Tommy Cheadle
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Thomas Cheadle | ||
| Date of birth | 8 April 1919 | ||
| Place of birth | Stoke-on-Trent, England | ||
| Date of death | 4 September 1993 (aged 74) | ||
| Place of death | Bucknall, Stoke-on-Trent, England | ||
| Playing position | Defender / Forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1946–1957 | Port Vale | 333 | (14) |
| 1957–1959 | Crewe Alexandra | 37 | (0) |
| Total | 370 | (14) | |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
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Thomas Cheadle (8 April 1919 – 4 September 1993) was an English footballer. He played for Port Vale in various positions for over a decade. It was his time as a "hard-man" centre-back, captaining some of the most successful Vale sides in the club's history, that made Cheadle a legend at the club. He helped the "Valiants" to win the Third Division North title and to reach the FA Cup semi-finals in 1953–54. He ended his career in 1959, following two years with Crewe Alexandra.
During World War II, Cheadle received a shrapnel injury after throwing a faulty grenade that nearly went off in his hand. At a rehabilitation centre, Cheadle spoke to Vale trainer Ken Fish, who told him to report to Port Vale after the war as the club may have a place for him. Playing in Army matches, Cheadle was coached by Matt Busby, who managed to secure a trial for Cheadle for Liverpool against Stoke City. Cheadle took the advice of Fish and came to The Old Recreation Ground and signed professional forms in March 1946 for £8 a week. He made his league debut in a 4–1 victory against Ipswich Town on 2 March. His first goal was against Southend United in a 2–1 win on 20 April.
Signing as a professional in May 1946, he spent the 1946–47 season playing across the back four, and also spent time as a centre-forward in a few games. He played 37 games in 1946–47, and scored his first goal in the Football League at The Old Recreation Ground in a 5–1 win over Reading on 2 November. For the 1947–48 season, Cheadle spent 16 straight games as a striker, scoring a patch of seven goals in seven games. He hit a total of eight goals in 23 Third Division South games in 1947–48. He scored twice in 23 games in 1948–49, before making 46 appearances as a centre-half in 1949–50 under the stewardship of Gordon Hodgson. Cheadle was one of the starting XI who played in the first match at Vale Park. He played 36 games in 1950–51, including a draw with Millwall on 28 October at The Den, a game which he played until the end despite breaking three teeth in a hefty collision. He featured 40 times in 1951–52, surviving Ivor Powell's brief reign to establish himself as a key part of new manager Freddie Steele's first team plans. He was an ever-present throughout the 49 games in the 1952–53 campaign, as the "Valiants" finished as runners-up in the Third Division North.
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