Northampton Town 1914-15 Back: C Smith, P J Barrett, J Tomlin, H Smith, T Thorpe, F Langham, G Whitworth. Middle: A Burrows (trainer), J Manning, F Lessons, F York, W D Tull, F Clipston, E F C Tomkins. Front: A Jones (sec), E Freeman, S Dawson, L Davies, N C Lockett, B Bellamy, R Hughes.

Eric Felton Tomkins

Eric Felton Tomkins was the son of Rev William Tomkins, the minister of Rushden Baptist Chapel. He was orphaned when he was 10 years old and a Sunday School teacher from his church, Miss Alice Williams, became his guardian in 1902.

His first big break in sport came in 1907 when he was selected to play for England Schoolboys at under 14 level. Eric was signed for the Cobblers in 1911 and, as you know, Walter lodged with him in Queen Street, Rushden. The outbreak of the Great War interrupted their professional football careers.

Eric joined the Royal Flying Corps. He continued playing football during the war and went on to represent the RFC and ‘guested’ for Tottenham Hotspur in a wartime game.

Over the course of his career he was capped for England’s soccer and cricket sides and played for Cobblers and Southampton before becoming manager/coach of Notts County just before World War II. In later life he became a FA coach for 150 schools in Northamptonshire and 130 schools in Bedfordshire.

Eric and Amy His caption: "The Best Match of All"

Eric married my biological maternal grandmother, (a widow), in 1963, when he was 70 years old. The entry in his scrapbook for this event is labelled ‘The Best Match of All’, which I find very touching. Sadly, my grandmother died before I was born in 1968, but I do remember Eric’s visits during my childhood. I can confirm that his devotion and enthusiasm to sport never ceased and I have fond memories of him trying to teach me to dribble a football around the garden, unsuccessfully! He died in 1980 aged 87.

Evening Telegraph, 1973
Congratulations! Eric, 80,walks two miles to see Barry Prime ....