Jack Hill (footballer, born 1908)

John Thomas Hill (1908 – after 1937) was an English footballer who played as a centre forward in the Football League for Newport County and Darlington, and in non-league football for Esh Winning, Jarrow, West Stanley, Spennymoor United,[1] and Horden Colliery Welfare.

For other footballers of this name, see Jack Hill (disambiguation).

Jack Hill
Personal information
Full name John Thomas Hill[1]
Date of birth 1908[1]
Place of birth Monkwearmouth,[1] County Durham, England
Height 5 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1.74 m)[2]
Position(s) Centre forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
– Esh Winning
– Jarrow
1928–1929 Newport County 2 (0)
1929–1931 Darlington 22 (14)
– West Stanley
1932–1934 Spennymoor United
1934 Ramsgate
1934–1937 Spennymoor United
1937–193? Horden Colliery Welfare
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Life and career

At the time of the 1911 Census, the three-year-old Hill was the youngest of eight surviving children of William Hill, a coal miner, and his wife Ann. He was born in the Monkwearmouth area of Sunderland, which was then in County Durham.[3] He played football for Esh Winning and Jarrow before signing for Football League club Newport County in 1928. He played only twice in Third Division matches,[1] but scored more than 40 goals for the club's other teams. He returned to the north-east of England at the end of the 1928–29 season and signed for Darlington.[2]

On the same day, Darlington signed Peterborough & Fletton United's Maurice Wellock,[2] whose goal record, of 71 goals from 104 league matches over three seasons,[1] illustrates why he was preferred to Hill at centre-forward. Hill played infrequently, either in the absence of Wellock or with Wellock alongside him at inside forward,[4] and scored 14 goals from 22 league appearances over two seasons,[1] which included two hat-tricks. The first was against South Shields in an 8–3 victory,[5] and the second came in the first half of a 5–2 defeat of York City, though the Yorkshire Post reported that the first of the three goals failed to cross the line and the third was offside.[6] As he had been with Newport, he was prolific at reserve-team level,[7] but at the end of the 1930–31 season, he was given a free transfer,[8] and he signed for North-Eastern League club West Stanley.[7]

After a season with West Stanley,[1] Hill, "a very good centre forward and a strong shot", joined Spennymoor United, with whom he was to spend the next five years, apart from a brief foray to Ramsgate at the start of the 1934–35 season.[9] In 1937, the Football Association gave permission for the club to arrange a testimonial match in appreciation of his services.[10] "One of the most prolific scorers in the North Eastern League during the past five seasons"[11] – he scored more than 200 goals for Spennymoor, including 54 in 1936–37[10] – he signed for Horden Colliery Welfare for 1937–38 and was expected to "get a 'bagful' of goals".[11]

References
  1. Joyce, Michael (2004). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: SoccerData. p. 124. ISBN 978-1-899468-67-6.
  2. "Two new centres for Darlington". Northern Daily Mail. West Hartlepool. 11 June 1929. p. 5 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  3. "1911 England, Wales & Scotland Census Image". Hill John Thomas. Age: 3. Birth place: Monkwearmouth. Retrieved 7 November 2014 – via Findmypast.
    "1911 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription 38 Windsor Terrace Sunderland, Sunderland, Durham, England". John Thomas Hill. Age: 3. Census reference: RG14PN30182 RG78PN1741 RD555 SD2 ED1 SN154. Retrieved 7 November 2014 – via Findmypast.
  4. "How the teams will line up". Northern Daily Mail. West Hartlepool. 22 November 1929. p. 11.
    "How the teams will line up". Northern Daily Mail. West Hartlepool. 6 March 1931. p. 9 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. "Third Division (North)". Yorkshire Post. 2 January 1930. p. 15 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. "Flattered to deceive". Yorkshire Post. 14 April 1930. p. 19 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. "Darlington player for West Stanley". Northern Daily Mail. West Hartlepool. 28 August 1931. p. 7 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. "Darlington's retained". Northern Daily Mail. West Hartlepool. 24 April 1931. p. 7 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. M.C. (19 September 1934). "Sports review. Spennymoor centre". Northern Daily Mail. West Hartlepool. p. 7 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. 'Bedouin' (29 April 1937). "Under the searchlight". Sunderland Echo. p. 13 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  11. F.C. (21 June 1937). "Scoring leader for Horden". Northern Daily Mail. West Hartlepool. p. 7 – via British Newspaper Archive.
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