John Cumming (footballer)
Encyclopedia
John "Darkie" Cumming (17 March 1930 – 6 December 2008) was a Scottish international
footballer who spent his whole club career with Heart of Midlothian
during which he made 612 appearances and scored 58 goals.
Cumming was nicknamed the 'Iron Man' and renowned for his fearless and resolute tackling. His commitment to the team is best typified by a quote from Cumming, now displayed above the entrance to the players tunnel at Tynecastle
: "Blood doesn't show on a maroon shirt". This said after Cumming received a head injury in the 1956 Scottish Cup Final and returned to the playing field. Cumming is the most decorated player in Hearts' history, having played through the club's most successful era in the late 1950s and early 1960s. He won two league championship medals, one Scottish Cup
medal and four Scottish League Cup
medals.
Cumming played nine times for Scotland
and also represented the Scottish League XI
.
Cumming and his wife Jean had a daughter, Jean, a son, James, and five grandchildren. He died on 6 December 2008. The John Cumming Stadium in his home town of Carluke
is named in his honour.
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...
footballer who spent his whole club career with Heart of Midlothian
Heart of Midlothian F.C.
Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian...
during which he made 612 appearances and scored 58 goals.
Cumming was nicknamed the 'Iron Man' and renowned for his fearless and resolute tackling. His commitment to the team is best typified by a quote from Cumming, now displayed above the entrance to the players tunnel at Tynecastle
Tynecastle Stadium
Tynecastle Stadium is a football stadium situated in the Gorgie area of Edinburgh, Scotland, which is the home ground of Scottish Premier League club Hearts. Tynecastle has a seating capacity of 17,420, which makes it the seventh largest football stadium in Scotland...
: "Blood doesn't show on a maroon shirt". This said after Cumming received a head injury in the 1956 Scottish Cup Final and returned to the playing field. Cumming is the most decorated player in Hearts' history, having played through the club's most successful era in the late 1950s and early 1960s. He won two league championship medals, one Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
medal and four Scottish League Cup
Scottish League Cup
The Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
medals.
Cumming played nine times for 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...
and also represented the Scottish League XI
Scottish League XI
The Scottish League XI is a representative side of the Scottish Football League. The team regularly played against the Football League and other national league select teams between 1892 and 1980. For a long period the annual fixture between the English and Scottish leagues was only second in...
.
Cumming and his wife Jean had a daughter, Jean, a son, James, and five grandchildren. He died on 6 December 2008. The John Cumming Stadium in his home town of Carluke
Carluke
The town of Carluke lies in the heart of the Lanarkshire countryside in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, 5.4 miles northwest of Lanark and 4 miles southeast of Wishaw....
is named in his honour.