Henry Johnson (footballer)
Encyclopedia
Henry Edward Johnson was an English footballer who played as a forward in the 1920s for Southampton
and Queens Park Rangers
.
, and first came to prominence when playing for the British Army
in 1919. He started his professional football career with Coventry City
for whom he made only two first-team appearances, from where he was loaned to Darlaston of the Birmingham & District League. In April 1921, together with his Darlaston team-mate John Cooper
, he moved on a free transfer to the south coast
to join Southampton
, then playing in the Football League Third Division South
.
He made his first-team debut for the "Saints" on 10 December 1921, taking Len Andrews
' place at Inside-right in a 1–0 victory against Bristol Rovers
. In the following match, Johnson scored twice in an 8–0 "thrashing" of Northampton Town
, with Arthur Dominy
also scoring twice and Bill Rawlings
scoring four. This remains Southampton's highest margin of victory in a Football League match. Despite this early success, Johnson was unable to maintain any consistent form, and after nine matches he lost his place back to Andrews. He was recalled to the team in March, following the sale of Fred Foxall
to Birmingham as part of a four-player exchange deal, but after two matches he was dropped in favour of Ken Boyes
. After a run of four matches without a victory, manager Jimmy McIntyre
recalled Johnson for the match against Aberdare Athletic
with Johnson scoring the only goal. The team went on to win five of the last seven matches, enabling the Saints to take the Third Division South on goal average over Plymouth Argyle
.
For Southampton's first season in the Second Division
, McIntyre preferred Jack Elkes
at inside-right; Elkes had arrived from Birmingham in March as part of the exchange deal with Foxall, but had broken his collar bone
in his second appearance. Johnson only made sporadic appearances during the 1922–23 season as cover for the other forwards, with five of his nine appearances coming in the last three weeks of the season.
With Elkes having moved on to Tottenham Hotspur
in the 1923 close-season, McIntyre recalled the ageing Len Andrews
at the start of the next season, before handing the No. 10 shirt to Johnson after four matches. Johnson was to make only eleven appearances before losing his place to Cliff Price
in February 1924. Shortly afterwards, Johnson was transferred to Queens Park Rangers
.
At the Loftus Road
club, Johnson took up a more central role, replacing Dick Parker at centre-forward. In the 1924–25 season, Johnson was the club's top-scorer with ten league goals as Rangers finished just above the Third Division South re-election places. During the following season, Johnson lost his place to Daniel Burgess, only making nine appearances.
In the summer of 1926, Johnson returned to the Midlands, finishing his football career back in the Birmingham & District League with Cradley Heath
.
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
and Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
.
Football career
Johnson was born in BirminghamBirmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, and first came to prominence when playing for the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
in 1919. He started his professional football career with Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
for whom he made only two first-team appearances, from where he was loaned to Darlaston of the Birmingham & District League. In April 1921, together with his Darlaston team-mate John Cooper
John Cooper (footballer)
John Cooper was an English footballer who had a brief professional career with Southampton in the 1920s.-Football career:Cooper was born in Wednesbury, Staffordshire and joined Darlaston playing in the Birmingham & District League. Described as "the best inside-right in the Birmingham League", he...
, he moved on a free transfer to the south coast
Southern England
Southern England, the South and the South of England are imprecise terms used to refer to the southern counties of England bordering the English Midlands. It has a number of different interpretations of its geographic extents. The South is considered by many to be a cultural region with a distinct...
to join Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
, then playing in the Football League Third Division South
Football League Third Division South
The Football League Third Division South was a level of English professional football which ran in parallel to Third Division North from 1921 to 1958....
.
He made his first-team debut for the "Saints" on 10 December 1921, taking Len Andrews
Len Andrews
Leonard Thomas Alford "Len" Andrews was an English professional footballer who played as an inside forward. During his career he had two spells with both Southampton and Reading, as well as playing for Watford....
' place at Inside-right in a 1–0 victory against Bristol Rovers
Bristol Rovers F.C.
Bristol Rovers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Bristol, that competes in Football League Two. The team plays its home matches at the Memorial Stadium, in the Horfield area of the city....
. In the following match, Johnson scored twice in an 8–0 "thrashing" of Northampton Town
Northampton Town F.C.
Northampton Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Northampton, Northamptonshire. They currently play in Football League Two, the lowest league division, after being relegated from League One on the last day of the 2008–09 season...
