Vinall Jack Image 5 Luton Town 1939

Description

Witton, Birmingham born centre forward Jack Vinall began his football career with Allen & Everitt’s Sports in 1927 and played for George Ellison of Birmingham in 1928 before spending 1929-30 on the books of Birmingham, where he didn’t make a first team appearance. He joined Folkestone in 1930 before signing for First Division Sunderland in October 1931, making his Football League debut against Middlesbrough at the end of the same month. He had two seasons on Wearside scoring 3 goals in 21 appearances, before joining Norwich City in June 1933, where his career took off, such that today he is a member of the Norwich City Hall of Fame.

He scored 24 goals in their 1933-34 campaign which saw The Canaries win the Third Division (South) and get promoted into the Second Division for the first time, a total which included 4 goals against Bristol City and a hat-trick at Exeter City. Joint top scorer with Billy Warnes in his first season, he was the club’s outright leading goalscorer with 19 in 1934-35 and 24 in 1935-36 as he stayed ever present in all three seasons, before his total of 12 goals in 1936-37 was surpassed by Frank Manders. Highlights included hat-tricks against Notts County in November 1934, at Swansea Town in September 1935 and against Southampton in February 1936.

He joined Luton Town in October 1937 after 80 goals in 181 appearances for The Canaries, and played for The Hatters both sides of the Second World War, which cost him arguably some of his better years, scoring 20 goals in 50 appearances. In July 1946 he joined Walsall and made two League appearances for The Saddlers early in the first post war League season, before joining Worcester City in 1947, already aged 36, where he played until his retirement.