Kirk Harry “Jazzo” Image 1 Plymouth Argyle 1921

Description

Sheffield born inside right Harry “Jazzo” Kirk began his football career with Dinnington Main Colliery Welfare in 1918 towards the end of the First World War, and played for Worksop Town the same year, and Sherwood Rangers in 1919. He joined Second Division Bristol City in March 1920, making his Football League debut at Barnsley the next month, and in just over a season at Ashton Gate he scored 7 goals in 17 appearances, before leaving to join Plymouth Argyle in June 1921. Kirk was one the game’s real characters. Nicknamed ‘Jazzo’ he often played a piano, gave recitations, and did sleight of hand tricks after matches to entertain his fellow players!

He made just a single appearance for The Pilgrims, at inside right in a 1-0 win over Bristol Rovers in September 1921, spending his time at Home Park in the reserves. It was after he had scored for the Argyle reserves against Exeter City on Boxing Day 1921 that The Grecians became interested in the player and they finally signed him in March 1922, the forward making his debut in a goalless draw at Norwich City. He scored 9 goals in 14 appearances before the season end all the goals coming in a run of ten games between March 11th and April 22nd. Records suggest he then returned to Home Park in 1922 without adding to his solitary appearance but his stay there was a short one, as he was back at Exeter in September 1922, and from then on he really established himself as a crowd favourite and became more than a useful player.

He netted all four goals in a 4-3 win against Portsmouth at Fratton Park in March 1923 and ended the season with 11 in 29 appearances. His best season in an Exeter City shirt, however, was in 1924-25 when he became the club’s leading scorer with 12 goals, including a hat-trick in a 4-3 win over Newport County in February 1925. Kirk then signed for Charlton Athletic in May 1926 after 50 goals in 154 appearances for Exeter City but struggled to make an impact at The Valley, scoring twice in 8 appearances before moving to non league Bath City in the 1927 close season.

He returned to Football League action with New Brighton in August 1928 and scored 9 goals in 28 appearances for the Wirral club before a move to the north east to join South Shields in August 1929, where he scored 3 goals in 13 appearances before the year end before finishing his career with a second spell at Bath City, joining them in 1930, retiring that summer from playing.

In the 1930-31 season, Kirk returned to the north east being appointed trainer at Third Division (North) Gateshead, the by now re-named South Shields.

NB in the photograph he is marked as an Exeter City player but it was taken while at Plymouth Argyle, whose shirt he wears.