Thomas Brannan


Thomas "Tommy" Brannan, also known by the nickname of "Dowdy", was an English professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1910s and 1920s. He played at club level for Batley, and Wakefield Trinity, as a, i.e. number 2 or 5.

Background

Tommy 'Dowdy' Brannan's birth was registered in Dewsbury, West Riding of Yorkshire, he was a knocker-upper in Batley, on Tuesday 28 July 1914 Brannan was found guilty of being drunk and riotous, and assaulting a police constable named Thompson, who said in court that Brannan had used objectionable language toward him whilst on-board a tramcar, and that this continued after they descended from the tramcar, when PC Thompson went to arrest Brannan, Brannan kicked PC Thompson several times, including twice in the head, it took five police constables to transfer Brannan to the police station, which was witnessed by a crowd of 500-people on Taylor Street, Batley, at midnight on Friday 24 July 1914. Brannan said in court that he was sober, and that PC Thompson took offence because he thought he was laughing at him, and that PC Thompson had hit him on the nose and he had retaliated; Brannan was fined 5-shillings plus costs for being drunk and disorderly, fined 10-shillings plus costs for assaulting PC Thompson, the total fine being 15-shillings plus costs, and his death aged 66 was registered in Upper Agbrigg, Wakefield, West Riding of Yorkshire.

Playing career

Notable tour matches

Tommy 'Dowdy' Brannan played, i.e. number 5, in Wakefield Trinity's 3-29 defeat by Australia in the 1921–22 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain match at Belle Vue, Wakefield on Saturday 22 October 1921, in front of a crowd of 6,000.

Club career

Tommy 'Dowdy' Brannan was transferred from Batley to Wakefield Trinity in January 1921. Like the Batley player; Herbert 'Dodger' Simms, to keep fit he raced against greyhounds, and beat them.

Career records

/Batley Bulldogs' "most tries in a match" record of 5-tries, is jointly held by; Joe Oakland, Tommy 'Dowdy' Brannan, Jim Wale, Tommy Oldroyd, Ben Feehan, and Jermaine McGillvary.