Johnny Duncan (footballer)
Encyclopedia
John 'Johnny' Duncan was a Scottish
football player and manager, who is most notable for his time at Leicester City
.
He captained the club to its greatest ever league finishes of 3rd and 2nd place in the First Division
in 1927-28
and 1928-29
respectively. While also carrying much of the backroom influence at the time as he asserted the club remained faithful to Peter Hodge
's passing style. He later managed the club to its first ever major cup final in 1949
. He has been described as "an indelible Leicester City great"
He also holds the (joint) club record at Leicester for the most goals in a single game, scoring six goals in a in a 7-0 victory over Port Vale
on Christmas Day 1924 (this record was later equaled by Arthur Chandler
).
Former Leeds United and England manager Don Revie
, who played under Duncan at Leicester, dedicates an entire chapter of his autobiography to Duncan, entitled "My Debt to Johnny Duncan" claiming "Until you have heard Johnny Duncan talk about Soccer [sic] then your Football Education [sic] is sadly lacking."
in the wartime Eastern League during World War I
, scoring a hat-trick
against Dunfermline Athletic
on his debut. After one year he moved on to Raith Rovers
.
or an inside forward
, Duncan began his career under Peter Hodge
at Raith Rovers
, where towards the end of his career at Raith, he played alongside the legendary inside-forward Alex James
. Hodge was again re-united with Duncan after he signed Duncan, along with his brother Tom, for Leicester in 1922, where he was considered the lynch-pin around which Hodge's plans in progressing the club and instilling the Scottish passing style into the club's culture were built. After Hodge left in 1926, Duncan insisted the club stayed loyal to Hodge's passing style as the club reached its halcyon years of league success.
Duncan's influence on the side was described by a column in The Sunday Express at the end of the 1928-29 season: "The best football team have been Leicester City, who have approached nearer to the pre-war standard than any other in individuality and constructive cleverness. I attribute this largely to the influence of their Scottish captain, John Duncan, who has insisted that the way to success was by expert use of the ball than by helter-skelter methods."
Duncan was effectively sacked as a player from the club in 1930 after the club refused to allow him to run a local public house
, the "Turks' Head," while contracted as a player.
He also won one cap for the Scotland national football team
, scoring against Wales
in the 1926 British Home Championship
. He later had a brief spell at Leicester based amateur side Solus FC.
His influence as club captain was later transferred to management as he re-joined Leicester City
once more, this time as manager after the end of World War II
. He managed the club to their first ever major cup final, the 1949 FA Cup Final
, which the they lost to Wolverhampton Wanderers
. The run to the cup final included an incredible 5-5 draw with Luton Town
in the 5th round, in which Jack Lee
managed to head home a Mal Griffiths
corner in injury time of extra-time (this was Lee's fourth goal of the match) to equalise and send the game to a replay. Duncan missed the goal as he was on his knees with his back to the pitch, praying in desperation.
He was sacked a few months later in October 1949 after another disagreement with the club's board, this time over transfer policy, specifically over a dispute in which he stated that he didn't believe in close season deals, as he couldn't judge a player's current form.
Duncan continued to run the Turk's Head pub in Leicester for several decades after his playing career ended, including while still as manager.
Scotland
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 player and manager, who is most notable for his time at Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
.
He captained the club to its greatest ever league finishes of 3rd and 2nd place 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....
in 1927-28
1927-28 in English football
The 1927–28 season was the 53rd season of competitive football in England.-Events:This was the season in which Dixie Dean scored an astounding 60 goals in 39 league appearances for Everton – 58.8% of their seasons total .-Honours:...
and 1928-29
1928-29 in English football
The 1928–29 season was the 54th season of competitive football in England.-Honours:Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour...
respectively. While also carrying much of the backroom influence at the time as he asserted the club remained faithful to Peter Hodge
Peter Hodge
Peter Hodge was a Scottish football manager who managed Raith Rovers, Stoke City, Manchester City and most notably Leicester City...
's passing style. He later managed the club to its first ever major cup final in 1949
1949 FA Cup Final
The 1949 FA Cup Final was contested by Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leicester City at Wembley Stadium. Wolves finished 6th in the First Division during that season, and boasted several England internationals among their ranks, while Leicester City had struggled to avoid relegation in the Second...
. He has been described as "an indelible Leicester City great"
He also holds the (joint) club record at Leicester for the most goals in a single game, scoring six goals in a in a 7-0 victory over 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...
on Christmas Day 1924 (this record was later equaled by Arthur Chandler
Arthur Chandler
Arthur Clarence Hillier Chandler was a professional footballer in the 1920s and 1930s. He is most famous at Leicester City, where he is the club's all time record goal scorer, with 273 goals, though he also played for Queens Park Rangers and Notts County....
).
Former Leeds United and England manager Don Revie
Don Revie
Donald George 'Don' Revie, OBE, , was an English footballer who played for Leicester City, Hull City, Sunderland, Manchester City and Leeds United as a deep-lying centre forward. After managing Leeds United he managed England from 1974 until 1977...
, who played under Duncan at Leicester, dedicates an entire chapter of his autobiography to Duncan, entitled "My Debt to Johnny Duncan" claiming "Until you have heard Johnny Duncan talk about Soccer [sic] then your Football Education [sic] is sadly lacking."
Early career
He started his senior football career with Lochgelly UnitedLochgelly United F.C.
