Jackie Bestall
Encyclopedia
John Gilbert "Jackie" Bestall, (b. Beighton
, Sheffield
, 24 June 1900, d. Doncaster
, 11 April 1985) was an English
international footballer
, he also played top division football and captained Grimsby Town
, and later managed Doncaster Rovers
and Blackburn Rovers
.
towards the end of the 1924-25 season
, playing the last two games. County finished bottom of Division Three (North)
that season and merged with Rotherham Town
to form the new club, Rotherham United
, that took the place of County in Division Three (North) for 1925-26
.
Jackie was an ever present in the 1925-26 season and in scoring 12 goals he was instrumental in producing much better fortunes. He playing in the first 17 games of the 1926-27 season before being sold shortly before an FA Cup
tie at Lincoln City
to Grimsby Town due to financial difficulties.
Bestall captained Grimsby to the 1933-34 Second Division title and back in to the First Division after two seasons in the Second. This helped Bestall to earn his only England cap aged 34 years, 226 days against Northern Ireland on 6 February 1935. He is the sixth oldest player to make his England debut and was the first Grimsby player to be capped by England.
He played in Grimsby's first FA Cup semi final against Arsenal
, but was injured early in the game, which Arsenal won 1-0. Grimsby Town fans believed that Bestall was targeted by the Arsenal defenders in the hope of deliberately injuring him.
Bestall played 427 league games for Town, only ever beaten by Keith Jobling
and latterly John McDermott.
and chief scout, chief scout at Doncaster Rovers
, managing Blackburn Rovers
and two spells as manger of Doncaster.
In tribute to his career at Grimsby Town, the town named a street after him.
Beighton
Beighton ward —which includes the districts of Beighton, Hackenthorpe, Owlthorpe, and Sothall—is one of the 28 electoral wards in City of Sheffield, England. It is located in the eastern part of the city, on the border with Rotherham and covers an area of 5.7 km2...
, Sheffield
Sheffield
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...
, 24 June 1900, d. Doncaster
Doncaster
Doncaster is a town in South Yorkshire, England, and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The town is about from Sheffield and is popularly referred to as "Donny"...
, 11 April 1985) was an English
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...
international footballer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
, he also played top division football and captained Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...
, and later managed Doncaster Rovers
Doncaster Rovers F.C.
Doncaster Rovers Football Club is an English football club, based at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The team currently competes in the Football League Championship, after being promoted via the League One play-offs in 2008, and have remained there since.The club was founded in...
and 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....
.
Rotherham County & Rotherham United
Bestall made his debut for Rotherham CountyRotherham County F.C.
Rotherham County Football Club was an English football club based in the town of Rotherham, Yorkshire. The club was founded in 1877 as Thornhill Football Club becoming Rotherham County in 1905. It joined the Midland League in 1903, and stayed in that competition until it was abandoned for World...
towards the end of the 1924-25 season
1924-25 in English football
The 1924–25 season was the 50th season of competitive football in England.-Honours:Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour...
, playing the last two games. County finished bottom of Division Three (North)
Football League Third Division North
The Third Division North of The Football League was a tier in the English association football league system from 1921 to 1958. It ran parallel to Third Division South with clubs elected to the League or relegated from a higher division allocated to one or the other according to geographical position...
that season and merged with Rotherham Town
Rotherham Town F.C.
Rotherham Town Football Club was the name of two English football clubs from Rotherham, Yorkshire. The first briefly played in the Football League, while the second became part of another Football League club, Rotherham United, who are still members of the League today...
to form the new club, Rotherham United
Rotherham United F.C.
Rotherham United Football Club are an English professional football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, who compete in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club's colours have traditionally been red and white, although these have evolved through history...
, that took the place of County in Division Three (North) for 1925-26
1925-26 in English football
The 1925–26 season was the 51st season of competitive football in England. This marked the year that Huddersfield Town won the League three years running, making them the first team in Football League history to do so.-Honours:-First Division:...
.
Jackie was an ever present in the 1925-26 season and in scoring 12 goals he was instrumental in producing much better fortunes. He playing in the first 17 games of the 1926-27 season before being sold shortly before an 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...
tie at Lincoln City
Lincoln City F.C.
Lincoln City Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of the Conference National in 2011–12 following relegation from the Football League....
to Grimsby Town due to financial difficulties.
Grimsby Town
Bestall is regarded as "perhaps the greatest name on Town's roll-call - a diminutive craftsman full of guile and possessed of outstanding constructive qualities". He had a lounge at Blundell Park and the smallest road in Grimsby and Cleethorpes named after him.Bestall captained Grimsby to the 1933-34 Second Division title and back in to the First Division after two seasons in the Second. This helped Bestall to earn his only England cap aged 34 years, 226 days against Northern Ireland on 6 February 1935. He is the sixth oldest player to make his England debut and was the first Grimsby player to be capped by England.
He played in Grimsby's first FA Cup semi final against Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
, but was injured early in the game, which Arsenal won 1-0. Grimsby Town fans believed that Bestall was targeted by the Arsenal defenders in the hope of deliberately injuring him.
