Bob John
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Robert Frederick John | ||
Date of birth | 3 February 1899 | ||
Place of birth | Barry, Wales | ||
Date of death | 17 July 1982 | (aged 83)||
Place of death | Barry, Wales | ||
Height | 5 ft 7+1⁄2 in (1.71 m)[1] | ||
Position(s) |
left back | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
Barry Town | |||
Caerphilly | |||
1922–1937 | Arsenal | 421 | (12) |
International career | |||
1923–1936 | Wales | 15 | (0) |
Managerial career | |||
1950 | Torquay United | ||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Robert Frederick John (3 February 1899 – 17 July 1982) was a Welsh football player and coach.
Born in
John was displaced from the Arsenal side in
John remained in the Arsenal side through the first half of the 1930s, despite competition from
Although John played for Arsenal until his retirement in 1938, for the final three years of his career he was mainly a reserve player, having lost his place to Wilf Copping, and thus missed out on a medal in the Gunners' League win of 1934–35. Nevertheless, he played 470 times for the club in total, the most of any of Arsenal's pre-World War II players; as of 2006 he is tenth in the club's all-time appearances table.
On retiring in 1938, John joined the coaching staff at West Ham United. He later joined Torquay United as trainer, working under his former Highbury teammate Jack Butler, but when Butler left for Crystal Palace in May 1947, John followed, again as trainer. In 1949 he was appointed trainer-coach at Cardiff City, a position he held until March 1950 when he was appointed manager of Torquay United. He had an unsuccessful spell as manager at Plainmoor, winning only 7 of the 28 games he was in charge for and left his post in November 1950.
He finished his football career as a scout for Cardiff City. He died in Barry in 1982, at the age of 83. In 2008, his descendants loaned his shirts from the 1927, 1930 and 1932 FA Cup Finals to the Arsenal FC Museum.[5]
Honours
As a player
Arsenal
References
- Harris, Jeff (1995). Hogg, Tony (ed.). Arsenal Who's Who. Independent UK Sports. ISBN 1-899429-03-4.
- ^ Achates (20 August 1923). "Prospects of the clubs in the First Division of the League. Arsenal". Athletic News. Manchester. p. 5.
- ^ "Fortune smiles on the Arsenal". Sheffield Independent. 8 October 1930. p. 10. Retrieved 22 March 2016 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "1933/34 F.A. Charity Shield". footballsite.co.uk. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
- ^ "1934/35 F.A. Charity Shield". footballsite.co.uk. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
- ^ "FA Cup Final shirts loaned to Arsenal Museum". Arsenal.com.