Great-uncle’s Vale debut was quickly overshadowed
SIR I am hoping that your readers may be able to help me with my quest to find out more about my great-uncle Tom Davis, who played for Port Vale in the 1920s.
I thought about him recently as I witnessed Vale’s heroic performance in defeat to Sunderland in the FA Cup, because on the same weekend 95 years earlier he had made his home debut for the Valiants at their former home at the Recreation Ground in Hanley.
He helped the Vale to victory over Clapton Orient, but his proud day was overshadowed by a famous son of the Potteries, Arthur Bridgett, who scored the only goal just 90 seconds into his first league game for 11 years.
Tom was the eldest of three children to Mary Alice Talbot and Thomas Davis, and also was half-brother to nine siblings to Mary Alice and her second husband Thomas Stevenson.
This included my maternal grandmother, Ivy Hewitt.
His nephew, John Poole, also played for Vale in the 1950s.
I would be grateful for any more information about Tom’s life (I don’t have his dates, though I think he was born around 1900) and what became of him after he left Vale (he only played in the 1923-24 season).
Also I would love to see a picture of him in his Vale kit if it exists – I have searched and searched without success.
The family portrait, top, is the only image that I have. Tom is seated on the far left. BARRY JACKSON Cockermouth Cumbria