Stuart Tomlinson
Encyclopedia
Stuart Charles Tomlinson (born 22 May 1985) is an English
football goalkeeper who plays for League Two
side Port Vale
. Though a solid all-round keeper, he is a particularly strong shot-stopper.
He progressed from the Crewe Alexandra
youth team
to turn professional in 2003. He spent the next six years with the club, spending part of 2004 on loan at Stafford Rangers
, and playing once on loan for Burton Albion
in 2008. He played just 28 games for Crewe in league and cup competitions, never making more than eleven appearances in any one season. Unable to join Port Vale due to a lack of finance at the club, he instead spent the 2009–10 campaign at Conference
club Barrow
, where he shared goalkeeping responsibilities with Tim Deasy
. He then signed with Port Vale, and was favoured ahead of Chris Martin for most of the 2010–11 season.
, Tomlinson made his senior debut for Crewe Alexandra
in a Second Division
clash with Oldham Athletic
on 25 January 2003, replacing Danny Milosevic
on 51 minutes after the Australian suffered an injury. Chris Armstrong
put one past him, though Crewe ran out 3–1 winners at Boundary Park
. At the end of the season he signed his first professional contract, and Crewe were promoted into the First Division
as runners up in the Second Division.
His second game came on 17 March 2004 at the Boleyn Ground
. Clayton Ince
came off injured after 86 minutes with the score 4–2 to West Ham United
. The eighteen year old held his nerve in front of over 30,000 spectators and no goals were scored in the brief period he was on the pitch. Later in the year he had a loan spell at local non-league side Stafford Rangers
.
After recovering from a twisted ankle
, the young keeper's next senior game was at Sincil Bank
on 23 August 2005, where he replaced loanee Ben Williams at half time. Lincoln City
sent the "Railwaymen" crashing out of the League Cup
, putting two past Williams and three past Tomlinson for a 5–2 victory. His first start came in the FA Cup
Third Round clash at Deepdale
on 7 January 2006, the home side
coming out 2–1 winners. He played his first Championship
game on 28 January, replacing Ross Turnbull
at half time; Watford
put two past each men for a 4–1 win. After signing a one year contract extension in March, Tomlinson got his first league start on 30 April, as Crewe beat Millwall
4–2, Ben May
scoring both of the "Lions" goals.
In May 2006, Burton Albion
requested a season long loan. Though the move was delayed due to a calf injury, he joined them for a pre-season friendly with Sheffield Wednesday
. However Crewe reconsidered the loan deal and so Nigel Clough
signed aged veteran Kevin Poole
. Clough was still keen to sign Tomlinson, with the saga continuing well into the season, though no deal was made. Tomlinson picked up his first senior clean sheet on 22 August 2006, during a 3–0 win at Grimsby Town
's Blundell Park
in the League Cup First Round. He really came to prominence though in the Football League Trophy
tie with Rochdale
on 31 October, as he managed to save all four of Rochdale's penalties
. Dario Gradi
said: "Stuart is outstanding on penalties
because he is positive and doesn't flop over". He went on to play seven League One
games, and also made one appearance in the FA Cup. However he did not play in the 2007 end of the season, partly due to a torn groin
that kept him out of actions for a number of weeks. In the summer there was once again talk of a possible loan move to Burton.
He was only used by Steve Holland once throughout the 2007–08 season, playing in a 1–1 draw with Chester City
in the Football League Trophy on 4 September. Chester won the game 4–3 on penalties. Not long after this he was on the sidelines with a broken
thumb
. In February, Tomlinson finally joined Conference
club Burton Albion on a one month loan. He played 90 minutes for "Brewers" in a 3–1 defeat to Histon
on 1 March, and was forced to make numerous saves. He played no further part of Burton's season thanks to a cruciate ligament injury.
After six months of rehab he recovered earlier then expected. His 2008–09 season started on 25 November, as Gradi took him to the Walkers Stadium, where Leicester City
won 2–1. The next month he played six games, keeping four clean sheets (against Carlisle United
, Cheltenham Town
, Swindon Town
and Millwall). However he attracted criticism from his manager at the end of January following heavy defeats to Northampton Town
and Peterborough United
, and was subsequently dropped. New manager Gudjon Thordarson
told him that he would not offered a new contract at the end of the season, thus ending Tomlinson's long association with the club.
