Tommy Sword


Thomas William Sword is a former professional football defender, who played primarily for Stockport County and has since been inducted into their Hall of Fame.

Biography

Born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Sword started his professional footballing career with Stockport County after making a name for himself as a free-scoring striker in the Northern Football League with Bishop Auckland. He started in good form at County, scoring twice in a 2–1 win over Hartlepool United on his full debut, but was soon asked to play in defense when County were short due to injuries. Sword enjoyed a successful transition from striker to defender, playing out the remainder of his career at the back. Despite playing from defense, he maintained a good scoring record thanks mostly to converting a remarkable 25 penalties. Sword was transferred to Hartlepool for £5,000 in July 1986, but after an appalling spell he soon returned to County for a brief stint to finish his footballing career.
He was very well regarded at County, and was awarded a testimonial against Manchester City soon after finishing playing professionally. In April 2005 he was inducted into Stockport's hall of fame.