Jock Rattray Explained

Jock Rattray
Fullname:John Campbell Rattray
Birth Date:14 October 1890
Birth Place:Lumphinnans, Scotland
Death Place:Kirkcaldy, Scotland
Years1:1911–1913
Years2:1913–1917
Years3:1915–1916
Years4:1918–1919
Years5:1919–1922
Years6:1922–1924
Clubs2:Raith Rovers
Clubs3:Ayr United (loan)
Clubs4:Dumbarton[1]
Clubs5:Raith Rovers
Clubs6:Bethlehem Steel
Caps1:37
Caps2:95
Caps3:8
Caps4:1
Caps5:73
Caps6:34
Goals1:15
Goals2:22
Goals3:1
Goals4:0
Goals5:5
Goals6:10
Manageryears1:1923–1924
Managerclubs1:Bethlehem Steel
Manageryears2:1928–1930
Managerclubs2:TSV Lyra

John Campbell Rattray (14 October 1890 – 1958) was an early twentieth-century Scottish football inside forward who played professionally in Scotland and the United States.

Playing career

Scotland

Rattray was born in Lumphinnans, Fife, Scotland. In February 1910 he began his professional career with Falkirk of the Scottish Football League First Division. He spent two full seasons at Falkirk before transferring to Raith Rovers in 1913,[2] but his career was interrupted, along with so many others, by the outbreak of World War I in 1914. Rattray served along with other footballers in McCrae's Battalion of the Royal Scots during the war,[3] not returning to football until January 1919 when he signed with Dumbarton. He then moved back to Raith Rovers for three more years.[2] In recognition of his service to the Kirkcaldy club he was awarded a benefit match, which was played against a Fifeshire Select on 4 January 1921.

United States

In 1922, Rattray left Scotland to sign with the Bethlehem Steel of the American Soccer League.[4] His last game with the team came in the final of the 1924 American Cup. He was not slated to start the game, but was written in to fill in for an injured teammate. His selection paid dividends when he scored the game's only goal, giving Steel its sixth American Cup title. At the time it was said of him:

Rattray retired following the 1923–1924 season, returning to Scotland where he settled in Cowdenbeath.

Coaching career

In 1928 he went for two years to Belgium as coach for second division team TSV Lyra.[5]

Honours

Bethlehem Steel

1924[6]

Notes and References

  1. Book: McAllister, Jim . The Sons of the Rock - The Official History of Dumbarton Football Club . J&J Robertson Printers . 2002 . Dumbarton.
  2. A Record of pre-war Scottish League Players. John Litster. Scottish Football Historian magazine. October 2012.
  3. Web site: Wear These Shirts With Pride - Raith Rovers FC. raithrovers.net.
  4. Book: Jose, Colin . American Soccer League, 1921-1931 . Hardback . The Scarecrow Press . 1998 . 0-8108-3429-4 . .
  5. Web site: www.belgiumsoccerhistory.com . Users.skynet.be . 2016-07-03 . 5 August 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110805054752/http://users.skynet.be/fb304341/ . dead .
  6. Web site: RATTRAY LEAVES FOR SCOTLAND After 14 years of Soccer Service Veteran Returns to Native Heath JACK WILL ENTER BUSINESS . Street Soccer . The Globe . 6 September 1924 . 21 March 2021.