Drain: Thomas (Tom)

1905-1906 (Leeds City Player Details)

Centre Forward

Born: Pollockshaws, Glasgow: 26-06-1879

Debut: v West Bromwich Albion (h): 09-09-1905

5’9” 11st 7lb (1907)

Tom Drain will always be remembered as the player who scored the first goals for Leeds City after their election to the Football League. He scored both goals as City earned their first point in the third game in a 2-2 draw with Lincoln City at Elland Road on 11th September 1905. Drain started his career in his native Scotland with Drongan Juniors before joining Celtic, Ayr and then Maybole. It was from the latter club that he was signed by Second Division Bradford City in October 1903. He had good success at Valley Parade, scoring twelve times in thirty-two appearances and scored a hat-trick on his Football League debut against Burnley in a 3-3 draw at Valley Parade. However, after such a flying start much was expected of him and he was deemed to have faded after such an auspicious debut. He did gain recognition in the Bradford City Reserves and he was selected for the Midland League XI that played the champions, Sheffield United at Bramall Lane at the end of the season. He saw joining to Leeds City in July 1905, to help in their first season in the Second Division of the Football League, as a good career move. He joined Leeds with team-mate Jimmy Henderson, but found that he had to play second fiddle to Fred Hargraves and scored three times in his nine appearances. As two of those had come in his once more flying start for a new club, he was again seen as a player whose star quickly waned. With first team appearances at a premium he returned north of the border to join Kilmarnock in 1906. After a spell with Aberdeen in 1907-08, he came south again and played Non-League football with first Carlisle United and then Exeter City in 1908 before joining First Division Woolwich Arsenal in May 1909 and made two appearances without scoring. He again returned north of the border to join Scottish Non-League clubs, firstly Nithsdale Wanderers in 1910 and then Galston in 1911 before retiring at the end of the 1911-12 season. After football he worked as a fireman in Fife. He died in Edinburgh on 19th September 1952.