John Little (footballer)
Encyclopedia
Robert John Little known as John Little or Johnny Little, is a retired Scottish
football
defender
who played for Queen's Park
, Rangers
, Morton
and the Scotland national team
.
Little was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada
but grew up in Scotland in Millport, Isle of Cumbrae
. He started his career with Queen's Park, making 55 league appearances. He joined Rangers in 1951, and he made a total of 275 appearances, scoring once. His only ever goal for the club came in a 1–1 draw with Hamilton Academical
in March 1954. During his time at Ibrox
he won four League championships
and two Scottish Cup
s. He left Rangers at the end of the 1961-62 season
, moving to Morton, where he finished his career.
Little won one cap
for the Scotland national team, against Sweden
in 1953.
Little went on to teach physical education
at St Columba's Greenock
in the late 1960s and at the Sacred Heart Secondary in Paisley
in the early 1970s.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
defender
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
who played for Queen's Park
Queen's Park F.C.
Queen's Park Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland. The club are currently the only amateur club in the Scottish League; their amateur status is reflected by their motto, Ludere Causa Ludendi – to play for the sake of playing.Queen's Park are the oldest...
, 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...
, Morton
Greenock Morton F.C.
Greenock Morton Football Club are a Scottish professional football club, who currently play in the Scottish Football League First Division. The club was founded as Morton Football Club in 1874, making it one of the oldest senior Scottish clubs....
and the Scotland national team
Scotland 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...
.
Little was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
but grew up in Scotland in Millport, Isle of Cumbrae
Millport, Isle of Cumbrae
Millport is the only town on the island of Great Cumbrae in the Firth of Clyde off the coast of North Ayrshire, Scotland. The town is four miles south from the Largs-based Caledonian MacBrayne ferry slipway....
. He started his career with Queen's Park, making 55 league appearances. He joined Rangers in 1951, and he made a total of 275 appearances, scoring once. His only ever goal for the club came in a 1–1 draw with Hamilton Academical
Hamilton Academical F.C.
Hamilton Academical Football Club, often known as Hamilton Academical, or Accies, are a Scottish football club from Hamilton in South Lanarkshire. They were established in 1874 from the school football team at Hamilton Academy. They remain the only professional club in British football to have...
in March 1954. During his time at Ibrox
Ibrox Stadium
Ibrox Stadium is a football stadium located on the south side of the River Clyde, on Edmiston Drive in the Ibrox district of Glasgow. It is the home ground of Scottish Premier League club Rangers and has an all-seated capacity of 51,082...
he won four League championships
Scottish Football League
The Scottish Football League is a league of football teams in Scotland, comprising theScottish First Division, Scottish Second Division and Scottish Third Division. From the league's foundation in 1890 until the breakaway Scottish Premier League was formed in 1998, the Scottish Football League...
and two 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...
s. He left Rangers at the end of the 1961-62 season
1961-62 in Scottish football
The 1961–62 season was the 65th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Scottish League Division One:Dundee had an excellent start to the season, including a 5–1 win away to Rangers, and having a seemingly invincible lead by Christmas. A poorrun of form in the new year, including a...
, moving to Morton, where he finished his career.
Little won one cap
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...
for the Scotland national team, against Sweden
Sweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
in 1953.
Little went on to teach physical education
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
at St Columba's Greenock
Greenock
Greenock is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council area in United Kingdom, and a former burgh within the historic county of Renfrewshire, located in the west central Lowlands of Scotland...
in the late 1960s and at the Sacred Heart Secondary in Paisley
Paisley
Paisley is the largest town in the historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland and serves as the administrative centre for the Renfrewshire council area...
in the early 1970s.