Tommy Briercliffe

Thomas (Tommy) Briercliffe was born in Blackburn in 1874. An outside right he played for Bacup and Clitheroe in the Northern Junior League before joining Blackburn Rovers in 1897.

At the time there were three other talented youngsters in the team: Bob Crompton, Arnie Whittaker and Fred Blackburn. In the 1897-98 season Blackburn finished second from bottom. Only a decision to increase the size of the First Division of the Football League to 18 clubs saved the club from relegation.

Briercliffe left Blackburn Rovers in 1899. He had scored 10 goals in 56 games in the two seasons he was at the club.

Briercliffe played for Stalybridge Rovers before joining Arsenal in 1901. He had a very good first season finishing as the club's leading goalscorer with eleven. In the 1903-04 season Arsenal finished in second place to Preston North End and finally won promotion to the First Division of the Football League. Arsenal scored 83 goals that season with Briercliffe scoring a hat trick in the club's 8-0 win over Burton United.

Briercliffe left Arsenal in 1904 having scored 33 goals in 122 league games for the club. He played for Plymouth Argyle and Brentford in the Southern League before finishing his career at Darwen.