A rather sad story from the Salford City Reporter 100 years ago tells the tale of 39-year-old Tom Williams, who died in a military hospital in Alexandria, Egypt.
Williams is best remembered as the former captain of Salford Football Club (1914) – now Salford Red Devils.
Before coming to Salford he had been capped by the Welsh international team and later secured county honours with Lancashire.
In September 1914 Cardiff-born Williams enlisted as a Private with the Duke of Lancaster’s Own Yeomanry to serve in the First World War as a sapper, or combat engineer.
Williams had retired from the game by this point, and before he left for the Western Front was working as a checker on Salford Docks – now Salford Quays.
Sailing to Egypt in preparation for the Gallipolli offensive, Williams would serve just over 12 months before contracting enteric fever – now known as the bacterial infection typhoid.
Back at home on Clement Street in Lower Broughton he left behind his widow, Caroline Elizabeth Hancock (formerly Williams), and his five children.
Tom’s star had started to shine when he joined Salford rugby club at their New Barnes ground at the beginning of September 1897.
He scored a try on his debut in the opening match of the season against Wigan and proved a popular player, scoring 38 tries and 17 conversions in his first season, being promoted to captain in 1898.
Under his leadership the club went on to bigger and better things: seeing cup finals in 1900 against Swinton and 1902 versus Broughton Rangers.
Sadly his career was blighted by injuries: he suffered from water on the knee and had to undergo surgery to remove a cartilage which helped bring down the curtain on his career, however he did play for a short while with Swinton.
Tom retired from the game and like so many sportsmen he took over a pub, the Park Inn on Tatton Street which he ran for several years.
He was not the only Salford sportsman to join up and sacrifice his life for his country.
According the Salford War Memorials Society, 32 players from Salford volunteered to serve during the Great War, of which 7 died: Jimmy Cook, E Brown, Fred Hope, Dave Preston, George Thom, and N Shaw.
Williams remains a legendary figure in the club’s history and is buried at the Alexandria Military Cemetery in Chatby, Egypt.
