Thomas Gerard Farquharson (4 December 1899 – 24 December 1970) was an Irish professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...
who played as a
goalkeeper
In many team sports that involve scoring goal (sport), goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie, or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or i ...
. Born in
Dublin
Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
, he played youth football for local sides. In his teens, he became a member of the
Irish Republican Army
The Irish Republican Army (IRA) is a name used by various Resistance movement, resistance organisations in Ireland throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Organisations by this name have been dominantly Catholic and dedicated to anti-imperiali ...
and was arrested by the
British Army
The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
for removing
wanted posters
A wanted poster (or wanted sign) is a poster distributed to let the public know of a person whom authorities wish to apprehend. They generally include a picture of the person, either a photograph when one is available or of a facial composite ...
and held in
Mountjoy Prison
Mountjoy Prison (), founded as Mountjoy Gaol and nicknamed The Joy, is a medium security men's prison located in Phibsborough in the centre of Dublin, Ireland.
The current prison Governor is Ray Murtagh.
History
Mountjoy was designed by Cap ...
. He was released on the basis that he would leave Ireland, which he did, choosing to settle in South Wales.
Farquharson played football for Oakdale and
Abertillery Town before being spotted by
Football League
The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional association football, football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, it is the oldest football league in Association football around the world, the w ...
side
Cardiff City in 1922 for whom he made his professional debut that May. He helped the side finish as runners-up in the
First Division during the
1923–24 season and reach the
1925 FA Cup final
The 1925 FA Cup final was an association football match contested by Sheffield United F.C., Sheffield United and Cardiff City F.C., Cardiff City on 25 April 1925 at Wembley Stadium (1923), Wembley Stadium in London, England. The final was the s ...
. In 1927, he was a member of the Cardiff City team that became the only non-English side to win the FA Cup. He remained with the club until 1935, winning the
Welsh Cup
The FAW Welsh Cup (), currently known as the JD Welsh Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams in the Welsh football league system. It is considered the most prestigious of the cup competitions ...
on four occasions and the
FA Charity Shield
The Football Association Community Shield (formerly the Charity Shield) is English football's annual match contested at Wembley Stadium between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup. If the Premier ...
once. Farquharson played in 445 Football League matches for Cardiff, which remained a club record until 1985.
A
dual internationalist, he also played for both Ireland teams – the
Irish Free State national football team and the
Ireland national football team (IFA). After making his debut for the IFA side in 1923, he went on to win seven caps. In 1931, he caused controversy by rejecting a call up to instead play for the Irish Free State side with whom he won a further four caps.
Early life
Farquharson was born on 4 December 1899 at 3 Lismore Cottages, Botanic Avenue,
Dublin
Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
. He was the third child born to a Presbyterian father, Thomas Farquharson, a sanitary contractor, and a Catholic mother, Margaret Cassin, a dressmaker. Both of his parents hailed from Dublin and earned enough income to afford a live-in servant. Raised as a Catholic,
he was brought up in the football heartland of Drumcondra at the family home in Golden Acre.
The family later moved to Jones Road and his father became a reputable master builder and contractor in the area. Tom was educated at a school run by the
Congregation of Christian Brothers
The Congregation of Christian Brothers (; abbreviated CFC) is a worldwide religious community within the Catholic Church, founded by Edmund Ignatius Rice, Edmund Rice.
Their first school opened in Waterford, Ireland in 1802. At the time of its ...
.
Club career
Early career
As a youth, Farquharson played
Gaelic football
Gaelic football (; short name '')'', commonly known as simply Gaelic, GAA, or football, is an Irish team sport. A form of football, it is played between two teams of 15 players on a rectangular grass pitch. The objective of the sport is to score ...
before taking up
association football
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...
with Annually in 1916. He helped the side reach the final of the Leinster Minor Cup, held at
Shelbourne Park
Shelbourne Park is a greyhound racing stadium in the south Dublin inner city suburb of Ringsend.
