Jack Needham
Encyclopedia
John "Jack" Needham was an English
professional footballer who scored 63 goals in 225 appearances in the Football League
playing for Birmingham
, Wolverhampton Wanderers
and Hull City
.
Needham was born in Newstead
, Nottinghamshire
. He began his football career with local clubs before attracting attention with his goalscoring exploits for Mansfield Wesley
of the Notts & District League. His 46 goals in 35 games, including four goals in a match on four occasions and three more hat-trick
s, in the 1908–09 season earned him a move to Birmingham
of the Football League Second Division
. He made his debut for the club on 2 October 1909 in a 2–1 home defeat to Leeds City, and played in about half of that season's games, scoring five goals in a poor side which finished bottom of the League.
Despite a good start to his Birmingham career, Needham was allowed to leave for fellow Second Division club Wolverhampton Wanderers
in time to score on his debut in the last game of the 1909–10 season, the winning goal in a 3–2 defeat of Manchester City
on 30 April 1910. He and Sammy Brooks
formed an excellent partnership on the left side of Wolves' attack, and in all competitions Needham scored 61 goals in more than 200 appearances.
During the war
he guested for Port Vale
, becoming the club's top scorer
during the 1916–17 season with 12 goals. He showed his 'true regard for the game' by playing a match after working the previous night until 6am. After being conscripted
in the army in the summer
of 1917 he returned to Wolverhampton
upon his demobilization
. He left in March 1920 to join Hull City
, and later played in the Midland League
for Scunthorpe & Lindsey United
.
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...
professional footballer who scored 63 goals in 225 appearances in the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
playing for Birmingham
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
, Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
and Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
.
Needham was born in Newstead
Newstead, Nottinghamshire
Newstead is a small village and civil parish in Nottinghamshire, England, situated between Nottingham and Mansfield in the Borough of Gedling. It is a former coal mining village, and was previously called Newstead Colliery Village. Lord Byron, the poet, lived at nearby Newstead Abbey. The parish...
, Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
. He began his football career with local clubs before attracting attention with his goalscoring exploits for Mansfield Wesley
Mansfield Town F.C.
Mansfield Town Football Club is an English football club from the former mining town of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. The club was formed in 1897 as Mansfield Wesleyans and changed its name to Mansfield Wesley in 1906 before settling on Mansfield Town in 1910...
of the Notts & District League. His 46 goals in 35 games, including four goals in a match on four occasions and three more hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
s, in the 1908–09 season earned him a move to Birmingham
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
of the Football League 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...
. He made his debut for the club on 2 October 1909 in a 2–1 home defeat to Leeds City, and played in about half of that season's games, scoring five goals in a poor side which finished bottom of the League.
Despite a good start to his Birmingham career, Needham was allowed to leave for fellow Second Division club Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
in time to score on his debut in the last game of the 1909–10 season, the winning goal in a 3–2 defeat of Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
on 30 April 1910. He and Sammy Brooks
Sammy Brooks (footballer)
Samuel Ernest Brooks was an English footballer who spent the majority of his career with Wolverhampton Wanderers.-Career:...
formed an excellent partnership on the left side of Wolves' attack, and in all competitions Needham scored 61 goals in more than 200 appearances.
During the war
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
he guested for Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
, becoming the club's top scorer
Port Vale F.C. seasons
Port Vale F.C. is an English professional association football club based in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, playing in Football League Two, the fourth level of the English football league system, as of the 2008–09 season. The club was formed in 1876, in 1884 they took the name Burslem Port...
during the 1916–17 season with 12 goals. He showed his 'true regard for the game' by playing a match after working the previous night until 6am. After being conscripted
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
in the army in the summer
Summer
Summer is the warmest of the four temperate seasons, between spring and autumn. At the summer solstice, the days are longest and the nights are shortest, with day-length decreasing as the season progresses after the solstice...
of 1917 he returned to Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
upon his demobilization
Demobilization
Demobilization is the process of standing down a nation's armed forces from combat-ready status. This may be as a result of victory in war, or because a crisis has been peacefully resolved and military force will not be necessary...
. He left in March 1920 to join Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
, and later played in the Midland League
Midland Football League
There have been at least two different football competitions in England which used the name Midland Football League.One existed until 1982 before merging with the Yorkshire League to form the Northern Counties League....
for Scunthorpe & Lindsey United
Scunthorpe United F.C.
Scunthorpe United Football Club is an English association football team based in the town of Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, who play in the Football League One....
.