Tommy Winship

Woolwich Arsenal Winship made his first-team debut on Boxing Day 1910 against Football League leaders Manchester United at Old Trafford. Arsenal lost 5–0, and the Daily News reporter thought their forwards' shooting was the worst he had seen all season and "the only member of the line who was not greatly at fault was Winship, a small youth who was playing as outside left and delighted the crowd by sprightliness and accurate centring from all positions." A fortnight later, the Sheffield Daily Telegraph described Arsenal as having "a couple of capable, enterprising wingers, though Winship was a bit late waking up" in a 3–2 defeat to Sheffield United. He had a run of seven league matches, counting the visit of Aston Villa abandoned because of bad light, before Charles Lewis took over at outside left and David Greenaway returned to the side on the right wing. Winship came into the team for the visit to White Hart Lane, a heavy defeat, before returning to the Manor Ground to play a major role in the 3–1 win against their London rivals. Described by the Daily Mirror as having the ideal build for work in the muddy conditions, Winship crossed the ball to set up Lewis's close-range opening goal. Arsenal's second came from the free kick awarded for a foul on Winship, and he scored "an exceptionally clever" third himself. It was his first competitive goal for Arsenal, and his second came a few days later in a 2–2 draw with Aston Villa. Winship married in Newcastle later that year. His wife, Rose Kilpatrick, was one of two domestic servants of a restaurant proprietor in Byker.

In the 1912–13 season, he played 14 league matches, scoring once, Arsenal were relegated to the Second Division at the end of that season, and promptly re-signed Winship, who had played just twice for Fulham. Questions were asked as to the probity of the transferSir Henry Norris had been and remained a director of Fulham before becoming major shareholder in and chairman of Arsenal but the Football League's management committee ratified his return. Woolwich Arsenal began the 1913–14 season in their new stadium with the visit of Leicester City on 6 September. The visitors took a one-goal lead, and George Jobey scored the equaliserArsenal's first goal at what would become generally known as Highburywith a header from Winship's corner; Arsenal went on to win the match 2–1 with a second-half penalty.

Later that season, the club dropped the "Woolwich" from its name and began to call itself The Arsenal. He also scored what would have been a winning goal, had the officials not disallowed it; the game was temporarily halted while the police dealt with displeasure among the home support. The following year he guested for Ashington in Easter fixtures against Blyth Spartans, and was expected to appear for Leeds City at Grimsby Town in the Midland Section of the wartime league competition, but did not. By November 1917, listed as Sapper Winship, he was guesting for Grimsby for their visit to Leicester Fosse, and in September 1918, he was a member of the Royal Engineers Reserve Battalion team that won a five-a-side tournament in aid of the Football National War Fund. He had also found time to serve his country in France.

By February 1919, Winship was back in the north-east and playing for Hartlepools United in the Northern Victory League. He appeared in eight of the fourteen matches and scored twice. When league football resumed in the 1919–20 season, he did not return to Arsenal, but became one of a number of former Football League players to sign for the re-formed Darlington club, playing in the North-Eastern League.

Darlington North-Eastern League Darlington began the 1919–20 North-Eastern League season well. By mid-October, when Winship contributed two goals to a 5–3 defeat of Sunderland Reserveshe was to finish the campaign with thirteen but they were unable to hold on to their lead, and finished as runners-up, two points behind Middlesbrough Reserves. was "ever dangerous" in the goalless draw at home to The Wednesday of the First Division in the first round, and took the corner from which George Stevens opened the scoring in the replay. Darlington faced Second Division Birmingham in the second round without centre forward Dick Healey, and according to the Yorkshire Post reporter, in his absence "there were long spells in the game when Winship, who is very clever when he gets an opening, was left without the slightest chance of gaining distinction." Winship missed a penalty, Birmingham won 4–0, and "it must have been exasperating to the supporters of Darlington to see Winship having such an idle time on the far wing."

Winship was a key player in 1920–21. as Darlington finished one point ahead of the latter to win the title.

Football League Within the first minute of Darlington's first Football League match, at home to Halifax Town on 27 August 1921, Winship made a run down the left wing and crossed towards Bill Hooper, whose "driving shot" was "in all probability" the first goal scored in the new division. According to the Northern Echo, Winship was the best player on the field: "time and again he got away down the wing and sent across some lovely centres". including one cross that confused Wrexham defenders into giving away an own goal, and scored goals as well, including two in a 7–3 defeat of Durham City, as Darlington finished in second place.

Although Darlington performed rather less well in 1922–23 season, Winship remained in the thick of the action. Against Rochdale, he scored his side's only goal, struck the crossbar from distance, and was fouled for a penalty, but George Malcolm's kick was saved. The following week, he was again fouled for a penalty, and this time Hughie Dickson's kick produced the only goal of the game. In March 1923, after he scored twice against Bradford, the Derby Daily Telegraph described him as "quite the most consistent forward in Darlington's weak attack" whom "no inducement has yet proved sufficient" to persuade to leave. Arsenal had retained his registration, and listed him for transfer at a fee of £300, a not inconsiderable sum for a man of nearly 33.

At the end of the next season, Winship was awarded a benefit match, in recognition of his five years' service as "one of the most popular players ever connected with the Skerneside club"; he could not play in the match, against a Middlesbrough eleven, because of injury.

He began the 1924–25 season in the reserves, Walter Creasor being preferred at outside left, but soon returned to first-team duties. In their first defeat of the season, away to Rochdale in mid-September, the Athletic News reported that "Winship was the pick of the Darlington forwards, and several of his early centres should have been turned to good account", and two weeks later he produced a "swinging shot which curled into the net" to open the scoring at home to Bradford. Darlington soon established a lead at the top of the division which they were to hold for the rest of the season, despite their team containing numerous "real old stagers", players who were well known before the war. despite his veteran status, though not as quick as the outside-right Mark Hooper.

If Darlington wanted to retain Winship's services for their Second Division campaign, Arsenal required payment to release his registration; a fee of £100 was agreed, and he became Darlington's player. Likewise, they had to pay £150 to Bury for the transfer of full-back Tommy Greaves, who had been with the club a similar length of time. By October, the team were struggling at the higher level, and Winship and other of the older men were dropped in favour of "younger and speedier players". Darlington retained their Second Division status, and Winship brought his career statistics to 17 goals from 146 Football League matches with the club.

Later life and career Winship, Davie Brown and George Stevens were among the players not offered terms by Darlington for the 1926–27 season. They were given free transfers, and all three returned to the Third Division North with Crewe Alexandra. Winship scored what was to prove his only goal for Crewe in a 3–3 draw with Lincoln City in September, but after the game conceded "without hesitation" that the goal should have been disallowed because a teammate was clearly in an offside position. The Derby Daily Telegraph wrote in December that he had been one of Crewe's most consistent players of the season thus far, that his experience counted for much, and despite his advancing years, he was still capable of being a "very powerful and dangerous raider". A few days later, he twisted his knee in a match against his former employers Hartlepools United and was out for four months. Appearances in the last three fixtures of the season took his total to 23 in senior competitions for Crewe, and put an end to a Football League career in which he scored 25 goals from 224 matches. In December, he returned to the North-Eastern League with his former club Wallsend (renamed from Wallsend Park Villa).

Winship died in Newcastle in late 1976 at the age of 86.

Career statistics

Honours Darlington North-Eastern League winners: 1920–21; runners-up: 1919–20 Football League Third Division North winners: 1924–25; runners-up: 1921–22