can anyone remember tony toms he was a trainer for swfc in the early 80s when jack charlton was in charge ant took the team to the top. he was the guy who took the team on the marine course in Deal Kent very fit guy I used to know him very wel but lost contact yeasrs ago. anyone know where he is now ?

Yes, he was also the physio of Kent CCC. I thought he was at Hillsborough earlier than you said. I thought these commando expeditions took place under Len Ashurst and his reign was 1975-77. Weren't Maurice Setters and Frank Blunstone "Big Jack's" righthand men? I can't be certain, there may have been an overlap but Charlton was the boss from '77- '83 and didn't have such gimmicks.

I knew Tony Toms when he was a Colour Sergeant PTI in the Royal Marines. He was a very hard man.

tony toms was at wednesday before jack charlton. Lucky for us jack does not bring or did not bring him own staff so tony kept his job. not sure after jack left though

tony toms was at wednesday before jack charlton. Lucky for us jack does not bring or did not bring him own staff so tony kept his job. not sure after jack left though

I have a feeling that Toms may have gone out of the game when Ashurst left Hillsborough. Jack Charlton certainly brought in Setters and Blunstone, and John Harris was also in assistance.
Toms was an Ashurst selection, not a Wednesday one - they'd come together from Gillingham and the Kent connection. It was said "the Moors" experiment created a lot of unnecessary publicity and had Wednesday lost their next game, Ashurst would have been sacked. Ashurst later went to Newport and Cardiff but I feel Toms had left him before then.
I think the Owls' board was glad to see such an innovation pass by and I am of the opinion that Jack Charlton didn't use him, and if so certainly not for long.

Tony Toms used to run a gym behind the Peacock at sheff lane top,that was a few years ago now,don't know if he's still there.

Tony Toms used to run a gym behind the Peacock at sheff lane top,that was a few years ago now,don't know if he's still there.
it was not the peacock it was the pheasant at lane top that is when i new him he and I were one of 5 partners in the gym i have no idea what happened to any of the others except 2 of them went on to run an exhaust center in chapeltown near the bridge

Last time I saw Tony Toms was on the BBc news jogging with Madonna,but that was a few years ago.

Tony now lives in Wales

Tony now lives in Wales
hi thanks for that (and all the other inputs) I remember now someone told me he had moved to wales I had forgotten that. He must be getting on a bit now.

tony toms used to have spartans gym at the rear of the pheasant pub at lane top, I've known tony to many years to mention & he still lives in sheffield though he does go down to wales quite a bit, see him most weeks still fit & strong at 65 yrs of age comes to our gym & presses 150 pound dumbells. keep it up tony old boy.

As far as I can remember,Tony Toms stayed with Wednesday throughout Jack Charlton's time,and Howard Wilkinson replaced him with Alan Smith.

Huge beast of a man, there's a picture of him on sheffieldhistory.co.uk looking mean and moody

PCInfield, I bow to your better memory which can be substantiated by the following quote from The London Owls, when in 1999, there was a 20-year reunion celebration to mark the "Boxing Day Massacre" against Sheffield United 4-0!

"The game’s legendary status was confirmed by the unprecedented demand for tickets for the reunion. Two dinners were arranged on consecutive nights, the second being at Hillsborough after the Middlesbrough game, with the reunited team’s capacity for rich food and alcohol being tested to the limit. It was something of a coup for the club that 10 of the players (Jeff King was sadly unwell) and the surviving management team of Jack Charlton, Maurice Setters and Tony Toms attended (respect to the late John Harris is due here). An impressive 3 tables worth of London Owls took in the game and dinner."

i used to train at tony toms jim at sheffield lane top great fella

can anyone remember tony toms he was a trainer for swfc in the early 80s when jack charlton was in charge ant took the team to the top. he was the guy who took the team on the marine course in Deal Kent very fit guy I used to know him very wel but lost contact yeasrs ago. anyone know where he is now ?

