Swan Jack Image 2 Leeds United 1924

Description

Seaham Harbour born inside forward Jack Swan began his football career with hometown junior club Seaham Harbour in 1914 and guested for Leeds City during the First World War but after the War he joined Second Division Huddersfield Town in May 1919, making his Football League debut at Fulham the same October. He was Huddersfield’s second top scorer behind Sam Taylor in 1919-20, netting 22 goals including hat-tricks against Rotherham County and Port Vale as Huddersfield were promoted finishing Second Division runners up. He also appeared in the 1920 FA Cup Final for Huddersfield but they were beaten 1-0 by Aston Villa in the Final at Stamford Bridge losing to an extra time Billy Kirton goal.

In November 1921 he signed for Leeds United after 33 goals in 74 appearances for Huddersfield. At Leeds, he scored 11 goals in his first season including a hat-trick against Coventry City in March 1922, and he helped the team win the 1923-24 Division Two Championship scoring 18 goals in the campaign, and being the club’s leading marksman. His final season at Leeds back in the First Division saw 11 goals, and after 50 goals in 116 appearances he joined Watford for a fee of £1000 in September 1925. In his first season at Vicarage Road he scored 22 goals and finished as the club’s top scorer. But a sine die suspension for a breach of discipline in January 1927 (Jimmy Broad was sacked at the same time) ended Jack Swan’s Watford career as an experienced, hard-shooting goalscorer after 31 goals in 58 appearances, and he joined Queen’s Park Rangers for £300 the next month. At Rangers he scored 5 times in 28 appearances before joining non league Thames Association in the summer of 1928, going on to play for Lovells Athletic in October 1929 before retirement.

When Jack was 89 years old he attended the 1972 Centenary FA Cup Final at Wembley as a VIP because he was the oldest surviving footballer from an FA Cup Final, thereafter living to 97 years old.