Tom Nicol
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Thomas Nicol | ||
| Date of birth | 24 February 1870 | ||
| Place of birth | Whitburn, West Lothian, Scotland | ||
| Date of death | 10 June 1915 (aged 45) | ||
| Place of death | Woolston, Southampton, England | ||
| Playing position | Centre forward / Full back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Cardross Swifts | |||
| Broxburn Athletic | |||
| Mossend Swifts | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1891–1896 | Burnley | 140 | (42) |
| 1896–1897 | Blackburn Rovers | 16 | (2) |
| 1897–1899 | Southampton | 25 | (1) |
| 1902–1903 | Southampton Wanderers | ||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
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Thomas "Tom" Nicol (24 February 1870 – 10 June 1915) was a Scottish footballer who played for Burnley first as a centre forward and then as a full back in the 1890s, before later becoming a bowls champion in Southampton.
Nicol was born in Whitburn, West Lothian and after playing local football in Scotland with Mossend Swifts, he was one of several Scottish players recruited by Burnley. For his Burnley debut on 7 March 1891 he replaced leading scorer Claude Lambie, who had returned to Scotland, and scored a hat-trick in a 6–2 victory over Preston North End. Preston had won the Football League in each of the two preceding years, but the defeat at Turf Moor resulted in them finishing the 1890–91 as runners-up, two points behind Everton.
In 1891 a team representing Canada embarked on an extensive tour of Britain, playing over twenty games against both club and national teams. The game against Burnley took place on 31 October 1891 at Turf Moor, and at the time Burnley were lying eighth in the Football League. Despite fielding England goalkeeper Jack Hillman, Burnley were held to a 2–2 draw, even though Nicol twice giving Burnley the lead.
A few weeks later, Nicol was one of three goal-scorers in a 3–0 victory over Blackburn Rovers, this being the first league victory for Burnley against their local rivals, ensuring that his name would be entered "in any (Burnley) hall of fame". The match on 12 December 1891 was played in terrible conditions, having snowed for more than two hours before kick-off. Nicol forced the ball over the line after a goalmouth scramble ensued from James Matthew's cross, with only seven minutes on the clock. Nicol was also involved in the build-up to the second goal, scored by Hugh Galbraith, while the third was scored by Billy Bowes after 35 minutes, although Rovers' goalkeeper, Herby Arthur contested the goal, claiming that the ball had not crossed the line. Rovers were reluctant to come out for the second half, in which they would be playing into the wind, and only seven players appeared for the restart. After Burnley's captain, Alex Stewart, and Blackburn's Joe Lofthouse had been sent off for fighting, the remaining Rovers players, with the exception of goalkeeper Arthur, walked off the pitch in protest. After a few farcical minutes, when Burnley's scored a "goal" which was disallowed as offside, the referee, Charles Clegg, abandoned the match with the scoreline at 3–0.
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