|
Jackie
Bestall |
Grimsby Town
FC
1 appearance, 0 goals
P 1 W 1 D 0 L 0 F 2:
A 1
100% successful
1935
captain: none
minutes played: 90 |
|
 |
|
Profile |
|
Full name |
John Gilbert Bestall |
|
Born |
24 June 1900 in
Beighton, near Sheffield, West Riding of Yorkshire [registered in
Sheffield, September 1900]. Attended Crookesmoor Council
School. |
|
Census Notes |
According to the 1901 census,
at nine months-old, John G. was the youngest of three children to John and
Lucy Ellen, living at 44 Summer Street in Sheffield. His father was a
warehouseman in a Furniture Warehouse. |
|
According to the 1911 census,
now with three younger siblings, still living at 44 Summer Street and his
father still in the warehouse. |
|
According to the 1939 register, John is a machine file forger, married to
Martha, and lives at 169 Norton Lane in the Norton area of Sheffield. |
|
Married |
to Martha T. Thompson
(b.4 March 1901)
[registered in Ecclesall Bierlow, September 1921]. One son, Derek
G. (b.17 September 1927) |
|
Died |
11 April 1985,
aged
84 years 291 days
[registered in Doncaster, April 1985]. He apparently died of
natural causes. |
|
Height/Weight |
5'
4",
9st. 0lbs
[1927].
9st.
10lbs
[1929].
5'
3", 9st.
11lbs [1935]. |
|
Source |
Douglas Lammings' An
English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990] & FindMyPast.com |
|
Club Career |
|
Club(s) |
Started his career playing schoolboy football in Sheffield. Played
with Beighton Miners' Welfare FC and then Rotherham United FC in 1924-25.
After 61 league appearances and sixteen goals, joined Grimsby Town
FC on 25 November 1926 for £700. He remained with the club, becoming
club captain, until he was allowed to leave on a 'free transfer' in April
1938. He left the club shortly afterwards, making a record 427 league appearances
(broken in 1968), scoring 76 goals. |
|
Club honours |
Football
League Division Two winners 1933-34; |
| Individual honours |
Football League (three appearances) |
|
Distinctions |
One of only
handful of players who have a street named after him. Bestall Road
is in Grimsby, DN32. |
|
Source |
Douglas Lammings' An English
Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990]. |
|
Management Career |
|
Club(s) |
After leaving on a 'free transfer', Bestall joined Birmingham FC and
appointed as their first official coach on 8 June 1938. He became the
club's assistant manager during the war years, until 14 July 1944, when he
became an assistant trainer-coach at Doncaster Rovers FC. Bestall was then
appointed their manager on 12
March 1946 until 14 April 1949, when he took up a similar position at
Blackburn Rovers FC on 23 June 1949, succeeding
Jack Bruton. He
resigned on 5 May 1953. He was then appointed manager at Nelson FC on 3
January 1954, until his resignation again, this time on 25 November 1954.
He applied, unssuccessfully, for the vacant managerial role at Grimsby
Town FC in March 1955. Returned to Doncaster Rovers FC, where his son
Derek is the club secretary, on 1 August 1958, initially as
chief scout, stepping up to team manager from 6 March 1959, when
Jack
Crayston moved upstairs to become the secretary-manager, until August
1960. |
|
England Career |
|
Player number |
608th
player to appear for England. |
|
Position(s) |
Inside-right |
|
Only match |
No. 196,
6 February 1935,
England 2 Ireland 1,
a British Championship match at
Goodison Park, Walton, Liverpool, aged
34 years
227 days. |
|
Major tournaments |
British Championship 1934-35; |
|
Team honours |
British Championship shared 1934-35; |
|
Individual honours |
None |
|
Distinctions |
Died two days after
Ernie Taylor |
|
Beyond England |
|
No additional information. -
An English Football Internationalists' Who's Who.
Douglas Lamming (1990). Hatton Press, p.32/33. |
England
Football Online