John Walker (footballer, born 1873)
{{short description|Scottish footballer}}
{{Other people|John Walker}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2018}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2018}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Johnny Walker
| image = John Walker.jpg
| fullname =
| birth_date = 24 August 1873{{cite web|url=http://www.scottishsporthistory.com/sports-history-news-and-blog/john-walker-the-scot-who-secured-liverpools-first-championship|title=John Walker, the Scot who secured Liverpool's first championship|author=Andy Mitchell|website=Scottish Sport History|date=24 May 2014|accessdate=22 September 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://themilitarymuseums.ca/mmural/51-100/074/m074.html|title=John Walker; Famous Scottish Footballer|website=Walker Brothers at The Military Museums |accessdate=22 September 2018}}
| birth_place = Shotts, Scotland
| death_date = {{death date and age |1937|2|17|1873|8|24|df=y}}
| death_place = Louise, Manitoba, Canada
| position = Inside forward
| youthyears1 = {{0|0000}}–1893
| youthclubs1 = Armadale
| years1 = 1893–1898
| clubs1 = Heart of Midlothian
| caps1 = 82
| goals1 = 31
| years2 = 1898–1902
| clubs2 = Liverpool
| caps2 = 109
| goals2 = 29
| years3 = 1902–1905
| clubs3 = Rangers
| caps3 = 50
| goals3 = 24
| clubs4 = Morton
| caps4 = 28
| goals4 = 6
| totalcaps = 269
| totalgoals = 90
| nationalyears1 = 1895–1904
| nationalteam1 = Scotland
| nationalcaps1 = 5
| nationalgoals1 = 3
| nationalyears2 = 1896–1904
| nationalteam2 = Scottish League XI
| nationalcaps2 = 5
| nationalgoals2 = 0
}}
John Walker (24 August 1873 – 17 February 1937) was a Scottish footballer who played for Armadale, Heart of Midlothian, Liverpool, Rangers and Morton in the 1890s and 1900s. He won national titles in Scotland and England, and represented both Scotland and the Scottish League XI.
Playing career
=Club=
Born in Shotts, North Lanarkshire, Walker played for local team Armadale before being recruited by leading club Hearts, making his league debut for the Edinburgh club on 18 February 1893. He played four full seasons with Hearts, winning two League Championships and one Scottish Cup, and was nearing the end of a fifth campaign when he was signed for Liverpool by manager Tom Watson along with teammate Tommy Robertson for £350 on 30 March 1898. He made his Reds debut in a Football League Division One fixture on 11 April 1898.
Walker only missed two games during his first full season, scoring 12 goals in 38 games, a decent return for an inside forward. He was a regular member of the Anfield club's first league championship win in 1901, and scored the winning goal against West Bromwich Albion on the final day of the season to secure the title.
Walker played another 18 times for Liverpool in 1901–02 before returning to Scotland to join Rangers, who had just won a fourth successive domestic title but were also facing financial troubles due to the reconstruction work required on their stadium after the recent 1902 Ibrox disaster. He scored at a rate of nearly a goal every two league games over his three seasons with the Glasgow club, and appeared in two further Scottish Cup finals.{{cite web |url=http://www.fitbastats.com/rangers/player.php?playerid=1867 |title=Rangers Player John Walker |website=FitbaStats |quote=In the source, Walker's Rangers spell has been appended with an additional season played in defence by a younger player of the same name who joined the club at the same time the older Walker left in 1905|accessdate=22 September 2018}} In 1905 he moved on to play for Morton, however he was there for only a short time before suffering a serious knee injury which ended his playing career.
=International=
Walker played five times for Scotland.[https://www.londonhearts.com/scotland/players/john1walker.html Scotland player Johnny Walker], London Hearts Supporters Club{{efn|In the Scottish Football Association's website profile,[https://www.scottishfa.co.uk/players/?pid=112974 John Walker], Scottish Football Association Walker's record also includes the statistics for Jock Walker who gained 9 caps / 0 goals between 1911 and 1913.}} He made his debut in an 1895 British Home Championship match against Ireland, scoring two goals in the 3–1 victory at Celtic Park.{{cite news|url=http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/international_fixture_details.cfm?page=462&matchID=57942|title=Scotland 3–1 Northern Ireland [sic] |publisher=Scottish Football Association|work=Scottishfa.co.uk|accessdate=3 December 2011}} He also represented the Scottish League XI five times, while he was with Hearts and Rangers.{{cite news|url=http://www.londonhearts.com/SFL/players/john1walker.html|title=SFL player John Walker|work=Londonhearts.com|publisher=London Hearts Supporters' Club|accessdate=3 December 2011}}
{{notelist}}
Later life and death
In 1910, Walker moved to Canada to become an engineer with Manitoba Telephones. He eventually enlisted for service in World War I (although was initially rejected due to his injured leg), joining the Canadian Military Engineers in 1916 and spending most of the conflict attached to the Canadian Signal Corps. After the war he returned to his telecoms job in Manitoba. He died in 1937 from an accident while cutting wood.
Honours
- Scottish Cup: 1902–03
- Runners-up: 1903–04
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.lfchistory.net/player_profile.asp?player_id=875 Profile at LFCHistory.net]
- [http://londonhearts.com/scores/players/walkerjohnny.html Hearts player profile] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111215111252/http://londonhearts.com/scores/players/walkerjohnny.html |date=15 December 2011 }} at London Hearts
{{DEFAULTSORT:Walker, John}}
Category:Military personnel from North Lanarkshire
Category:Royal Canadian Engineers soldiers
Category:Royal Canadian Corps of Signals soldiers
Category:Canadian Expeditionary Force soldiers
Category:Scottish men's footballers
Category:Footballers from Shotts
Category:Footballers from Armadale, West Lothian
Category:Heart of Midlothian F.C. players
Category:Liverpool F.C. players
Category:Greenock Morton F.C. players
Category:Scotland men's international footballers
Category:Scottish Football League players
Category:Scottish Football League representative players
Category:Armadale F.C. players
Category:Men's association football inside forwards
Category:Scottish emigrants to Canada