Tom Allison: Tribute to 'Mr Lothian Thistle', remarkable gentleman who lived the dream with his team for 50 years

Tom Allison. Born: 9 September, 1946, Edinburgh. Died: 2 February, 2023, Edinburgh
Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale chairman Tom Allison lived the dream by taking his his former works team into the Scottish Cup. The Edinburgh side hosted St Mirren in 2017.Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale chairman Tom Allison lived the dream by taking his his former works team into the Scottish Cup. The Edinburgh side hosted St Mirren in 2017.
Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale chairman Tom Allison lived the dream by taking his his former works team into the Scottish Cup. The Edinburgh side hosted St Mirren in 2017.

Scottish football lost one of its most venerable characters when 'Mr Lothian Thistle' Tom Allison, passed away after a period of illness. He was 76. The word always associated with his name is Gentleman, and Tom was one of the finest you could ever meet. Tom was a pioneer who lived the dream of taking a humble works football team, that he founded in 1969, to become one of the best amateur sides in Scotland, and then onwards and upwards again to become an admired semi-professional senior side in the East of Scotland League, from 1995 onwards.

A merger with the Hutchison Vale Boys Club followed in 2009, and the newly created Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale went from strength to strength, winning a string of league titles and trophies and realising Tom's long-held dream of playing in the Scottish Cup and causing a few upsets along the way. One of his proudest days was watching his side entertain St Mirren at Saughton Enclosure in 2017. The year before, they had come within 90 minutes of a fifth round tie with Celtic.

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For one person to drive a football club forward for more than 50 years is a remarkable achievement, and Tom was a remarkable person. Tom was also a lifetime member of the Scottish Football Association, held numerous positions as an administrator with leagues and associations, and was a 'well-kent' face throughout football circles in the country. His passing has prompted overwhelming sadness, because he made such a lasting impression on the hundreds of players who passed through the ranks at Lothian Thistle over half a century and more, and a multitude of friends from rival clubs who viewed him with only respect and admiration.

Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale and St Mirren emerge onto the pitch for their Scottish Cup tie in November 2017. It was one of Tom Allison's proudest moments. Picture: Bruce White / SNSLothian Thistle Hutchison Vale and St Mirren emerge onto the pitch for their Scottish Cup tie in November 2017. It was one of Tom Allison's proudest moments. Picture: Bruce White / SNS
Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale and St Mirren emerge onto the pitch for their Scottish Cup tie in November 2017. It was one of Tom Allison's proudest moments. Picture: Bruce White / SNS

He was not only a gentleman, he was a gentle man – something of a rare breed amid the cut and thrust of our national game. He was kind, good-humoured, polite, and blessed with unwavering integrity. Whatever the result, Tom would be the first to offer a handshake and sincere good wishes to opponents.

There were some thorny moments before the team Tom built blossomed into Lothian Thistle. During his early career in financial services, he had to beg bosses at Lloyds & Scottish, as the firm was then known, to pay for 11 strips and a ball so he could field a works team. Tom was that unsung hero who is the lifeblood of the grass-roots game. He put up the nets, ensured the pitch was lined, filled in the team-sheets, organised training sessions, picked the team, and on occasion even pulled on the boots when required. He wouldn’t be asked to make those reluctant cameos for long though, because the club was going places.

When Tom left Lloyds for a new role with Grant’s furniture store in Edinburgh city centre, he had to reinvent his football team, and using creative licence he opted for the romantic-sounding moniker Lothian Thistle, assembling his new squad from a hotch-potch of Lloyds originals, members of another team (Wardie AFC), and fresh recruits. Under the new name, they quickly gained traction and talent and, under Tom’s management, soon they were soaring up the leagues and becoming a leading light in the Lothian and Edinburgh Amateur Football Association. The team fed off Tom’s enthusiasm, selfless attitude, and warm personality, and the rewards that followed were league championships and historic trophies like the East of Scotland Amateur Cup in 1987. The most coveted prize, the Scottish Amateur Cup alas eluded Lothian, although they did come close, losing to Blantyre in the semi-finals of the 1991 competition.

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As the club grew, so did Tom’s list of responsibilities, so he stepped aside from the manager’s position to concentrate on the role of chairman, and brought in former club captain Willie Darroch to steer the team into the Caledonian League, Scotland’s national amateur set-up. That would prove to be a quick stepping stone to the senior ranks, and Lothian Thistle were admitted into the East of Scotland League for the 1995-96 season. In only their second season at that level, they won the First Division and promotion, and made it a memorable double by beating Whitehill Welfare to lift the East of Scotland Qualifying Cup. More prizes followed and so did a move from their base at Campbell Park to a new home at the capital’s Saughton Enclosure – a coup for Tom and testament to his powers of diplomacy.

A proud day for Tom Allison as Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale become full members of the Scottish FAA proud day for Tom Allison as Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale become full members of the Scottish FA
A proud day for Tom Allison as Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale become full members of the Scottish FA
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Tom had hoped the well-appointed new venue would secure full membership of the SFA, but he had to be patient for that day to arrive. The catalyst proved to be a merger with their neighbours Hutchison Vale, who craved a senior presence, and the amalgamated Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale FC was finally granted member status in 2018. By that time they had made a big impression with their Scottish Cup odysseys – which they earned by virtue of winning three East of Scotland titles between 2014 and 2017. Tom, wearing his trademark waistcoat, could be seen beaming with pride as this success story ran and ran.

It’s no overstatement to say that players joined and stayed with Lothian Thistle for many years purely because of Tom Allison. They attribute the friendships and memories they made to this one very special man. Sadly, Tom’s health and mobility deteriorated in recent years, and his attendance at matches became less frequent. He was also devastated by the loss of his parents, with whom he was very close. For many years Tom, a Rangers season ticket holder, had taken his father William (Bill) to Ibrox, even if his ties with Lothian curtailed the number of visits he was able to make.

Tom grew up in the Craigour area of Edinburgh and attended Liberton Primary and Secondary Schools, before a move across the city to Clermiston. Over the years he was a devoted son, partner, brother and uncle, while his other big passion besides football was the legendary musician Bob Dylan. He would travel the country to see his idol live, and had very few if any gaps in his record collection. Like a rolling stone, he assembled quite the collection of records in football too.

CONTRIBUTED BY COLIN LESLIE

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