Greyhound Racing
Opening
The plans to open a greyhound track in Dublin were drawn up by Paddy O’Donoghue, Jerry Collins, Patsy McAlinden and J ...
, where they defeated Olympic B 4–2. Annually folded in 1919 after being unable to secure suitable playing grounds. Farquharson instead began playing for a Catholic Young Men's Society (CYMS). However, he eventually left Dublin because of his
Republican sympathies during the
Irish War of Independence
The Irish War of Independence (), also known as the Anglo-Irish War, was a guerrilla war fought in Ireland from 1919 to 1921 between the Irish Republican Army (1919–1922), Irish Republican Army (IRA, the army of the Irish Republic) and Unite ...
. He was described as a "non-violent member" of the
Irish Republican Army
The Irish Republican Army (IRA) is a name used by various Resistance movement, resistance organisations in Ireland throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Organisations by this name have been dominantly Catholic and dedicated to anti-imperiali ...
(IRA), a role that included running messages for the group and transporting people to safehouses.
A 19-year-old student at the time, he was arrested along with his friend
Seán Lemass
Seán Francis Lemass (born John Francis Lemass; 15 July 1899 – 11 May 1971) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as Taoiseach and Leader of Fianna Fáil from 1959 to 1966. He also served as Tánaiste from 1957 to 1959, 1951 to 1954 ...
, later to become
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach (, ) is the head of government or prime minister of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The office is appointed by the President of Ireland upon nomination by Dáil Éireann (the lower house of the Oireachtas, Ireland's national legisl ...
, for pulling down
British Army
The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
wanted posters in
St Stephen's Green
St Stephen's Green () is a garden square and public park located in the city centre of Dublin, Ireland. The current landscape of the park was designed by William Sheppard. It was officially re-opened to the public on Tuesday, 27 July 1880 by ...
.
This proved embarrassing to Farquharson's father, who conducted business with the British. Farquharson and Lemass were held at
Mountjoy Prison
Mountjoy Prison (), founded as Mountjoy Gaol and nicknamed The Joy, is a medium security men's prison located in Phibsborough in the centre of Dublin, Ireland.
The current prison Governor is Ray Murtagh.
History
Mountjoy was designed by Cap ...
but Farquharson was released on bail by a British Army Major who was a friend of his father on the basis that he would leave Ireland.
He was sent to work in
Blackwood, Caerphilly
Blackwood ( or ) is a town, community (Wales), community and an Wards and electoral divisions of the United Kingdom, electoral ward on the Sirhowy River in the South Wales Valleys administered as part of Caerphilly County Borough. It is located ...
, in South Wales, gaining employment as either a carpenter or a painter and decorator. On arriving in Wales, he took up
rugby union
Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...
, playing as a
full back for his local side
Blackwood.
He later went to watch local
Welsh Football League
The Welsh Football League (also known as the Nathaniel Car Sales Welsh Football League for sponsorship reasons) was a club football league in Wales. For its final season in 2019–20 season it operated at levels 3 and 4 of the Welsh football leag ...
side Oakdale who found themselves short of a goalkeeper for a match.
Farquharson offered his services where his experience playing Gaelic football proved invaluable.
He then moved onto
Southern Football League
The Southern League is a football competition featuring semi-professional clubs from East Anglia, the South and Midlands of England, and South Wales. Together with the Isthmian League and the Northern Premier League it forms levels seven a ...
side
Abertillery Town for the 1921–22 season.
His performances for the side saw him chosen to represent a Welsh Southern Football League XI.
Cardiff City
Farquharson soon attracted the interest of
Football League First Division
The Football League First Division was the top division of the Football League in England from 1888 until the end of the 1991–92 season, when its teams broke away to form the Premier League. From 1992 to 2004, the name First Division was g ...
side
Cardiff City. His performances for Abertillery led to him being invited to a trial with Cardiff by club founder
Walter Bartley Wilson in February 1922 before signing permanently.
