Jack Kirwan

John Henry "Jack" Kirwan ( born February 9, 1878 County Wicklow, Ireland, † January 7, 1959 in London) was an Irish football player and coach.

Vereinskarrie

Player

Kirwan began his career as a Gaelic football player for Dublin GAA, with whom he was also the 1894 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship win before he finally switched to football. His first stop was in England Southport Central in the Lancashire League, before he went to Everton in 1898. There, however, he only played one season and moved in 1899 to Tottenham Hotspur in the Southern League, with which he could win the FA Cup in 1901. In 1905 he moved to Chelsea in the Second Division and managed Chelsea in 1907 with the rise. In 1908 he left Chelsea and played each one more year at FC Clyde and Leyton Orient before he ended his career as a player.

Coach

He was the first professional coach of the Dutch football team Ajax Amsterdam, which he coached from 1910 to 1915. He succeeded in 1911 with Ajax promotion to the top flight. After the outbreak of the First World War, he returned to the island. In 1923 he went to Italy for a year and coached AS Livorno.

National

Between 24 February 1900 to March 15, 1909 Kirwan played 17 matches for the Irish team, in which he scored two goals. Kirwan was one of the team that could win the first Irish victory against Scotland on 21 March 1903.