Tommy Spurr

Thomas Spurr (born 30 September 1987) is an English former professional footballer who played as a defender for Sheffield Wednesday, Doncaster Rovers, Blackburn Rovers, Preston North End and a loan spell with Fleetwood Town.

Tommy Spurr

Spurr with Preston North End in 2016
Personal information
Full name	Thomas Spurr[1]
Date of birth	(1987-09-30) 30 September 1987 (age 37)
Place of birth	Leeds, England
Position(s)	Defender
Youth career
2004–2005	Sheffield Wednesday
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2005–2011	Sheffield Wednesday	192	(5)
2011–2013	Doncaster Rovers	65	(1)
2013–2016	Blackburn Rovers	78	(3)
2016–2019	Preston North End	23	(1)
2018–2019	→ Fleetwood Town (loan)	4	(0)
Total		362	(10)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Career

Sheffield Wednesday

Spurr was born in Leeds, West Yorkshire, where he played for Seacroft Colts AFC as a child. He joined Sheffield Wednesday at a young age and worked his way up through the academy before signing for them full-time in 2004 and in his first season established himself in the reserves and won a place on the bench for the first team. He was named Academy Player of the Year in the 2004–05 season and made his first team debut against Reading on 22 April 2006. He was awarded Sponsor's Man of the Match for his performance in the game.

The 2006–07 season saw Spurr hold down a regular place in the starting eleven at left back ahead of the more experienced Peter Gilbert and John Hills. In December 2006, Spurr was given a new two-and-a-half-year contract which took his contract up until the summer of 2009.

Spurr scored his first goal for Sheffield Wednesday against Charlton Athletic on 25 August 2007 in a 3–2 defeat. He scored his second career goal and first Hillsborough goal on 14 April 2008 against Plymouth Argyle. It proved to be the equaliser in what was a crunch game for Sheffield Wednesday and was voted Sky Sports Championship Goal of the Season.^{[citation needed]}

In December 2007 Championship rivals Queens Park Rangers made an offer for Spurr. It was turned down, however, as he was described as a 'top asset in the playing squad.'^[2] Later in the month Queens Park Rangers made an improved offer which was also rejected by Sheffield Wednesday.

Spurr scored his third goal for Wednesday against Watford in a 2–0 win at Hillsborough on 13 September 2008. Despite playing at centre back for the game due to an injury sustained by Mark Beevers, Spurr found himself 50 yards out on the left wing and played a give and go with Etiënne Esajas, before sliding the ball right footed past Mart Poom from 8 yards.

Spurr scored another eye-catching goal from 25 yards in a 2–1 defeat against Fulham in the FA Cup 3rd Round on 3 January 2009.^[3][4] During the 7 February 2009 Steel City derby Spurr scored his fourth league goal for the club from a Michael Gray cross just 45 seconds into the game.^[5]

Spurr was handed the team's captaincy in the game on 21 February 2009 against Crystal Palace, in the absence of team captain Richard Wood. In September, he signed a three-year contract extension. However Sheffield Wednesday were relegated from the Championship on the final day of the season against Crystal Palace. After staying with the club in League One, Spurr found himself out of favour when manager Gary Megson took over the club.

Doncaster Rovers

In June 2011, it was reported that Sheffield Wednesday had accepted an undisclosed fee said to be around the £200,000 area from Doncaster Rovers for the services of Spurr.^[6] He signed for Doncaster Rovers on 28 June 2011. When fit, Spurr was a regular starter at left back for Doncaster.^[7]

Blackburn Rovers

Spurr's Doncaster contract expired in June 2013. Despite lengthy talks, no new contract was agreed, and only a few days before the start of the new season, he signed a two-year deal with Blackburn Rovers,^[8] replacing regular left-back Martin Olsson who had departed for Norwich City of the Premier League.^[9] He went straight into the starting eleven for Blackburn's opening-day draw at Derby County. On 10 August 2013, he started and played the full 90 minutes in a 1–0 defeat against Nottingham Forest at Ewood Park.^[10] On 7 May 2014, Spurr signed a new two-year contract with Rovers.^[11]

Preston North End

On 28 June 2016, Spurr signed a three-year deal with Preston North End on a free transfer after the expiry of his contract.^[12] He was signed as left-back, moving to centre-half for his second season at the club but an injury early in the season limited his appearances. Spurr joined Fleetwood Town on loan for the 2018–19 season.^[13] After a short spell with The Cod Army, he was sent back to Preston after suffering a serious injury.^[14]

He was released by Preston at the end of the 2018–19 season. Spurr announced his retirement from professional football due to injury on 10 June 2019.^[15]

