Jack Borthwick (footballer, born 1886)
John James Blacklaw Borthwick (15 February 1886 – 23 April 1942) was a Scottish professional footballer who played as a centre half in the Football League for Everton.[1] He also played in the Scottish League for Hibernian.[4]
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | John James Blacklaw Borthwick[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 15 February 1886 | ||
| Place of birth | Leith, Scotland | ||
| Date of death | 23 April 1942 (aged 56)[2] | ||
| Place of death | Liverpool, England[3] | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10.75 in (180 cm)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Centre half | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Royal Oak | |||
| Edinburgh Clifton | |||
| Wemyss Violet | |||
| Lochgelly United | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1907–1908 | Hibernian | 30 | (0) |
| 1908–1911 | Everton | 25 | (0) |
| 1911–1915 | Millwall Athletic | ||
| East Fife | |||
| Cowdenbeath | |||
| Hibernian | |||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only | |||
Personal life
Borthwick served as a private in the Football Battalion of the Middlesex Regiment during the First World War and suffered a gunshot wound to the head at Delville Wood in 1916.[5][3] He described his injuries in a letter to Bert Lipsham: "my head has been trepanned, as the skull was knocked in. The cut extends from nearly the top of my head down to my eyebrow. It was a near thing of losing my right eye".[6] Borthwick was discharged on 12 April 1917.[3] After his retirement from football, he ran the Winslow Hotel, opposite Goodison Park.[6]
Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Hibernian | 1906–07[4] | Scottish First Division | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1907–08[4] | 28 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 31 | 1 | ||
| Total | 30 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 33 | 1 | ||
| Everton | 1907–08[7] | First Division | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1908–09[7] | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 1909–10[7] | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 | ||
| 1910–11[7] | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||
| Total | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 55 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 58 | 1 | ||
References
- Joyce, Michael (2012). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: Tony Brown. p. 32. ISBN 978-1905891610.
- "John James Blacklaw Borthwick (John Borthwick) @ playupliverpool.com". Play Up, Liverpool. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
- Jack Borthwick on Lives of the First World War
- "Hibernian Player John Borthwick Details". www.fitbastats.com. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
- Riddoch, Andrew; Kemp, David (2010). When the Whistle Blows: The Story of the Footballers' Battalion in the Great War. Sparkford, Yeovil, Somerset: Haynes Publishing. pp. 124–125. ISBN 978-0857330772.
- "This is worse than a whole season of cup ties". Royal British Legion. Archived from the original on 18 February 2019. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
- "John Borthwick". Everton Football Club. Archived from the original on 22 June 2017. Retrieved 12 June 2017.