John Purcell Nicholson was an English

English people

The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...

 footballer.

Playing career

Nicholson joined 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...

 for a £2,000 fee 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...

 in August 1961. He made his debut in 1–1 draw at Northampton Town

Northampton Town F.C.

Northampton Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Northampton, Northamptonshire. They currently play in Football League Two, the lowest league division, after being relegated from League One on the last day of the 2008–09 season...

 on 2 September 1961, and 208 consecutive appearances later, on 8 September 1965, he had broken a club record. After being an ever-present for the 1962–63

1962–63 Port Vale F.C. season

The 1962–63 season was Port Vale's fifty-first season of football in the Football League, and their fourth season in the Third Division. An impressive season saw them finish in third position, one away from promotion. However promotions for both their rivals Stoke City and Crewe Alexandra meant...

, 1963–64

1963–64 Port Vale F.C. season

The 1963–64 season was Port Vale's fifty-second season of football in the Football League, and their fifth season in the Third Division. Freddie Steele spent big on transfers, bringing in players such as Billy Bingham, Albert Cheesebrough, and Jackie Mudie. However it was a disappointing season in...

 and 1964–65 seasons

1964–65 Port Vale F.C. season

The 1964–65 season was Port Vale's fifty-third season of football in the Football League, and their sixth season in the Third Division. They went on a club record streak of 13 home games without a clean sheet from 26 September to 15 March...

 he was dropped in September 1965 and sold to Doncaster Rovers

Doncaster Rovers F.C.

Doncaster Rovers Football Club is an English football club, based at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The team currently competes in the Football League Championship, after being promoted via the League One play-offs in 2008, and have remained there since.The club was founded in...

 for £5,000 that month, a move that outraged Vale supporters.

Death

His career was cut short when he was killed in a car crash in Doncaster

Doncaster

Doncaster is a town in South Yorkshire, England, and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The town is about from Sheffield and is popularly referred to as "Donny"...

. The Port Vale directors donated 100 guineas

Guinea (British coin)

The guinea is a coin that was minted in the Kingdom of England and later in the Kingdom of Great Britain and the United Kingdom between 1663 and 1813...

 to his widow

Widow

A widow is a woman whose spouse has died, while a widower is a man whose spouse has died. The state of having lost one's spouse to death is termed widowhood or occasionally viduity. The adjective form is widowed...

. He left behind his wife and a young son, Steven John Nicholson.

External links

• Profile at LFCHistory.net
• Statistics at Neil Brown's stat site