Tom Farquharson

Tom Farquharson (born Dublin, 4 December 1900; died 24 December 1970) was an Irish footballer who played as a goalkeeper for Cardiff City F.C. between 1921 and 1934. A dual internationalist, he also played for both Ireland teams – the FAI XI and the IFA XI. In 1927, Farquharson was a member of the Cardiff City team that became the only non-English team to win the FA Cup. He played 445 English League games for Cardiff, which remained a club record until 1985.^[1]

During his career Farquharson became known as the Penalty King for his many fine saves from spot kicks. One of his tactics was to move along the line to unsettle the penalty-taker. During the quarter-final of the 1927 FA Cup against Chelsea, he charged at the taker, Andy Wilson and blocked it on the six yard line. This tactic was so effective that in 1929 the law was changed to require the goalkeeper not to move his feet until the ball had been kicked. Farquharson's son Donald Farquharson was also an accomplished sportsman and was an early pioneer of Masters athletics. His Great-Grand son Steve Farquharson was drafted to the Ontario Hockey League in the 3rd round (58th overall) to the Toronto St. Michael's Majors where he played two season before playing one season with the Barrie Colts

Club career

Early years

The son of Thomas Farquharson, a master plumber and a member of the Presbyterian minority, he was brought up in the football heartland of Drumcondra. As a youth Farquharson played football with Annually in Ireland and helped them reach the final of the Leinster Minor Cup. However he had to leave Dublin because of his Republican sympathies during the Irish War of Independence. A student at the time, he had been arrested, along with his friend Seán Lemass, later to become Taoiseach, for pulling down British Army posters in St. Stephen's Green. This proved embarrassing to his father, who did a lot of business with the British, and after Tom was released on bail, he was packed off to work in Blackwood, Caerphilly in south Wales. On arriving in Wales, he took up rugby union, but when the Welsh League side Oakdale found themselves short of a goalkeeper, Farquharson offered his services. He then moved onto Southern League side Abertillery for the 1921–22 season.

Cardiff City

Farquharson soon attracted the interest of First Division side Cardiff City and made his debut for the club on the last day of the 1921–22 season. He went onto make 445 league appearances for Cardiff and helped them finish First Division runners up in 1923–24. He also played a further 34 games for Cardiff in the FA Cup, helping them reach the final in both 1925 and 1927. They lost the first final to Sheffield United but in 1927 they beat Arsenal 1–0, becoming the first and to date the only non-English team to win the competition. Among Farquharson’s team mates that day was fellow Irish international Sam Irving. Farquharson also played 38 games for Cardiff in the Welsh Cup helping them win the competition four times.

Irish international

When Farquharson began his international career in 1923 there were, in effect, two Ireland teams, chosen by two rival associations. Both associations, the Northern Ireland – based IFA and the Irish Free State – based FAI claimed jurisdiction over the whole of Ireland and selected players from the whole island. As a result several notable Irish players from this era, including Farquharson, played for both teams. In April 1931 this situation saw Farquharson briefly embroiled in controversy when he was called up by the IFA to play against Wales but opted instead to play for the FAI XI against Spain.

IFA XI

Between 1923 and 1927 Farquharson played seven times for the IFA XI. He made his debut for the IFA XI on 3 March 1923 in a 1–0 defeat to Scotland. On 10 October 1923, together with Sam Irving, Bobby Irvine and Billy Gillespie, Farquharson was a member the IFA XI that beat England 2–1 at Windsor Park. He made his last appearance for the IFA XI on 28 February 1925 in a 3–0 defeat to Scotland.

FAI XI

Between 1929 and 1931 Farquharson also played 4 times for the FAI XI. He made his debut for the FAI XI on 20 April 1929 in a 4–0 win against Belgium at Dalymount Park. On 11 May 1930 he won his second cap for the FAI XI when he played against Belgium again, helping them to a 3–1 away win. The highlight of his appearances for the FAI XI came on 26 April 1931 when he helped them hold Spain to 1–1 draw in the Montjuic Stadium in Barcelona. Farquharson was team captain and after conceding a penalty, he went onto make a great save. He made his last appearance for the FAI XI on 13 December 1931 in 5–0 defeat to Spain at Dalymount Park.

Honours

Annually

• Leinster Minor Cup: Finalist 19xx

Cardiff City

• FA Cup; 1927; Runners Up 1925
• First Division: Runners Up 1923–24
• FA Charity Shield: 1927
• Welsh Cup: 1923, 1927, 1928, 1930; Runners Up 1929

Sources

• The Boys In Green – The FAI International Story (1997): Seán Ryan

References

External links

• Northern Ireland’s Footballing Greats
• Irish Free State Stats