In July 2009 he joined Port Vale
for pre-season training, playing 45 minutes of a pre-season friendly
. Micky Adams
considered signing Tomlinson up whilst first choice keeper Joe Anyon
was out injured. He impressed on his trial and would have been signed to a contract if the cash-strapped club could find the finance, instead Adams considered offering Tomlinson non-contract terms. However, Tomlinson left the club to search for a more permanent offer elsewhere. In August 2009 he joined Barrow
of the Conference National
, just two days before the start of their season. Sharing first team duties with Tim Deasy
, he appeared 27 times for Barrow in the 2009–10 campaign. He also won the FA Trophy
with the club, appearing in the final
at Wembley Stadium
, where the "Bluebirds" beat Stevenage Borough 2–1. He chose not to renew his contract at the end of the season, and instead signed a one year contract at Port Vale. Anyon had at by this time left Vale Park
for Lincoln City
, and Tomlinson was brought in to provide competition for Chris Martin. This required him to accept a lower wage than he would have got at Barrow.
Adams surprised many by selecting his number 12 as the goalkeeper in the opening game of the season, and was rewarded by a Tomlinson clean sheet. Tomlinson praised his defence for his solid start to the season. With five clean sheets in his first ten games, Tomlinson was offered a one year contract extension in September 2010. Two months later he was reported in the Daily Star and the Daily Mirror to be a £250,000 transfer target for Sheffield United
and Queens Park Rangers
. Adams dismissed such speculation with the comment "that amount of money wouldn't buy Stuart's left hand". Tomlinson lost his place due to injury in the new year, but then won back his place after Martin conceded a comical own goal in a 3–1 defeat to Stevenage on 22 February. It was an eventful return for Tomlinson, who broke the story of Jim Gannon
and Geoff Horsfield
's bust-up on the pre-match coach trip to Aldershot
via Twitter
. The game itself was also eventful, as Tomlinson gave away a penalty, which he then saved, only to leave the pitch due to a hip injury. Martin regained his first team place, only to be replaced by Tomlinson at half-time during a 2–1 loss at home to Oxford United
on 12 March, after Martin committed another blunder.
Following the return of Micky Adams as Port Vale manager, Tomlinson held on to his first team place at the start of the 2011–12
season, though Martin was used in cup games. Neither Tomlinson or Martin could nail down their first team place though; Tomlinson conceded twelve goals in his first seven games of the season, whilst Martin conceded ten times in his first five games. Assistant manager Mark Grew
told the media that "they've both been disappointing". On 29 October, Tomlinson was embarrassed to be caught off his line by Oxford United
's Peter Leven
, who found the net with a 'sensational 45-yard strike'. Adams said "...in the division, he's the only player who would have scored that... [but] you have to question the keeper's starting position."
due to his muscular physique, and has appeared on the front cover of Men's Health
magazine.
|2002–03
||Crewe Alexandra
||Second Division
||1||0||0||0||0||0||1||0
|-
|2003–04||Crewe Alexandra
||First Division
||1||0||0||0||0||0||1||0
|-
|2004–05||Crewe Alexandra
||Championship
||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0
|-
|2005–06||Crewe Alexandra
||League One
||2||0||1||0||1||0||4||0
|-
|2006–07||Crewe Alexandra
||League One
||7||0||1||0||1||0||10||0
|-
|2007–08||Crewe Alexandra
||League One
||0||0||0||0||0||0||1||0
|-
|2007–08||Burton Albion
||Conference National
||1||0||0||0||0||0||1||0
|-
|2008–09||Crewe Alexandra
||League One
||9||0||2||0||0||0||11||0
|-
|2009–10
||Barrow
||Conference National
||20||0||3||0||0||0||23||0
|-
|2010–11
||Port Vale
||League Two
||36||0||4||0||2||0||42||0
|-
|2011–12
||Port Vale
||League Two
||16||0||1||0||0||0||17||0
|-
93||0||12||0||4||0||111||0
93||0||12||0||4||0||111||0
Notes:
with Barrow
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
football goalkeeper who plays for League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
side Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
. Though a solid all-round keeper, he is a particularly strong shot-stopper.
He progressed from the Crewe Alexandra
Crewe Alexandra F.C.
