West Tom

Thomas West

Position: Wing

Born: in Twerton, Bath

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Education:

Achievements: Bath Captain 1907/08

Honours: Somerset

Debut game: 26th September 1903 v Taunton

Final game: 10th October 1908 v London Devonians

Number of Appearances: 90

Career details: It was in the defunct Oldfield Park Club that he first played Rugby, and from there he came into the Bath XV. He was a wing three-quarter, extremely fast, and as a sprinter, had won several prizes on the running track. In 1907-8 season he was captain of the Bath 1^st XV.

He played in the inaugural Somerset Cup Final against Bridgwater Albion on 23^rd March1907, which was never forgotten by those who witnessed the game. Towards the end West seemed to be winning the game for Bath. Centre Dick Meister (who also became a soldier), got away with the ball and passed to West on the right wing, and he looked certain use his superior speed to score. As players ran across to try to cut him off, he made a mistake in dodging inside and was caught in possession. In the first half of extra time, the Albion scored and Bath lost by a goal. There was a protest to the R.F.U. regarding the extra time played in near darkness, and the allegedly unjust sending off of a Bath player in the first ten minutes. All to no avail.

West made several appearances for Somerset, but in 1908 left the amateur game to play for the Northern Union to distinguish himself with Rochdale Hornets, who went on to win the Northern Union Cup. He threw in a good job with the Rochdale Corporation Electricity Works to join the Rifle Corps.

Rifleman Tom West, of “A” Company 10^th Battalion King’s Royal Rifle Corps was killed in action on the morning of Wednesday September 29^th.1915