Jack Southworth

John "Jack" Southworth ( born December 11, 1866 in Blackburn, † October 16, 1956 ) was an English footballer. In the early years of professional football, he came first for the Blackburn Rovers for use and was there for the two-time Cup winner before he later acted for Everton. Here scorer was center forward for the seasons 1890/91 and 1893/94 in the Football League. Between 1889 and 1892 he also completed three caps for the English national team.

Sports career

Career start

At the age of twelve years Southworth began playing football at a youth club with the name " Inkerman Rangers ". Later he was for " Brook House Perseverance " play to that described in this period very prestigious Blackburn Olympic served as a youth department. In the years 1883 and 1884 Southworth was promoted to the reserve team of Olympic and made those in charge quickly as team captain name. When the local rivals Blackburn Rovers Southworth offered a change, this still refrained.

During a guest appearance for FC Accrington to Southworth injured so severely on the knee, that the continuation of his career was in question. On the lower mobility he reacted and stood now on the goal, where he was to take it even for the first goalkeeper at Blackburn Olympic. After a win against Rovers and winning the Lancashire Cup in 1885, he retired to a more serious injury. With a guest appearance for FC Vale of Lune thereby also his other knee was injured. Despite these physical problems he signed a professional contract with FC Chester, scoring 1886 against local rivals Wrexham Olympic 's first goal in the history of his new club. A gifted musician, he also in a theater in Chester took on a job.

He eventually returned to Blackburn Olympic and reported to his old center forward position ready for use. He had finally overcome and after a successful season 1887/88 he joined The injuries - together with his slightly less talented brother James - Blackburn Rovers.

Blackburn Rovers

As 1888/89, the first season started in the season in the history of the Football League in September 1888, it was Jack Southworth, of the opening round against FC Accrington after a pass from Harry Fecitt the first Rovers goal in the history of the new professional league shot. In the game, which ended with a 5-5 draw torreich, the Rovers still James Beresford, William Townley (two times) and Harry Fecitt were the other scorers pages. Three matches left Southworth follow and when his team in the FA Cup quarter-final later runner- Aston Villa literally dismantled 8-1 in November at FC Burnley, he re-entered as four time scorer in appearance. In the semifinals, he failed with the Rovers Wolverhampton Wanderers and he closed the championship round in fourth place from. Missed he had merely one of 22 league matches and with 17 league goals he became the top scorer of his club (four more hits get him in the cup ).

Thanks to its consistently good performance Southworth was called " dribbling Prince" ( "Prince of Dribblers " ) appreciated and a contemporary wrote of his style of play: "With his evasive maneuvers, its dignified passing, his pace and his shooting accuracy, he captured the hearts of viewers in Leamington Ground. He was born with his speed, he played unselfishly, he was good in the defensive behavior and he had an excellent judgment. " In the early years of the Football League, he was, according to many experts thus the most renowned striker, who also on February 23, 1889 against Wales came to his first international match for England. After a 4-1 win in this match he came to two other selection games ( again against Wales) and 1892 ( against Scotland ) in 1891. In all three internationals he managed a goal each.

In the following season in 1889/90 to Southworth was accurate. In the 9:1 home win against Notts County he scored just three goals as his neighbor Nat Walton and the 5-1 win against West Bromwich Albion, he met four times. The latter feat he repeated in January 1890 with the 8-0 win against FC Stoke. At the end, he finished with the Rovers in third place and Southworth was with 22 league goals again the top scorer of his club. He also experienced in the FA Cup a great success. After shooting in the semifinals against the " Wolves " the only goal to make it 1-0, Southworth defeated with his team in the final with a 6-1 to reigning champions of the parallel League Football Alliance The Wednesday from Sheffield significantly. This Blackburn had gone due to its placement in the Football League and Cup Winners' Cup as a triple in the last six years as the clear favorite in the game in Kennington Oval, especially in the initial formation of the Rovers were nine English or Scottish national team. In addition to the three -goal William Townley lined up next to Nat Lofthouse Joe Walton and Jack Southworth back in the hit statistics. Observers should the game later as one of the up to date " finest performances in an FA Cup final " boast players such as "(...) Walton, Townley, Lofthouse and Southworth, who were at the height of its power strength."

With a spectacular 5:8 defeat at Derby County Rovers opened the 1890/91 season and despite the defeat Southworth reach just three goals, as well as in December in a 5-1 victory against Aston Villa. In the first game of the new year once again the three -goal successfully took revenge at Derby County, as next Southworth still Townley and Coombe Hall even fourfold met the enemy housing for 8-0 home win. After another " hat-trick " against Chesterfield FC in an FA Cup match Southworth was ultimately a 4-0 against FC Accington for the fifth time in a season on three goals in a game. At the end of Southworth was with 26 league top scorer of the Football League, in which the power was to assess the higher, as it in some games had to pause because of injuries. Like last year reached the Rovers and in 1891 the FA Cup final at Kennington Oval, in which the defending opponents Notts County from the beginning placed under pressure and after just eight minutes through Geordie Dewar took the lead. Southworth and Townley increased even before the break and brought the score by Jimmy Oswald to the 3-1 final score did not prevent Southworth celebrated his second Cup triumph.

Although Southworth with 22 of the end 58 Rovers goals in the championship proved a good form in the season 1891/92 - again including three goals against Bolton Wanderers - had his club struggling with weakening performance and finished at the end of 14 Teams only ninth. Even South Worths four goals in the FA Cup first round game against Derby County did not prevent the from in the next round against the eventual champions West Bromwich Albion. Until that time, Southworth had achieved in the past four years, 87 goals in 85 league games. The negative trend continued in 1891/92 season and reached now also the top scorer. Southworth reach 23 league inserts relatively few ten hits and by the end of the season, which ended the Rovers in ninth place, serious financial problems due to the new stadium at Ewood Park were evident in Blackburn. The expected revenues did not materialize and so the club's management was forced to leave Southworth go for 400 pounds to Everton.

In the end, Jack Southworth left the Blackburn Rovers after 97 goals in 108 league games. In addition, there were 22 goals in 21 Cup games. With its five triple success ( in English football this is already regardless of Torfolge called a " hat trick " ) within a total 1890/91 season he holds up today as the internal association record as the sum of all games with three hits (13).

Everton FC

In Everton Jack Southworth was only slightly longer than a season. However, He left behind from the outset a lasting impression on the Liverpool supporters, shot in only 22 league matches 27 goals and conquered so in the 1893/94 season for the second time, the top scorer in the Football League. Most notable were his six goals in a 7-1 victory against West Bromwich Albion on December 30, 1893 which he again a simplistic internal record " for eternity " aufstellte, which still exists today. Nevertheless, Everton finished in the end only a disappointing sixth place.

In the following season 1894/95 Southworth had completed just nine games and scored nine goals again, as a serious leg injury forced him to an abrupt end of his football career. During his working life in Everton Southworth had scored 36 hits in 31 games.

After the football

Since South Worth's talents were not limited to football, he summed up quickly after its off as a football player in the music industry foot. In his " second career " he was active as a professional violinist and played it in the Hallé Orchestra in Manchester.

Achievements

  • FA Cup winner: 1890, 1891
  • Scorer in the Football League: 1891, 1894
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