Tom Farquharson
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Tom Farquharson (born Dublin 4 December ???? — died 1974)[1] was a football goalkeeper who played for Cardiff City F.C. between 1921 and 1934[1], during the club's golden era. He set a record of 444 Football League matches played for the club, which stood until Phil Dwyer broke it in 1985[2]. Farquharson played international football for both Ireland (the Irish Football Association team, now Northern Ireland) and the Irish Free State (the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) team, now the Republic of Ireland).
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[edit] Career
He was on the losing Cardiff side in 1925 FA Cup Final[3] against Sheffield United. He kept a clean sheet against Arsenal F.C. in the 1927 final[4], when Cardiff became the only non-English team to win the tournament. He missed the Irish Free State's first home international match, which took place the following day, but he later played in four FAI international matches. In 1931 he turned down the chance to win a cap for the IFA team, which at the time was considered more prestigious than the FAI team by many in Great Britain. He did this in order to play for the FAI team against Spain in Barcelona, where he saved late penalty kick to earn an away draw. However, the Irish lost the return game 5-0 in Dublin[5]. Like other Irish footballers based in Britain, Farquharson was prevented from playing further internationals due to ongoing disputes between the FAI and the English FA[6].
Farquharson's tactic for defending penalty kicks was to move along the goalline as the kicker was about to strike, reducing the target space to either side of him. This was so effective that in 1929 the law was changed to require the goalkeeper not to move his feet until the ball had been kicked[7][8].
[edit] Club record
Matches for Cardiff City:[9]
| Competition | Matches | Years champions |
|---|---|---|
| Football League: | 444 | |
| FA Cup: | 36 | 1927 |
| Welsh Cup: | 38 | 1923[10], 1927[11], 1928[12], 1930[13] |
| Total: | 518 |
[edit] International record
For the IFA, 7 caps[14] including:
| 1923-04-12 | 3-0 | vs  Wales |
Racecourse Ground, Wrexham | [7][15] |
| 1923-10-20 | 2-1 | vs  England |
Windsor Park, Belfast | [16] |
| 1924-10-22 | 1-3 | vs England |
Goodison Park, Liverpool | [17] |
For the FAI, 4 caps[18]:
| 1929-04-20 | 4-0 vs |  Belgium |
Dalymount Park, Dublin |
| 1930-05-11 | 3-1 vs | Belgium |
Parc Astrid, Brussels |
| 1931-04-26 | 1-1 vs |  Spain |
Olympic Stadium, Barcelona |
| 1931-12-13 | 0-5 vs | Spain |
Dalymount Park, Dublin |
[edit] Donald Farquharson
Tom's son Donald Farquharson (born Cardiff, April 3 1925) was also an accomplished sportsman. He emigrated from Cardiff to Canada after World War II and in the 1970s became one of the early proponents of Masters athletics[19].
[edit] References
- ^ a b Dates from allfootballers.com database
- ^ Cardiff City Club History: The Seventies to the Noughties. Cardiff City official website. Retrieved on October 24, 2006.
- ^ English FA Cup - Final 1925. soccerbase.com. Retrieved on October 24, 2006.
- ^ English FA Cup - Final 1927. soccerbase.com. Retrieved on October 24, 2006.
- ^ Byrne, Peter (1996). Football Asssociation of Ireland: 75 years. Dublin: Sportsworld, 33-5. ISBN 978-1-900110-06-8.
- ^ LAST GAME DISASTERS: Four falls as Irish struggle to jump final hurdle: 1 April 1934, Amsterdam (WC). Sunday Independent (registration required) (2003-10-12). Retrieved on October 24, 2006. “...the English League's ban on players like Jimmy Dunne, Tom Farquharson, Willie Fallon and Harry Duggan lining out in the World Cup tie shifted the balance.”
- ^ a b Cardiff City Club History: The Roaring Twenties. Cardiff City official website. Retrieved on October 24, 2006.
- ^ International F. A. Board: A linen manufacturer invented the penalty. FIFA. Retrieved on October 24, 2006.
- ^ McGowan, Craig (2000-07-13). Cardiff City Top Appearences. Independent Cardiff City FC. Retrieved on October 24, 2006.
- ^ WELSH CUP FINAL 1922/23. Welsh Football Data Archive. Retrieved on October 24, 2006.
- ^ WELSH CUP FINAL 1926/27. Welsh Football Data Archive. Retrieved on October 24, 2006.
- ^ WELSH CUP FINAL 1927/28. Welsh Football Data Archive. Retrieved on October 24, 2006.
- ^ WELSH CUP FINAL 1929/30. Welsh Football Data Archive. Retrieved on October 24, 2006.
- ^ T Farquharson. soccerbase.com. Retrieved on October 24, 2006.
- ^ (Northern) Ireland - International Results. RSSSF website. Retrieved on October 24, 2006.
- ^ England match #137. Football Association website. Retrieved on October 24, 2006.
- ^ England match #142. Football Association website. Retrieved on October 24, 2006.
- ^ Byrne, op. cit. pg 211
- ^ Olson, Leonard T. (December 1, 2000). Masters Track and Field: A History. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, 54-6. ISBN 978-0-7864-0889-4.
