Thomas William Sword (born 12 November 1957) is a former professional football defender, who primarily played for Stockport County and has since been inducted into their Hall of Fame.

Biography

Born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Sword started his professional footballing career with Stockport County after making a name for himself as a free-scoring striker in the Northern Football League with Bishop Auckland. He started in good form at County, scoring twice in a 2–1 win over Hartlepool United on his full debut, but was soon asked to play in defence when County were short due to injuries. Sword enjoyed a successful transition from striker to defender, playing out the remainder of his career at the back. Despite playing from defence, he maintained a good scoring record thanks mostly to converting 25 penalties. Sword was transferred to Hartlepool for £5,000 in July 1986, but soon returned to County for a brief stint to finish his footballing career. He was awarded a testimonial against Manchester City soon after finishing playing professionally. In 2005, he was inducted into Stockport's Hall of Fame.