Biography
Teenage centre forward Thomas John Burdett joined Hull City from the County Durham local football scene in June 1933. Burdett was born in Hartlepool and raised in the Wingate area of County Durham, a coal mining stronghold. The young Thomas was just 16 years of age when he started playing junior football for Wheatley Hill Juniors in January 1932, having previously served Station Town Welfare. By April 1932 he was selected to represent his league against the divisional champions Hetton Juniors and by February 1933 he was playing on amateur terms for both North Eastern League team Blyth Spartans and Wheatley Hill, for whom he scored over fifty goals in the 1932/33 season.
It was therefore with some pedigree that Burdett came to Anlaby Road and within a few weeks he was starting for the Reserves and scoring in the Midland League. He eventually made his first team debut in April 1934, new manager Jack Hill’s fist game in charge of the Tigers, and made a further first team appearance a fortnight later. Burdett continued to impress in City’s Reserves, scoring 23 Midland League goals in the 1934/45 season including a remarkable seven goals in an 8-2 victory over Doncaster Rovers’ stiffs. This feat led to a third first team start against Norwich City and the club announced their intention to retain Thomas for another season. However he was unable to agree terms and saught pastures new after only three starts in two seasons for the Tigers.
Burdett joined Division Two side Fulham in June 1935 and scored 22 goals for the Cottagers’ London Combination Reserves side, but was unable to break into the first team despite Fulham’s fixture list being extended by a lengthy FA Cup run that ended in semi-final defeat to Sheffield United. In July 1936 Thomas returned north and joined Division Three North side Lincoln City, where he supported the Imps’ first team for three seasons. He scored three times in four starts during the 1936/37 season then adding eight goals in 18 starts the following season – he netted seven times in seven starts during January, February and March 1938. He made only five starts in the 1938/39 season, scoring once and taking his Lincoln City tally to 12 goals in 28 starts.
In May 1939 Burdett transferred to Second Division side Bury and he started the Shakers’ first three fixtures of the 1939/40 season before the outbreak of World War Two drew the season to an abrupt halt. He suffered a career ending injury while playing wartime football and he returned to live in Hull, where he worked as a machine operator. Later in life he suffered from Parkinson’s Disease and lived in a nursing home in Hessle, dying in November 2001.
Details
Nationality: England
Date/Place of Birth: 22 October 1915, Hartlepool
Hull City First Game: 14 April 1934, Bradford Park Avenue A (Division Two), 18 years, 174 days old
Hull City Final Game: 22 April 1935, Norwich City H (Division Two), 19 years, 182 days old
Clubs
Wheatley Hill Juniors (1932-1933), Blyth Spartans (1933), Hull City (1933-1935), Fulham (1935-1936), Lincoln City (1936-1939), Bury (1939)
Hull City Record
Career: 3 apps, 0 goals
Thomas BurdettSeason | LGE App | LGE Gls | FAC App | FAC Gls | FLC App | FLC Gls | EUR App | EUR Gls | OTH App | OTH Gls |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1933/34 | 2 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
1934/35 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
This is my Father. His football career was finished after breaking his leg whilst playing for the Forces during World War 2 and up to the day he died in November 2001 he walked with a bad limp
Regards David Burdett