Hebburn man Derek Dodd's had an uncle who was a professional footballer for Aston Villa. He thinks this photo may have been taken just before War broke out & when Tommy went to Villa.
Derek said some of the regulars might remember Tommy Dodds as this area was a hotbed of football years ago. In those far off days his Dodds family lived 'down Hebburn Colliery' area.
After a spell at Aston Villa Tommy was transferred to Swansea in exchange for Trevor Ford who went on to star for Sunderland.
He played for a few other Welsh clubs and came home for a while to play for North Shields. (I believe he also played for Leslie's during the War.)
He eventually retired to South Shields where he died about 15 years ago.
I wonder if Tommy was there when another Hebburn lad called John Dixon played for Villa? John started there in 1944 and became a Villa legend.