Tommy Bisset was born in 1932 in Croydon, Surrey. After completing his National Service – while serving with the Royal Signals in Eritrea, he played football for the Eritrean League against the Sudan National team – he joined Redhill of the Athenian League before signing for Brighton & Hove Albion in late 1952.
He played little for his first two-and-a-half seasons, then missed only three matches in the 1955–56 campaign, before returning to the reserves for another two years. Having made little contribution to the team’s promotion from the Third Division South, he made more than 50 appearances in Brighton’s first two seasons in the Second Division, before returning to the reserves again before his release in 1961.
He then moved into non-league football with Guildford City and Yiewsley of the Southern League and then Sussex County League clubs Haywards Heath Town and Southwick.