Tommy Aiken

Diminutive winger Tommy ‘Tucker’ Aiken emerged off the Harrvyville football production line to enjoy two spells at United either side of a foray across the Irish Sea.

Born and raised in Harryville, Tommy was known as ‘Tucker’ throughout his school days, and his pace and talent quickly caught the attention of the local football community in the early 1960’s, as he progressed through several junior clubs and even had a trial with Ballymena United Reserves – before making his name at the successful Harryville Amateurs club, whilst also working at the Braidwater Spinning Mill in town.

In the summer of 1965, Ballymena United manager George Smith swooped to sign the 21—year-old on amateur forms. Tommy’s impact was remarkable, having played only played a handful of Reserve team games, and he was thrown in for his debut in a 5-2 Ulster Cup win against Distillery at the Showgrounds in August 1965 and never looked back. After scoring his first senior goal in a win against Bangor a month later, and earned a call-up to the Ireland Amateur International panel that same month, debuting in a defeat to England at the Ballymena Showgrounds.

Attention quickly grew in the left-winger with both Arsenal and Partick Thistle keeping tabs on his early progress at Warden Street, as he quickly became regarded as one of the best wingers in the league, which led to the United committee tying Aiken down on professional terms in December. Eventually it was English Fourth Division side Bury who moved first to make a £6,000 offer in February 1966, but after both Aiken and the club decided to hold off any move until Ballymena’s Irish Cup tie with Derry City was over – Bury moved on to other targets.

Aiken’s form dipped dramatically following the breakdown of the Bury move, and manager Smith sought to bring in new blood in former Linfield winger Thomas Stewart during the summer of 1966, forcing Tucker out to a more unnatural right wing berth in the team. This breakdown eventually led to Tommy handing in a transfer request with the club.

Shortly after new manager Dave Hickson had returned to the Showgrounds for a second spell, Aiken returned to his true form with a string of stellar performances in the first part of the 1967/1968 season, so much so that Doncaster Rovers took a strong interest in the winger, and concluded a £3,000 deal in November 1967 to take him to Belle Vue to boost their promotion hopes in the Fourth Division.

Tommy scored on his Doncaster Rovers debut after just six minutes in a 3-2 win over Halifax, but after a dream start to life in professional football – disaster struck the following week when he broke his collar-bone in a game against Crewe Alexandra which left him out of action for 15 weeks.

The now 24-year-old failed to regain his place in the Rovers team under new boss Lawrie McMenemy ahead of the 1968/1969 season, having lost his shirt to former Sheffield Wednesday forward Brian Usher. A move to Third Division Mansfield Town did not materialise for family reasons, but he eventually dropped out of the Football League to sign for Chelmsford City of the Southern League in March 1969.

Aiken spent 18 months travelling south from his home in Liverpool to play for Chelmsford, but when the club decided to go part-time, he sought a move to Welsh club Bangor City – but only managed a few months there before returning back to Northern Ireland to re-sign with his hometown club in January 1971.

The Sky Blues had built a fine team during his time away, and Aiken struggled to earn a regular starting berth upon his return in the second half of the 1970/1971 season, as the Sky Blues finished fifth. The winger was a key part of one of the club’s most entertaining ever teams the following year, as the Sky Blues went on a run to the semi-finals of the Texaco Cup (an all-Ireland & UK competition) and he came off the bench to win his first and only senior winners’ medal – the City Cup – against Ards at Windsor Park in December 1971.

However, in the background, his family failed to settle back in Ulster amidst the backdrop of the Troubles. In the summer of 1972, he informed the club he would be moving back to England after a total of 173 appearances and 23 goals in his two spells at Warden Street.

Tommy Aiken passed away in June 2023 in Liverpool, aged 79.

Career
Harryville Amateurs; (Jul 1965) Ballymena United; (Nov 1967) Doncaster Rovers; (Mar 1969) Chelmsford City
(May 1970) Bangor City; (Jan 1971) Ballymena United; (Aug 1972) Witton Albion

Honours
(with Ballymena United)
City Cup: (winner) 1971/1972
Ulster Cup: (runner-up) 1971/1972

International Honours
Ireland Amateur (1 caps, 0 goals – 1965)