John Barry L. "Jack" Nicholls (14 February 1898 – 1970) was a Welsh

Welsh people

The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...

 professional footballer 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...

 international. His father Sydney Nicholls

Sydney Nicholls

Sydney 'Sid' Herbert Nicholls was an English-born dual code rugby forward who played club rugby under the union code for Cardiff and in his later years league rugby with Hull. Nicholls won four caps for Wales and was part of the Welsh team that beat the first touring Southern Hemisphere team the...

 and uncle Gwyn Nicholls

Gwyn Nicholls

Erith Gwyn Nicholls was a Welsh rugby union player who gained 24 caps for Wales as a centre. Nicholls was known as the "Prince of Threequarters"....

 were both Wales

Wales national rugby union team

The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...

 rugby union internationals.

Career

Born in Cardiff

Cardiff

Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...

, Welsh amateur international Nicholls began his career with a number of Welsh league sides before joining 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....

 side Newport County

Newport County A.F.C.

Newport County Association Football Club are a professional football club based in the city of Newport, south Wales, who currently play in the Conference National, the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...

, making his debut during the 1923–24 season. Having established himself in the Newport side, Nicholls was handed his debut for 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...

 on 3 March 1924 in a 2–1 victory over 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...

 in the 1924 British Home Championship

1924 British Home Championship

The 1924 British Home Championship was an international football tournament played during the 1923–24 season between the British Home Nations...

, becoming the first Newport County player to gain an international cap.

During his spell with Newport County, Nicholls was also employed by the Cardiff City Water Board and, when his work commitments began to interfere with his ability to play for Newport, he was released at the end of the 1923–24 season and signed with Cardiff City

Cardiff City F.C.

Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...

. He made his debut in October 1924 in a 2–1 win over Newcastle United

Newcastle United F.C.

Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...

 but he went on to make just one more appearance for the side before leaving the following year. Despite being unable to break into the Cardiff first-team, Nicholls gained his last two caps for Wales while at Ninian Park

Ninian Park

Ninian Park was a football stadium in Leckwith, Cardiff, Wales. Until 2009, it was the home ground of Cardiff City F.C., who compete in the English Football League Championship...

, playing in a 3–1 defeat to 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...

, in a team that contained five Cardiff players, and a 2–1 defeat to England during the 1925 British Home Championship

1925 British Home Championship

The 1925 British Home Championship was a football tournament played between the British Home Nations during the 1924/25 season. It was one of six tournaments in seven years won by the strong Scottish team of the early 1920s, and was achieved with a whitewash of all three rivals, including England...

.