, with Arthur Dominy
Arthur Dominy
Arthur Albert Dominy was an English professional footballer, who played as an inside-forward, and football manager, spending most of his career with Southampton....
also scoring twice and Bill Rawlings
Bill Rawlings
William Ernest "Bill" Rawlings was an English footballer.-Playing career:Rawlings' career started in 1918 with Southampton, he stayed ten years with the club, from 1918 to 1928. His 193 goals places him third on the club's list of all-time goalscorers, behind Mick Channon and Matthew Le Tissier...
scoring four. This remains Southampton's highest margin of victory in a Football League match. Despite this early success, Johnson was unable to maintain any consistent form, and after nine matches he lost his place back to Andrews. He was recalled to the team in March, following the sale of Fred Foxall
Fred Foxall
Frederick Howard Foxall was an English professional footballer who played as a winger for various clubs in the 1920s.-Playing career:...
to Birmingham as part of a four-player exchange deal, but after two matches he was dropped in favour of Ken Boyes
Ken Boyes
Kenneth Cecil Boyes was an English footballer who played a small number of games as a professional for Southampton and Bristol Rovers in the era just after World War I, before a long career in local non-league football....
. After a run of four matches without a victory, manager Jimmy McIntyre
Jimmy McIntyre
James Alfred "Jimmy" McIntyre was an English footballer who became manager at Southampton, Coventry City and Fulham.-Playing career:...
recalled Johnson for the match against Aberdare Athletic
Aberdare Athletic F.C.
Aberdare Athletic Football Club were a Welsh football club founded in 1893 and based in Aberdare. They joined the Football League in 1921 but were replaced by Torquay United after failing to be re-elected in 1927.-History:...
with Johnson scoring the only goal. The team went on to win five of the last seven matches, enabling the Saints to take the Third Division South on goal average over Plymouth Argyle
Plymouth Argyle F.C.
Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the...
.
For Southampton's first season in the Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
, McIntyre preferred Jack Elkes
Jack Elkes
Albert John "Jack" Elkes was an English professional footballer who played as an inside left for various clubs between the two world wars.-Playing career:...
at inside-right; Elkes had arrived from Birmingham in March as part of the exchange deal with Foxall, but had broken his collar bone
Clavicle
In human anatomy, the clavicle or collar bone is a long bone of short length that serves as a strut between the scapula and the sternum. It is the only long bone in body that lies horizontally...
in his second appearance. Johnson only made sporadic appearances during the 1922–23 season as cover for the other forwards, with five of his nine appearances coming in the last three weeks of the season.
With Elkes having moved on to Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
in the 1923 close-season, McIntyre recalled the ageing Len Andrews
Len Andrews
Leonard Thomas Alford "Len" Andrews was an English professional footballer who played as an inside forward. During his career he had two spells with both Southampton and Reading, as well as playing for Watford....
at the start of the next season, before handing the No. 10 shirt to Johnson after four matches. Johnson was to make only eleven appearances before losing his place to Cliff Price
Cliff Price
Ernest Clifford "Cliff" Price was an English footballer who played at inside left for various clubs in the 1920s.-Football career:...
in February 1924. Shortly afterwards, Johnson was transferred to Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
.
At the Loftus Road
Loftus Road
Loftus Road is a football stadium in Shepherd's Bush, London. It is home to the English football team Queens Park Rangers of the Premier League and has a capacity of around 18,500. The four stands are called the Loftus Road End , Ellerslie Road Stand, South Africa Road Stand and the School End,...
club, Johnson took up a more central role, replacing Dick Parker at centre-forward. In the 1924–25 season, Johnson was the club's top-scorer with ten league goals as Rangers finished just above the Third Division South re-election places. During the following season, Johnson lost his place to Daniel Burgess, only making nine appearances.
In the summer of 1926, Johnson returned to the Midlands, finishing his football career back in the Birmingham & District League with Cradley Heath
Cradley Heath F.C.
Cradley Heath F.C. was an English association football club based in Cradley Heath in the Black Country. The club competed in the Birmingham & District League, one of the country's strongest semi-professional leagues, between 1922 and 1961 and won the league championship in the 1925–26,...
.
Honours
SouthamptonSouthampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
- Football League Third Division SouthFootball League Third Division SouthThe Football League Third Division South was a level of English professional football which ran in parallel to Third Division North from 1921 to 1958....
champions: 1921–22