He made his debut for the club on the last day of the
1921–22 season, playing in a 3–1 victory over
Manchester United
Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...
on 6 May 1922.
The
following season,
Ben Davies remained first choice at the start of the campaign before Farquharson featured in five consecutive matches between October and November 1922. The pair continued to compete throughout the season with Farquharson featuring in 21 league matches (one more than Davies) and playing in the club's 3–2 victory over
Aberdare Athletic in the 1923 Welsh Cup final.
His performances resulted in Davies' being sold at the end of the season to
Leicester City
Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area, and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands with a popula ...
with long-serving
Herbert Kneeshaw remaining as cover.
Having established himself as first choice, Farquharson featured 51 times during the
1923–24 season, missed only three matches during the campaign, featuring in all six of the club's
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
and
Welsh Cup
The FAW Welsh Cup (), currently known as the JD Welsh Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams in the Welsh football league system. It is considered the most prestigious of the cup competitions ...
ties.
Cardiff finished second in the First Division, losing out on winning the league title to
Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town Association Football Club is a professional association football club based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England. They compete in , the third tier of English football league system, English football.
Huddersfield Town we ...
on
goal average
A goal or objective is an idea of the future or desired result that a person or a group of people envision, plan, and commit to achieve. People endeavour to reach goals within a finite time by setting deadlines.
A goal is roughly similar to ...
. In the following campaign, Farquharson helped the side reach their first FA Cup final where they suffered a 1–0 defeat to
Sheffield United.
With the retirement of Kneeshaw, Farquharson saw off competition from
Joe Hills and
Tommy Hampson to continue his spell as first choice goalkeeper.
During the
1926–27 season, the club embarked on another FA Cup campaign to reach their second final in three seasons. He played in all six of Cardiff's fixtures leading up to the final.
In his career, Farquharson had developed a reputation as a penalty specialist, even being dubbed "the penalty king".
His method of saving spot kicks by rushing forward as the penalty was being taken proved so effective that in the quarterfinal of the FA Cup, his save to deny
Chelsea forward
Andrew Wilson's penalty prompted the sport's governing bodies to change the rules of the game. Goalkeepers were subsequently banned from rushing from their goal line when facing penalty kicks.
Wilson later described the incident, remarking "I thought I was seeing things when I looked at Tom Farquharson in the Cardiff goal. As I placed the ball, he was standing with his back against the net
..I shot and he dashed forward and made a wonder save."
Farquharson explained the reasoning behind his technique, stating "By advancing forward I can leap to either side far more quickly than from a standing position."
In the
final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...
of the competition, Cardiff defeated
Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
1–0 at
Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium, currently branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE Limited, EE for sponsorship reasons, is an association football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Sta ...
, becoming the only non-English side to have won the FA Cup.
Farquharson kept five clean sheets from Cardiff's seven matches in the competition, conceding only three goals,
becoming the first Irish goalkeeper to win the cup and keep a clean sheet in the final of the competition.
At the end of the game, Farquharson acquired the match ball which he later donated to the church. The side returned to Cardiff following their victory where they were received by an estimated crowd of 150,000 people lining the streets to witness their return.
Farquharson remained as the club's first choice goalkeeper for several years after their cup success. However, economic troubles saw a steady decline for Cardiff and, in 1929, they were relegated from the First Division two years after winning the FA Cup. Their troubles continued as they were relegated to the
Third Division South for the first time in their history soon after.
In 1932, he nearly left the financially stricken club to join
Hull City after a transfer offer was accepted. Cardiff planned to replace him with backup goalkeeper
Len Evans, only for Evans to leave himself before the deal was completed. A board meeting was hastily arranged during which Farquharson agreed to remain with Cardiff, where he played for a further three years before retiring in 1935.
In his book, ''The Who's Who of Cardiff City'', Dean Hayes describes Farquharson as "without doubt
..the greatest goalkeeper in the history of the club."
