Tommy Caton

Who was Tommy Caton?

Thomas Stephen "Tommy" Caton was an English football player.

Born in Kirkby, Liverpool, Caton was a centre half who played for England schoolboys, before signing for Manchester City as an apprentice in 1978. He made his debut on Saturday 18 August 1979 aged 16, and soon became a regular in the City side, playing in the 1981 FA Cup Final, when still only 18 years old, and when team mate Tommy Hutchison put City in the lead it looked as though Caton was on his way to collect a winner's medal, but when Tottenham levelled as a result of Hutchison's own goal, a replay was forced and City lost it 3-2.

He reached 100 First Division games on 6 March 1982, at the age of 19 years and 5 months he was the youngest player in Football League history to achieve this feat. He was also named City's Player of the Year for 1981/82. Caton scored eight times during his spell at Maine Road, the first one coming in a 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest on Saturday 13 March 1982 and he also scored two goals in one game against Arsenal on Saturday 4 December 1982. He scored his final City goal at Gay Meadow, home of Shrewsbury Town in a 3-1 City win on Saturday 5 November 1983.