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12 August 2025
 
 

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
photo from FFHT John Simpson
Birth Friday, 25 December 1885 in Pendleton, Salford, Manchester, Lancashire
His parents returned home to Laurieston in 1888, taking John with them.
  registered in Prestwich October-December 1885
 

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, in 1910 in Falkirk
  registered in
 

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 Agnes are likely to be in Falkirk.
Death Sunday, 4 January 1959 in Orchard Street, Falkirk, Stirlingshire
aged 73 years 10 days registered in
Obituary
 
Funeral January 1959 in Camelon Cemetery, Falkirk (left)
Source

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. 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.
League honours
151 appearances, 16 goals		 Blackburn Rovers FC 1911-15 151 appearances, sixteen goals
debut: 28 January 1911 Sheffield United FC 1 Blackburn Rovers FC 1.
last: 24 April 1915 Blackburn Rovers FC 4 Middlesbrough FC 0.

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;
FA Cup semi-finalist 1910-11 (3ᵃ 3ᵍ), 1911-12 (7ᵃ 3ᵍ);
FA Charity Shield winners 1912;
Football League Division One Champions 1911-12 (35ᵃ 2ᵍ), 1913-14 (34ᵃ 2ᵍ), third place 1914-15 (37ᵃ 3ᵍ);
Individual honours Scottish League (one appearance vs. Southern League, 1910)
Football League (five appearances).
Distinctions Nephew of Harry Simpson (Stoke FC)
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.

The Numbers
parties Apps comp. apps minutes goals ave.min comp. goals captain
8 8 8 720 1 720 min 1 none
The minutes here given can only ever be a guideline and cannot therefore be accurate, only an approximation.

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