| Tom Brennan |
 Thomas Brennan was born on Friday, 3rd March 1911, in Calderbank, North Lanarkshire. The 5' 7 (10st 0lbs) forward joined Donald Turner's Thistle for a trial in May 1936, having most recently played with Stockport County. Aged 25, he made his only appearance on Wednesday, 6th May, 1936, in a 1-0 defeat away to Celtic in the Glasgow Charity Cup. Tom's club-list included Longriggend Rob Roy, Brentford, Gillingham, Crystal Palace, East Stirlingshire, Leith Athletic, Tunbridge Wells Rangers, Blackburn Rovers, Stockport County, Partick Thistle and Stranraer. Tom died in 1981 in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, aged 70. *
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 The son of Patrick Brennan (steel worker) and Bridget Brennan (née McGlaughlin). Tom came through as a teenager with Longriggend Rob Roy and had represented Scotland at schoolboy international level. Just as he turned 17, he ventured southwards initially landing at Brentford. He spent several seasons with a number of lower league clubs in England, broken with a short return to Scotland in 1932 when he turned out for Leith Athletic and East Stirlingshire. In 1935-36, he played in the Third Division North with Stockport County (interrupted in November due to an operation for appendicitis), his tenth and last league appearance that term being made in April 1936. Just a few weeks later, in May 1936, Tom landed in Glasgow and tried out for Thistle. Charity Cup business was the order of the day, and Tom appeared at inside right as Thistle were edged out 0-1 at Celtic Park in the semi final. The winner came late in the match and earlier Tom had hit the bar - what might have been! Post-match, there was speculation that Tom may be signed up, and it's surprising that he never at least made the Paisley Charity Cup tie 3 days later, but no deal materialized. Perhaps Tom was still out of sorts after that operation, for his footballing career seems to have ground to a halt at that point. That said, as the Evening Times of the day reported, Tom resurfaced as a guest with Stranraer in January 1938, turning out for them at Firhill would you believe. The Scottish Cup replay on 26th January 1938 didn't end well for the Blues… Partick Thistle 8 Stranraer 0! |
| (WS/JK/SD) |
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Historian's note: Erroneously described all over the internet as 'Thomas James Brennan' b. 7 February 1911.