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...
youth team
Crewe Alexandra F.C. Academy
Crewe Alexandra F.C. gained a strong reputation for its youth policy, achieving official status as a FA Youth Academy in the late 1990s. By concentrating on developing its own players the club remained profitable by selling them on after they have gained experience with Crewe...
to turn professional in 2003. He spent the next six years with the club, spending part of 2004 on loan at Stafford Rangers
Stafford Rangers F.C.
Stafford Rangers Football Club is a semi-professional English football team from Stafford which plays in the Northern Premier League Premier Division.The team wear black and white stripes with black shorts...
, and playing once on loan for Burton Albion
Burton Albion F.C.
Burton Albion Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire. The club's home ground is the Pirelli Stadium, having moved from Eton Park in 2005...
in 2008. He played just 28 games for Crewe in league and cup competitions, never making more than eleven appearances in any one season. Unable to join Port Vale due to a lack of finance at the club, he instead spent the 2009–10 campaign at Conference
Conference National
Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
club Barrow
Barrow A.F.C.
Barrow A.F.C. are an English football club founded in 1901 based in the town of Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria. Following promotion at the end of the 2007–08 season, they currently play in the Conference National. The club spent over fifty years in the Football League between 1921 and 1972, and have...
, where he shared goalkeeping responsibilities with Tim Deasy
Tim Deasy
Timothy "Tim" Deasy is an English footballer who plays as a goalkeeper. He currently plays for Conference National side Gateshead.-Career:...
. He then signed with Port Vale, and was favoured ahead of Chris Martin for most of the 2010–11 season.
Playing career
Having graduated through the club's youth academyCrewe Alexandra F.C. Academy
Crewe Alexandra F.C. gained a strong reputation for its youth policy, achieving official status as a FA Youth Academy in the late 1990s. By concentrating on developing its own players the club remained profitable by selling them on after they have gained experience with Crewe...
, Tomlinson made his senior debut for Crewe Alexandra
Crewe Alexandra F.C.
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...
in a Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
clash with Oldham Athletic
Oldham Athletic A.F.C.
Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is an English association football club based at Boundary Park, on Sheepfoot Lane in Oldham, Greater Manchester. The club currently competes in the Football League One, the third tier of the English league...
on 25 January 2003, replacing Danny Milosevic
Danny Milosevic
Danny Milosevic is a football player who was most recently a goalkeeper for the New Zealand Knights in the Hyundai A-League before joining West Australian club Inglewood United...
on 51 minutes after the Australian suffered an injury. Chris Armstrong
Chris Armstrong (footballer born 1982)
Christopher "Chris" Armstrong is a retired professional footballer, who most recently played for Reading in the Football League Championship.He retired due to being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis...
put one past him, though Crewe ran out 3–1 winners at Boundary Park
Boundary Park
Boundary Park is the main sports stadium of Oldham, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies at the northwestern extremity of Oldham, with the towns of Royton and Chadderton lying immediately north and west respectively, giving rise to the name Boundary Park....
. At the end of the season he signed his first professional contract, and Crewe were promoted into the First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
as runners up in the Second Division.
His second game came on 17 March 2004 at the Boleyn Ground
Boleyn Ground
The Boleyn Ground, more commonly referred to as Upton Park due to its location in Upton Park, London is the football stadium of West Ham United.-History:...
. Clayton Ince
Clayton Ince
Clayton Ince is a Trinidadian football goalkeeper who had lengthy spells in the English Football League at Crewe Alexandra and Walsall...
came off injured after 86 minutes with the score 4–2 to West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
. The eighteen year old held his nerve in front of over 30,000 spectators and no goals were scored in the brief period he was on the pitch. Later in the year he had a loan spell at local non-league side Stafford Rangers
Stafford Rangers F.C.
Stafford Rangers Football Club is a semi-professional English football team from Stafford which plays in the Northern Premier League Premier Division.The team wear black and white stripes with black shorts...
.
After recovering from a twisted ankle
Ankle
The ankle joint is formed where the foot and the leg meet. The ankle, or talocrural joint, is a synovial hinge joint that connects the distal ends of the tibia and fibula in the lower limb with the proximal end of the talus bone in the foot...
