Jack Hunter (footballer)
Encyclopedia
John Hunter was an English
footballer who won the FA Cup
with Blackburn Olympic
in 1883
and made seven appearances for England
between 1878
and 1882
playing at half back
.
and worked as a butcher
and silver
cutler
in the city whilst playing for various clubs, including Sheffield Heeley, Providence, Sheffield Albion and The Zulus
.
He won all his England
caps whilst playing for Sheffield Heeley, a club he originally joined in 1870. His first international appearance was at Hampden Park
, Glasgow
against Scotland
on 2 March 1878. Although England "fielded a side they thought capable of defeating the Scots, ...(they) returned home with a humiliating 7-2 defeat". He was next selected in March 1880
for matches away to Scotland (lost 5-4) and Wales
which resulted in a 3-2 victory; this was Hunter's only victory in his seven England appearances.
He was again selected the following year
for the two home internationals. In the match against Wales, played at Alexandra Meadows
, Blackburn on 26 February 1881, he was appointed captain, but Wales achieved their first victory on English soil with a 1-0 success. For the following game, Hunter retained his place but the captaincy moved to Norman Bailey
. In the match, played at Kennington Oval, London
on 12 March 1881, England suffered yet another "humiliating" defeat as the Scots returned home with a 6-1 victory.
Despite England's poor performances against the Scots, Hunter was again selected for the international matches in March 1982
. In both these matches, England conceded five goals going down 5-1 at Hampden Park
, Glasgow
on 11 March and 5-3 at the Racecourse Ground
, Wrexham
two days later. These two defeats brought Hunter's international career to a close.
After a short spell with The Wednesday
, Hunter was appointed manager of a public house in Blackburn where he joined the Olympic
in 1882 as both player and coach. Blackburn Olympic had been founded in August 1877 and soon evolved into one of the finest sides in Lancashire
. Hunter, an astute coach and tactician, taught the Olympic players the art of the passing game. Hunter coached a team of tradesmen and weavers to overcome the dominance of local rivals, Blackburn Rovers
, and the amateur teams of southern England
to win the FA Cup
in 1883
.
It was Hunter who decided to take the team to Blackpool
for a few days' relaxation prior to the final, which had been unheard of previously. In the final (against Old Etonians
played on 31 March 1883 at the Kennington Oval
), Hunter played at centre half and marshalled the defence, who were able to keep the Old Etonians forwards at bay thus allowing the fitter Olympics side to come from behind to claim the cup with a 2–1 victory after extra time.
Hunter remained with Olympic until 1887, before joining Blackburn Rovers. After a short spell playing for Rovers, Hunter became assistant trainer and groundsman at Ewood Park
, as well as working as a licensee in Blackburn.
From 1897 Hunter had a short spell as coach to Cheshire side New Brighton Tower
, helping that team rise from the Lancashire League
to a brief sojourn in the Football League.
He died of consumption
on 9 April 1903.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
footballer who won the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
with Blackburn Olympic
Blackburn Olympic F.C.
Blackburn Olympic F.C. was an English association football club based in Blackburn, Lancashire in the late 19th century. Although the club was only in existence for just over a decade, it is significant in the history of football in England as the first club from the north of the country and the...
in 1883
1883 FA Cup Final
The 1883 FA Cup Final was contested by Blackburn Olympic and Old Etonians at the Kennington Oval. Blackburn Olympic won 2–1 after extra time. Jimmy Costley and Arthur Matthews scored for Blackburn; Harry Goodhart for Old Etonians.-Teams:-References:...
and made seven appearances for England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
between 1878
1877-78 in English football
The 1877–78 season was the seventh season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Wanderers became the first club to win the FA Cup three times in a row after beating Royal Engineers 3–1 in this season's final. It was the fifth time they had won the competition overall...
and 1882
1881-82 in English football
The 1881–1882 season was the 11th season of competitive football in England.-National team:England played Ireland for the first time. Their 13–0 victory is still the team's largest ever win.* England score given first...
playing at half back
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
.
Career
Hunter was born in SheffieldSheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
and worked as a butcher
Butcher
A butcher is a person who may slaughter animals, dress their flesh, sell their meat or any combination of these three tasks. They may prepare standard cuts of meat, poultry, fish and shellfish for sale in retail or wholesale food establishments...
and silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
cutler
Cutlery
Cutlery refers to any hand implement used in preparing, serving, and especially eating food in the Western world. It is more usually known as silverware or flatware in the United States, where cutlery can have the more specific meaning of knives and other cutting instruments. This is probably the...
in the city whilst playing for various clubs, including Sheffield Heeley, Providence, Sheffield Albion and The Zulus
The Zulus
The Zulus were a short lived football team established in Sheffield, England that existed from 1879 to 1882. They were initially set up to raise funds for the wives and families of soldiers killed in the Zulu war...
.
He won all his England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
caps whilst playing for Sheffield Heeley, a club he originally joined in 1870. His first international appearance was at Hampden Park
Hampden Park
Hampden Park is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The 52,063 capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland...
, Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
against Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
on 2 March 1878. Although England "fielded a side they thought capable of defeating the Scots, ...(they) returned home with a humiliating 7-2 defeat". He was next selected in March 1880
1879-80 in English football
The 1879–1880 season was the ninth season of competitive football in England.-National team:* England score given firstKey* A = Away match* F = FriendlyNote – TheFa.com give different times for the England goals in the match against Wales....
for matches away to Scotland (lost 5-4) and Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
which resulted in a 3-2 victory; this was Hunter's only victory in his seven England appearances.
