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.

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 12 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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