“It” was an iconic tackle. When the entire Spurs team wanted to lynch our Tommy, but checked their bravery and backed off for fear and self preservation. It was a long season and Tommy never forgot a face or a number
Tommy was one of a handful of players that were technically capable, fearless, and physically formidable coupled with near perfect positioning and timing. The infamous Ducks that
@ivoralljack and I reminisce about but with great talent and football intelligence.
Tommy stood head and shoulders with others like Ron Harris, Billy Bremner, Norman Hunter, Nobby Stiles that patrolled the pitch keeping others less capable honest. Some may call them dirty, and for sure if they wanted to hurt you they could and would, but they were seldom “booked” never mind sent off. A testament not to weak or obliging officiating but to the precision of their tackles, their positioning and timing. Hard but Fair is not dirty ... it’s football. Tommy and his like were masters of their art ... when a two footed slide tackle was the tool of the trade, a scalpel in the hands of a master surgeon. As a kid in the ‘60s, from some magazine or other, I had a guide to football skills and right there in black and white with pictures was how to execute a two footed slide tackle ... legal tender for tackling fast and tricky wingers.
I once had to play in goal for Haverfordwest in a pre-season again Clydach. Our own Vic Gommersall was my left back. I saw first hand what a lesser known master of the art could do, and did, and how wonderfully quickly it recalibrated their right winger. I don’t remember who that kid was but I’m sure he never forgot that moment as his life flashed before his eyes. Just kidding ... but like Ossie Ardiles, it took us 5 minutes to peal him off the grass, stand him up straight and observe the brown stain on his shorts from a field with no mud. And all Clydach got was a throw in.
Which brings me to young Dan James. The abuse he is taking would never, ever happen, if we had Tommy on the field today. We need to find today’s Tommy ... somebody to patrol the pitch, play total football with everybody else, but get the less capable truly dirty bastards to back off.
One last thing ... Tommy was not a one trick pony. He could play multiple roles with aplomb across the back line. A testament to his versatility and his talent and the trust that Shankly, Paisley and Toshack placed in him.
RIP Tommy ... a jack bastard, in name and nature.
