Blackman Jack Image 3 Crystal Palace 1937

Description

Bermondsey, London born centre forward Jack Blackman joined Queen’s Park Rangers in 1931 from Weston United, making his Football League debut against Leeds United in an FA Cup tie in January 1932 and scoring 7 goals in 12 appearances before the end of his debut season. In 1933-34 he was the club’s top scorer with 31 goals, which included all  four goals in an FA Cup win over New Brighton and hat-tricks home and away against Gillingham, 13 of his goals coming in a 7 game burst in December 1933 as Rangers finished fourth in Division Three (South), and in 1934-35 he was again the club’s top scorer with 19 goals.

He was signed by Crystal Palace in October 1935 after 71 goals in 120 games for Rangers. He scored 20 goals in his first season for Palace including hat-tricks against Newport County and Swindon Town, and he remained a consistent goalscorer for a further two seasons, but he managed only 5 goals in 14 League appearances as they finished runners up in the Third Division (South) in 1938-39, the final season before the outbreak of the Second World War. He played both sides of the War for Palace, as well as in wartime league football, also guesting for Millwall, albeit after the War he only appeared in one FA Cup tie in January 1946, ironically against his former club, moving to join non league Guildford City in May that year after having scored 55 goals in 111 appearances for The Eagles.