Thomas Yews

Thomas Yews was born in Wingate, County Durham, on 28th February, 1902. An outside-right he signed for Hartlepool United in 1921. In his first couple of seasons he scored three goals in 39 games.

Syd King, the manager of West Ham United, signed Yews for a fee of £150 in 1923. He joined a team that included Jimmy Ruffell, Billy Moore, George Kay, Edward Hufton, Jack Tresadern, Vic Watson, Sid Bishop, Billy Brown, Billy Henderson, Dick Richards and Jack Young.

West Ham had just been promoted to the First Division. They finished in 13th place in the 1923-24 season. Yews only played 12 games that year. He was a first-team regular the following year and made a large number of goals for top scorer Vic Watson. The trainer, Charlie Paynter, once said: "Tom could pick a fly off Bill's eyebrows."

West Ham United continued to struggle in the First Division but Yews' form remained good and he retained his place in the first-team. In the 1929-30 season, Vic Watson scored an amazing 50 league and cup games in only 44 games. As Tony Hogg pointed out in Who's Who of West Ham United (2004): "Vic Watson headed countless goals from Tommy's runs along the touchline and crosses from near the corner-flag."

Yews joined Clapton Orient in 1933. While at West Ham United he had scored 51 goals in 361 league and cup games. He only played three games for his new club before retiring from the game.

Thomas Yews was working as a chargehand at the Ford Motor Company when he died in August 1966.