Tommy Caton
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Thomas Stephen Caton | ||
| Date of birth | 6 October 1962 | ||
| Place of birth | Kirkby, England | ||
| Date of death | 30 April 1993 (aged 30) | ||
| Place of death | Oxfordshire, England | ||
| Playing position | Central defender | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1979–1983 | Manchester City | 165 | (8) |
| 1983–1987 | Arsenal | 81 | (2) |
| 1987–1988 | Oxford United | 53 | (3) |
| 1988–1991 | Charlton Athletic | 57 | (5) |
| Total | 356 | (18) | |
| National team | |||
| 1981–1984 | England U21 | 14 | (0) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
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Thomas Stephen "Tommy" Caton (6 October 1962 – 30 April 1993) was an English footballer who played as a centre half for Manchester City, Arsenal, Oxford United and Charlton Athletic. Caton captained both Manchester City and Oxford United and was named as City's Player of the Year in 1982.
He made 14 appearances for the England under-21 team.
Born in Kirkby, Lancashire, Caton was a centre half who played for and captained England schoolboys before signing for Manchester City as an apprentice in 1978. He made his debut on 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. 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 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 goals during his spell at Maine Road, the first one coming in a 1–1 draw at Nottingham Forest on 13 March 1982, and he also scored two goals in one game against Arsenal on 4 December 1982. He scored his final City goal at Gay Meadow, home of Shrewsbury Town in a 3–1 City win on 5 November 1983.
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