Jock Ewart

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Jock Ewart

| image =

| alt =

| caption =

| fullname = John Ewart

| birth_date = 14 February 1891

| birth_place = Loanhead, Scotland

| death_date = {{death date and age|1943|6|22|1891|2|14|df=y}}

| death_place = Bellshill, Scotland

| height = {{height|ft=5|in=11+1/2}}{{Cite news |last=Stapler |date=22 August 1921 |title=First Division prospects. Bradford City |page=5 |work=Athletic News |location=Manchester}}

| position = Goalkeeper

| youthyears1 = 1906–1907

| youthclubs1 = Douglas Park

| youthyears2 = 1907

| youthclubs2 = Bellshill Rovers

| youthyears3 = 1907

| youthclubs3 = Bellshill Athletic

| youthyears4 = 1908–1909

| youthclubs4 = Larkhall Thistle

| years1 = 1909–1912

| clubs1 = Airdrieonians

| caps1 = 84

| goals1 = 0

| years2 = 1912–1923

| clubs2 = Bradford City

| caps2 = 255

| goals2 = 0

| years3 = 1923–1927

| clubs3 = Airdrieonians

| caps3 = 122

| goals3 = 0

| years4 = 1927–1928

| clubs4 = Bradford City

| caps4 = 28

| goals4 = 0

| years5 = 1928–1931

| clubs5 = Preston North End

| caps5 = 35

| goals5 = 0

| nationalyears1 = 1910–1911

| nationalteam1 = Scottish League XI

| nationalcaps1 = 2

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| nationalyears2 = 1921

| nationalteam2 = Scotland

| nationalcaps2 = 1

| nationalgoals2 = 0

}}

John Ewart (14 February 1891 – 22 June 1943) was a Scottish footballer who made over 280 appearances in the Football League for Bradford City as a goalkeeper. He also played in the Scottish League for Airdrieonians in two spells and won one cap for Scotland at international level. The SFA described him as "a goalkeeper who helped to perpetuate the myth of eccentricity required for the position".{{SFA player|id=113166}}

Career

A goalkeeper, Ewart was born in Midlothian and raised in Bellshill;{{cite book | last = Mitchell | first = Andy | url=https://www.scottishsporthistory.com/the-men-who-made-scotland.html |title = The men who made Scotland: The definitive Who's Who of Scottish Football Internationalists 1872-1939 | publisher = Amazon | year = 2021 | isbn=9798513846642}} he began his career with a number of junior clubs in Lanarkshire,{{Cite web |title=Ewart Jock Bradford City 1922 |url=http://vintagefootballers.com/product/ewart-jock-image-1-bradford-city-1922/ |access-date=6 December 2017 |website=Vintage Footballers |language=en-GB}} before joining Scottish League First Division club Airdrieonians in March 1909.{{Cite web |title=Bantams Greats {{!}} Jock Ewart |url=http://www.bradfordcityfc.co.uk/page/BantamsGreats/0,,10266~126156,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120722131959/http://www.bradfordcityfc.co.uk/page/BantamsGreats/0,,10266~126156,00.html |archive-date=22 July 2012 |access-date=6 December 2017 |website=Bradford City}} He moved to England to join First Division club Bradford City in May 1912 for £1,200, a then-record fee for a goalkeeper.{{Cite book |last=Raw |first=David |title=Bradford Pals |date=15 June 2006 |publisher=Pen and Sword |isbn=9781473812635 |language=en}} Either side of the First World War, Ewart made 302 appearances for the club,{{Cite web |title=Players' Lexicon: E |url=http://www.bantamspast.co.uk/Lexicon/players%27lexicone.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080720174350/http://www.bantamspast.co.uk/Lexicon/players'lexicone.html |archive-date=20 July 2008 |access-date=6 December 2017}} before returning Airdrieonians for a £300 fee in July 1923. In May 1927, Ewart returned to Bradford City, newly-relegated to the Third Division North, for a second spell, but lasted one season before seeing out his career with Second Division club Preston North End and retiring in 1931. Shortly after his retirement, Ewart was suspended from football sine die by the FA for an alleged match fixing incident.

At representative level, Ewart made two appearances for the Scottish League XI in 1910 and 1911.{{Cite book |last=Joyce |first=Michael |title=Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939 |publisher=Tony Brown |year=2012 |isbn=978-1905891610 |location=Nottingham |page=94}} He won a single full cap for Scotland in a 3–0 1920–21 British Home Championship win over England on 9 April 1921. After retiring from football, Ewart returned to the game as a trainer.

Personal life

Ewart spoke French and German and was a skilled flute, piccolo and violin player. He served as a private during the First World War, firstly in the West Yorkshire Regiment and latterly in the Training Reserve.{{Cite news |title=John Ewart {{!}} Service Record |language=en-US |work=Football and the First World War |url=http://www.footballandthefirstworldwar.org/jock-ewart-service-record/ |access-date=6 December 2017}} Ewart was a publican later in life.