Tony was brought to the club by Len Ashurst and I recall him as a regular customer at the Travellers.

tony toms used to have spartans gym at the rear of the pheasant pub at lane top, I've known tony to many years to mention & he still lives in sheffield though he does go down to wales quite a bit, see him most weeks still fit & strong at 65 yrs of age comes to our gym & presses 150 pound dumbells. keep it up tony old boy.
You are correct about Spartan gym as I stated earlier he was 1 of 5 partners when I knew him in the early eighties he was a great guy would help anyone and always had a story at that time he could press over 200 lb I think you may find his age is a little higher but so what if he is still training best of luck to him one thing I do remember he co wrote a book called "Sausage Machine" I have been trying to get a copy for years, when next you see him ask him how to get a copy it was a very good book I would love to know how to get a copy now

You are correct about Spartan gym as I stated earlier he was 1 of 5 partners when I knew him in the early eighties he was a great guy would help anyone and always had a story at that time he could press over 200 lb I think you may find his age is a little higher but so what if he is still training best of luck to him one thing I do remember he co wrote a book called "Sausage Machine" I have been trying to get a copy for years, when next you see him ask him how to get a copy it was a very good book I would love to know how to get a copy now

Hiya mate,
saw Tony on friday still insists that he's 65 though I know he's nearer 70, I have asked him for a copy of the sausage factory which he promised me ages ago, said he's got one lying around somewhere and he'll bring it in to the gym for me next week, when I've finished reading it I'll get back to you and let you have it.
All the best Stealy

I trained at Spartan in the early 90s and Tony was part owner as someone mentioned.
The other partners were 2 brothers who had/have a garage at the bottom of Rutland Road and another one at Chapeltown.
They always knocked me a few quid off through knowing them from the gym.
I found Tony a nice bloke who always stepped in if I was pressing on my jacks which was often.

Hiya mate,
saw Tony on friday still insists that he's 65 though I know he's nearer 70, I have asked him for a copy of the sausage factory which he promised me ages ago, said he's got one lying around somewhere and he'll bring it in to the gym for me next week, when I've finished reading it I'll get back to you and let you have it.
All the best Stealy
thanks for that I would love to get hold of a copy ebven if it was just photo copied

i no tony my brother still see him

Ashurst brought Toms to Hillsborough. He was awesome as a trainer - about half a dozen strides to cross the pitch to get to an injured player.

I think it was him who was responsible for the talking the lads out on the moors and making them run back to Sheffield - I remember the famous (locally) Whitworth cartoon in the Telegraph - one sheep saying to the other "I've lived on the moors all my life and I still can't play football" (or something like that).

tony took no prisoners.He put me on the leg press machine when i was 17, to build up my quads and well i can tell you i had difficulty walking for some time afterwards. Idont think i've ever worked like that in a gym since. A great bloke.

Tony Toms used to train Donna Hartley who went on to win Miss Gt britain bodybuilding comp in 1988.He's done allsorts since including bodyguarding Madonna, selling wine etc. He's one of life's great characters & I knew him very well at one time although we lost contact for a while. I know Donna has his phone number somewhere so if I see her I'll ask although I don't think we can put numbers on this websight. Questor.

hi i no tony it was my brother who was is partner he still keep in touch with him is name was steven

tony toms now lives in camarthen in wales.he runs his own gym. i met him a year ago. didnt know him previously but he was a total gent. invited me for a pint straight away. hes still built like a house and challenging all the blokes to out lift him.!

When I played junior football in early eighties he presented our annual awards one year and was a gentleman.

Tony Toms used to run a gym behind the Peacock at sheff lane top,that was a few years ago now,don't know if he's still there.
think you mean the pheasant.

I'd certainly like to be remembered to Tony, or, better still, be put in touch with him for a chat!

I was the the Commercial Manager at Gillingham Football Club when Tony was there with Len Ashurst. I still have my signed copy of ROYAL MARINE COMMANDO 7 EXCERCISES, a fitness book which he wrote with a guy called Simon Cook.

According to the book Tony was born in Durham in 1945, although I'm not sure if that's to be believed!! You could never tell with Tony, he was always laughing and smiling and it was difficult to know whether he was telling the truth or not!..........Either way he was great company.

If anyone out there gets to see this (and Tony), give him my regards and email address, ken@kbmarketing.co.uk


Ken Boniface

Hi, happened to run across this post and I can give you an update about Tony. Up until about 3 years ago Tony was living in Charleston South Carolina helping to run the Blind Tiger pub with a friend of his who owned the place. Good pub too! During this time Tony made quite a few trips back to Wales from what I remember, though spent the majority of his time in Charleston. He also became a personal trainer for various local people, and there was rumoured to be a gym on the 3rd floor of the pub, though I never saw it.
Tony has had some health problems so I'm not sure how he is doing these days, he stayed in Charleston about 2 years, and the last I heard was that he had moved to New Jersey with a lady-friend.

Hope this helps!

I worked with Tony Toms wife at Middlewood Hospital late 1970s, extremely attractive woman from what I can remember.

