Ewart Jock Image 1 Bradford City 1912

Description

Oakbank, Perth born goalkeeper John “Jock” Ewart started his football career in local junior football with Douglas Park in 1906, playing for both Bellshill Rovers and Bellshill Athletic in 1907 and Larkhall Thistle in 1908 before being signed later that year by Scottish League club Aidrieonians. His form soon attracted the Scottish selectors and he made 2 representative appearances for The Scottish League, in October 1910 against The Irish League and a year later against The Southern League.

After 84 appearances over four seasons with Airdrie he joined First Division club Bradford City in the summer of 1912, making his Football League debut at Aston Villa that September, immediately establishing himself as the number one goalkeeper at Valley Parade making 111 appearances before the advent of the First World War, during which he served in the Army in the Prince of Wales’s Own (West Yorkshire) Regiment and the 16th (Service) Battalion (1st Bradford) and suffered from shell shock.

However he returned to Bradford City after the War, remaining their number one goalkeeper until he re-joined Airdrieonians in 1923, by when he had made 272 appearances for The Bantams. Such was his consistency that he was selected for his country and he made a single appearance for Scotland in a 3-0 win against England at Hampden Park in April 1921.

He was in goal for The Diamonds as they won the 1924 Scottish Cup Final beating Hibernian 2-0 at Ibrox, and was a big part of the team that finished in second place in the Scottish League Championship four years in a row between 1923 and 1926 but after a further four seasons at Broomfield Park and a further 122 appearances, he re-joined Bradford City in 1927, making 30 appearances for them although by now they were in the Third Division (North). He finally joined Preston North End in the close season of 1928, playing his last game of 35 for The Lilywhites in October 1929 before his retirement.