Jack Kelly (footballer)
Encyclopedia
John "Jack" Kelly was an English
professional footballer who scored 32 goals from 109 appearances in the Football League
playing for Burnley
, Newcastle United
, Leeds United
, Birmingham
and Bury
.
, County Durham
. He played for his local junior side before joining Burnley
, initially as an amateur
, in October 1930. He made his debut in the Football League
for Burnley, and joined Newcastle United
as part of a player exchange deal in April 1933. He rarely appeared for Newcastle's first team, and moved on to Leeds United
in February 1935 for a fee of £1,150. He was first choice at centre forward in the 1935–36 season, scoring 15 goals in 34 games in the First Division
, but lost out the following season to Arthur Hydes
. After a season and a half playing in the Central League
with only occasional appearances for the first team, Kelly joined Birmingham
in January 1938. He went straight into the starting eleven, but lost his place after eight games without a goal, and made only four appearances in the 1938–39 season. In May 1939 he joined Bury
, but after three games and one goal the Football League was abandoned for the duration of the Second World War.
Kelly retired from the game during the war. He was a butcher by trade, and also worked part-time as a magician. He died in Hetton-le-Hole in 2000.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
professional footballer who scored 32 goals from 109 appearances in the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
playing for Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
, Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
, Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
, Birmingham
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
and Bury
Bury F.C.
Bury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the...
.
Career
Kelly was born in Hetton-le-HoleHetton-le-Hole
Hetton-le-Hole is a town and civil parish situated in the City of Sunderland in Tyne and Wear, England. It is on the A182 between Houghton-le-Spring and Easington Lane. It is located on the southwest corner of Sunderland on the A182, off A690 close to the A1. It has a population of 14,402 but this...
, County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
. He played for his local junior side before joining Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
, initially as an amateur
Amateur
An amateur is generally considered a person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science, without pay and often without formal training....
, in October 1930. He made his debut in the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
for Burnley, and joined Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
as part of a player exchange deal in April 1933. He rarely appeared for Newcastle's first team, and moved on to Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
in February 1935 for a fee of £1,150. He was first choice at centre forward in the 1935–36 season, scoring 15 goals in 34 games in the First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
, but lost out the following season to Arthur Hydes
Arthur Hydes
Arthur Hydes was a retired English football player born in Barnsley. He played for Leeds United and Newport County. He scored almost 100 goals in his career with over 80 of them at Leeds. This included three consecutive years as Leeds' leading scorer.-References:...
. After a season and a half playing in the Central League
Central League (football)
The Central League , is a football league in England for reserve teams primarily of Football League clubs in the Midlands and North of England....
with only occasional appearances for the first team, Kelly joined Birmingham
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
in January 1938. He went straight into the starting eleven, but lost his place after eight games without a goal, and made only four appearances in the 1938–39 season. In May 1939 he joined Bury
Bury F.C.
Bury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the...
, but after three games and one goal the Football League was abandoned for the duration of the Second World War.
Kelly retired from the game during the war. He was a butcher by trade, and also worked part-time as a magician. He died in Hetton-le-Hole in 2000.