Tom White, from Hertfordfordshire, signed from Carlisle United and played in Exeter City's first-ever professional fixture against Millwall in the Southern League in September 1908. After nineteen league appearances he returned to his home area to play for Watford.  

At the age of sixteen Tom was playing club football for Chesham Generals and representative football for the Berks & Bucks FA. Leaving Chesham after two years, he signed for Grays United and played in the Southern League during the first-half of the 1903/04 season before switching to Brighton and Hove Albion in March 1904. 

After two seasons in Sussex, Tom spent 1906/07 at Stockport County and the following campaign at Carlisle United before signing for Exeter City, new to the Southern League, in 1908.

Appearing on the left-wing, Tom played in City’s first-ever Southern League game at Millwall on 2 September 1908. After playing in the first three games of the season, his appearances mainly came in two batches either side of Christmas as he eventually featured in fewer than half of the fixtures without scoring. He also featured three times in the early stages of City's lengthy FA Cup run from the qualifying rounds to the second round proper.

Tom then returned home to Tring to sign for Watford in the summer of 1909 where he was to play alongside his younger brother Charlie. Making just 3 league appearances during the 1909/10 season, he left his new club after a single season.

Having earlier played for Brighton, Tom was to later settle in Hove and die in Brighton General Hospital on 2 September 1953 having run a newsagents’ business in Westbourne Street, Hove.