Mew Jack Image 1 Manchester United 1920

Description

Sunderland, County Durham born goalkeeper Jack Mew first played junior football for Northern Alliance club Blaydon Athletic in 1906 and, having been offered terms to join Sunderland aged 18 in 1907, played forMarley Hill St Cuthbert’s in 1908, for Sunnyside in 1909, Blaydon United in 1910 and Marley Hill Colliery in 1911, from where he signed for First Division club Manchester United in September 1912, aged 23. In his first season Mew won a Central League Championship medal with the reserves and while understudy to Bobby Beale he made his Football League debut against Middlesbrough in March 1913, and he continued as understudy for the next two seasons until the onset of the First World War forced the suspension of peacetime football, by when he had only made 4 appearances.

After the War he was handed the gloves on the resumption of peacetime football and was ever present in their 1919-20 campaign, Mew missing only 4 matches in the following three seasons, and he stayed with the club after they were relegated to the Second Division in 1922. In October 1920 he won his only England international cap when he played against Ireland in a 2-0 win at Roker Park, in addition he also played once for The Football League in a 1-0 victory over The Scottish League at Highbury in March 1921.

At Manchester United Mew lost his regular place to Alf Steward in October 1923 and continued as their reserve goalkeeper for three more seasons, In his final season at United he played 5 FA Cup ties in their Cup run that saw them beaten in the FA Cup semi final, but Alf Steward was their custodian for the actual semi final defeat to Manchester City. Mew played his last match for The Red Devils in March 1926.

After 199 matches for Manchester United, he signed for Barrow in September 1926 where he finished his professional career with 30 appearances for The Bluebirds in the 1926-27 season. In 1927, he became a player-coach for TSV Lyra in Belgium. In June 1928, he became a coach for Lima, Peru, although he also won representative honours in 1928 being selected by the Football Association to tour South Africa. He also coached in the United States in 1930, having been in a business partnership after retiring from playing football with Lancashire and England cricketer Cecil Parkin.

NB in the portrait Mew wears his England shirt and cap won in 1920.