Welsh international centre back Tom Griffiths joined Everton midway through the 1926/27 season and was plunged straight into the first team.  The mauling he received on his debut – a 6-2 defeat to Leicester – was so traumatic as to almost finish his Goodison career before it had even begun. 

But the defender recovered sufficiently to have a solid spell with the Blues and continue appearing in the top flight through the 1930s.

Born near Wrexham, he played 36 times for his hometown club after starting out as an amateur. Scouted by Everton, in December 1926 he moved to Merseyside on the same day as Stockport County’s Ted Critchley for a fee of £1500.  His debut two months later was a fiasco. ‘It was small wonder that Leicester won by 6 goals to 2,’ reported the Liverpool Post and Mercury. ‘The secret of Leicester's success was that the forwards and half-backs linked up with each other. The forwards were fast and were accurate in the passing. They were also quick to task up position, and although Chandler only scored one goal he was for ever a dangerous raider, and Griffiths had a trying time against him and his colleagues Hine and Lochhead. The former Wrexham player had a poor first half, but improved considerably after half-time.’

Griffiths was dropped and Goodison did not see him for another twenty months. Happily his ‘second’ debut was a more successful occasion – a 4-2 win at West Ham.  ‘One of the most gratifying features was the auspicious debut [sic] of Griffiths at right-half,’ reported the Post and Mercury. ‘After some minutes in which to settle down he proceeded to give an excellent exhibition of honest football, coupled with some tenacious tackling and a serious of delightful accurate low passes down the middle. He gave Dunn and Ritchie admirable support and fitted in well with Cresswell.’

The Welshman appeared in the Charity Shield victory four days later and settled well into an Everton team that struggled to match the heights of Dean’s 60 goal season.

 ‘His tackle is hard and definite, with little recovery if he is beaten,’ recorded one newspaperman. ‘But his method of swinging the ball about to his wingmen is his forte, and it is a happy inspiration to Everton for the future.’

Everton finished 1928/29 season eighteenth, having lost their last six league games. It was a worrying portent for the following campaign, which ended with them bottom and relegated for the first time. Griffiths had appeared 26 times in the calamitous league campaign, once more than the much-missed Dixie.

The stay in the second tier was short and Griffiths was ever-present through the first half of the 1930/31 campaign. But when an unexpected and huge offer of £6,500 came in from Bolton Wanderers in December 1930, the board decided it was too good to turn down and sold Griffiths. He was replaced by Charlie Gee, who went on to earn England honours. 

Griffiths later turned out for Middlesbrough and Aston Villa, finishing his career at Wrexham, where he also had spells as coach and a club director.