Tennant Jack Image 1 Liverpool 1935

Description

Newcastle-upon-Tyne born full back (he could play either side) Jack Tennant began his football career as centre forward with Washington Colliery and was on the books of Newcastle United during their Championship winning season of 1926-27 without making their first eleven. He returned to Washington Colliery in 1927, from where he joined Stoke City later the same year, making his Football League debut and only appearance for The Potters in a Second Division match at Charlton Athletic in October 1930 but spent 1931-32 in the Stoke reserves before being released on a free transfer to Torquay United in the 1932 close season.

He was an ever present as a right back during 1932-33 in his only campaign at Torquay in the Third Division (South), scoring once, a penalty in an FA Cup draw with Bournemouth, in 47 appearances for The Gulls. Tennant was then purchased by First Division Liverpool in May 1933 and made his debut for the club that September in a 4-2 defeat at Aston Villa, making seven consecutive First Division appearances before missing the next 16 matches and then being brought back for another short run of six games in succession. The next season Ernie Blenkinsop started 1934-35 as first choice left back and played in the first 16 League fixtures before Tennant replaced him for the remaining 26 matches of the season. It must have come as a surprise when he left the club having won a regular spot in the team, but he was again sidelined at the start of the following season, signing for Bolton Wanderers in early January 1936 after 42 appearances for The Reds.

Mainly employed at right back while at Burden Park, the speedy Tennant helped consolidate newcomers Bolton in the First Division in the remainder of the 1935-36 season and missed only a handful of matches over the next two seasons, making a total of 105 appearances for The Trotters, scoring once, his only career outfield goal coming in a defeat at Sunderland in October 1937. He re-joined Stoke City in November 1938, where he resumed his role on the left side, however his career was effectively ended by the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939, having made a further 28 appearances for Stoke. During the War Tennant was a guest player for Liverpool, where he scored once in a further 15 wartime matches, also playing for Southport and Wrexham but he had retired by the time peacetime football resumed.