Thomas Allin (footballer)


Thomas Allin, known as Tom Allin was a professional footballer who played for Notts County in their first season in the Football League. The English National Football Archive state that Tom Allin died in 1945. The BMD database for England & Wales records an Tom Allin passing away in 1945 in Devon but he was aged 79, too young for a man born in April 1862. Assuming that the footballer Allin was born in Boston, Lincolnshire in 1862 then there is no record of his death in England & Wales according to BMD database.

Playing career

Tom Allin was signed by Boston Football Club in 1887 although 'Garth Dykes' states he came to Notts County from Accrington. As Allin was a Boston man it is more likely that he played for Boston. There is no clear record of when he signed for Notts County but, at the latest, it would have been 1888.

Season 1888–1889

Tom Allin was given a run out leading the Notts County attack during the first League season, a term when no player emerged as the undisputed centre–forward. Tom Allin, playing at centre–forward, made his League and Notts County debut on 6 October 1888 at Trent Bridge, the then home of Notts County. The visitors were Blackburn Rovers and the match ended as a 3–3 draw. Allin scored his debut League goals on 20 October 1888 at Stoney Lane, the then home of West Bromwich Albion. All the goals were scored in the first–half. Allin' first levelled the scores at 1–1. His second, reduced West Bromwich Albion' lead to 4–2, and that was the final score. Allin appeared in six of the 22 League matches played by Notts County in season 1888–89 and scored two League goals. Allin played at centre–forward in a Notts County forward–line that scored three–League–goals–or–more on three separate occasions.

1889 onwards

In the following season, 1889-90 Football League the signing of the Scottish international Jimmy Oswald from Third Lanark proved to be an unqualified success, as the luxuriantly mustachioed attack leader topped the scoring lists in his first three seasons with the club so there was no place for Tom Allin. It appears that Allin left Notts County in 1889. His passing away has not been recorded.