Jack Short (footballer)

John "Jack" Short (18 February 1928 – 10 October 1976) was an English footballer who played in the Football League for Barnsley, Stoke City and Wolverhampton Wanderers.[1]

Jack Short
Personal information
Full name John Short[1]
Date of birth 18 February 1928
Place of birth Great Houghton, Barnsley, England[1]
Date of death 10 October 1976(1976-10-10) (aged 48)[1]
Place of death Barnsley, England[1]
Position(s) Defender
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1948–1954 Wolverhampton Wanderers 98 (0)
1954–1956 Stoke City 55 (2)
1956–1960 Barnsley 109 (0)
Total 262 (2)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Career

Short was born in Darfield, near Barnsley. He attended Great Houghton Council School and later Darfield Foulstone Modern School, leaving in the spring of 1942. During the week he worked as a haulage hand at Dearne Valley Colliery for the next six years and on Saturday afternoons played centre-forward with Houghton Sports, a team then competing in the Barnsley Nelson League. Short joined Wolverhampton Wanderers from non-league Wath Wanderers in the spring of 1948. He became captain of the Wolves "A" team and made his league debut for Wolves on 2 December 1950 against West Bromwich Albion and played a key role as Stan Cullis' side reached the FA Cup semi final in 1950–51 losing in a replay to Newcastle United. Short spent the next three seasons at Molineux making the right back position his own after Stan Cullis moved him from being an attacker. That said, Short played as a makeshift centre forward in January 1952 where he scored twice against Manchester City in the FA Cup. However injury saw him miss the remainder of the 1952–53 campaign and he played 27 times in 1953–54 as Wolves won the First Division title.[1]

He left for Staffordshire rivals Stoke City on 9 June 1954 with Stoke aiming for a return to the top-flight.[1] He played 31 times in 1954–55 as the "Potters" finished in 5th position with Short again being used as a backup forward scoring twice against Swansea Town on 13 November 1954.[1] He played 33 times in 1955–56 as Stoke ended in a poor position of 13th and Short was given a free transfer to his hometown club Barnsley on 25 October 1956.[2] He was a regular for the "Tykes" for three seasons, making his debut at Oakwell against Liverpool on 27 October 1956 in a 4–1 home win.[3] He retired from professional football through injury at the end of the 1959–60 season.[1]

After retirement Short went back to the mining industry, working as a coal miner, and later on the pit top, becoming a foreman. He also worked as a scout for Wolves and was manager of Houghton Main WMC.[4]

On 10 October 1976 after a playing in a charity football match in Wombwell between an ex Barnsley team and Charlie Williams XI, Short collapsed and blacked out. An ambulance was called and by the time it had arrived he had partly recovered and refused to go to hospital. But not long after, he collapsed again and it was recalled. Short was pronounced dead on arrival.[5]

Career statistics

Source:[6]

Club Season League FA Cup Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Wolverhampton Wanderers 1950–51 First Division 18070250
1951–52 First Division 25012262
1952–53 First Division 29000290
1953–54 First Division 26010270
Total 980921072
Stoke City 1954–55 Second Division 25260312
1955–56 Second Division 30030330
Total 55290642
Barnsley 1956–57 Second Division 27040310
1957–58 Second Division 38020400
1958–59 Second Division 39010400
1959–60 Third Division 500050
Total 1090701160
Career Total 26222522874

Honours
Wolverhampton Wanderers

References
  1. Matthews, Tony (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. Lion Press. ISBN 0-9524151-0-0.
  2. Barnsley Chronicle - 27 October 1956.
  3. "Barnsley FC - Fixtures & Results 1956/1957".
  4. Oakwell Heroes - David Watson 1990
  5. Oakwell Heroes - David Watson (1990).
  6. Jack Short at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
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