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Personal
Fullname: Thomas Fitzsimmons
aka: Tom Fitzsimmons
Born: 21 October 1870
Died: […1934… TBC…]
Birthplace: Annbank
Signed: September 1892 (trial)
Left: Nov 1892 (to Newton Heath)
Position: Outside-Right
Debut: Rangers 2-2 Celtic, League, 24 Sep 1892
Internationals: none
Biog
An outside-right Thomas Fitzsimmons was one of several players tried out by the club in the wake of Neil McCallum’s departure.
The Annbank man played as a trialist in a 2-2 league draw with Rangers at Ibrox on 24th September 1892. In retrospect, he possibly made history here as the first Celtic player to have make their debut for Celtic in what was a competitive match v Rangers.
Despite that, apparently, he was “found wanting [in the match], so Celtic gave him a holiday“. It was to be his one and only game for Celtic, but despite Celtic not having won this game, Celtic did go on to win the league title that season for the first time, so he played a small walk-on part in a bit of history which is something to look back on with pride.
Thomas Fitzsimmons moved to Newton Heath [the forerunner to Manchester Utd] in November that year after never making another competitive appearance with the Bhoys. Thomas Fitzsimmons is one of the few sets of brothers to play for Newton Heath or Manchester Utd, Thomas’s brother is David Fitzsimmons.
His medal from the Manchester Cup run in 1893 is one of the oldest surviving medal from the early days of Manchester Utd/Newton Heath, and has therefore become a hugely valuable piece of memorabilia. Thomas Fitzsimmons scored four goals during the competition, so has a right to be deemed a notable figure in the development & progression of that club.
He played for a number of clubs in England, before returning north back home to play for Annbank, and then retiring from play in 1903.
Playing Career
| APPEARANCES | LEAGUE | SCOTTISH CUP | LEAGUE CUP | EUROPE | TOTAL |
| 1892 | 1 | 0 | N/A | N/A | 1 |
| Goals | 0 | 0 | – | – | 0 |
Honours with Celtic
(Honours are marked below in which the player has played in at least one of the matches in the campaign)
Scottish League
Pictures
Notes
However, there has been dispute as some records have seemed to claim that possibly he may have played for Celtic in the Glasgow Cup v Pollokshaws Athletic on 17 Sep 1892. From our checks to date that is incorrect.
| The earliest Manchester United [Newton Heath] football medal ever to have been offered at auction: the Manchester Senior Cup winner’s medal awarded to Thomas Fitzsimmons in 1893,
a 9ct. gold & enamel medal with a design based on the Coats of Arms of Manchester with a panelled football replacing the terrestrial globe , inscribed M.D.F.A., SENIOR, 1893, the reverse further inscribed T. FITZSIMMONS, WINNERS The first pieces of silverware to be put in the Newton Heath trophy cabinet was the Manchester Cup in 1886. When they won the Cup again in 1893 it was their fifth victory in the competition. 1892-93 was also Hewton Heath’s first season in the Football League Division One. They avoided relegation by beating Small Heath [Birmingham] in a play-off ‘Test Match’. Fitzsimmons, having joined the club in November, scored 5 League goals during the campaign. Thomas Fitzsimmons was a Scot born at Annbank in south Ayrshire 21st October 1870. He was an outside-right and was one of several players on trial at Celtic who were seeking a replacement for Celtic’s first ever goalscorer Neil McCallum. He was till a trialist when he made his League debut v Rangers at Ibrox on 24th September 1892. As such, this makes Fitzsimmons the only player in Celtic history to debut for the club in an ‘Old Firm’ fixture. This proved to be his only appearance for the Bhoys, although some records would suggest he played in a Glasgow Cup game before his League debut v Pollokshaws Athletic 17th September. A couple of months later he transferred to Newton Heath making his debut v Aston Villa 19th November at North Road, scoring in the 2-0 win. In all he made 30 competitive starts and scored 6 goals. In June 1894 Tommy Fitzsimmons returned to Scotland to play for his local team Annbank FC. Thomas’s brother David also played for Newton Heath. |
| Sold for£15000 |
Second auction (2021)
https://bidlive.grahambuddauctions.co.uk/auctions/7924/srgrah10030/lot-details/cc7d426e-4ab5-4a30-8c66-ad8b00d72182
The earliest Manchester United [Newton Heath] football medal ever to have been offered at auction: the Manchester Senior Cup winner’s medal awarded to Thomas Fitzsimmons in 1893,
a 9ct. gold & enamel medal with a design based on the Coats of Arms of Manchester with a panelled football replacing the terrestrial globe, inscribed M.D.F.A., SENIOR, 1893, the reverse further inscribed T. FITZSIMMONS, WINNERS, hallmarked 9ct .375 Birmingham 1892 by James Fenton & Co, 38 by 28mm, weight 15gr., bears surface wear with minor blue enamel losses
In the 1892-93 Manchester Senior Cup Final Newton Heath beat Bolton Wanderers 2-1 at Hyde Road on 15th April. Newton Heath had progressed to the final with victories over West Manchester and Bury. Fitzsimmons scored four goals during the competition.
