| Bth | 16/06/1871 | Kilmarnock | Scotland |
| P/H/W | Forward | 5ft 9in | |
| Jnd | cs/91 (20) | Lanemark | |
| Deb | 19/09/91 (20) | Darlington (A) | NL |
| Dep | 21/02/95 (23) | Blyth | |
| A/G | 69 | 20 |
| Season | App | Gls | Posn |
| 1891/92 | 19 | 03 | |
| 1892/93 | 09 | 02 | |
| 1893/94 | 30 | 13 | 8,10,7,11,4 |
| 1894/95 | 11 | 02 | 9,7,8,10,4 |
Tom Crate migrated South from Scotland whilst the club was still called East End and played in Byker. He stayed for almost four seasons.
A dashy forward, he was used right across the front line and occasionally at half-back too. Quick on the ball, Tom played with swiftness and unflagging energy.
Crate took part in the club’s first match in the FA Cup Proper, their first match at St James’ and their first match in the Football League in 1893/94. He was also credited in some reports as scoring the club’s first goal in the League.
In 1892/93 he was suspended for a month for playing in Scotland during the summer.
In United’s first season in the League he played in every game and scored 12/13 goals.
In the following campaign “Tam” was unlucky with injuries. He was taken off after suffering a bad injury in the home game against Grimsby in September, but returned with his head patched up with sticking plaster. And in October he was injured again in an accident whilst training, putting him “hors de combat” for some time.
After getting involved in a dispute over wages Tom was transferred to Blyth, along with McKane, in February 1895.
The portrait is a digital design which will assist in painting the player as part of the nufc collection ‘Men in Stripes’ and is copyright Piotr Jozefowicz.
The other image is a digitally enhanced version of a section of a contemporary team picture.