He was again selected the following year
1880-81 in English football
The 1880–1881 season was the tenth season of competitive football in England.-National team:England played their first home match outside London when they hosted Wales at Alexandra Meadows in Blackburn.* England score given firstKey...
for the two home internationals. In the match against Wales, played at Alexandra Meadows
Alexandra Meadows
Alexandra Meadows is the home ground of the East Lancashire Cricket Club in Blackburn.Between 1878 and 1881 the ground was used as the home venue for the Blackburn Rovers football team, following their move from the Pleasington Cricket Ground. The first Rovers match at the Meadows came in 1878...
, Blackburn on 26 February 1881, he was appointed captain, but Wales achieved their first victory on English soil with a 1-0 success. For the following game, Hunter retained his place but the captaincy moved to Norman Bailey
Norman Bailey (footballer)
Norman Coles Bailey was an English footballer from the late 19th century, who made 19 appearances for England playing at half back.-Playing career:...
. In the match, played at Kennington Oval, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on 12 March 1881, England suffered yet another "humiliating" defeat as the Scots returned home with a 6-1 victory.
Despite England's poor performances against the Scots, Hunter was again selected for the international matches in March 1982
1881-82 in English football
The 1881–1882 season was the 11th season of competitive football in England.-National team:England played Ireland for the first time. Their 13–0 victory is still the team's largest ever win.* England score given first...
. In both these matches, England conceded five goals going down 5-1 at Hampden Park
Hampden Park
Hampden Park is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The 52,063 capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland...
, Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
on 11 March and 5-3 at the Racecourse Ground
Racecourse Ground
The Glyndŵr University Racecourse Stadium AKA The Racecourse Ground is a stadium located in Wrexham, North Wales. It is the home of Wrexham F.C. and, since 2010, the Crusaders Rugby League team who play in the engage Super League...
, Wrexham
Wrexham
Wrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England...
two days later. These two defeats brought Hunter's international career to a close.
After a short spell with The Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
, Hunter was appointed manager of a public house in Blackburn where he joined the Olympic
Blackburn Olympic F.C.
Blackburn Olympic F.C. was an English association football club based in Blackburn, Lancashire in the late 19th century. Although the club was only in existence for just over a decade, it is significant in the history of football in England as the first club from the north of the country and the...
in 1882 as both player and coach. Blackburn Olympic had been founded in August 1877 and soon evolved into one of the finest sides in Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
. Hunter, an astute coach and tactician, taught the Olympic players the art of the passing game. Hunter coached a team of tradesmen and weavers to overcome the dominance of local rivals, Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
, and the amateur teams of southern England
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 win the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
in 1883
1883 FA Cup Final
The 1883 FA Cup Final was contested by Blackburn Olympic and Old Etonians at the Kennington Oval. Blackburn Olympic won 2–1 after extra time. Jimmy Costley and Arthur Matthews scored for Blackburn; Harry Goodhart for Old Etonians.-Teams:-References:...
.
It was Hunter who decided to take the team to Blackpool
Blackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
for a few days' relaxation prior to the final, which had been unheard of previously. In the final (against Old Etonians
Old Etonians F.C.
The Old Etonians Football Club is an English football club whose players are taken from previous attendees of Eton College, in Eton, Berkshire.-History:...
played on 31 March 1883 at the Kennington Oval
The Oval
The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
), Hunter played at centre half and marshalled the defence, who were able to keep the Old Etonians forwards at bay thus allowing the fitter Olympics side to come from behind to claim the cup with a 2–1 victory after extra time.
Hunter remained with Olympic until 1887, before joining Blackburn Rovers. After a short spell playing for Rovers, Hunter became assistant trainer and groundsman at Ewood Park
Ewood Park
Ewood Park is a football stadium in the English town of Blackburn, Lancashire, and is the home of Blackburn Rovers Football Club — one of the founder members of the Football League and Premier League. Rovers have played there since they moved from Leamington Street in the summer of 1890. The...
, as well as working as a licensee in Blackburn.
From 1897 Hunter had a short spell as coach to Cheshire side New Brighton Tower
New Brighton Tower F.C.
New Brighton Tower F.C. was a short-lived English football club based in New Brighton, Merseyside. Established in 1896, the club spent three seasons in the Football League before folding in 1901. They played at the 80,000-capacity Tower Athletic Grounds....
, helping that team rise from the Lancashire League
Lancashire League (football)
The Lancashire League has been the name of two separate football competitions for clubs based in northern England.-Lancashire League :...
to a brief sojourn in the Football League.
He died of consumption
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
on 9 April 1903.
Honours
Blackburn OlympicBlackburn Olympic F.C.
Blackburn Olympic F.C. was an English association football club based in Blackburn, Lancashire in the late 19th century. Although the club was only in existence for just over a decade, it is significant in the history of football in England as the first club from the north of the country and the...
- FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
: Winner 18831883 FA Cup FinalThe 1883 FA Cup Final was contested by Blackburn Olympic and Old Etonians at the Kennington Oval. Blackburn Olympic won 2–1 after extra time. Jimmy Costley and Arthur Matthews scored for Blackburn; Harry Goodhart for Old Etonians.-Teams:-References:...