Alec Jackson (footballer, born 1937)

Alec Jackson (29 May 1937 – 10 August 2023) is an English former footballer who played as a winger or inside forward. He made more than 300 appearances in the Football League playing for West Bromwich Albion, Birmingham City and Walsall,[2] and appeared for the Football League representative side.

For other people with similar names, see Alex Jackson (disambiguation).

Alec Jackson
Personal information
Full name Alec Jackson[1]
Date of birth (1937-05-29)29 May 1937
Place of birth Tipton, England
Date of death 10 August 2023(2023-08-10) (aged 86)
Position(s) Winger, inside forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
St John's (Tipton)
WG Allen's
1954–1964 West Bromwich Albion 192 (50)
1964–1967 Birmingham City 78 (11)
1967–1968 Walsall 38 (7)
1968–1970 Nuneaton Borough
1970–1971 Kidderminster Harriers
1971–1972 Warley
Oldbury Town
Warley County Borough
1972–1974 Darlaston
1974–1975 Blakenall
1976–197? Lower Gornal
1978–19?? Rushall Olympic
Bush Rangers
International career
1962 The Football League XI 1 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Life and career

Alec Jackson was born on 29 May 1937 in Tipton, Staffordshire.[3] He joined West Bromwich Albion as an amateur in May 1954 and turned professional in September of the same year. He became the youngest player to score a league goal for the club when he scored on his debut against Charlton Athletic in November 1954.[3] He spent another decade at Albion, a First Division club; the season before Jackson made his debut, they had won the FA Cup and finished as League runners-up, but they won no more trophies during his time with the club.[4] In March 1962, Jackson was a late replacement for the injured John Connelly in the Football League XI to face the Scottish League XI;[5] according to the Daily Mirror's match report, he had "a tough time in his first representative match, continually running into trouble" as his side lost 4–3,[6] and he was not selected again.[1] He scored 52 goals in 208 appearances for Albion before moving to Birmingham City in 1964 for a fee of £12,500.[1]

Jackson was a regular member of the Birmingham team that suffered relegation from the First Division in 1965, and stayed at the club for a further 18 months. After playing little during the 1966–67 season,[7] he submitted a transfer request which was accepted,[8] and signed for Third Division club Walsall in February 1967.[9] At the end of the 1967–68 season, with the Walsall club needing to cut costs, he was allowed to leave on a free transfer.[10][11]

He went on to spend another decade in non-league football, playing for Nuneaton Borough,[11][12] Kidderminster Harriers,[13][14] Warley,[14][15] Oldbury Town, Warley County Borough, Darlaston,[16][17] Blakenall,[17][18] Lower Gornal (as player-coach),[19][20][21] Rushall Olympic,[22] and Bush Rangers.[3]

After his professional football career was over, Jackson went on to work on the track, making cars at the Austin works in Longbridge, Birmingham.[23]

Jackson died on 10 August 2023 at the age of 86.[23]

References
  1. Matthews (1995), p. 100.
  2. "Alec Jackson". UK A–Z Transfers. Neil Brown. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  3. Matthews (2005), p. 123.
  4. "Club honours". West Bromwich Albion F.C. Archived from the original on 20 March 2014.
  5. Jones, Ken (21 March 1962). "World Cup hope for Alec". Daily Mirror. London. p. 29 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. Bromley, John (22 March 1962). "Davie dashes the Football League". Daily Mirror. London. p. 29 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. Matthews (1995), pp. 199–201.
  8. "Blues list Alec Jackson". Birmingham Post. 17 February 1967. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. Marston, Paul (24 February 1967). "Alec Jackson to make debut for Walsall tonight". Birmingham Post. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. "Fellows Park pruning". Birmingham Post. 29 April 1968. p. 17 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. "To lead Nuneaton". Evening Mail (Late City ed.). Birmingham. 11 July 1968. p. 24 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. "Jackson released". Birmingham Evening Mail (D. F. South ed.). 12 May 1970. p. 20 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. "Whittall moves to Tividale and Expansion". Sports Argus. Birmingham. 18 July 1970. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. "Jackson signs for Warley". Evening Mail. Birmingham. 24 July 1971. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. "Derby games brighten up Warley scene". Sports Argus. Birmingham. 1 July 1972. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. "Cocker trio sparks Darlaston". Sunday Mercury. Birmingham. 15 October 1972. p. 35 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. "For Blakenall?". Evening Mail (District M5 ed.). Birmingham. 3 December 1974. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. "Blakenall quietly confident of title". Walsall Observer. 15 August 1975. p. 23 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. "Ace Alec back in the fray at Gornal". Sports Argus. Birmingham. 13 November 1976. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. "Alec Jackson to coach at Gornal". Sports Argus. Birmingham. 27 November 1976. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. "Gate release keeper Martyn". Sports Argus. Birmingham. 28 May 1977. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. "Palin goes for experience". Walsall Observer. 14 July 1978. p. 38 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. Drury, Jonny (10 August 2023). "Tributes paid to former West Brom and Walsall winger Alec Jackson". Express & Star. Wolverhampton. Retrieved 10 August 2023.

Sources
  • Matthews, Tony (1995). Birmingham City: A Complete Record. Derby: Breedon Books. ISBN 1-85983-010-2.
  • Matthews, Tony (2005). The Who's Who of West Bromwich Albion. Derby: Breedon Books. ISBN 1-85983-474-4.
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