He played in 445 matches in the Football League, a club record which stood until 1985 when it was surpassed by
Phil Dwyer. His total remains the highest by any goalkeeper in the club's history.
International career
When Farquharson began his international career in 1923 there were, in effect, two Ireland teams, chosen by two rival associations. Both associations, the Northern Ireland – based
Irish Football Association
The Irish Football Association (IFA) is the governing body for association football in Northern Ireland. It organised the Ireland national football team (1882–1950), Ireland national football team from 1880 to 1950, which after 1954, became t ...
(IFA) and the
Irish Free State
The Irish Free State (6 December 192229 December 1937), also known by its Irish-language, Irish name ( , ), was a State (polity), state established in December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty of December 1921. The treaty ended the three-ye ...
– based
Football Association of the Irish Free State (FAIFS) claimed jurisdiction over the whole of Ireland and selected players from the whole island. As a result, several notable Irish players from this era, including Farquharson, played for both teams.
Between 1923 and 1927 Farquharson played seven times for the
IFA XI. He made his debut for the IFA XI on 3 March 1923 in a 1–0 defeat to
Scotland
Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
.
On 10 October 1923, Farquharson was a member the IFA XI that beat
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
2–1 at
Windsor Park
The National Football Stadium at Windsor Park (officially the Clearer Twist National Stadium at Windsor Park for sponsorship reasons), or the National Football Stadium, also known as Windsor Park is a association football, football stadium in B ...
. He made his last appearance for the IFA XI on 28 February 1925 in a 3–0 defeat to Scotland. His appearances for the side were limited due to the presence of
Elisha Scott.
Irish Free State side
Between 1929 and 1931 Farquharson also played four times for the
FAIFS XI. He had made his debut for an FAIFS XI shortly after winning the 1927 FA Cup with Cardiff, playing in a charity match against a
Leinster Football Association XI. The match was regarded as unofficial, which meant the players were not awarded caps.
He made his competitive debut for the side on 20 April 1929 in a 4–0 win against
Belgium
Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
at
Dalymount Park
Dalymount Park (Irish language, Irish: ''Páirc Chnocán Uí Dhálaigh'') is a Association football, football stadium in Phibsborough on the Northside Dublin, Northside of Dublin, Republic of Ireland, Ireland.
It is the home of Bohemian F.C., ...
.
On 11 May 1930 he won his second cap for the FAI XI when he played against Belgium again, helping his side to a 3–1 away win.
In April 1931, this situation saw Farquharson briefly embroiled in controversy when he was called up by the IFA to play against
Wales
Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
but opted instead to play for the FAI XI against
Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
.
His comments made in a newspaper interview after his decision proved controversial when he claimed that "I will go so far as to say that the Irish Football Association usurped the name of Ireland by calling the side they have selected "Ireland"".
His decision and comments saw him honoured with an award at a special presentation by the FAIFS. Soon after, he also appeared for a Welsh League XI against their counterparts from the Irish Free State at Dalymount Park, suffering a 3–1 defeat.
The highlight of his appearances for the FAI XI came on 26 April 1931 when he helped them hold
Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
to 1–1 draw in the
Montjuic Stadium in
Barcelona
Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
. Farquharson was team captain and after conceding a penalty, he redeemed himself by saving the resulting spot kick. He made his final appearance for the FAI XI on 13 December 1931 in a 5–0 defeat to Spain at Dalymount Park.
Personal life
After moving to Wales, Farquharson joined the order of the
Benedictines
The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly Christian mysticism, contemplative Christian monasticism, monastic Religious order (Catholic), order of the Catholic Church for men and f ...
.
His wife Pearl hailed from
Skerries in Dublin and the pair had five children together, three girls and two boys. Farquharson was believed to have carried a handgun in his kitbag during his playing career "for protection" following his involvement with the IRA in his youth.
