John Harkins (footballer)

John Anderson Harkins (10 April 1881 – 22 April 1916) was a Scottish professional footballer who played in the Football League for Leeds City and Middlesbrough.[2][3][4]

John Harkins

Personal information
Full name	John Anderson Harkins[1]
Date of birth	10 April 1881
Place of birth	Milton, Scotland
Date of death	22 April 1916 (aged 35)[1]
Place of death	Amarah, Ottoman Iraq
Position(s)	Wing half
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
	Black Watch
1906–1908	Middlesbrough	39	(0)
1908–1909	Broxburn Athletic
1909–1910	Bathgate
1910–1912	Leeds City	63	(0)
1912–1914	Darlington
1914–1915	Coventry City	18	(1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Personal life

Harkins enlisted in the Black Watch in June 1898 and was bought out of the army by Middlesbrough in September 1906.[5][6] Soon after Britain's entry into the First World War in August 1914, Harkins re-enlisted in the Black Watch.[2] He was serving as an acting corporal when he was killed in action near Amarah, Iraq on 22 April 1916.[5] He was buried in Amara War Cemetery.[1]

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			FA Cup		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Middlesbrough	1906–07[3]	First Division	30	0	2	0	32	0
	1907–08[3]		9	0	0	0	9	0
	Total		39	0	2	0	41	0
Leeds City	1910–11[7]	Second Division	31	0	1	0	32	0
	1911–12[7]		32	0	2	0	34	0
	Total		63	0	3	0	66	0
Coventry City	1914–15[3]	Southern League Second Division	18	1	0	0	18	1
Career total			120	1	5	0	125	1

References

1. "Casualty Details". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
2. "They Died in the Conflict in Season 1915–1916" (PDF). p. 4. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
3. "John Harkins". 11v11.com. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
4. "The Definitive History of Leeds United – Players – John Harkins 1910–12". www.mightyleeds.co.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
5. "John Anderson Harkins | Service Record | Football and the First World War". Retrieved 15 September 2016.
6. Hornby, Mark. "Coventry City remembers the former players who served during the First World War". Coventry City. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
7. "Leeds United F.C. History". www.ozwhitelufc.net.au. Retrieved 8 June 2017.