Fletcher Jack Image 1 Clapton Orient 1937

Description

Tyne Dock, South Shields, County Durham born inside right Jack Fletcher began his football career in the mid 1920’s with Hedworth St Nicholas, playing for West Boldon Church Institute in 1927, Boldon Colliery Welfare in 1928 and Chopwell Institute in 1930 before joining Southern League clubs Aldershot in 1931 and Guildford City in 1933, from where he was signed by Third Division (South) club Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic the same November, making his Football League debut against Charlton Athletic on 30th December that year, scoring in a 2-1 defeat. A regular for Bournemouth until he lost his place in December 1934, Fletcher signed for Queen’s Park Rangers in June 1935 after 4 goals in 29 appearances for The Cherries.

Fletcher had a single season at Loftus Road, playing 20 matches as they finished fourth in the Third Division (South), and then transferred to Clapton Orient in May 1936, where he missed only 4 matches in their 1936-37 campaign. Released in 1938 after 11 goals in 59 appearances, he spent the start of the 1938-39 season on the books at Southampton but only played for their reserves, before signing for Barrow in late September. He scored 5 goals in 19 appearances for The Bluebirds before a return to Southern League football with Peterborough United in the summer of 1939, but his career was then effectively ended by the outbreak of the Second World War that September.