, the young keeper's next senior game was at Sincil Bank
Sincil Bank
Sincil Bank is a football stadium in Lincoln, England and has been the home of Lincoln City since 1895. Previously, Lincoln City had played at the nearby John O'Gaunts ground since the club's 1884 inception. Sincil Bank has an overall capacity of 10,120 and is colloquially known to fans as "The...
on 23 August 2005, where he replaced loanee Ben Williams at half time. Lincoln City
Lincoln City F.C.
Lincoln City Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of the Conference National in 2011–12 following relegation from the Football League....
sent the "Railwaymen" crashing out of the League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
, putting two past Williams and three past Tomlinson for a 5–2 victory. His first start came in the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
Third Round clash at Deepdale
Deepdale
Deepdale is a stadium in the Deepdale area of Preston, England, the home of Preston North End F.C. and, up to 2010, England's National Football Museum. Preston North End are one of the founder members of the Football League.- History :...
on 7 January 2006, the home side
Preston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
coming out 2–1 winners. He played his first Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
game on 28 January, replacing Ross Turnbull
Ross Turnbull
Ross Turnbull is an English footballer who is currently playing his club football for Chelsea as a goalkeeper in the Barclays Premier League.-Early life:...
at half time; Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
put two past each men for a 4–1 win. After signing a one year contract extension in March, Tomlinson got his first league start on 30 April, as Crewe beat Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
4–2, Ben May
Ben May
Ben Steven May is an English footballer who plays for League One side Stevenage as a striker.May began his career at Southampton's youth academy in 1998, before playing at Fulham's centre of excellence for a year. In 2000, he moved once again, this time joining Millwall's youth set-up...
scoring both of the "Lions" goals.
In May 2006, Burton Albion
Burton Albion F.C.
Burton Albion Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire. The club's home ground is the Pirelli Stadium, having moved from Eton Park in 2005...
requested a season long loan. Though the move was delayed due to a calf injury, he joined them for a pre-season friendly with Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
. However Crewe reconsidered the loan deal and so Nigel Clough
Nigel Clough
Nigel Howard Clough is an English former footballer and the current manager of Derby County. Playing predominately as a striker, but later in his career was used as a midfielder, Clough was capped by England 14 times in the early 1990s....
signed aged veteran Kevin Poole
Kevin Poole
Kevin Poole is an English professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Football League Two side Burton Albion, where he is also goalkeeping coach...
. Clough was still keen to sign Tomlinson, with the saga continuing well into the season, though no deal was made. Tomlinson picked up his first senior clean sheet on 22 August 2006, during a 3–0 win at Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...
's Blundell Park
Blundell Park
Blundell Park is a football ground in Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, England and home to Grimsby Town Football Club. The stadium was built in 1898, but only one of the original stands remain. The current capacity of the ground is 9546, though with the introduction of all seating in the late...
in the League Cup First Round. He really came to prominence though in the Football League Trophy
Football League Trophy
The Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...
tie with Rochdale
Rochdale A.F.C.
Rochdale Association Football Club is an English professional football club based in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. They play their home matches at Spotland Stadium. Formed in 1907, they were accepted into the Football League in 1921...
on 31 October, as he managed to save all four of Rochdale's penalties
Penalty kick
A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...
. Dario Gradi
Dario Gradi
Dario Gradi MBE is an Italian-born English football manager and former player, who was serving as manager of the Crewe Alexandra F.C. Academy. He is a former manager of Crewe Alexandra, with whom he has been associated for almost thirty years.Gradi is notable for his 24-year first spell as manager...
said: "Stuart is outstanding on penalties
Penalty kick
A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...
because he is positive and doesn't flop over". He went on to play seven League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
games, and also made one appearance in the FA Cup. However he did not play in the 2007 end of the season, partly due to a torn groin
Groin
In human anatomy, the groin areas are the two creases at the junction of the torso with the legs, on either side of the pubic area. This is also known as the medial compartment of the thigh. A pulled groin muscle usually refers to a painful injury sustained by straining the hip adductor muscles...
that kept him out of actions for a number of weeks. In the summer there was once again talk of a possible loan move to Burton.
He was only used by Steve Holland once throughout the 2007–08 season, playing in a 1–1 draw with Chester City
Chester City F.C.