Lochgelly United were a Scottish football club based at Lochgelly's Schools Park and Reids Park , before moving to the Recreation Ground in nearby Cowdenbeath...
in the wartime Eastern League during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, scoring a hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
against Dunfermline Athletic
Dunfermline Athletic F.C.
Dunfermline Athletic Football Club are a Scottish football team based in Dunfermline, Fife, commonly known as just Dunfermline. They currently compete in the Scottish Premier League....
on his debut. After one year he moved on to Raith Rovers
Raith Rovers F.C.
Raith Rovers Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in Kirkcaldy, Fife. They are members of the Scottish Football League, currently playing in the First Division, having secured promotion from the Second Division as champions in 2009. Rovers have won one national trophy, the...
.
Leicester City
A skillful ball player, Duncan, who could play either as a wing halfWing half
In association football, the position of wing half or wing half back) was popularly used in the late nineteenth and first half of the 20th centuries...
or an inside forward
Inside forward
In football, the position of inside forward was popularly used in the late nineteenth and first half of the 20th centuries. The inside forwards would support the centre forwards, running and making space in the opposition defence, and, as the passing game developed, supporting him with passes...
, Duncan began his career under Peter Hodge
Peter Hodge
Peter Hodge was a Scottish football manager who managed Raith Rovers, Stoke City, Manchester City and most notably Leicester City...
at Raith Rovers
Raith Rovers F.C.
Raith Rovers Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in Kirkcaldy, Fife. They are members of the Scottish Football League, currently playing in the First Division, having secured promotion from the Second Division as champions in 2009. Rovers have won one national trophy, the...
, where towards the end of his career at Raith, he played alongside the legendary inside-forward Alex James
Alex James (footballer)
Alexander Wilson James was a Scottish footballer, and is most noted for his success with Arsenal, where he is regarded as one of the club's greatest players of all time. James played as an inside forward, as a supporting player for the main strikers...
. Hodge was again re-united with Duncan after he signed Duncan, along with his brother Tom, for Leicester in 1922, where he was considered the lynch-pin around which Hodge's plans in progressing the club and instilling the Scottish passing style into the club's culture were built. After Hodge left in 1926, Duncan insisted the club stayed loyal to Hodge's passing style as the club reached its halcyon years of league success.
Duncan's influence on the side was described by a column in The Sunday Express at the end of the 1928-29 season: "The best football team have been Leicester City, who have approached nearer to the pre-war standard than any other in individuality and constructive cleverness. I attribute this largely to the influence of their Scottish captain, John Duncan, who has insisted that the way to success was by expert use of the ball than by helter-skelter methods."
Duncan was effectively sacked as a player from the club in 1930 after the club refused to allow him to run a local public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
, the "Turks' Head," while contracted as a player.
He also won one cap for the Scotland national football 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...
, scoring against Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
in the 1926 British Home Championship
1926 British Home Championship
The 1926 British Home Championship was an international football tournament played during the 1925–26 season between the British Home Nations...
. He later had a brief spell at Leicester based amateur side Solus FC.
His influence as club captain was later transferred to management as he re-joined Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
once more, this time as manager after the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He managed the club to their first ever major cup final, the 1949 FA Cup Final
1949 FA Cup Final
The 1949 FA Cup Final was contested by Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leicester City at Wembley Stadium. Wolves finished 6th in the First Division during that season, and boasted several England internationals among their ranks, while Leicester City had struggled to avoid relegation in the Second...
, which the they lost to Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
. The run to the cup final included an incredible 5-5 draw with Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
in the 5th round, in which Jack Lee
Jack Lee (footballer)
Jack Lee was an English footballer. Lee, was born in Sileby and died in Rugby, and was also a first-class cricketer with Leicestershire....
managed to head home a Mal Griffiths
Mal Griffiths
William Malwyn "Mal" Griffiths was a Welsh footballer who played as an outside right for Leicester City and Wales.Born in Merthyr Tydfil, Griffiths started out in local football before signing for Arsenal...
corner in injury time of extra-time (this was Lee's fourth goal of the match) to equalise and send the game to a replay. Duncan missed the goal as he was on his knees with his back to the pitch, praying in desperation.
He was sacked a few months later in October 1949 after another disagreement with the club's board, this time over transfer policy, specifically over a dispute in which he stated that he didn't believe in close season deals, as he couldn't judge a player's current form.
Duncan continued to run the Turk's Head pub in Leicester for several decades after his playing career ended, including while still as manager.
As a Player
Leicester CityLeicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
- Football League First DivisionFootball League First DivisionThe 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....
Runner-up: 1928-291928-29 in English footballThe 1928–29 season was the 54th season of competitive football in England.-Honours:Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour... - Football League Second DivisionFootball League Second DivisionFrom 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
Champions: 1924-25
Scotland
- British Home ChampionshipBritish Home ChampionshipThe British Home Championship was an annual football competition contested between the United Kingdom's four national teams, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland from the 1883–84 season until the 1983–84...
Winner: 19261926 British Home ChampionshipThe 1926 British Home Championship was an international football tournament played during the 1925–26 season between the British Home Nations...
As a Manager
Leicester CityLeicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
- FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
runner-up 19491949 FA Cup FinalThe 1949 FA Cup Final was contested by Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leicester City at Wembley Stadium. Wolves finished 6th in the First Division during that season, and boasted several England internationals among their ranks, while Leicester City had struggled to avoid relegation in the Second...