Several former teammates of his verified the fact and several claimed to have seen the weapon;
Ernie Curtis stated in an interview "Tom told me about being on the move from house to house – and that he always carried a gun. He opened up his kit bag and there it was!"
Eddie Jenkins also recalled an incident when Farquharson was annoyed by teammate
George Russell, who he believed was showing off, and produced the weapon before he
tongue-in-cheek
Tongue-in-cheek is an idiom that describes a humorous or sarcastic statement expressed in a serious manner.
History
The phrase originally expressed contempt, but by 1842 had acquired its modern meaning. Early users of the phrase include Sir Walte ...
"threatened to shoot him if he didn't behave".
Farquharson and his family lived on Allensbank Road in
Heath
A heath () is a shrubland habitat found mainly on free-draining infertile, acidic soils and is characterised by open, low-growing woody vegetation. Moorland is generally related to high-ground heaths with—especially in Great Britain—a coole ...
, Cardiff, before later moving to
Cyncoed in the northern part of the city. Following his retirement from football, Farquharson returned to his work as a painter and decorator.
He later opened a tobacconist's in Cardiff City Centre. In July 1948, Farquharson was convicted of illegal distribution of Irish sweepstakes tickets and was fined £250. He ran his shop until he and his wife decided to emigrate to Canada; all five of his children had emigrated there in previous years.
His daughter Pam later described her father as "a very passive, quiet and private man."
Farquharson's son
Donald Farquharson was also an accomplished sportsman. He was an early pioneer of
masters athletics
Masters Athletics managed by World Masters Athletics is a class of the sport of athletics (sport), athletics for athletes of 35 years of age and over organized by World Masters Athletics. The events include track and field, road running and cross ...
and founded the Canadian Masters Athletics Association. His great-grandson
Steve Farquharson was drafted to the
Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League (OHL; ) is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League, alongside the Western Hockey League and the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League. The league is for players ag ...
in the 3rd round (58th overall) to the
Toronto St. Michael's Majors where he played two seasons before playing one season with the
Barrie Colts
The Barrie Colts are a junior ice hockey team in Ontario Hockey League (OHL), based in Barrie, Ontario, Canada. The Colts play home games at the Sadlon Arena. The Colts joined the OHL in 1995, and previously competed at lower levels of junio ...
. He later became a scout for the Colts.
Farquharson died of a heart attack on 24 December 1970.
Career statistics
Honours
Cardiff City
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
* Winner:
1927
Events January
* January 1 – The British Broadcasting ''Company'' becomes the BBC, British Broadcasting ''Corporation'', when its Royal Charter of incorporation takes effect. John Reith, 1st Baron Reith, John Reith becomes the first ...
* Finalist:
1925
Events January
* January 1 – The Syrian Federation is officially dissolved, the State of Aleppo and the State of Damascus having been replaced by the State of Syria (1925–1930), State of Syria.
* January 3 – Benito Mussolini m ...
FA Charity Shield
The Football Association Community Shield (formerly the Charity Shield) is English football's annual match contested at Wembley Stadium between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup. If the Premier ...
* Winner:
1927
Events January
* January 1 – The British Broadcasting ''Company'' becomes the BBC, British Broadcasting ''Corporation'', when its Royal Charter of incorporation takes effect. John Reith, 1st Baron Reith, John Reith becomes the first ...
Welsh Cup
The FAW Welsh Cup (), currently known as the JD Welsh Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams in the Welsh football league system. It is considered the most prestigious of the cup competitions ...
* Winner: 1923, 1927, 1928, 1930
* Finalist: 1929
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Farquharson, Tom
1899 births
1970 deaths
Association footballers from County Dublin
Abertillery Town F.C. players
Cardiff City F.C. players
Dual Irish men's international footballers
Irish Free State men's international footballers
Pre-1950 IFA men's international footballers
Republic of Ireland men's association footballers
Men's association football goalkeepers
Irish Free State men's association footballers
Irish republicans imprisoned for criminal damage
Irish emigrants to Canada