Chester City Football Club was an English football team from Chester. The club was founded as Chester F.C., and joined the Football League in 1931, spending most of their time in the lower divisions. They changed their name to Chester City in 1983. Chester won their first league title in 2004, the...
in the Football League Trophy on 4 September. Chester won the game 4–3 on penalties. Not long after this he was on the sidelines with a broken
Bone fracture
A bone fracture is a medical condition in which there is a break in the continuity of the bone...
thumb
Thumb
The thumb is the first digit of the hand. When a person is standing in the medical anatomical position , the thumb is the lateral-most digit...
. In February, Tomlinson finally joined Conference
Conference National
Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
club Burton Albion on a one month loan. He played 90 minutes for "Brewers" in a 3–1 defeat to Histon
Histon F.C.
Histon Football Club is an English football club based in the twin villages of Histon and Impington, approximately north of Cambridge, Cambridgeshire. From the 2007–08 season they competed in the Conference National, the highest level that the club has ever reached in the English football league...
on 1 March, and was forced to make numerous saves. He played no further part of Burton's season thanks to a cruciate ligament injury.
After six months of rehab he recovered earlier then expected. His 2008–09 season started on 25 November, as Gradi took him to the Walkers Stadium, where Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
won 2–1. The next month he played six games, keeping four clean sheets (against Carlisle United
Carlisle United F.C.
Carlisle United F.C. is an English football club based in Carlisle, Cumbria, where they play at Brunton Park. Formed in 1904, the club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system....
, Cheltenham Town
Cheltenham Town F.C.
Cheltenham Town Football Club is an English football club playing in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. Founded in 1887, the team has played at four different grounds, namely Agg-Gardner's Recreation Ground, Carter's Field and now the Abbey Business Stadium, although it is more...
, Swindon Town
Swindon Town F.C.
Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011...
and Millwall). However he attracted criticism from his manager at the end of January following heavy defeats to Northampton Town
Northampton Town F.C.
Northampton Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Northampton, Northamptonshire. They currently play in Football League Two, the lowest league division, after being relegated from League One on the last day of the 2008–09 season...
and Peterborough United
Peterborough United F.C.
Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...
, and was subsequently dropped. New manager Gudjon Thordarson
Guðjón Þórðarson
Guðjón Þórðarson is an Icelandic former footballer and the current manager of Grindavík....
told him that he would not offered a new contract at the end of the season, thus ending Tomlinson's long association with the club.
In July 2009 he joined Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
for pre-season training, playing 45 minutes of a pre-season friendly
Exhibition game
An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
. Micky Adams
Micky Adams
Michael Richard "Micky" Adams is an English former professional footballer turned football manager who is in charge of League Two side Port Vale. As a player he was a full back, and made a total of 438 league appearances in a nineteen year professional career in the Football League, including five...
considered signing Tomlinson up whilst first choice keeper Joe Anyon
Joe Anyon
Joseph "Joe" Anyon is an English football goalkeeper who plays for Conference National club Lincoln City.A youth player at Port Vale, he turned professional at the club in 2004, and was loaned out to non-league sides Stafford Rangers and Harrogate Town to gain experience...
was out injured. He impressed on his trial and would have been signed to a contract if the cash-strapped club could find the finance, instead Adams considered offering Tomlinson non-contract terms. However, Tomlinson left the club to search for a more permanent offer elsewhere. In August 2009 he joined Barrow
Barrow A.F.C.
Barrow A.F.C. are an English football club founded in 1901 based in the town of Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria. Following promotion at the end of the 2007–08 season, they currently play in the Conference National. The club spent over fifty years in the Football League between 1921 and 1972, and have...
of the Conference National
Conference National
Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
, just two days before the start of their season. Sharing first team duties with Tim Deasy
Tim Deasy
Timothy "Tim" Deasy is an English footballer who plays as a goalkeeper. He currently plays for Conference National side Gateshead.-Career:...
, he appeared 27 times for Barrow in the 2009–10 campaign. He also won the FA Trophy
FA Trophy
The Football Association Challenge Trophy, commonly known as the FA Trophy, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football Association and competed for primarily by semi-professional teams...
with the club, appearing in the final
2010 FA Trophy Final
The 2010 FA Trophy Final was the 40th final of the Football Association's cup competition for levels 5-8 of the English football league system. The match was contested by Stevenage Borough who won the competition in 2007 and 2009, and Barrow who won the competition in 1990...
at Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
, where the "Bluebirds" beat Stevenage Borough 2–1. He chose not to renew his contract at the end of the season, and instead signed a one year contract at Port Vale. Anyon had at by this time left Vale Park
Vale Park
Vale Park is a football stadium in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England. It is the home ground of Port Vale F.C., who have played at the ground since 1950....
for Lincoln City
Lincoln City F.C.