Represented the Dark Side of Sheffield football though.:hihi:

Have read Tony,s book "The Sausage Factory", a novel about his time in the army. It is a very good read.

Yes TT was/is a tough guy (but he also knew how to talk it up) - very hyped and competitive. In late 80s went out to middle east and successfully managed a football club there until the security and drinking ban got too much for him. He also trained Donna Hartley when she moved from Olympic athletics to bodybuilding - I seem to remember her muscle mass doubling and her voice dropping two octaves within an incredibly short time.

can anyone remember tony toms he was a trainer for swfc in the early 80s when jack charlton was in charge ant took the team to the top. he was the guy who took the team on the marine course in Deal Kent very fit guy I used to know him very wel but lost contact yeasrs ago. anyone know where he is now ? I remember him i thought he was a right piece he did keep fit for us ladies we went just to see him not to jump about my friend pulled her thigh he took her to the treatment room we followed we wernt missin any thing ha ha

can anyone remember tony toms he was a trainer for swfc in the early 80s when jack charlton was in charge ant took the team to the top. he was the guy who took the team on the marine course in Deal Kent very fit guy I used to know him very wel but lost contact yeasrs ago. anyone know where he is now ?

Yes i remember tony toms he had a fitness club at lane top

Tough guy Tony Toms was the inspiration for one of many classic cartoons by Ralph Whitworth, of the Morning Telegraph and later The Star. After Toms had taken the Owls squad on an endurance test on the moors, Ralph drew two sheep in the wilds. One is saying to the other: 'I've been living on these moors for years...and I'm still no good at football!'

I remember enrolling on a fitness course that he ran in the gym at SWFC. After the first session I walked like a crab for days!
By the end of the course I reached my lifetime high level of fitness. All downhill since then.
Len Ashurst brought Tony with him from Hartlepool - i also remember the overnight camping on the moors !!

Hiya mate,
saw Tony on friday still insists that he's 65 though I know he's nearer 70, I have asked him for a copy of the sausage factory which he promised me ages ago, said he's got one lying around somewhere and he'll bring it in to the gym for me next week, when I've finished reading it I'll get back to you and let you have it.
All the best Stealy

Hi Stealy - Just a quick correction, I joined the Marines with Tony "Taff" Toms in September 1961. We joined Number 12 Junior Marine Squad and shared the same barrack room at Deal. Tony was one of the eldest in the squad so now he would be 65 going on 66 and not 70. If you do contact him ask him to keep in touch
All the best Pete Smith

I trained at Tony Toms Gym in the early 90s and he always had lots of advice, a huge strong bloke but a pleasant guy.The gym was above the garage next to the Pheasant a very basic gym with really primative equipment but thats all that was needed.

tony toms is a very good friend of mine seen him last month he s doin physio on rugby players around the country

Have read Tony,s book "The Sausage Factory", a novel about his time in the army. It is a very good read.

hello.
Any chance you would like to sell the book to me, I have been looking for it for ages.

hi i remember training at his gym ,me and my ex ,and trez,we had some great times ,then straight in pub for a drink ,happy days

Hey guys, just stumbled across this site now while looking up tons tomms, I train in his gym at the moment and saw him yesterday, he lives in wales with his wife.If anyone would like to get in contact with him drop me your name and il pass it on see what he says!Still going strong in 2011 pushing up 130lbs and still full of quality stories..Top bloke

Can anyone remember the cartoon in the Star when Tony Toms took the S W F C team training up on Bolsterstone moors it read the sheep 3 Wed 0 it made a great change from the Cones at Middlewood rd training ground winning by larger margins.

Can anyone remember the cartoon in the Star when Tony Toms took the S W F C team training up on Bolsterstone moors it read the sheep 3 Wed 0 it made a great change from the Cones at Middlewood rd training ground winning by larger margins.


Do you mean this one (http://www.sheffieldhistory.co.uk/forums/index.php?&app=core&module=attach&section=attach&attach_id=19231) Jack?

Do you mean this one (http://www.sheffieldhistory.co.uk/forums/index.php?&app=core&module=attach&section=attach&attach_id=19231) Jack?

That's the one Jim that was very controversial at that time by the Star dont forget it was "SAVE OUR OWLS" run for a very long time.

it was not the peacock it was the pheasant at lane top that is when i new him he and I were one of 5 partners in the gym i have no idea what happened to any of the others except 2 of them went on to run an exhaust center in chapeltown near the bridge

One of them was called Steve and I know him quite well as I have known his partner since childhood