John William Thomas (born 5 August 1958) is an English former professional footballer. He scored 123 goals from 364 appearances in the Football League playing for Tranmere Rovers, Halifax Town, Bolton Wanderers, Chester, Lincoln City, Preston North End, Bolton Wanderers and Hartlepool United. Playing career Everton Born in Wednesbury, upon leaving school in 1974 Thomas signed for Everton as a trainee but in six years with the club failed to make a single appearance, although two loan spells with Tranmere Rovers (11 games 2 goals) in 1978-79 and also with Halifax Town (5 games 0 goals) the following season showed that John was capable of playing in the football league. Bolton Wanderers After Everton released him at the end of the 1979–80 season John signed for newly relegated Bolton Wanderers hoping to cement a regular place in the starting line-up and thus kick starting his career. His two years at Burnden Park were however rather stop-start with John struggling to hold a regular place down in the team. In his time at the club, he played in 22 league games, scoring 6 goals. Chester and Lincoln City After Bolton gave John a free transfer he signed in July 1982 for fourth division Chester. In his only season at Sealand Road John became a real favorite with the fans, comfortably finishing as the club's top scorer with 20 goals in 44 league games. He was also unsurprisingly voted Chester's player of the season. It was however a shock to the club's fans when the cash strapped club were forced to sell their prize asset to Division Three side Lincoln City for £22,000 after just one season. His time with The Imps was however a mixed affair with John struggling to find the net with any great regularity and although in his two seasons with the club he netted 18 times in 67 games it therefore came as no surprise when at the end 1984-85 they decided to cash in by selling him to recently relegated Preston North End for £15,000. In his last game for Lincoln he was to witness a nightmare when 56 spectators were killed in a horrendous stand fire while playing Bradford City. Preston North End John's stay at Preston started badly, for although John was scoring regularly and forming a potent strike partnership with Gary Brazil, the team as a whole were performing woefully badly finishing the