Wilf Toman

Infobox Football biography
playername = Wilf Toman


fullname = Wilfred Toman
dateofbirth = 1874
cityofbirth = Bishop Auckland
countryofbirth = England
dateofdeath = 2 May 1917
cityofdeath =
countryofdeath = France
height = height|ft=5|in=8
position = Centre forward
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years =


1896–1899
1899–1900
1900–1901
1901–1904
1904–1905
1905–1906
1906–1907
clubs = Victoria United
Aberdeen Strollers
Dundee
Burnley
Everton
Southampton
Everton
Stockport County
Oldham Athletic
Newcastle United
caps(goals) =


63 (30)
27 0(9)
19 0(7)
02 0(1)
05 0(1) [Football League (1903–04 season) only]

00 0(0)

Wilfred Toman (1874 – 2 May 1917) was an English professional footballer who played as a centre forward for Burnley and Everton around the turn of the twentieth century.

Playing career

Toman was born in Bishop Auckland, England but started his football career in Scotland with Victoria United (Aberdeen), Aberdeen Strollers and Dundee before returning to England to join Burnley in 1896. In his first season at Turf Moor he made eight appearances with four goals as Burnley were relegated to the Second Division. In 1897–98 Burnley easily took the Second Division title with Toman only missing one game and contributing 15 goals (behind Jimmy Ross's 23), plus a further four goals in the end of season play-offs through which Burnley regained their place in the First Division. In their first season back in the top flight, Toman was top scorer with eleven goals as Burnley finished third in the table, although he had moved to Everton before the end of the season.

He remained at Everton until the summer of 1900, making 27 appearances with nine goals before he was enticed to the south coast to join Southampton in the Southern League to replace Roddy McLeod who had departed following the "Saints" defeat in the 1900 FA Cup Final. According to Holley & Chalk, Toman was "rather prone to accidents (but) was a game player who often turned out despite his injuries; his ability was to support other forwards." [cite book | author=Duncan Holley & Gary Chalk | title=The Alphabet of the Saints| publisher= ACL & Polar Publishing | year=1992|pages=pp.334-335| id=ISBN 0-9514862-3-3] Playing alongside former Evertonians Edgar Chadwick and Alf Milward, Toman helped Southampton reclaim the Southern League title before returning to Everton at the end of the season.

He scored in his first match back with Everton before sustaining a serious injury in his second game which effectively ended his career. After spending two and a half years on the sidelines he attempted a comeback with Stockport County before spells with Oldham Athletic and Newcastle United.

After retiring from playing he returned to settle in Scotland in 1909. During the First World War he enlisted in the King's (Liverpool Regiment) and was killed at the Western Front on 2 May 1917.

Honours

;Burnley
*Football League Second Division championship: 1897–98

;Southampton
*Southern League championship: 1900–01

References

External links

* [http://www.evertonfc.com/stats/?mode=player_details&player_id=716 Everton profile]