Biography
Centre half and wing half Thomas Foster was born in the Holderness Road area of East Hull and grew up in Sutton village, raised by his father William who hailed from Cheshire and drove trams for Hull Corporation. He played football for Hull City Boys as a teenager while attending Southcoates Lane School. He joined Hull City on amateur terms in May 1931 and was soon assisting the Tigers’ reserve side. However it wasn’t until August 1935 that he signed professional terms for the club, by which time he had already made his senior debut.
In January and February 1936 he started six matches for the Tigers, demonstrating his versatility by filling roles as right half, left half and inside right forward. The arrival of Ernest Blackburn in the Hull City manager’s office in January 1937 proved good news for Foster, who finally secured a regular first team start after six years at the club – his first and only senior goal came in a March 1937 1-3 defeat at Stockport County. Blackburn looked elsewhere for defensive cover in the 1937/38 season and Foster started only one game before leaving the club in May 1938.
In June 1938 he joined Southern League side Guildford City, who were managed by former Tigers boss Hayden Green (although Green moved on to Torquay United within weeks of Foster’s signing). He remained with Guildford for two seasons until the advent of World War Two bought the club’s fixtures to a close in May 1940 – at the start of hostilities he was working as an engineer’s clerk. When Guildford City reformed in August 1945 Foster was again part of the first team squad for one season, at which point he appeared to bring his footballing career to a close.
Later in life he returned to Hull and took similar work in an engineering plant. He retired to his home near Lambwath Road, where he died in May 1986.
Details
Nationality: England
Date/Place of Birth: 20 November 1913, Hull
Hull City First Game: 20 April 1935, Sheffield United H (Division Two), 21 years, 151 days old
Hull City Final Game: 27 October 1937, Hartlepools United A (Division Three North Cup First Round), 23 years, 341 days old
Clubs
Hull City (1931-1938), Guildford City (1938-1946)
Hull City Record
Career: 27 apps, 1 goals
Thomas Foster| Season | LGE App | LGE Gls | FAC App | FAC Gls | FLC App | FLC Gls | EUR App | EUR Gls | OTH App | OTH Gls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1931/32 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1932/33 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1933/34 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1934/35 | 2 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1935/36 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1936/37 | 18 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1937/38 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 0 |