Thomas Halliday (11 September 1909 – 1975) was an English footballer who made 313 appearances in the Football League playing for Darlington, Norwich City and Exeter City in the 1920s and 1930s. He played non-league football in the north-east of England before joining First Division club Sunderland, but never played first-team football for that club. His primary position was that of centre half, although he also played at right back or right half.[1]
Halliday was born in Browney Colliery, in County Durham.[1] As a schoolboy, he played three times for Durham Schools under-15 team in the 1923–24 season,[3] and captained England Schoolboys against Wales in Cardiff.[4] He played for non-league teams in his local area,[5][1] and captained Durham Amateurs before turning professional.[6] He spent the 1927–28 season with First Division club Sunderland, but never appeared for the first team, and joined Third Division North club Darlington in 1928 as an 18-year-old.[1]
He established himself in the starting eleven, and despite his youth, captained the team for three years.[4] In the 1932–33 season, Halliday made 41 out of a possible 42 appearances in the league,[4] taking his total to 127 in senior competition.[5] In May 1933, he and Darlington teammates Harry Brown, Billy Eden and Fred Hopkinson were members of the Rest of Durham XI that faced Sunderland in a match to celebrate the silver jubilee of the Durham County Football Association.[7] Darlington had finished bottom of the Northern Section, so had to apply for re-election. Although their application was successful,[8] Halliday left the club.
He moved into the Southern Section of the Third Division with Norwich City, where he became a regular in the side. He made 40 appearances as Norwich won the divisional title and with it promotion to the Second Division for the first time in the club's history.[9] Based on Norwich's recruitment of Exeter City's Harold Houghton, the Manchester Guardian suggested that the club "realise[d] the worth of a footballer of experience and anticipation in such a struggle", and went on to list "other players of this stamp", including "Halliday, a rare centre-half".[10] In his review of the season, the Observer's J.A.H. Catton, praised Norwich's forwards, and thought that "of all the capital players behind the front line, Thomas Halliday, a centre half-back formerly of Darlington, must be highly commended."[11]
Halliday took over the captaincy from Stan Ramsay during the next season.[12] He remained with Norwich for six and a half years, making the last of his 203 appearances for the club on 27 December 1938 in a 4–0 defeat away to Newcastle United,[13] and finished the season with Exeter City in the Third Division South.[1]
In recognition of his contribution to Norwich City, Halliday was elected to the club's Hall of Fame.[14] He died in 1975, aged 65 or 66.[1]
