Thomas Blackstock (1882 – 8 April 1907) was a Scottish
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
defender. He was born in
Kirkcaldy
Kirkcaldy ( ; ; ) is a town and former royal burgh in Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. It is about north of Edinburgh and south-southwest of Dundee. The town had a recorded population of 49,460 in 2011, making it Fife's second-largest s ...
and played for the
Dunniker Rangers,
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 ...
,
Blue Bell,
Raith Rovers
Raith Rovers Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in the town of Kirkcaldy, Fife. The club was founded in 1883 and currently competes in the as a member of the Scottish Professional Football League.
The club has won f ...
,
Leith Athletic
Leith Athletic Football Club is a association football, football club based in the Leith area of Edinburgh, Scotland. They compete in the East of Scotland Football League, First Division. First team matches are played at Meadowbank Stadium.
Th ...
, and
Cowdenbeath
Cowdenbeath () is a town and burgh in west Fife, Scotland. It is north-east of Dunfermline and north of the capital, Edinburgh. The town grew up around the extensive coalfields of the area and became a police burgh in 1890. According to a 20 ...
. On 8 April 1907, he died on the field while playing for Manchester United against St. Helens after sustaining a
head injury
A head injury is any injury that results in trauma to the skull or brain. The terms ''traumatic brain injury'' and ''head injury'' are often used interchangeably in the medical literature. Because head injuries cover such a broad scope of inju ...
and collapsing when heading the ball.
The grandson of
Charlie Roberts
Charles Roberts (6 April 1883 – 7 August 1939) was an English professional footballer who played as a centre-half in the Football League for Grimsby Town, Manchester United and Oldham Athletic. He spent nine years at United, where he was cap ...
has stated that it was Blackstock's death, and the lack of support for his family, which led Roberts and teammate
Billy Meredith
William Henry Meredith (30 July 1874 – 19 April 1958) was a Welsh professional footballer. He was considered one of the early superstars of football due to his performances, notably for Manchester City and Manchester United. He won each ...
to form the
Association of Football Players' and Trainers' Union.
See also
*
List of association footballers who died while playing
This is a list of association footballers who died due to football-related incidents.
The primary causes of on-field deaths have evolved over time. Improvements in infection control and emergency surgery since the early days of organised socce ...
References
External links
MUFCInfo.com profile
1882 births
1907 deaths
Scottish men's footballers
Raith Rovers F.C. players
Manchester United F.C. players
Leith Athletic F.C. players
Cowdenbeath F.C. players
Association football players who died while playing
Men's association football defenders
Deaths from head injury
Sport deaths in England
Neurological disease deaths in England
20th-century Scottish sportsmen
{{Scotland-footy-defender-1880s-stub