Where Are They Now – Tommy Grozier

It’s back to the 1920s and 1930s to take a look at the career of Tommy Grozier for the latest chapter in the Where Are They Now series.

TOMMY GROZIER – Born 25th August 1902 Rutherglen, South Lanarkshire, Scotland.

Tommy began his football career with his local junior club Rutherglen Glencairn. He was spotted playing for them by one of Argyle’s Scottish scouts and recommended to long serving manager Bob Jack; he joined the club near the end of the 1927-28 season.
Tommy made his debut on 14th April in a 1-0 home win over Brentford with Fred McKenzie scoring the only goal of the game. He only made one other appearance that season, and only one the following one as well.
With Fred Forbes, Sammy Black, Jack Leslie and Raymond Bowden all prolific scorers the young right winger didn’t find it easy to break into the first team.

Fred Forbes left for Bristol Rovers at the end of the 1928-29 season and it gave Tommy the opportunity he was looking for. He scored his first goal for the club in a 2-1 win at Swindon; he got the first, with future England international Ray Bowden getting the winner. Tommy proved it was no fluke when he scored in the next game as well, a 3-0 win at Home Park over Gillingham with John Pullen getting the first and Tommy and Ray both scoring again.
His next goal came in a 6-1 hammering of Luton with goals from Jack Vidler (2), Tommy, Frank Sloan, Ray Bowden and Sammy Black sending the Hatters home well beaten.

His next goals also came in a 6-1 home win, this time Crystal Palace were the victims of the Argyle strike force. Tommy scored four of the goals with Norman Mackay and Jack Vidler scoring the others. Norman Mackay, Tommy and Jack Leslie were all on target in a comfortable 3-0 win at home to Bristol Rovers.
Tommy’s next goal came in a 1-0 win at home to Northampton and in the next home game he again scored the only goal of the game in a 1-0 win over Southend. He then scored the first goal in a 2-1 win at QPR with Sammy Black scoring the second.
At the end of March Argyle went to Walsall and won 3-1 with goals from Tommy, Ray Bowden and Sammy Black securing the points.

On 21st April Argyle beat Newport 2-0 away with Sammy Black scoring both goals, with three games still to play Argyle were crowned champions. In the final away game in Division 3 South Tommy scored his thirteenth goal of the season in a 2-1 win at Norwich with John Pullen also scoring.

1930-31 saw Argyle playing in the second tier of English football for the first time in their history. They opened the season at home to Everton watched by a crowd of 34,236, goals from Tommy and Jack Leslie couldn’t stop the Merseysiders winning 3-2.
Their first win in Division 2 came in the next home game, an easy 4-0 win over Barnsley with Sammy Black (2), Tommy and Alf Matthews doing the damage. Tommy also scored in Argyle’s first away win, at the end of September they went to West Brom and won 2-1, goals from Jack Vidler and Tommy securing the points.

The next home game also ended in a 2-1 win, this time over Port Vale with Tommy and Jack scoring again. After a run of poor results Spurs must have travelled to Home Park expecting an easy game, goals from Tommy and Sammy Black saw Argyle 2-0 winners in front of a crowd of 24,549.
In the next home game Wolves were beaten 3-2 with Tommy scoring twice after Ray Bowden had opened the scoring. After beating Barnsley 4-0 at home earlier in the season Argyle travelled to Oakwell on New Year’s Day with the same result, Tony Bird (2), John Pullen and Tommy were the goalscorers.
Two days later Bury came to Home Park and won 6-3 with Tommy, an own goal and Ray Bowden scoring for the Greens. In the next league game Argyle drew 3-3 at Southampton, goals from Ray Bowden (2) and Tommy ensuring they came home with a point.
Tommy’s next goal came in a 3-1 win at Charlton, after Ray Bowden scored the first, goals from Tony Bird and Tommy saw both points went to Argyle.
After scoring in the first game of the season Tommy finished it in style with a hat trick in a 5-3 home win over Bristol City with Sammy Black and Alec Hardie also on the scoresheet.