Lincoln City Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of the Conference National in 2011–12 following relegation from the Football League....
, and Tomlinson was brought in to provide competition for Chris Martin. This required him to accept a lower wage than he would have got at Barrow.
Adams surprised many by selecting his number 12 as the goalkeeper in the opening game of the season, and was rewarded by a Tomlinson clean sheet. Tomlinson praised his defence for his solid start to the season. With five clean sheets in his first ten games, Tomlinson was offered a one year contract extension in September 2010. Two months later he was reported in the Daily Star and the Daily Mirror to be a £250,000 transfer target for Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
and Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
. Adams dismissed such speculation with the comment "that amount of money wouldn't buy Stuart's left hand". Tomlinson lost his place due to injury in the new year, but then won back his place after Martin conceded a comical own goal in a 3–1 defeat to Stevenage on 22 February. It was an eventful return for Tomlinson, who broke the story of Jim Gannon
Jim Gannon
James Paul "Jim" Gannon is a former footballer and football manager, who is now Director of football and manager of Conference National team Stockport County...
and Geoff Horsfield
Geoff Horsfield
Geoffrey Malcolm "Geoff" Horsfield is an English former professional footballer, now football coach. He made more than 300 appearances in the Football League playing as a striker. He is now a coach at Port Vale....
's bust-up on the pre-match coach trip to Aldershot
Aldershot
Aldershot is a town in the English county of Hampshire, located on heathland about southwest of London. The town is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council...
via Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
. The game itself was also eventful, as Tomlinson gave away a penalty, which he then saved, only to leave the pitch due to a hip injury. Martin regained his first team place, only to be replaced by Tomlinson at half-time during a 2–1 loss at home to Oxford United
Oxford United F.C.
Oxford United Football Club is an English association football club based in Oxford, Oxfordshire. The club play in League Two, following promotion from the Conference National in May 2010. The club had been a non-League side since their relegation from the Football League in the 2005–06 season. The...
on 12 March, after Martin committed another blunder.
Following the return of Micky Adams as Port Vale manager, Tomlinson held on to his first team place at the start of the 2011–12
2011–12 Port Vale F.C. season
The 2011–12 season is Port Vale's one-hundredth season of football in the Football League, and fourth successive season in League Two. It marked the start of Micky Adams' second spell in charge of the club, and despite fan unrest with the board, Vale fans and players were hopeful of promotion come...
season, though Martin was used in cup games. Neither Tomlinson or Martin could nail down their first team place though; Tomlinson conceded twelve goals in his first seven games of the season, whilst Martin conceded ten times in his first five games. Assistant manager Mark Grew
Mark Grew
Mark Stuart Grew is an English former football goalkeeper, now assistant manager to Micky Adams at Port Vale. On three occasions he has also served as the club's caretaker-manager, most recently from March to May in 2011....
told the media that "they've both been disappointing". On 29 October, Tomlinson was embarrassed to be caught off his line by Oxford United
Oxford United F.C.
Oxford United Football Club is an English association football club based in Oxford, Oxfordshire. The club play in League Two, following promotion from the Conference National in May 2010. The club had been a non-League side since their relegation from the Football League in the 2005–06 season. The...
's Peter Leven
Peter Leven
Peter McDonald Leven is a Scottish professional association football player who plays for Oxford United.Leven, who was a youth player with Rangers, signed for Kilmarnock in 2004 but he struggled to establish himself in the first team...
, who found the net with a 'sensational 45-yard strike'. Adams said "...in the division, he's the only player who would have scored that... [but] you have to question the keeper's starting position."
