660 Gwyn Thomas

Biography

Stocky and experienced midfielder Gwyn Thomas joined City on the March 1990 transfer deadline day for a £25,000 fee as manager Stan Ternent sought to revamp the midfield of his struggling Tigers side. Joining the Tigers the same day as Leigh Palin, the transfer swoop appeared to work – Thomas’s first three matches all ended in defeat but six of the next seven league matches were won and a mid table final position was secured. Thomas started the first three games of the 1990/91 season before being replaced by Steve Doyle, another industrious midfielder. Gwyn’s return in October 1990 for six starts coincided with a winless spell and Thomas’s time in the City first team was over. He started two more games at the end of the calendar year, the second of which ended in a 1-5 demolition at the hands of Portsmouth. He left the club at the end of the season.

David Gwyn Thomas was born in Swansea and represented Wales Schoolboys while playing local league football for West End. He joined the Leeds United youth system in July 1973 and made his Leeds senior debut in April 1975, coming on as substitute in a 1-1 draw at Wolverhampton Wanderers. For the next six years he remained on the fringes of the Leeds first team and by the end of the 1980/81 season Thomas had made just 21 appearances and scored two goals – an April 1977 win over Bristol City and an October 1977 defeat against Liverpool.

In the 1981/82 season Leeds paired the goalscoring talents of Frank Worthington and Arthur Graham up front but the Whites struggled all season – attempts to arrest the decline meant that by the latter stages of the season Thomas was finally given a regular first team start in midfield. Leeds were relegated nonetheless and started the 1982/83 season in Division Two, which gave Gwyn his chance – for a season and a half he was a first team regular. In March 1984 left Leeds United having scored three goals in 103 first team appearances.

In March 1984 Thomas joined Barnsley for a £40,000 fee, the Tykes were being managed by his former Leeds United team-mate Allan Clarke. At the age of 26 Gwyn found his feet and for five years he was a first team fixture as Barnsley continually hovered around mid-table in Division Two – they reached the FA Cup Sixth Round in March 1985 before losing heavily to Division One side Liverpool. Gwyn’s place in the first team was lost in January 1989 when he broke a leg and missed a year of football, by the time he returned to fitness in February 1990 Clarke was replaced by Mel Machin as Barnsley manager and Thomas was promptly sold to Hull City. Between March 1984 and March 1990 Gwyn scored nineteen goals in 228 appearances for Barnsley.

In August 1991 Thomas joined Division Four side Carlisle United, he made his Cumbrians debut against Doncaster Rovers in August 1991 and scored one goal in 45 appearances. He retired from playing in the 1992 close season, returning to live in Leeds where he managed and fruit and vegetable warehouse.

During the mid 1970s Gwyn made three appearances for the Wales under-21 side, including a March 1976 match against England Under-21s when he scored a goal. Thomas was selected once for the senior squad but never won a senior cap.

Details

Nationality: Wales
Date/Place of Birth: 26 September 1957, Swansea
Hull City First Game: 24 March 1990, Oldham Athletic A (Division Two), 32 years, 179 days old
Hull City Final Game: 20 April 1991, Wolverhampton Wanderers A (Division Two), 33 years, 206 days old

Clubs

Leeds United (1973-1984), Barnsley (1984-1990), Hull City (1990-1991), Carlisle United (1991-1992)

Hull City Record

Career: 23 apps, 0 goals