Jack Kershaw was an English soccer center forward

Striker

Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...

 who began his career in England and ended it in the United States. He was born in Lancashire

Lancashire

Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...

, England

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...

. He played at least two seasons in the Southern New England Soccer League

Southern New England Soccer League

The Southern New England Soccer League was a semi-professional soccer league based in New England which was established in 1914 and collapsed in 1921. During its short existence, it featured some of the top teams in the northeast United States...

 and two in the American Soccer League

American Soccer League

The American Soccer League has been a name used by three different professional soccer leagues in the United States. The first American Soccer League was established in 1921 by the merger of teams from the National Association Football League and the Southern New England Soccer League. For...

 before coaching professionally and collegiately.

Player

According to some sources, Kershaw began his career in the English Northern Third Division

Northern League (football)

The Northern League is a football league in North East England for semi-professional and amateur teams. Having been founded in 1889, it is the oldest surviving football league in the world after the Football League....

. At some point, he came to the United States and joined Fore River

Fore River (soccer)

Fore River was an amateur U.S. soccer team which had its origins as the Fore River Shipbuilding company team of Quincy, Massachusetts.-History:...

 of the Southern New England Soccer League

Southern New England Soccer League

The Southern New England Soccer League was a semi-professional soccer league based in New England which was established in 1914 and collapsed in 1921. During its short existence, it featured some of the top teams in the northeast United States...

 (SNESL). He scored a goal in Fore River’s loss to Ben Millers

Ben Millers

Ben Millers was a U.S. soccer club sponsored by the Ben W. Miller Hat Company of St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1913, it entered the St. Louis Soccer League two years later, winning seven league titles and one National Challenge Cup before its disbandment in 1935.-History:In 1913, Ben Millers...

 in the 1920 National Challenge Cup

1920 National Challenge Cup

The 1919–20 National Challenge Cup was the annual open cup held by the United States Football Association now known as the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. This edition featured 99 teams in two divisions. The western division had 41 teams in six districts while the eastern division had 58 teams also...

. He suffered a season ending injury sometime in December 1920 or January 1921. In 1921, the SNESL was disbanded with the creation of the American Soccer League

American Soccer League

The American Soccer League has been a name used by three different professional soccer leagues in the United States. The first American Soccer League was established in 1921 by the merger of teams from the National Association Football League and the Southern New England Soccer League. For...

. Fore River did not move to the new league, but Kershaw spent two seasons in the new league, first with J&P Coats in 1921-1922 and then the Fall River Marksmen

Fall River Marksmen

Fall River Marksmen was a United States soccer club, based in Fall River, Massachusetts. They originally played as Fall River United before becoming known as the Marksmen after their owner, Sam Mark. During the 1920s and early 1930s they were one of the most successful soccer clubs in the United...

 in 1922-1923. In 1924, Kershaw scored the season’s first goal for the Shawsheen Indians

Shawsheen Indians

Shawsheen Indians were an United States soccer club based in Andover, Massachusetts during the early 1920s.-History:The Shawsheen Football Club, known by its nickname The Indians, was founded by George Park and played in the New Bedford Industrial Soccer League in the early 1920s...

 in the semi-professional National League, which had replaced the SNESL. However, Kershaw is not listed on the Indians’ roster when they won the 1925 National Challenge Cup

1925 National Challenge Cup

The 1924–25 National Challenge Cup was the annual open cup held by the United States Football Association now known as the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.-History:...

.

Coach

While he continued to play for various teams, Kershaw also coached Abbot Worsted

Abbot Worsted

Abbot Worsted was an early twentieth century U.S. soccer team sponsored by the Abbot Worsted Yarn Company of Forge Village, Massachusetts. During the early 1920s, it was a perennial contender in the National Challenge Cup.-History:...

 for six seasons, taking the team to national prominence and winning three league championships. In 1927, Harvard University

Harvard University

Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...

hired Kershaw as the soccer team’s head coach.