Style of play
A goalkeeper with a flair for shot-stopping, he can kick the ball with either foot. Due to his muscular physique he has been given the nickname "the Tank".Personal life
Tomlinson has also tried work as a professional modelModel (person)
A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art....
due to his muscular physique, and has appeared on the front cover of Men's Health
Men's Health (magazine)
Men's Health , published by Rodale Inc. in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, United States, is the world’s largest men’s magazine brand, with 44 editions around the world. It is also the best-selling men's magazine on U.S. newsstands. It covers fitness, nutrition, sexuality, lifestyle and other aspects of...
magazine.
Statistics
|-|2002–03
2003–04 Crewe Alexandra F.C. season
During the 2003–04 season, participated in the Football League First Division.-Season summary:Crewe finished in 18th place, a satisfactory position for a side returning to the First Division...
||Crewe Alexandra
Crewe Alexandra F.C.
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...
||Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
||1||0||0||0||0||0||1||0
|-
|2003–04||Crewe Alexandra
Crewe Alexandra F.C.
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...
||First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
||1||0||0||0||0||0||1||0
|-
|2004–05||Crewe Alexandra
Crewe Alexandra F.C.
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...
||Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0
|-
|2005–06||Crewe Alexandra
Crewe Alexandra F.C.
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...
||League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
||2||0||1||0||1||0||4||0
|-
|2006–07||Crewe Alexandra
Crewe Alexandra F.C.
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...
||League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
||7||0||1||0||1||0||10||0
|-
|2007–08||Crewe Alexandra
Crewe Alexandra F.C.
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...
||League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
||0||0||0||0||0||0||1||0
|-
|2007–08||Burton Albion
Burton Albion F.C.
Burton Albion Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire. The club's home ground is the Pirelli Stadium, having moved from Eton Park in 2005...
||Conference National
Conference National
Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
||1||0||0||0||0||0||1||0
|-
|2008–09||Crewe Alexandra
Crewe Alexandra F.C.
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...
||League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
||9||0||2||0||0||0||11||0
|-
|2009–10
2009–10 Football League
The Football League 2009–10, called the Coca-Cola Football League for sponsorship reasons, was the 110th completed season of the Football League. It began in August 2009 and concluded in May 2010, with the promotion play-off finals. The Football League is contested through three Divisions. The...
||Barrow
Barrow A.F.C.
Barrow A.F.C. are an English football club founded in 1901 based in the town of Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria. Following promotion at the end of the 2007–08 season, they currently play in the Conference National. The club spent over fifty years in the Football League between 1921 and 1972, and have...
||Conference National
Conference National
Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
||20||0||3||0||0||0||23||0
|-
|2010–11
2010–11 Port Vale F.C. season
The 2010–11 season was Port Vale's ninety-ninth season of football in the Football League, and third successive season in League Two. Vale enjoyed a solid start to the campaign, looking like good prospects for promotion. However Micky Adams left the club in December to take charge of Sheffield...
||Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
||League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
||36||0||4||0||2||0||42||0
|-
|2011–12
2011–12 Port Vale F.C. season
The 2011–12 season is Port Vale's one-hundredth season of football in the Football League, and fourth successive season in League Two. It marked the start of Micky Adams' second spell in charge of the club, and despite fan unrest with the board, Vale fans and players were hopeful of promotion come...
||Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
||League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
||16||0||1||0||0||0||17||0
|-
93||0||12||0||4||0||111||0
93||0||12||0||4||0||111||0
Notes:
- Football League TrophyFootball League TrophyThe Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...
& FA TrophyFA TrophyThe Football Association Challenge Trophy, commonly known as the FA Trophy, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football Association and competed for primarily by semi-professional teams...
results included in totals column. - Stafford RangersStafford Rangers F.C.Stafford Rangers Football Club is a semi-professional English football team from Stafford which plays in the Northern Premier League Premier Division.The team wear black and white stripes with black shorts...
statistics unavailable.
Honours
with Crewe Alexandra- Football League Second DivisionFootball League Second DivisionFrom 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
runner-up: 2002–03
with Barrow
- FA TrophyFA TrophyThe Football Association Challenge Trophy, commonly known as the FA Trophy, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football Association and competed for primarily by semi-professional teams...
winner: 20102010 FA Trophy FinalThe 2010 FA Trophy Final was the 40th final of the Football Association's cup competition for levels 5-8 of the English football league system. The match was contested by Stevenage Borough who won the competition in 2007 and 2009, and Barrow who won the competition in 1990...
External links
- Profile at the official Port Vale site