Jack Hill (footballer, born 1908) explained

Jack Hill
Fullname:John Thomas Hill
Birth Date:1908
Birth Place:Monkwearmouth, County Durham, England
Position:Centre forward
Youthyears1:
Years1:
Clubs1:Esh Winning
Years2:
Clubs2:Jarrow
Years3:1928–1929
Caps3:2
Goals3:0
Years4:1929–1931
Clubs4:Darlington
Caps4:22
Goals4:14
Years5:
Clubs5:West Stanley
Years6:1932–1934
Years7:1934
Clubs7:Ramsgate
Years8:1934–1937
Years9:1937–193?
Clubs9:Horden Colliery Welfare

John Thomas Hill (1908 – after 1937) was an English footballer who played as a centre forward in the Football League for Newport County and Darlington, and in non-league football for Esh Winning, Jarrow, West Stanley, Spennymoor United,[1] and Horden Colliery Welfare.

Life and career

At the time of the 1911 Census, the three-year-old Hill was the youngest of eight surviving children of William Hill, a coal miner, and his wife Ann. He was born in the Monkwearmouth area of Sunderland, which was then in County Durham.[2] He played football for Esh Winning and Jarrow before signing for Football League club Newport County in 1928. He played only twice in Third Division matches,[1] but scored more than 40 goals for the club's other teams. He returned to the north-east of England at the end of the 1928–29 season and signed for Darlington.[3]

On the same day, Darlington signed Peterborough & Fletton United's Maurice Wellock,[3] whose goal record, of 71 goals from 104 league matches over three seasons,[1] illustrates why he was preferred to Hill at centre-forward. Hill played infrequently, either in the absence of Wellock or with Wellock alongside him at inside forward,[4] and scored 14 goals from 22 league appearances over two seasons,[1] which included two hat-tricks. The first was against South Shields in an 8–3 victory,[5] and the second came in the first half of a 5–2 defeat of York City, though the Yorkshire Post reported that the first of the three goals failed to cross the line and the third was offside.[6] As he had been with Newport, he was prolific at reserve-team level, but at the end of the 1930–31 season, he was given a free transfer,[7] and he signed for North-Eastern League club West Stanley.[8]

After a season with West Stanley,[1] Hill, "a very good centre forward and a strong shot", joined Spennymoor United, with whom he was to spend the next five years, apart from a brief foray to Ramsgate at the start of the 1934–35 season.[9] In 1937, the Football Association gave permission for the club to arrange a testimonial match in appreciation of his services. "One of the most prolific scorers in the North Eastern League during the past five seasons" – he scored more than 200 goals for Spennymoor, including 54 in 1936–37[10]  – he signed for Horden Colliery Welfare for 1937–38 and was expected to "get a 'bagful' of goals".[11]

Notes and References

  1. Book: Joyce, Michael . Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939 . SoccerData . Nottingham . 124 . 2004 . 978-1-899468-67-6.
  2. Web site: 1911 England, Wales & Scotland Census Image . Hill John Thomas. Age: 3. Birth place: Monkwearmouth . 7 November 2014 . subscription . Findmypast.
    Web site: 1911 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription 38 Windsor Terrace Sunderland, Sunderland, Durham, England . subscription . Findmypast . John Thomas Hill. Age: 3. Census reference: RG14PN30182 RG78PN1741 RD555 SD2 ED1 SN154 . 7 November 2014.
  3. News: Two new centres for Darlington . Northern Daily Mail . West Hartlepool . 11 June 1929 . 5 . subscription . British Newspaper Archive.
  4. News: How the teams will line up . Northern Daily Mail . West Hartlepool . 22 November 1929 . 11.
    News: How the teams will line up . Northern Daily Mail . West Hartlepool . 6 March 1931 . 9 . subscription . British Newspaper Archive.
  5. News: Third Division (North) . Yorkshire Post . 2 January 1930 . 15 . subscription . British Newspaper Archive.
  6. News: Flattered to deceive . Yorkshire Post . 14 April 1930 . 19 . subscription . British Newspaper Archive.
  7. News: Darlington's retained . Northern Daily Mail . West Hartlepool . 24 April 1931 . 7 . subscription . British Newspaper Archive.
  8. News: Darlington player for West Stanley . Northern Daily Mail . West Hartlepool . 28 August 1931 . 7 . subscription . British Newspaper Archive.
  9. News: Sports review. Spennymoor centre . M.C. . Northern Daily Mail . West Hartlepool . 19 September 1934 . 7 . subscription . British Newspaper Archive.
  10. News: Under the searchlight . Bedouin . Sunderland Echo . 29 April 1937 . 13 . subscription . British Newspaper Archive.
  11. News: Scoring leader for Horden . F.C. . Northern Daily Mail . West Hartlepool . 21 June 1937 . 7 . subscription . British Newspaper Archive.