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Players Index Page Last Updated
24 December 2022
 
 

Jock Simpson

Blackburn Rovers FC

8 appearances, 1 goal

P 8 W 6 D 2 L 0 F 18: A 4
87% successful

1911-14

captain: none
minutes played:
720

Timeline

  John Simpson
Birth 25 December 1885 in Pendleton, Salford, Manchester, Lancashire [registered in Prestwich, December 1885].
His parents returned home to Laurieston in 1888, taking John with them.

According to the 1891 Scottish census, John is the second of three sons of Robert and Elizabeth. They live in Falkirk Square. His father is an iron moulder.

According to the 1901 census, John is now a labourer, still living with his parents in Falkirk Square, now with a younger sister. His father remains as a moulder.

Marriage: to Agnes Robe [registered in Falkirk, 1910, not found].

According to the 1911 census, John, now a professional footballer, is married to Agnes, and has been for 'under a year'. They live at 140 Montague Street in Blackburn.

Not on the 1921 census, he and Angnes are likely to be in Falkirk.
Death: 4 January 1959 in Orchard Street, Falkirk, aged 73 years 10 days [registered in Falkirk, 1959, not found].
Interred in Falkirk Cemetery
(left)

Douglas Lammings' An English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990], John Meffen's excellent Falkirk-football-history.co.uk.

Playing Career

Club(s) Played schoolboy football in Falkirk, assisting Grange Rovers FC and Laurieston Juniors FC from 1903, from where he had a trial with Rangers FC during 1906-07. Rangers did not sign Simpson, so instead, he joined local league side, Falkirk FC later that season. In November 1907, Blackburn Rovers FC offered £1000, then Chelsea FC offered £1500 for Simpson, but stating he was 'staying with Falkirk', he went on to make 269 Scottish league appearances, and amassing 166 goals, he did however, leave, and was transferred on a three-year contract to Blackburn Rovers FC on the evening of 23 January 1911 for a £1850 transfer fee plus James Roberston, despite an offer from both Everton FC and Newcastle United FC, he completed 151 league appearances, scoring sixteen goals. During the war, Simpson was assisting his hometown club, Falkirk FC, the Brockville attempted to re-sign him when the League was suspended. On 16 October 1919, Simpson retired from playing because of a kidney illness. During 1921, in April, Simpson played for the Falkirk FC reserves, after he had been playing for Falkirk Orients FC, a Wednesday team set up by Falkirk shop assistants. In August, East Stirling FC, wrote to Blackburn Rovers FC for permission to play him. It is unsure whether they were successful.
Club honours East of Scotland League winners 1904-05; Stirlingshire Consolation Cup winners 1904-05, 1906-07; Falkirk Infirmary Shield winners 1904-05, 1905-06, 1906-07, 1907-08, 1908-09, 1916-17; Dewar Shield winners 1905-06; Scottish League Division One runners-up 1907-08, 1909-10; Stirlingshire Cup winners 1905-06; Football League Champions 1911-12, 1913-14;
Individual honours Scottish League (one appearance), Football League (five appearances).
Distinctions None
Height/Weight 5' 6", 11st. 0lbs [1911].

Source

Douglas Lammings' An English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990] & John Meffen's excellent Falkirk-football-history.co.uk.

England Career

Player number One of four who became the 352nd players (353) to appear for England.
Position(s) Outside-right (Centre-forward and outside-left at club level)
First match No. 108, 11 February 1911, England 2 Ireland 1, a British Championship match at Baseball Ground, Shaftesbury Crescent, Derby, aged 25 years 48 days.
Last match No. 118, 16 March 1914, Wales 0 England 2, a British Championship match at Ninian Park, Sloper Road, Cardiff, aged 28 years 81 days.
Major tournaments British Championship 1910-11, 1911-12, 1912-13, 1913-14;
Team honours British Championship winners 1910-11, 1912-13, shared 1911-12;
Individual honours None
Distinctions None

Beyond England

On leaving school first worked as an iron moulder, and then as a bus driver on the Falkirk to Laurieston route. After leaving the game, he was employed as a Falkirk licensee, in fact, from 21 April 1924, he was granted the license of the Horseshoe Bar, at 169 High Street. In August 1931, he was offered the directorship in Falkirk FC. - An English Football Internationalists' Who's Who. Douglas Lamming (1990). Hatton Press, p.224.

 

Jock Simpson - Career Statistics
Squads Apps comp. apps Mins. goals ave.min comp. goals Capt. Disc.
8 8 8 720 1 720 min 1 none none
minutes are an approximation, due to the fact that many matches rarely stick to exactly ninety minutes long, allowing time for injuries and errors.

 

Jock Simpson - Match Record - All Matches - By Type of Match
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
Home 4 3 1 0 7 2 +5 0 2 1.75 0.50 87.5 +3
Away 4 3 1 0 11 2 +9 0 2 3.75 0.50 87.5 +3
All - British Championship 8 6 2 0 18 4 +14 0 4 2.25 0.50 87.5 +6

 

Jock Simpson - Match Record - Tournament Matches
British Championship Competition
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
BC 1910-11 3 2 1 0 6 2 +4 0 1 2.00 0.667 83.3 +2
BC 1911-12 3 2 1 0 9 2 +7 0 1 3.00 0.667 83.3 +2
BC 1912-13 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 0 1 1.00 0.00 100.0 +1
BC 1913-14 1 1 0 0 2 0 +2 0 1 2.00 0.00 100.0 +1
BC All 8 6 2 0 18 4 +14 0 4 2.25 0.50 87.5 +6
All Competition
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
BC 8 6 2 0 18 4 +14 0 4 2.25 0.50 87.5 +6
All 8 6 2 0 18 4 +14 0 4 2.25 0.50 87.5 +6

 

Jock Simpson - Match History
 Club: Blackburn Rovers F.C. - 8 full appearances

F.A. International Select Committee - 8 full capsx

Age 25
1 108 11 February 1911 - England 2 Ireland 1, Baseball Ground, Derby BC HW Start or
2 109 13 March 1911 - England 3 Wales 0, The Den, New Cross HW Start or
3 110 1 April 1911 - England 1 Scotland 1, Goodison Park, Liverpool HD Start or
Age 26
4 111 10 February 1912 - Ireland 1 England 6, Dalymount Park, Dublin BC AW Start 85 or
5 112 11 March 1912 - Wales 0 England 2, The Racecourse, Wrexham AW Start or
6 113 23 March 1912 - Scotland 1 England 1, Hampden Park, Glasgow AD Start or
Age 27
7 116 5 April 1913 - England 1 Scotland 0, Stamford Bridge, Fulham BC HW Start or
Age 28
8 118 16 March 1914 - Wales 0 England 2, Ninian Park, Cardiff BC AW Start or

Notes

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