Maconnachie John “Jock” Image 11 Everton 1912

Description

Aberdeen born left back John “Jock” Maconnachie signed for Hibernian from Glasgow Perthshire in 1903, making his Scottish League debut at Kilmarnock in September 1903, scoring 9 goals in 93 games over four years at Easter Road before joining First Division Everton in April 1907, his Football League debut came in a 2-1 victory over Preston North End at Goodison Park that September, Maconnachie playing at centre half.

In due course he settled into the left back position that he would occupy until after the First World War, and he was ever present in that position as Everton finished runners up in the League Championship in 1908-09. He was a skilful defender in an era when the long punt downfield was the option of choice for many a professional defender. However, Maconnachie preferred to play himself out of trouble and his cool, untroubled approach quickly won the admiration of the Everton crowd. He played in the 1910 FA Cup semi final team dispatched 3-0 in a replay by Barnsley at Old Trafford, and he had made one further appearance for Hibernian in a brief loan spell against Dumbarton in April 1914, He then played 28 games as Everton won the League Championship in the final season before the First World War in 1914-15.

He guested for Shelbourne and the Swedish club Djurgårdens IF during the War, serving in the Army and then as a mechanic in the Royal Air Force before returning to Everton after the conflict in 1919, although his spell in Sweden would not be his last. He was loaned back to Djurgårdens IF early in 1920, returning in March, but left Everton for Swindon Town in June 1920 after 7 goals in 270 appearances.

He enjoyed two seasons in Wiltshire, scoring 3 times in 58 appearances, before a return to Djurgårdens IF this time as manager in 1922, which didn’t last, and after he returned to Swindon in December 1922 he played one further League match for them in January 1923. He then joined non league Foleshill Great Heath later that year but his League career surprisingly resumed in June 1927, already aged 42, when he joined Barrow. He was then appointed manager of Barrow from October 1927 to the end of December 1928, making 2 League appearances for them in February 1928. In 1929 he moved to non league Lowestoft Town, where he finished his football career.

NB in the photograph, taken at Goodison Park on 13th April 1912, Jock Maconnachie (right) tosses the coin with the Blackburn Rovers captain Bob Crompton before Blackburn’s 3-1 win.