Date / Year of birth: 10.10.47

Position: Winger

Season of first appearance: 70/71

Season of last appearance: 77/78

Also played for: Charlton Athletic (0), Southend United (81+10,19), Canterbury City and Herne Bay

Clever, pacy Lambeth-born winger who started his career as an apprentice with Charlton and then moved on to Southend in the summer of 1966. John went on to make 91 appearances for Southend and scored 19 goals spanning the 66/67-70/71 seasons.

In November 1970 he joined Margate and made his debut in a 4-0 home defeat at the hands of Folkestone in the Kent Floodlight Cup on 16.11.70. At that time John's transfer hadn't actually been finalised but the move soon became permanent. He went on to make 38 appearances before the end of the 70/71 season and scored 11 goals, making him the club's joint top scorer. John usually played on the right wing and impressed with his willingness to run with the ball and his accurate crossing. The local press described John as "ebullient" and "wily" during the campaign and he scored some memorable goals. The best of them was a solo effort in a 1-1 draw at Dover on 1.3.71, John beat three players before firing home a low drive. The Isle of Thanet Gazette described it as a "sparkling goal" and another of John's best efforts was a strike from the edge of the penalty area in a 3-0 win over King's Lynn at Hartsdown on 29.3.71.

During the 71/72 season John really established himself as a key player in the Margate side, mostly on the right wing but occasionally on the left, and he made 59 appearances. He scored 13 goals and again many of them were high quality strikes. On 25.9.71 he lashed in a 30-yarder in a home game against Nuneaton, on 2.10.71 he scored what the local press called a "spectacular" goal as Margate won 4-3 at Telford and he also scored several other goals from distance. John won praise in the paper for his "lightning thrusts" down the flanks and also for his hard working style.

The 72/73 season wasn't such a good one for John, mainly due to him suffering several injuries. However he started the season in good form and had a great game in a 4-0 win over Romford on 30.9.72, scoring twice. One of the goals was a deft chip. Several match reports referred to him as being "a constant threat" and John's willingness to switch wings during matches helped him to earn that reputation. In November 1972 Ramsgate wanted him as part of a proposed swap deal involving the Rams' Graham Sawyer but the transfer fell through. John ended up making a total of 35 appearances (three as sub) during the season and scored six goals. The best of them was a volley described by the Thanet Times as "cracking" in a 3-1 win at Hillingdon on 21.4.73.

John was in and out of the Margate side during the early part of the 73/74 season but regained a regular place after Christmas 1973. He appeared on both wings and made a total of 48 appearances (two as sub), scoring nine goals. They included a solo effort in an 8-0 win over Tunbridge Wells at Hartsdown on 19.1.74, John beat three players before finishing with a deft chip. He also scored the winner from 25 yards as Margate beat Dartford 1-0 on 24.2.74 and the local press described John as "a livewire on the wing" during the season. However at the end of the campaign he was transfer-listed.

As it turned out John stayed with the club for the 74/75 season but he only made 20 appearances (four as sub), scoring two goals. This was principally due to a groin injury that kept him out for almost five months from September 1974 to February 1975. At the end of the season it was initially announced that John was going to be released due to doubts about his fitness.

However he addressed those concerns and stayed with the club for the 75/76 campaign. He wasn't always a regular in the side but made 41 appearances during the season (six as sub), playing on both wings and also appearing in midfield and as a striker on occasions. John's eight goals included a 25-yarder in a 2-0 win at Eastbourne on 4.10.75. On 6.3.76 he had a great game in midfield in a 1-1 draw at Nuneaton and the Thanet Times said that John "ran the team". On 27.3.76 he scored with a 25 yard volley in a 1-1 draw at Cambridge City. John rounded off the season by scoring in the 2nd Leg of the Kent Floodlight Trophy Final against Canterbury at Hartsdown on 24.4.76. He'd come on as a substitute and his extra time strike in a 2-1 defeat secured the trophy for Margate on aggregate. However he left the club at the end of the season after making over 240 appearances.

At that time John contemplated retiring from the game but Canterbury player-manager Bob Harrop persuaded him to make a comeback with City halfway through the 76/77 campaign. John made 15 Southern League appearances for Canterbury before the end of the season and scored twice.

John then made a return to Margate at the start of the 77/78 season and played in two Kent Senior Shield matches against Ramsgate and Ashford in August 1977. However it was the briefest of comebacks and John dropped into local amateur football afterwards.

He returned to senior football once more when he joined Herne Bay for the 80/81 season, staying with them for the 81/82 campaign too.

He later played for Margate Athletic in the Thanet Premier Sunday League and John played the final football of his illustrious career when he featured in two matches for Thanet Premier Sunday League side Margate Social Club during the 89/90 season.

His son, also called John, played for Thanet United during the 88/89 campaign.

Figures in brackets after English team names indicate all appearances made and goals scored in competitive matches for Football League clubs from 1888 onwards. For Scottish League clubs the figures show details of all competitive appearances and goals scored from 46/47 onwards.

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