Tommy Black

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Personal information
Tommy Black
Full name	Thomas Robert Black
Date of birth	26 November 1979 (1979-11-26) (age 28)
Place of birth	Chigwell, Essex, England
Playing position	Right Winger, Striker
Youth clubs
	Arsenal
Senior clubs¹
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
1998–2000 1999 1999–2000 2000–2007 2004 2006 2006 2007–2008	Arsenal → Carlisle United (loan) → Bristol City (loan) Crystal Palace → Sheffield United (loan) → Gillingham (loan) → Bradford City (loan) Southend United	001 0(0) 005 0(1) 004 0(0) 127 (10) 004 0(1) 017 0(5) 004 0(0) 038 0(2)
¹ Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 23:37, 19 May 2008 (UTC). * Appearances (Goals)

Thomas Robert "Tommy" Black (born 26 November 1979 in Chigwell, Essex) is an English footballer currently unattached following his release from Southend United.

[edit] Career

Black began his career with Arsenal as a trainee, where he played alongside his older brother Michael. He was a regular in Arsenal's 1998 FA Premier Youth League-winning side, and was later sent out on loan twice for one month with Carlisle United and for a month with Bristol City. He made just two first team appearances for Arsenal, one in the League Cup against Middlesbrough on November 30, 1999 which Arsenal lost on penalties, and the other in the Premier League in a 1–0 win against Everton on 29 April 2000.

Unable to break into the Arsenal first team, he signed for Crystal Palace in July 2000 for £500,000. Black played regularly and was well liked at Palace, receiving the Division One Player of the Month award in December 2002. After Palace were promoted a loan bid came in from Leeds United for both Black and Dougie Freedman - both were rejected. However, he did join Sheffield United on loan for a month, in December 2004, and in January 2006, still unable to break into the first team, he went out on loan again, this time to Gillingham, where he scored five goals and was an instant hit with the fans.

Nevertheless, the Gills did not purchase him, and Black later had the choice of another loan move, to either Bradford City or Brentford. Black chose Bradford, after Brentford withdrew their bid through lack of funds, but his spell at Bradford was cut short after just six games, when he broke a rib.^[1] He was released by Palace in May 2007 and on 3 July signed for Southend United on a Bosman transfer, rejecting the chance to join Watford.

Black was released by Southend United at the end of the 2007–08 season.^[2]