Tom Carleton’s emergence into National League rugby was rather an inauspicious one. The slightly built Kirkham Grammar School youngster had turned a few heads in Fylde’s 2nd team and was soon promoted to the 1sts. His starting debut was against Cambridge in March 2017 and he lasted 41 minutes before retiring from the fray with concussion. He made four more appearances in that 2016-17 season but it was in the following campaign in 2017-18 that he made his mark. He notched two tries at Caldy on the 9th September and, in a very tough season for the Club which ended with relegation from National One, he nevertheless stood out as a player of great potential, durability and finishing power – and he scored 13 tries during that period against quality opposition.
It was in National Two (North) in 2018-19 when he really made hay, running in 24 tries with an ever present attendance record. A similar number of tries followed in the appreviated 2019-20 campaign and once again he was ever present. By this time he was studying politics at Lancaster University along with his old school friend and Fylde team mate Nick Ashcroft.
Along the way he picked up representative honours for Lancashire & England Counties U’20s and progressed to be joint skipper of the latter alongside Ashcroft. Full Lancashire senior caps followed.
His professional career after leaving university has, understandably, restricted his appearances this season and we’ve only witnessed his talent in eight matches so far. Needless to say, he’s not wasted these opportunities and has run up another 10 tries.
When he burst through the Sheffield defensive line in typical fashion in the 79th minute of Saturday’s game at the Woodlands he achieved the notable benchmark of 100 tries in his 126th 1st XV appearance.
Fylde has been blessed with great talent in their back three players over the years. Amongst others, Tony Richards, Simon Smith, Mark Preston and Brendan Hanavan have graced the claret, yellow & white. In the last 15 years the two outstanding strike runners have been Oli Brennand and Nick Royle, each with a record of almost a try a game in hundreds of appearances. Tom Carleton is up there in that league productivity.
Always supported by his father John, a famous former England and British Lions winger, Tom has delighted the Woodlands crowds and around England with his pace, opportunism and ability to find gaps in just about every defence he’s come up against. Long may this story continue – we love you Tom!
