Conner Jack Image 2 Crystal Palace 1921

Description

Rutherglen, Lanarkshire born centre forward Jack Conner started in Scottish junior football with Perth Violet in 1911 and Perth Co-operative in 1912, becoming a Scottish junior internationalist before signing for First Division Sunderland in May 1912, making his Football League debut that September against Blackburn Rovers. Despite 5 goals in 9 games in his two seasons on Wearside he could not establish himself and left to play for Irish League Distillery in 1914.

After World War One he joined Crystal Palace in June 1919 and scored 18 goals in their 1919-20 Southern League campaign. He was then ever present, scoring an impressive 29 goals with no other Palace player in double figures, as they won the inaugural Third Division (South) Championship in 1920-21. However he struggled to keep his place in the Second Division and moved to Newport County in November 1922 after 57 goals in 104 appearances for Palace, where his goals helped The Ironsides to steadily improve their League position each season.

After 28 goals in 93 games he moved to Bristol City in December 1924 scoring 3 times in 16 games at City signing with Millwall in June 1925 for whom he played just twice in November 1925. He joined non league Chatham Town in March 1926 before a move to Yeovil & Petters United in the summer of that year. He stayed a season at Huish Park before a brief spell at Southend United, joining them the following close season, but he didn’t make the Shrimpers’ first eleven and returned to Yeovil & Petters in January 1929, where he played until his eventual retirement.