1892-93 was also Newton Heath’s first season in the Football League Division One. They avoided relegation by beating Small Heath [Birmingham] in a play-off ‘Test Match’. Fitzsimmons, having joined the club in November, scored 5 League goals during the campaign.
Thomas Fitzsimmons was a Scot born at Annbank in south Ayrshire 21st October 1870. He was an outside-right and was one of several players on trial at Celtic who were seeking a replacement for Celtic’s first ever goalscorer Neil McCallum. He was till a trialist when he made his League debut v Rangers at Ibrox on 24th September 1892. As such, this makes Fitzsimmons the only player in Celtic history to debut for the club in an ‘Old Firm’ fixture. This proved to be his only appearance for the Bhoys, although some records would suggest he played in a Glasgow Cup game before his League debut v Pollokshaws Athletic 17th September.
A couple of months later he transferred to Newton Heath making his debut v Aston Villa 19th November at North Road, scoring in the 2-0 win. In all he made 30 competitive starts and scored 6 goals. In June 1894 Tommy Fitzsimmons returned to Scotland to play for his local team Annbank FC.
Thomas’s brother David also played for Newton Heath.
By October 1892 he’s been sent away his holidays and by November he’s kicking a baw in Manchester.
Manchester United: Winner’s medal sold at auction for £24,100
9th September 2021
By Stuart Reid
@Stuartreid_17
https://www.ayradvertiser.com/news/19569096.manchester-united-winners-medal-sold-auction-24-100/
A Manchester United winner’s medal awarded to a man from Annbank has sold at auction for £24,100.
Thomas Fitzsimmons played for Manchester United, who were known as Newton Heath at the time, between 1892 and 1894 after leaving Celtic – however, he only made one appearance for the Glasgow club, against Rangers.
Born in Annbank on October 21, 1870, Fitzsimmons was awarded the medal for winning the Manchester Senior Cup in 1893, when Newton Heath beat Bolton Wanderers 2-1 in the final.
Fitzsimmons played a major part in the success, scoring four goals during the competition, and it was also Newton Heath’s first season in the Football League Division One.
In total, he made 30 competitive starts and scored six goals during his two-year spell in Manchester.
In June 1894 Tommy Fitzsimmons returned to Scotland to play for his local team Annbank FC.
The medal was the earliest Manchester United [Newton Heath] football medal ever to have been offered at auction, and was sold to a private collector.
It went on auction at Graham Budd Auctions, with an opening bid of £12,000.
Tommy FITZSIMMONS
https://www.united.no/spillere/tommy-fitzsimmons/
Inner-left Full name: Thomas Fitzsimmons Born: 21 Oct. 1870, in Annbank, Scotland Nationality: Scotland Height: 173 cm From: Annbank, Nov. 1892 Debut: Div. 1, 19 Nov. 1892; Aston Villa (h) 2-0 (1 goal) Last match: Div. 1, 25 Nov. 1893; Sheffield U (b) 1-3 To: Annbank, June 1894 After Heathens: Annbank, St. Mirren, Glossop, Oldham County, Wigan County, misc. amateur clubs Scottish striker who in the early 1890s spent a year and a half at Newton Heath. In September 1892, Tommy Fitzsimmons had attempted a trial at Celtic, but when he was not offered a contract he soon returned to his hometown Annbank FC. Already in November, however, he was on the move again, this time heading for Manchester and the new league club Newton Heath. Scoring on debut Here he immediately got the chance at the expense of his compatriot Adam Carson, and responded to the vote of confidence by scoring one of the goals when Aston Villa were beaten 2-0 in front of 7,000 spectators at home at North Road. The new man then kept his place throughout the remainder of the season. Among other things, he was in place in the last game of the season when the Heathens secured their continued 1st division contract after 5-2 over Birmingham in the decisive Test match [play-off] at Sheffield United’s Bramall Lane. Lost the place and went home If Fitzsimmons’ first season as a Heathen must be described as a success, the same cannot be said of his second. He then lost his place after nine league rounds and spent the rest of the season on the club’s reserve team. This led him the following summer to choose to abandon the sinking ship [Newton Heath relegated] and return to Annbank. Revenge against the Heathens A year later the trip went back to Manchester, for games in small Fairfield, where he certainly enjoyed helping to defeat Newton Heath 5-2 in the Manchester Senior Cup. When Fairfield disbanded in October 1897, Fitzsimmons was suddenly without a club. Then he was snapped up by Lancashire League club Oldham County and thought the problem was solved. However, after two matches, and less than a month after his arrival, he discovered to his dismay that his new club was also disbanded! Fraternal reunion The solution came in the form of an offer from neighboring club Wigan County, who paid £25 for a package which, in addition to Tommy Fitzsimmons, also included his younger brother, David, also a former Newton Heath player. The two played together for one season for Wigan before the latter returned to the Heathens. Tommy Fitzsimmons, on the other hand, went home to Scotland, this time to stay.