Classic Arsenal Player Profile - Part 8 - Tommy Caton
THE BOY WONDER WITH A SAD ENDING
THEY SAY TIMING is everything. Well for poor Tommy Caton he could certainly not have joined Arsenal at a worse time.
Having signed for the club earlier that day, saying he was looking for stability in his career following a series of managerial changes at Manchester City, Caton was watching from the stands as Division Three side Walsall beat Arsenal 2-1 at Highbury in the League Cup in November 1983.
He was then thrown straight in at the deep end the following weekend, making his debut in another home defeat against West Bromwich Albion. After the game there were mass fan protests outside the Main Stand with shouts of 'Neill out'.
So much for stability then. Within a week Arsenal manager Terry Neill, the target of that vitriol, had been sacked and Caton must have been wondering what an earth he'd let himself for.
After such a difficult start to life at Highbury it was no surprise therefore that his four year stay in North London was anything other than an anti-climax.
But that was not always the case for wonder kid Caton.
Thomas Stephen Caton was born on 6 October 1962 in Kirkby, Merseyside, and he played for and captained England Schoolboys before signing as an apprentice for Manchester City in 1978.
In a promising youth career at the club Caton played in the FA Youth Cup finals with City in both 1979 and 1980, although the team would lose both to Millwall and Aston Villa respectively.
Caton, a tall, elegant central defender with a shock of curly blonde hair, made his first team debut on the opening day of the 1979/80 season against Crystal Palace aged just 16, as manager Malcolm Allison put his faith in youth, but despite his tender years he soon became a regular in the side.
Caton played in the 1981 FA Cup final against Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley while still just 18, although he would pick up another runners up medal as Spurs won 3-2 in a replay.
On 6 March 1982, Caton made his 100th league appearance for City, and at the age of just 19 years and five months he was the youngest player ever to reach that milestone in the history of the Football League. Caton also won the City Player of the Year award for the 1981/82 season.
Caton scored his first goal for the club on 13 March 1982 against Nottingham Forest and he scored twice in a 3-0 win over future club Arsenal in December of that year. Perhaps it was this performance that alerted him to Neill.
At the end of the 1982/83 season City was relegated to Division Two after a final day defeat against Luton Town, who stayed up instead. Caton made it clear he did not want to play in the lower division and handed in a transfer request.
He began the 1983/84 season still at City in Division Two but he finally got his move in November 1983 when a £500,000 bid from Arsenal was accepted. On the day he signed for the Gunners they lost at home to Walsall in the League Cup. Omens perhaps.
In total Caton had made 198 appearances for City, scoring 8 goals.
Despite the upheaval at Arsenal at the time, including Neill being replaced by Don Howe as manager within two weeks, Caton, still only 21, was a regular at the heart of Arsenal's defence alongside David O'Leary for the next two years, hardly missing a match.
Caton scored his first goal for the club on 9 October 1984 in a League Cup tie at Bristol Rovers, although these days it would probably have been awarded as an own goal off the back of the Rovers goalkeeper, and the following week he opened his league account in a home win over Sunderland. There was no doubt that this one was his, a powerful header from a Graham Rix cross.
However it was not the greatest period in Arsenal's history and Caton was unable to recapture the form he had shown in his early days at City. Capped 14 times for the U21 side, Caton never received a full England call up.
Following a poor run of results in the first half of the 1985/86 season, Caton lost his place in the side to the young Martin Keown following a 3-0 defeat at Southampton in December 1985, and he never played for the club again.
The arrival of new manager George Graham in the summer of 1986 signaled the end for Caton as the Scot instead preferred 19 year old Tony Adams to replace the now departed Keown, Caton this time on the wrong end of a manager putting faith in youth.
Although out of favour, Caton did not immediately leave the club and it was not until February 1987 that he finally joined Oxford United for a cut price fee of £160,000.
In the end Caton had appeared 95 times for Arsenal, scoring three goals.
Caton was installed as captain at the Manor Ground but he could not prevent Oxford from relegation at the end of the 1987/88 season, and in November 1988 he returned to London to sign for Charlton Athletic for £100,000.
For the third time in his career Caton suffered relegation as the Addicts dropped into the Second Division at the end of the 1989/90 season but Caton remained at the Valley.
However, the defender picked up a serious ankle injury in January 1991 which ultimately ended his career.
Despite working hard to regain fitness, Caton was forced to retire in March 1993 at the age of 30, and just over a month later the world of football was shocked to hear that he had died suddenly of a heart attack at his home in Oxford. Caton left behind wife Gill and three children.
I have to admit I was sadly never one of Tommy's biggest fans during his time at Highbury. I initially thought he was a good signing for the club as I remember him being a decent defender for City. But he never fulfilled that potential with us.
He had perhaps lost his way a little, as can happen with young proteges, and rumour has it he was a big part of Kenny Sansom's drinking club at Highbury which probably did not help his performances on the pitch.
My abiding memories of him in an Arsenal shirt are probably the goal against Sunderland in October 1984, the first scored in front of the new giant screen at Highbury, and of him being unceremoniously taken apart in a 6-1 defeat at Everton the following year. Unfortunately the latter was more typical of his time with us.