Bestall played 427 league games for Town, only ever beaten by Keith Jobling
Keith Jobling
Keith Jobling is an English former professional footballer born in Grimsby who made 450 appearances in the Football League as a centre half for Grimsby Town. Until overtaken by John McDermott in 2000, Jobling was Grimsby Town's appearance record-holder...
and latterly John McDermott.
After retirement
When Bestall retired he had numerous jobs in football, coaching at Birmingham CityBirmingham 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...
and chief scout, chief scout at Doncaster Rovers
Doncaster Rovers F.C.
Doncaster Rovers Football Club is an English football club, based at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The team currently competes in the Football League Championship, after being promoted via the League One play-offs in 2008, and have remained there since.The club was founded in...
, managing 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 two spells as manger of Doncaster.
In tribute to his career at Grimsby Town, the town named a street after him.
Grimsby Town
- Second DivisionFootball League Second DivisionFrom 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...
Champions: 1934
| Club | Division | Years | League | Cup | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | |||
| Rotherham County Rotherham County F.C. Rotherham County Football Club was an English football club based in the town of Rotherham, Yorkshire. The club was founded in 1877 as Thornhill Football Club becoming Rotherham County in 1905. It joined the Midland League in 1903, and stayed in that competition until it was abandoned for World... |
Third Division (North) Football League Third Division North The Third Division North of The Football League was a tier in the English association football league system from 1921 to 1958. It ran parallel to Third Division South with clubs elected to the League or relegated from a higher division allocated to one or the other according to geographical position... |
1924-25 1924-25 in English football The 1924–25 season was the 50th season of competitive football in England.-Honours:Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour... |
2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Rotherham United Rotherham United F.C. Rotherham United Football Club are an English professional football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, who compete in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club's colours have traditionally been red and white, although these have evolved through history... |
1925-26 1925-26 in English football The 1925–26 season was the 51st season of competitive football in England. This marked the year that Huddersfield Town won the League three years running, making them the first team in Football League history to do so.-Honours:-First Division:... |
42 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 45 | 12 | |
| 1926-27 1926-27 in English football The 1926–27 season was the 52nd season of competitive football in England.-Events:This was the season in which George Camsell scored an astounding 59 goals in 37 league appearances for Middlesbrough-Honours:... |
17 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 4 | ||
| Club Totals | 61 | 16 | 3 | 0 | 64 | 16 | ||
| Grimsby Town Grimsby Town F.C. Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town... |
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... |
1926-27 | 23 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 25 | 8 |
| 1927-28 1927-28 in English football The 1927–28 season was the 53rd season of competitive football in England.-Events:This was the season in which Dixie Dean scored an astounding 60 goals in 39 league appearances for Everton – 58.8% of their seasons total .-Honours:... |
41 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 42 | 10 | ||
| 1928-29 1928-29 in English football The 1928–29 season was the 54th season of competitive football in England.-Honours:Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour... |
39 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 41 | 11 | ||
| First Division Football League First Division The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship.... |
1929-30 1929-30 in English football The 1929–30 season was the 55th season of competitive football in England.-Events:The Wednesday officially changed their name to Sheffield Wednesday prior to the start of this season.... |
39 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 41 | 10 | |
| 1930-31 1930-31 in English football The 1930–31 season was the 56th season of competitive football in England.-Events:Of note this season was Manchester United's record of the worst start in a major European league – they lost their first twelve games of the season and went on to be relegated.... |
42 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 45 | 12 | ||
| 1931-32 1931-32 in English football The 1931–32 season was the 57th season of competitive football in England.-Honours:Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour... |
37 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 40 | 4 | ||
| Second Division | 1932-33 1932-33 in English football The 1932–33 season was the 58th season of competitive football in England.-Honours:Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour... |
40 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 42 | 5 | |
| 1933-34 1933-34 in English football The 1933–34 season was the 59th season of competitive football in England.-Honours:Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour... |
42 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 44 | 11 | ||
| First Division | 1934-35 1934-35 in English football The 1934–35 season was the 60th season of competitive football in England.-Events:Arsenal become only the second team to win the League three consecutive times.-Honours:Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour... |
41 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 42 | 5 | |
| 1935-36 1935-36 in English football The 1935–36 season was the 61st season of competitive football in England.-Events:Sunderland AFC won the league, and in doing so they remain the last team to win the English League while wearing striped jerseys... |
41 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 47 | 4 | ||
| 1936-37 1936-37 in English football The 1936–37 season was the 62nd season of competitive football in England.-Honours:Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour... |
31 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 35 | 3 | ||
| 1937-38 1937-38 in English football The 1937–38 season was the 63rd season of competitive football in England.-Overview:This season is notable as the reigning champions Manchester City became the only team to have won the League title one season then been relegated the next.-Honours:... |
11 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 0 | ||
| Club Totals | 427 | 76 | 30 | 7 | 457 | 83 | ||
| Career Totals | 488 | 92 | 33 | 7 | 521 | 99 | ||