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			FA Cup		League Cup		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Sheffield Wednesday	2005–06[16]	Championship	2	0	0	0	0	0	—		2	0
	2006–07[17]	Championship	36	0	2	0	1	0	—		39	0
	2007–08[18]	Championship	41	2	2	0	2	0	—		45	2
	2008–09[19]	Championship	41	2	1	1	1	0	—		43	3
	2009–10[20]	Championship	46	1	1	0	2	0	—		49	1
	2010–11[21]	League One	26	0	4	1	1	0	2[a]	0	33	1
	Total		192	5	10	2	7	0	2	0	211	7
Doncaster Rovers	2011–12[22]	Championship	19	0	0	0	2	0	—		21	0
	2012–13[23]	League One	46	1	2	0	3	0	1[b]	0	52	1
	Total		65	1	2	0	5	0	1	0	73	1
Blackburn Rovers	2013–14[24]	Championship	43	3	2	0	0	0	—		45	3
	2014–15[25]	Championship	12	0	1	0	0	0	—		13	0
	2015–16[26]	Championship	23	0	2	0	1	0	—		26	0
	Total		78	3	5	0	1	0	—		84	3
Preston North End	2016–17[27]	Championship	18	1	0	0	2	0	—		20	1
	2017–18[28]	Championship	5	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	5	0
	Total		23	1	0	0	2	0	0	0	25	1
Fleetwood Town	2018–19[29]	League One	4	0	0	0	2	0	1[b]	0	7	0
Career total			362	10	17	2	17	0	4	0	400	12

1. Appearances in League One play-offs
2. Appearance(s) in Football League Trophy

Honours

Doncaster Rovers

• League One: 2012–13

References

1. "Professional retain list & free transfers 2012/13" (PDF). The Football League. 18 May 2013. p. 82. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 August 2014. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
2. "Owls turn down bids for duo". Sky Sports. 19 December 2007. Retrieved 6 February 2008.
3. "Sheff Wed 1-2 Fulham". BBC Sport. 3 January 2009. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
4. Rich, Tim (4 January 2009). "Fulham cast fragility aside to sink brave Wednesday". The Observer. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
5. Marcus Tudgay seals Sheffield Wednesday's derby glory with his best-ever goal – Telegraph New
6. Door closed on loan duo as Owls defender heads to Rovers Yorkshire Post, 17 June 2011
7. Doncaster Rovers sign Sheffield Wednesday's Tommy Spurr BBC Sport, 28 June 2011
8. "Doncaster Rovers: Spurr seals Blackburn switch". Doncaster Free Press. 1 August 2013. Archived from the original on 2 November 2013. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
9. "Blackburn Rovers holding Spurr talks". Lancashire Telegraph. 31 July 2013. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
10. Cryer, Andy (4 August 2013). "Derby 1–1 Blackburn". BBC Sport. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
11. "Spurr extends Ewood stay". Blackburn Rovers FC. 7 May 2014. Archived from the original on 7 May 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
12. "Tommy Spurr: Preston North End sign Blackburn Rovers defender". BBC Sport. 27 June 2016. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
13. Seddon, Dave (28 June 2018). "Tommy Spurr hopes to get back on track after leaving Preston for Fleetwood". Lancashire Evening Post. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
14. Swarbrick, Rosie (17 November 2018). "Fleetwood Town boss doesn't expect a Highbury return for Preston North End loanee". Fleetwood Weekly News. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
15. "Preston North End: Championship club release six players at end of season". BBC Sport. 9 May 2019. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
16. "Games played by Tommy Spurr in 2005/2006". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
17. "Games played by Tommy Spurr in 2006/2007". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
18. "Games played by Tommy Spurr in 2007/2008". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
19. "Games played by Tommy Spurr in 2008/2009". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
20. "Games played by Tommy Spurr in 2009/2010". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
21. "Games played by Tommy Spurr in 2010/2011". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
22. "Games played by Tommy Spurr in 2011/2012". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
23. "Games played by Tommy Spurr in 2012/2013". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
24. "Games played by Tommy Spurr in 2013/2014". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
25. "Games played by Tommy Spurr in 2014/2015". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
26. "Games played by Tommy Spurr in 2015/2016". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
27. "Games played by Tommy Spurr in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
28. "Games played by Tommy Spurr in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
29. "Games played by Tommy Spurr in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 27 January 2021.

External links

• Tommy Spurr player profile at swfc.co.uk
• Tommy Spurr at Soccerbase
• Tommy Spurr at ESPN FC