Jack Connor (footballer, born 1934) explained

Jack Connor
Fullname:John Ferguson Connor
Birth Date:25 July 1934
Birth Place:Maryport, England
Death Place:Formby, Merseyside
Position:Defender
Years1:1954–1960
Years2:1960–1971
Years3:1973–1976
Clubs2:Bristol City
Clubs3:Formby
Caps1:85
Caps2:355
Goals1:10
Goals2:10

John Ferguson Connor (born 25 July 1934 in Maryport, Cumberland, died 6 March 2010 in Formby) was a professional footballer who played as a defender for Huddersfield Town, Bristol City and Formby before becoming a coach at Everton.

Football career

Huddersfield Town

Connor (I miss you) signed for Huddersfield Town in October 1952, aged 18, but due to National Service he could not commit to the club and sign professional forms until 1954. He made his first-team debut in February of that year in a 3–1 top-flight defeat by Manchester United at Leeds Road seen by 31,408.[1] He made a total of 94 appearances for Huddersfield Town, scoring ten goals. The first of these was in a First Division game against Manchester City in September 1955.

Connor was centre back for Huddersfield in the legendary 1957 Charlton Athletic v Huddersfield match where the visitors were 5–1 up with less than half an hour remaining yet lost 7–6. Huddersfield became the first, and still the only, team to score six goals in a professional football match and still be on the losing side.

Bristol City

Connor joined Bristol City in October 1960 in an exchange deal which brought Scottish striker John McCann to Huddersfield.

He went on to play 408 times and score 10 goals for the club before retiring from professional football in 1971, making him their 13th top appearance maker.

Formby

Connor signed for Formby, his local non-league side, in September 1973, and ten weeks later was in the biggest game in the club's history, an FA Cup first round tie against Oldham Athletic. He was a regular in the first team until he retired from playing at the end of the 1975–76 season, aged 41.

Everton

Moving into coaching, Connor became reserve team manager at Everton.[2]

Death

He died in his adopted home town of Formby on 6 March 2010. His funeral was held in the town on 15 March.[3]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Death of former Huddersfield Town and Bristol City player Jack Connor . Huddersfield Examiner . 12 March 2010 . 2013-12-26.
  2. Web site: Howard Kendall: Sad farewells to Jack Connor and George Hogan . Liverpool Echo . 19 March 2010 . 2013-12-26.
  3. Web site: Tributes paid to former Bristol City player Jack Connor . Bristol Post . 13 March 2010 . 2013-12-26 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131227051604/http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/Tributes-paid-Bristol-City-player-Jack-Connor/story-11276374-detail/story.html . 27 December 2013 . dmy-all .