Tommy Caton

[salford blue 62]

I remember TC making his debut at 16, first game of the season against Palace, the same match that Steve Mackenzie also made his City debut as a 17 year old after we'd signed him from Palace that summer for what was then a big fee for a teenager, may have been a British record?

TC was a classic footballing defender but was also a big lad so he could deal with physical strikers as well. He captained the team at 19 IIRC,which gives you an idea of how well regarded he was at the club. A real shame that his career after leaving City was disrupted by injury. His early death was a tragedy, left a wife and three young kids.

I was there as well mate,think Stepanovic made his debut as well.....and Michael Robinson.

 

[Lavinda Past]

Best young defender I've ever seen coming through the ranks at City. Tommy was a colossus - Looking back, we gave him away when we sold him

 

[Harlaching Sky Blue]

Forgot he played for us in Div 2 thought hed left before that. Didnt we buy Mick McCarthy to replace him?

 

[LongsightM13]

Great prospect, went to the wrong club when he left imo. Liverpool were sniffing round but Arsenal offered Swales more, though they still got him cheap. He never really fitted in at Highbury for many reasons and ended up at Oxford at an age when he should have been an England regular.

 

[91:23]

Was there in the Platt Lane at his debut when I was a 14 year old. Irony is when he moved for £500k (IIRC) To Arsenal I heard the news at work. Where was work, smack bang virtually on the same spot where the Etihad is. Gutted when he left

 

[Mad Eyed Screamer]

Was there in the Platt Lane at his debut as a 14 year old. Irony is when he moved for £500k (IIRC) To Arsenal I heard the news at work. Where was work, smack bang virtually on the same spot where the Etihad is. Gutted when he left

He was 16

 

[lust overlord]

I remember him playing against us at maine Rd for Arsenal a game we lost 1 nil.

City fans taking the piss, chanting "I want to play for England" in high pitched voices.

 

[Sky Blue Thinking]

Forgot he played for us in Div 2 thought hed left before that. Didnt we buy Mick McCarthy to replace him?

Yes, sold Caton for £500k and replaced wirh McCarthy for £200k before eventually selling big Mick on for a tidy profit.
Caton was one of many City youngsters from 70s-90s who made it into England u21s but didnt push on to full squad.

 

[jimharri]

He was 16

Probably wouldn't be allowed to play a 14 year old, I'm guessing. Child labour laws?

 

[LongsightM13]

It was. Villa's goal looks impressive but at 78' in a replay the defenders were clearly knackered physically, as was Villa himself to be fair, and probably emotionally too after having just suffered the equaliser when we'd been fairly comfortable up to that point. Also bear in mind that Spurs got the lucky equaliser in the first game and got lucky with their first goal in the replay with the ball rebounding fortunately for them off a good Joe save. MacKenzie's was technically superb (and Tommy H's header was quite good too) so the City players must have been thinking how undeserved it was to score such a quality goal and have so much bad luck to wipe it out.

RIP Tommy. Was gutted when he left.

People forget just how young our team was in that cup final. In defence, Tommy Caton was 18 and Nicky Reid and Ray Ranson were just 20. Steve MacKenzie in midfield was 20 and Dave Bennett up front was just 21. They were of course surrounded by veterans like Corrigan, McDonald, Gow and Hutchison