Tommy Tynan
An Idol at Home Park
| Full name: | Thomas Tynan |
|---|---|
| Date of birth: | November 17, 1955 |
| Clubs played for: | Liverpool, Swansea, Sheffield Wednesday, Lincoln, Newport, Plymouth, Rotherham, Torquay, Doncaster |
Club Career
A consistent goalscorer thought his career, Tommy Tynan enjoyed two long spells at Argyle which secured his cult status at Home Park. He was also a member of the side which reached the FA Cup semi-finals in 1984. Tynan was the first football reality star, signing for Liverpool after winning a talent contest run by the Liverpool Echo but he never made a league appearance, although he did score in Ron Yeats' testimonial.
He left to join Sheffield Wednesday but really thrived in more humble surroundings, including Newport, Torquay and especially Plymouth.
In 1985, he finished as the Football League's joint top scorer with 31 goals, before heading to Rotherham. Loaned back to Plymouth because he had fallen out with Millers boss Norman Hunter, Tynan smashed 10 goals in nine games as the Pilgrims made it into the Second Division in 1986.
Club Stats
| Years | Clubs | App | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971-76 | Liverpool | 0 | 0 |
| 1975 | Swansea (loan) | 6 | 6 |
| 1976-78 | Sheffield Wednesday | 91 | 31 |
| 1978 | Lincoln | 9 | 1 |
| 1978-83 | Newport | 183 | 66 |
| 1983-85 | Plymouth | 80 | 43 |
| 1985-86 | Rotherham | 32 | 13 |
| 1986-90 | Plymouth | 182 | 83 |
| 1990-91 | Torquay | 35 | 13 |
| 1991-92 | Doncaster | 11 | 1 |
Key Games
Carl Zeiss Jena 2-2 Newport (European Cup-Winners’ Cup quarter-final 1st leg, March 4, 1981)
Having won the Welsh Cup the previous season, Newport qualified for the Cup-Winners’ Cup and enjoyed an amazing run to the quarter-finals, where they faced the little-known Carl Zeiss Jena. In the first leg in East Germany, Newport grabbed an impressive 2-2 draw, with Tynan scoring both goals, the second coming in the 90th minute. However, despite dominating the home leg, Newport lost 0-1 in front of 18,000 fans at Somerton Park.
Plymouth 1-0 West Brom (FA Cup 5th round, February 18, 1984)
Only 24 hours after coming off the transfer list, Tynan knocked top-flight West Brom out of the Cup with a 58th minute strike. Argyle would go on to beat Derby in the quarter-finals but lose 1-0 to Watford in the semi-final.
Plymouth 4-3 Blackburn (Second Division, November 5, 1988)
With Argyle struggling at the bottom of the table, Tynan provided the Bonfire Night fireworks, scoring all four goals against Don Mackay’s Rovers.
Did You Know...?
A 1991 Torquay bonding trip went awry when Tynan was punched in the eye by his captain Wes Saunders. Tynan responded by hitting the skipper with a kettle.
Steve Bruce once broke his leg attempting to foul Tynan. Bruce, then a Gillingham youngster, tried a sliding challenge as revenge for an off-the-ball incident but ended up on the business end of Tynan’s studs.
Author Ryan Danes decided to write Tynan's autobiography, The Original Football Idol, after cabbie Tynan drove him home in his taxi!
We want your help to grow the MirrorFootball.co.uk archive! Leave your comments about this piece of football history by clicking on the 'Your Memories' tab above. Tell us who or what you'd like to see covered in the MirrorFootball.co.uk archive by emailing archive@mirror.co.uk
(PDF2.5MB)
