John Fraser (footballer born 1876)
Encyclopedia
John Fraser (born Dumbarton 10 November 1876, died 1 October 1952) was a Scottish professional footballer who was part of the Dundee
team who won the Scottish Cup
in 1910
. He later went on to manage Dundee and was assistant manager at Chelsea
.
, where he appeared as part of the team that lost the Scottish Cup
final 5-1 to Rangers
in 1897
. After then spending one season with Motherwell
he decided to try his luck in England and joined First Division club Notts County
in January 1898. He remained at County for eighteen months before moving on to Newcastle United
where he remained for two seasons, until returning to Scotland with St Mirren for the 1901-02 season
.
in May 1902 he had clocked up eight years with five different clubs with no conspicuous success. He was signed by Southampton as a replacement for Edgar Chadwick
who had moved on to Liverpool
after leading the Saints to the 1902 FA Cup final. In an effort to reclaim the Southern League
title, Southampton recruited six new players, including fellow Scots, Jack Robertson
from Liverpool
and Mark Bell
from Heart of Midlothian
.
Fraser scored a hat-trick on his debut against Brentford
on 6 September 1902 (with the other goals from fellow débutante Tom Barlow
(2) and Harry Wood
) and soon became a fixture in the side and missed only a handful of games in the 1902-03 season
, including twice giving way to C. B. Fry for his final appearances for the club. On 13 December 1902 he scored four goals as Saints recorded their joint highest victory margin of 11-0 against Watford
.
When he joined the Saints he originally played at centre-forward, but he soon switched to inside-left where he had his best games and soon became a crowd favourite. Described in Holley & Chalk's "The Alphabet of the Saints" as "a bulky man" he "found the wing positions more to his liking and presented an awesome sight to defending goalkeepers when cutting inside and bearing down on them in full flight". Saints finished Fraser's first season by taking the Southern League
championship for the fifth time in seven years with Fraser contributing 15 goals.
This success was repeated in the following season, although in February 1903 he lost his place through injury to Fred Mouncher
. He was restored to the starting line-up for the 1904-05 season
where he continued to dovetail well on the left with George Hedley
, but Saints finished the season in a disappointing third place.
Fraser had planned on remaining in Southampton
as his intention was to purchase a tobacconist's business in the town, but the deal fell through and he then accepted excellent terms from Dundee
and returned to Scotland.
on 16 March 1907 in a 1-0 victory over Ireland
. He went on to win the Scottish Cup
in 1910
, defeating Clyde
2-1 in a second replay.
He later graduated to the position of player-manager for Dundee before moving back to England in 1919 to work for Chelsea
, firstly as a scout and later as an assistant manager under David Calderhead
and Leslie Knighton
until the late 1930s.
Southampton
Dundee
Dundee F.C.
Dundee Football Club, founded in 1893, are a football club based in the city of Dundee, Scotland. They are nicknamed The Dee or The Dark Blues and play their home matches at Dens Park. Their shirt colour is dark blue. Dundee currently play in the Scottish First Division, having been relegated from...
team who won the Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
in 1910
1909-10 in Scottish football
The 1909–10 season was the 20th season of Scottish League football.-Overview:Celtic extended their record run of consecutive league titles to six, while Dundee were Scottish Cup winners for the first time...
. He later went on to manage Dundee and was assistant manager at Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
.
Early career
Jack Fraser started his football career at the late age of 18 with his local club DumbartonDumbarton F.C.
Dumbarton Football Club is Scotland's 4th oldest football club – founded in 1872, just after Queen's Park , Kilmarnock and Stranraer...
, where he appeared as part of the team that lost the Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
final 5-1 to Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
in 1897
1896-97 in Scottish football
The 1896–97 season of Scottish football was the seventh season of the Scottish Football League.-Scottish Division One:Hearts were champions of the Scottish Division One.-Scottish Division Two:Partick Thistle won the Scottish Division Two...
. After then spending one season with Motherwell
Motherwell F.C.
Motherwell Football & Athletic Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. The club compete in the Scottish Premier League and are one of only seven teams to have remained in this league since it was founded in 1998...
he decided to try his luck in England and joined First Division club Notts County
Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...
in January 1898. He remained at County for eighteen months before moving on to 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...
where he remained for two seasons, until returning to Scotland with St Mirren for the 1901-02 season
1901-02 in Scottish football
The 1901–02 season was the 12th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Scottish League Division One:-Scottish League Division Two:-Scottish Cup:...
.
Southampton
By the time he joined SouthamptonSouthampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
in May 1902 he had clocked up eight years with five different clubs with no conspicuous success. He was signed by Southampton as a replacement for Edgar Chadwick
Edgar Chadwick
Edgar Wallace Chadwick was a left-sided footballer who had a long and distinguished career with Everton during the 1890s...
who had moved on to Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
after leading the Saints to the 1902 FA Cup final. In an effort to reclaim the Southern League
Southern Football League
The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
title, Southampton recruited six new players, including fellow Scots, Jack Robertson
Jack Robertson (footballer)
John Thomas "Jack" Robertson was a Scottish footballer who played at full-back around the turn of the 20th century for various clubs in England, including Stoke, Liverpool and Southampton .-Stoke:Robertson was born in...
from Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
and Mark Bell
Mark Bell (footballer)
Mark Dickson Bell was a Scottish footballer who played for Heart of Midlothian in the early years of the Twentieth century, helping them to win the Scottish Cup in 1901, before moving to southern England where he won Southern League championships with Southampton and Fulham...
from Heart of Midlothian
Heart of Midlothian F.C.
Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian...
.
Fraser scored a hat-trick on his debut against Brentford
Brentford F.C.
Brentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One....
on 6 September 1902 (with the other goals from fellow débutante Tom Barlow
Tom Barlow (footballer)
Thomas Henry "Tom" Barlow was an English footballer who played as an inside-forward around the turn of the 20th century, spending most of his career with Bolton Wanderers.-Football career:...
(2) and Harry Wood
Harry Wood (footballer)
Harry Wood was a professional footballer who played most of his career as an inside-forward for Wolverhampton Wanderers and Southampton.-Wolverhampton Wanderers:...
) and soon became a fixture in the side and missed only a handful of games in the 1902-03 season
1902-03 in English football
The 1902–03 season was the 32nd season of competitive football in England.-Honours:Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour. * indicates new record for competition-First Division:-Second Division:...
, including twice giving way to C. B. Fry for his final appearances for the club. On 13 December 1902 he scored four goals as Saints recorded their joint highest victory margin of 11-0 against Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
.
When he joined the Saints he originally played at centre-forward, but he soon switched to inside-left where he had his best games and soon became a crowd favourite. Described in Holley & Chalk's "The Alphabet of the Saints" as "a bulky man" he "found the wing positions more to his liking and presented an awesome sight to defending goalkeepers when cutting inside and bearing down on them in full flight". Saints finished Fraser's first season by taking the Southern League
Southern Football League
The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
championship for the fifth time in seven years with Fraser contributing 15 goals.
This success was repeated in the following season, although in February 1903 he lost his place through injury to Fred Mouncher
Fred Mouncher
Frederick William Mouncher was an English professional footballer who played as a winger for Southampton and Fulham in the 1900s.-Playing career:...
. He was restored to the starting line-up for the 1904-05 season
1904-05 in English football
The 1904–05 season was the 34th season of competitive football in England.-Events:Stockport County were replaced by Doncaster Rovers in the Second Division....
where he continued to dovetail well on the left with George Hedley
George Hedley
George Albert Hedley was a professional footballer who won the 1902 and 1908 FA Cup finals with Sheffield United and Wolverhampton Wanderers respectively, scoring in both.He was born in South Bank, Middlesbrough....
, but Saints finished the season in a disappointing third place.
Fraser had planned on remaining in Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
as his intention was to purchase a tobacconist's business in the town, but the deal fell through and he then accepted excellent terms from Dundee
Dundee F.C.
Dundee Football Club, founded in 1893, are a football club based in the city of Dundee, Scotland. They are nicknamed The Dee or The Dark Blues and play their home matches at Dens Park. Their shirt colour is dark blue. Dundee currently play in the Scottish First Division, having been relegated from...
and returned to Scotland.
Dundee
The return to Scotland paid dividends as he was to gain an international cap for ScotlandScotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
on 16 March 1907 in a 1-0 victory over Ireland
Ireland national football team (IFA)
The Ireland national football team represented Ireland at association football, it was organised by the Irish FA , and is the fourth oldest international team in the world. It mainly played in the British Home Championship against England, Scotland and Wales...
. He went on to win the Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
in 1910
1909-10 in Scottish football
The 1909–10 season was the 20th season of Scottish League football.-Overview:Celtic extended their record run of consecutive league titles to six, while Dundee were Scottish Cup winners for the first time...
, defeating Clyde
Clyde F.C.
Clyde Football Club are a Scottish professional football team currently playing in the Third Division of the Scottish Football League. Although based for the last fifteen years in the new town of Cumbernauld, they are traditionally associated with an area that covers Rutherglen in South...
2-1 in a second replay.
He later graduated to the position of player-manager for Dundee before moving back to England in 1919 to work for Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
, firstly as a scout and later as an assistant manager under David Calderhead
David Calderhead
David Calderhead was a Scottish footballer who later became a manager, notably of Chelsea.-Playing career:...
and Leslie Knighton
Leslie Knighton
Albert Leslie Knighton was an English football manager.Knighton was born in Church Gresley, Derbyshire. His own playing career was cut short by injury, after which he moved into coaching and management...
until the late 1930s.
Honours
DumbartonDumbarton F.C.
Dumbarton Football Club is Scotland's 4th oldest football club – founded in 1872, just after Queen's Park , Kilmarnock and Stranraer...
- Scottish CupScottish CupThe Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
: finalist 18971896-97 in Scottish footballThe 1896–97 season of Scottish football was the seventh season of the Scottish Football League.-Scottish Division One:Hearts were champions of the Scottish Division One.-Scottish Division Two:Partick Thistle won the Scottish Division Two...
Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
- Southern LeagueSouthern Football LeagueThe Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
championship: 1902-03 and 1903-04
Dundee
Dundee F.C.
Dundee Football Club, founded in 1893, are a football club based in the city of Dundee, Scotland. They are nicknamed The Dee or The Dark Blues and play their home matches at Dens Park. Their shirt colour is dark blue. Dundee currently play in the Scottish First Division, having been relegated from...
- Scottish CupScottish CupThe Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
: winner 19101909-10 in Scottish footballThe 1909–10 season was the 20th season of Scottish League football.-Overview:Celtic extended their record run of consecutive league titles to six, while Dundee were Scottish Cup winners for the first time...