Jack Diffin was a Northern Irish footballer and football manager.

Playing career

Diffin played for Belfast Celtic, Linfield

Linfield F.C.

Linfield F.C. , is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club, whose home ground is Windsor Park in Belfast, which is also the home of the Northern Ireland international team....

 and Dartford

Dartford F.C.

Dartford F.C. are an English football club based in Dartford, Kent. After finishing as champions of the Isthmian League Division One North in the 2007–08 season, they compete in the Isthmian League Premier Division. They finished in 8th position in their first season...

. He was capped

Cap (sport)

In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...

 by Northern Ireland in 1931. After retirement he set up a road haulage business.

Management career

Diffin became a Port Vale

Port Vale F.C.

Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...

 director in 1944 and appointed team manager in October of that year. David Pratt was appointed as manager in December 1944, but failed to gain a release from the Air Force and so never managed to be a manager to the Vale other than in name only. Diffin remained the effective manager until August 1945, when Billy Frith

Billy Frith

William "Billy" Frith was an English football player and manager.Starting his career with Worksop Town, Mansfield Town, and Chesterfield; he won a move to Coventry City in 1932...

was appointed. Diffin then concentrated on his board duties before being elected vice-chairman in 1946, finally stepping down in December 1957.