Tom Baddeley

Baddeley began his professional career with Burslem Port Vale in 1893 after joining the club from local non-league football.[1] He played two Second Division games in the 1893–94 season, as Joe Frail and Hugh Mackay shared the number one jersey.[1] Baddeley then established himself between the sticks to become an ever-present at the Athletic Ground during the 1894–95 and 1895–96 seasons.[1] However he was suspended by the club in August 1896 after signing professional forms with another club, and was sold on to Wolverhampton Wanderers in October 1896 for £50.[1]

He broke through into the first team the following year, making his league debut on 1 September 1897 in a 3–0 win over Preston North End.[2] The team went on to finish third in 1897–98, eighth in 1898–99, and fourth in 1899–1900. In his first three years at Wolves, he kept 31 clean sheets.[3] Conversely Baddeley was also in goal in 1900 when Wolves were sensationally knocked out of the FA Cup by Queens Park Rangers at home.[4] Wolves went on to finish 13th in 1900–01, 14th in 1901–02, 11th in 1902–03, eighth in 1903–04, and 14th again in 1904–05, before suffering relegation in last place in 1905–06 after conceding 99 goals in 38 games. They then went on to post a sixth-place finish in the Second Division in 1906–07.

After making a total of 315 appearances in an 11-year stay at Molineux, he left Wolves in 1907 for Southern League side Bradford Park Avenue. They finished 13th in 1907–08, and were then elected into the English Football League. He played in their first-ever league match in September 1908, as the club went on to finish in 16th place in 1908–09 and 10th place in 1909–10. However, he returned to the Midlands with Stoke after failing to become a regular in the Bradford team. His stay at the Victoria Ground proved short though and he played seven Birmingham & District League games in the 1909–10 season before he dropped into non-league action with nearby Whitfield Colliery, before retiring in May 1911.

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