Thomas William Hassell (5 April 1919 – April 1984) was an English professional footballer who played as an inside left in the Football League for Aldershot and Brighton & Hove Albion.

Tommy Hassell
Personal information
Full name Thomas William Hassell[1]
Date of birth (1919-04-05)5 April 1919[1]
Place of birth Eastleigh, England
Date of death April 1984 (aged 64–65)[1]
Place of death Hove, England
Position(s) Inside left
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
19??–1946 Southampton 0 (0)
1946–1950 Aldershot 114 (16)
1950–1951 Brighton & Hove Albion 11 (4)
1951–1954 Folkestone Town
1954–1958 Lewes
1958–19?? Bexhill Town
Newhaven
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Life and career

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Hassell was born in Eastleigh, Hampshire, in 1919.[1] He joined Southampton as a youngster, and played for them in the wartime competitions, as well as making guest appearances for a variety of other clubs, but moved on to Aldershot before the Football League resumed in 1946.[2] In a four-year spell, Hassell made 114 appearances in the Football League Third Division South for Aldershot. He spent the 1950–51 season as a part-time professional with another Third Division club, Brighton & Hove Albion, for which he had played during the war, and then spent another three years with Folkestone Town.[2] In 1954, he resumed amateur status and acted as player-coach of Sussex County League club Lewes for four seasons, and then played for Bexhill Town[3] and Newhaven.[2]

He returned to Albion as assistant trainer from 1964 to 1967. Outside football, Hassell worked in the Brighton railway workshops as a fitter.[2] He died in Hove, Sussex, in 1984.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Tommy Hassell". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d Carder, Tim; Harris, Roger (1997). Albion A–Z: A Who's Who of Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. Hove: Goldstone Books. p. 108. ISBN 978-0-9521337-1-1.
  3. ^ "Lewes choose an ex-pro to be their player-coach". Sussex Express. 23 July 1954. p. 7.
    "Will player-coaches be key to success in coming season". Sussex Express. 22 August 1958. p. 12.