So in the end it was a career that never quite lived up to its early promise and a life that was taken far too soon. RIP Tommy Caton.
Coming up next time I look back at a game Caton played in, a League Cup trip to his future club Oxford United in October 1984. I warn you though, read with extreme caution as it was not pretty.
THEY SAY TIMING is everything. Well for poor Tommy Caton he could certainly not have joined Arsenal at a worse time.
Having signed for the club earlier that day, saying he was looking for stability in his career following a series of managerial changes at Manchester City, Caton was watching from the stands as Division Three side Walsall beat Arsenal 2-1 at Highbury in the League Cup in November 1983.
He was then thrown straight in at the deep end the following weekend, making his debut in another home defeat against West Bromwich Albion. After the game there were mass fan protests outside the Main Stand with shouts of 'Neill out'.
After such a difficult start to life at Highbury it was no surprise therefore that his four year stay in North London was anything other than an anti-climax.
But that was not always the case for wonder kid Caton.
Thomas Stephen Caton was born on 6 October 1962 in Kirkby, Merseyside, and he played for and captained England Schoolboys before signing as an apprentice for Manchester City in 1978.
In a promising youth career at the club Caton played in the FA Youth Cup finals with City in both 1979 and 1980, although the team would lose both to Millwall and Aston Villa respectively.
Caton, a tall, elegant central defender with a shock of curly blonde hair, made his first team debut on the opening day of the 1979/80 season against Crystal Palace aged just 16, as manager Malcolm Allison put his faith in youth, but despite his tender years he soon became a regular in the side.
Caton played in the 1981 FA Cup final against Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley while still just 18, although he would pick up another runners up medal as Spurs won 3-2 in a replay.
On 6 March 1982, Caton made his 100th league appearance for City, and at the age of just 19 years and five months he was the youngest player ever to reach that milestone in the history of the Football League. Caton also won the City Player of the Year award for the 1981/82 season.
At the end of the 1982/83 season City was relegated to Division Two after a final day defeat against Luton Town, who stayed up instead. Caton made it clear he did not want to play in the lower division and handed in a transfer request.
He began the 1983/84 season still at City in Division Two but he finally got his move in November 1983 when a £500,000 bid from Arsenal was accepted. On the day he signed for the Gunners they lost at home to Walsall in the League Cup. Omens perhaps.
In total Caton had made 198 appearances for City, scoring 8 goals.
Despite the upheaval at Arsenal at the time, including Neill being replaced by Don Howe as manager within two weeks, Caton, still only 21, was a regular at the heart of Arsenal's defence alongside David O'Leary for the next two years, hardly missing a match.
Caton scored his first goal for the club on 9 October 1984 in a League Cup tie at Bristol Rovers, although these days it would probably have been awarded as an own goal off the back of the Rovers goalkeeper, and the following week he opened his league account in a home win over Sunderland. There was no doubt that this one was his, a powerful header from a Graham Rix cross.
However it was not the greatest period in Arsenal's history and Caton was unable to recapture the form he had shown in his early days at City. Capped 14 times for the U21 side, Caton never received a full England call up.
Following a poor run of results in the first half of the 1985/86 season, Caton lost his place in the side to the young Martin Keown following a 3-0 defeat at Southampton in December 1985, and he never played for the club again.
The arrival of new manager George Graham in the summer of 1986 signaled the end for Caton as the Scot instead preferred 19 year old Tony Adams to replace the now departed Keown, Caton this time on the wrong end of a manager putting faith in youth.
Although out of favour, Caton did not immediately leave the club and it was not until February 1987 that he finally joined Oxford United for a cut price fee of £160,000.
In the end Caton had appeared 95 times for Arsenal, scoring three goals.
Caton was installed as captain at the Manor Ground but he could not prevent Oxford from relegation at the end of the 1987/88 season, and in November 1988 he returned to London to sign for Charlton Athletic for £100,000.
For the third time in his career Caton suffered relegation as the Addicts dropped into the Second Division at the end of the 1989/90 season but Caton remained at the Valley.
However, the defender picked up a serious ankle injury in January 1991 which ultimately ended his career.
Despite working hard to regain fitness, Caton was forced to retire in March 1993 at the age of 30, and just over a month later the world of football was shocked to hear that he had died suddenly of a heart attack at his home in Oxford. Caton left behind wife Gill and three children.
I have to admit I was sadly never one of Tommy's biggest fans during his time at Highbury. I initially thought he was a good signing for the club as I remember him being a decent defender for City. But he never fulfilled that potential with us.
He had perhaps lost his way a little, as can happen with young proteges, and rumour has it he was a big part of Kenny Sansom's drinking club at Highbury which probably did not help his performances on the pitch.
My abiding memories of him in an Arsenal shirt are probably the goal against Sunderland in October 1984, the first scored in front of the new giant screen at Highbury, and of him being unceremoniously taken apart in a 6-1 defeat at Everton the following year. Unfortunately the latter was more typical of his time with us.
So in the end it was a career that never quite lived up to its early promise and a life that was taken far too soon. RIP Tommy Caton.
Coming up next time I look back at a game Caton played in, a League Cup trip to his future club Oxford United in October 1984. I warn you though, read with extreme caution as it was not pretty.
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