Tommy Caton

[City_Shirts]

Remembering Tommy Caton who tragically passed away on 30th April 1993 aged just 30 shortly after announcing his retirement from the game due to injury.

Kirkby-born Caton would appear in two FA Youth Cup finals and was just two games short of 200 first team appearances aged just 21 for City before moving onto Arsenal in 1983.

Those who watched his progress with City will remember him as a commanding young giant who never gave less than his all for his club.

RIP Tommy

 

[1978 & still here]

Tommy had a proper dig on him as well. Rip Tommy.

 

[Mad Eyed Screamer]

Wow next year he will have been gone the same length of time he was alive :(
Recall Allison wanting to play him the season before his debut when he was 15 and still at school but League rules prevented him from doing so.

Also remember his younger brother Paul playing in the youth team a couple of years later. Had the same barnet too!

 

[LongsightM13]

Always thought he went to the wrong club when he left for Arsenal, who had Adams and Keown coming through the youth ranks. Forest and the cult were also heavily interested at the time iirc

 

[TonyColemansbagofapples]

Had a tremendous first season at the age of only 16 (I think he may have won player of the season), playing every game I recall. Would have formed a great long term centre back partnership with Nicky Reid had John Bond not brought in his son. Made a bad career move to Arsenal and the rest is history. As 1978 said, he had a great shot on him and was unlucky not to score more (had a habit of hitting the woodwork).
Have only good memories of him.

RIP Big Man

 

[petrusha]

Really thought Caton would go from strength to strength when he went to Arsenal. He looked as though he had the potential to be an England regular for years. Not sure why it never happened for him.

Very sad that he ended up retiring through injury around 30 and deep in depression as a result. His last club was Charlton and they were my local team for several years when I worked in London. I used to drink with a few Addicks, one or two of whom were quite well connected at the club. They said he cut a very sorry figure at the end. A tragic end to a career that began with such promise.

Always thought he went to the wrong club when he left for Arsenal, who had Adams and Keown coming through the youth ranks. Forest and the cult were also heavily interested at the time iirc

This is probably a good call, actually. He was unlucky in that Terry Neill, the manager who signed him, was sacked almost immediately after he arrived. But whatever the reason, even though he had a couple of seasons as a regular before Adams and Keown came through, he never looked the same player as at City.

I can imagine that, had he gone to the cult, lived with his family close by and partnered Alan Hansen, it all might have gone very differently. Anyway, RIP, Tommy - a pleasure to have seen you play.

 

[Dirty Harry]

Really sad end with Tommy, at 15/16 seemed he had the world at his feet, honestly thought him and Nicky Reid would go on to be our main centre back pairing for many years to come, Tommy at that age, was very mature physically and a great athlete, which no doubt set him out from his peers, my only worry was whether once other players his age group caught up with him physically and playing against more mature opponents , he would lose that edge.
Never saw any signs of that at City, and never really tracked him at Arsenal so couldn’t really comment, but always felt something went wrong somewhere along the line after he left, but he never ever let us down, gave it everything , always.

R.I.P Tommy.

 

[Sky Blue Thinking]

RIP Tommy, a tragic end to a life and career that had promised so much.

 

[BigJoe#1]

I loved him as a player, like everyone else has said, he was a giant here and once he left he just never really did it anywhere.

Edit, I google checked.

 

[Jam Tomorrow]

RIP Tommy Caton.