Dickie Downs

John Thomas "Dickie" Downs (13 August 1886 – 24 March 1949) was a footballer who played as a full back for Barnsley, Everton, Brighton & Hove Albion and England.[3]

Dickie Downs
Personal information
Full name John Thomas Downs
Date of birth (1886-08-13)13 August 1886
Place of birth Middridge, Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, England
Date of death 24 March 1949(1949-03-24) (aged 62)
Height 5 ft 6 1⁄2 in (1.69 m)[1]
Position(s) Full back
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1909–1920 Barnsley 284 (10)
1920–1923 Everton 92 (0)
1923–? Brighton & Hove Albion[2] 16 (0)
National team
1920 England 1 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Club career

Dickie Downs played for Barnsley between 1909 and 1912 and was a member of the team who contested the 1910 FA Cup Final[4] against Newcastle but lost after forcing a replay. He won a FA Cup winners medal in 1912[5] when Barnsley beat West Bromwich Albion in another replay after the first match ended goalless. The Manchester Guardian, when reporting on both 1912 matches, selected him as one of the better players on the pitch.[6][7]

Downs' career was broken by the First World War but he returned to Oakwell in 1919 and yet again proved an annoyance to West Bromwich Albion in 1920 when Barnsley knocked them out of the FA Cup.

By now Downs was thirty-three years of age and his performances in the cup alerted the top flight clubs that he was still good enough to play at the highest level. Downs had rejected many offers to step up during his career in the hope of gaining promotion with Barnsley but when Everton approached him after Barnsley's second round cup exit at the end of January 1920 he recognised it as his last chance and accepted a move to the First Division. Downs was an ever-present in his first full season at Goodison Park and went on to make ninety-two First Division appearances over five years but by 1923 he was finding it increasingly difficult to get into the first eleven and accepted an offer to step down into the third division with Brighton & Hove Albion.

International career

Downs' first season among the elite clubs was a success and brought him to the attention of the International selectors playing for England in a Home Championship game against Ireland on 23 October 1920 at Roker Park. England won 2–0.[3]

Honours

Barnsley

References
  1. Junius (22 August 1921). "First Division prospects. Everton". Athletic News. Manchester. p. 5.
  2. http://allfootballers.com
  3. "John Thomas Downs". englandstats.com. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  4. "fa-cupfinals.co.uk". fa-cupfinals.co.uk. Archived from the original on 20 July 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-04.
  5. "fa-cupfinals.co.uk". fa-cupfinals.co.uk. Archived from the original on 23 July 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-26.
  6. "The Cup Final". Manchester Guardian. 22 April 1912. p. 3.
  7. "Barnsley's Victory". Manchester Guardian. 25 April 1912. p. 4.
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