Tommy Caton

Manchester City

Born in Kirkby, Lancashire, Caton was a centre half who played for and captained England schoolboys before signing for Manchester City as an apprentice in 1978. He was a member of the City team that reached and lost in the 1979 and 1980 FA Youth Cup finals. Caton made his senior debut for City on 18 August 1979 aged 16, and soon became a regular in the City side, playing in the 1981 FA Cup Final against Tottenham Hotspur when still only 18 years old. When Tommy Hutchison put City in the lead it looked as though Caton was on his way to collect a winner's medal, but Tottenham levelled as a result of Hutchison's own goal, a replay was forced and City lost it 3–2. He reached 100 First Division games on 6 March 1982; at the age of 19 years and 5 months he was the youngest player in Football League history to achieve this feat. He was also named City's Player of the Year for 1981–82. Caton scored eight goals during his spell at Maine Road, the first one coming in a 1–1 draw at Nottingham Forest on 13 March 1982, and he scored twice against Arsenal on 4 December 1982. He scored his last goal for City in a 3–1 win against Shrewsbury Town at Gay Meadow on 5 November 1983. A season after he came close to collecting an FA Cup winner's medal, Caton was looking like a good bet for a Football League First Division title winner's medal as City went top of the league just after Christmas in 1981, but a dismal second half of the season meant they finished mid table…

Caton was born in Kirkby, Lancashire. He was married to Gill, and had three children. His son Andy also played League football. At the age of 30, a month after he announced his retirement, Caton suddenly died of a heart attack at home in Oxfordshire.

Manchester City

FA Youth Cup runner-up: 1978–79, 1979–80 FA Cup runner-up: 1980–81 England Under-21

UEFA Under-21 European Championship: 1982 Individual

Manchester City Player of the Year: 1982