Tommy stayed with Oxford United until 18 November 1988. He was then sold to Charlton Athletic for £100,000. This move allowed him to play in the First Division again. Tommy remained with Charlton even after they were relegated in 1990.
However, he got injured in January of the next year. After this injury, he never played first-team football again. He officially announced his retirement from football in March 1993. He had played 57 league games for Charlton, scoring five goals.
Personal Life
Tommy Caton was born in Kirkby, Lancashire. He was married to Gill, and they had three children. His son Andy also became a professional football player. Tommy Caton passed away suddenly at his home in Oxfordshire when he was 30 years old. This was just one month after he announced his retirement from football.
Honours
Club
Manchester City
- FA Youth Cup runner-up: 1978–79, 1979–80
- FA Cup runner-up: 1980–81
Individual
- Manchester City Player of the Year: 1982
