Jacques Bill Image 2 Tottenham Hotspur 1921

Description

Erith, Kent born goalkeeper Bill Jacques began his football career with Kent League club Gravesend United  before joining Southern League Coventry City in 1911. He played three seasons at Highfield Road making 58 appearances before signing for First Division Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 1914 where he made his Football League debut against Everton that September, being Tottenham’s principal glovesman with 30 appearances in the final season before peacetime football was suspended due to the onset of the First World War, a season in which Tottenham suffered relegation.

On the resumption of peacetime football Jacques was an ever present as Tottenham won the Second Division Championship  at the first time of asking in 1920, and he played in their FA Charity Shield defeat to League Champions West Bromwich Albion at White Hart Lane in May 1920. However he missed out on their 1921 FA Cup Final victory when the goalkeeping gloves went to Alex Hunter.

He was Tottenham’s goalkeeper the following season in their FA Cup semi final team that lost 2-1 to Preston North End at Hillsborough as they defended their trophy, however the emergence of Herbert Blake from early April 1922 spelt the end for Jacques, and he made his final Spurs appearance of 139 that September in a home defeat to Burnley.  Tragically following illness he died in June 1925 aged only 36.

NB hard to know but it’s possible this photograph, showing what appears to be quite a young man, was taken prior to the First World War.