As far as goalscoring went 1931-32 was relatively quiet for Tommy although he set up many of the 65 goals Jack Vidler, Sammy Black, Jack Leslie and Ray Bowden scored between them.
His first was at home to Notts County in a 4-3 defeat when he scored in between goals from Sammy Black and Jack Leslie.
The following Saturday they played the other Nottingham club and easily beat Forest 5-1 with four goals from Jack Leslie doing most of the damage, Tommy scoring the other goal.
In the next home game newly relegated Manchester United came to Home Park and were beaten 3-1 with goals from Joe Mantle, Ray Bowden and Tommy sending the crowd of 22,555 home happy.
Tommy’s next goal also came against Manchester United at Home Park, this time in the FA Cup third round, proving the league game was no fluke Argyle won 4-1 with goals from Tommy (2), Jack Vidler and John Pullen setting up a clash with the mighty Arsenal.
Tommy’s other goal that season came in a comfortable 4-0 win at home to Burnley; he scored the first with Harry Roberts, Jack Vidler and George Reed also scoring. Argyle finished the season in fourth, still their highest finish to date.

Tommy started 1932-33 in fine form, scoring seven goals in the first twelve matches. He scored his first in the opening home game of the season in a 4-0 win over Grimsby, with Sammy Black (2) and Jack Leslie also scoring.
He scored in four successive games, starting with the second goal in a 3-2 win at Grimsby with Harry Roberts and Sammy Black also scoring. He then scored in a 1-1 draw at Burnley.
In the next home game a 3-2 win over Bradford Park Avenue, he scored the third after Jack Leslie and Harry Roberts had scored the first two.
Argyle then went to Swansea and won 1-0 with Tommy scoring the only goal of the game. After not scoring in the next game he scored in a 6-1 win at home to Charlton with Sammy Black (3), Tommy, Ray Bowden and Jack Vidler all scoring.
At the end of October Tommy got the Argyle goal in a 1-1 draw at Chesterfield.
His next goal came on New Year’s Eve in a 2-1 win at home to Oldham with Sammy Black scoring the second goal. After easily beating Charlton at Home Park they went to the Valley and were beaten 4-1 with Tommy scoring the consolation goal.

In early March Argyle won 3-2 at Bradford City with Tommy, Harry Roberts and Tony Bird scoring, the following Saturday he scored the only goal in a 1-0 home win over Chesterfield. His last goal came in the last game of the season in a 4-1 home win over West Ham, goals from Eugene Melaniphy, Tommy, Jack Leslie and an own goal finishing the season on a high.

Argyle started the 1933-34 season with a bang, scoring four goals in the first two games, both at home. After beating Manchester United 4-0 on the opening day they drew 4-4 with West Ham the following Wednesday Jimmy Cookson (2), Tommy and Sammy Black scoring for Argyle.
His next goal came the following Monday when Argyle were beaten 5-1 at West Ham, two days after playing at Bolton. Too many long coach journeys in too short a time.
Tommy’s next came when he scored the first goal in a 4-0 win over Fulham at Home Park with Jimmy Cookson (2) and Sammy Black also on the scoresheet.
He again scored the first goal, this time in a 3-0 home win over Port Vale, with Sammy Black and Jimmy Cookson also scoring. Jimmy and Tommy teamed up again when they got the goals that beat Bolton 3-0 at home with Jimmy scoring twice. Another 3-0 home win saw the same two on the scoresheet in a home win over Lincoln after Frank Sloan had scored the opening goal.

1934-35 saw Tommy continuing to score goals, he scored his first in a 2-1 win at Sheffield United, he scored the winner after Eugene Melaniphy had scored the first. The same pair scored again in the next game, a 3-1 win at home to Bradford City after Jack Vidler had scored the first goal.
In early December Tommy scored the opening goal in a 2-1 win at Burnley with Harry Roberts scoring the second. In the last game of 1934 on 29th December Argyle beat Fulham 3-1 at home to Fulham with Jack Leslie, Sammy Black and Tommy scoring the goals.
Tommy’s next goals came in at 4-0 beating of Notts County at Home Park, Tommy scored twice with Frank Sloan and Jack Vidler getting the others.
On 19th April Argyle went to Nottingham Forest and beat them 3-1 with goals from Jack Vidler, George Briggs and Tommy securing the points. It was the last goal Tommy would score for Argyle; in fact it was the last goal he ever scored.

After playing in only five games of the 1935-36 season Tommy never played football again. He played his last game in a 2-0 defeat at Bury on 26th October.
All his record shows is ‘Retired’, he was only just 33 at the time, certainly not old for a player in the 1930s. I can only assume he had a career ending injury.
While at Argyle he made 223 appearances and scored 59 goals.

I couldn’t even find the exact date he died, all I know it was in 1960 so he was only 57 or 58. Any further information on Tommy would be greatly appreciated to finish off his story. Please contact us by email plymouthvital@aol.co.uk