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12 August 2025
 
 

Jock Simpson

Blackburn Rovers FC

 8 appearances, 1 goal

P 8 W 6 D 2 L 0 F 18: A 4
87% successful
1911-14

captain: none
minutes played: 720

Timeline
photo from FFHT John Simpson
Birth Friday, 25 December 1885 in Pendleton, Salford, Manchester, Lancashire
His parents returned home to Laurieston in 1888, taking John with them.
  registered in Prestwich October-December 1885
 

According to the 1891 Scottish census, John is the second of three sons of Robert and Elizabeth. They live in Falkirk Square. His father is an iron moulder.
 

According to the 1901 census, John is now a labourer, still living with his parents in Falkirk Square, now with a younger sister. His father remains as a moulder.
Marriage to Agnes Robe, in 1910 in Falkirk
  no registration found
 

According to the 1911 census, John, now a professional footballer, is married to Agnes, and has been for 'under a year'. They live at 140 Montague Street in Blackburn.
  Not on the 1921 census, but he and Agnes are certainly in Falkirk.
Death Sunday, 4 January 1959, living in Orchard Street, Falkirk, Stirlingshire. One report suggests he died at home, another, in hospital.
aged 73 years 10 days no registration found
Obituary
"Famed 'Jocky' Simpson, of Rovers, dies
"'Jocky' Simpson, one of the greatest players in the history of Blackburn Rovers died in hospital near Falkirk, Scotland, during the weekend, aged 73. Simpson, born at Pendleton, near Manchester, of Scottish parentage, became an English international with the Rovers, and was their outside right in the classical team of pre-World War I days, which won the First Division Championship twice and reached the Cup semi-final. He was a contemporary of Bob Crompton, Arthur Cowell and Eddie Latheron, and his right wing partner was Danny Shea. It was for a then-record transfer fee of £1,800 that Simpson was signed by the Rovers from Falkirk in the face of keen competition on January 23rd, 1911. Owing to the fact that he played for a Scottish club, he was not selected for his native England until he joined Rovers, although he had one appearance for the Scottish League in 1910. He quickly gained full honours, however, after moving to Blackburn, playing for England against Scotland in 1911, 1912 and 1913, against Wales in 1911, 1912 and 1914, and against Ireland in 1911 and 1912. His first League game for the Rovers was against Sheffield United on January 28th, 1911, and his last against Middlesbrough, on April 24th, 1915, although he made a friendly wartime appearance at Ewood on May 6th, 1916. He officiated at the kick-off of his own benefit match at Ewood in May, 1920. Simpson was a classical winger, tricky and dangerous, and will be ranked with the best of all time. One of the tributes paid to him long after his retirement was by Sir Frederick Wall, then secretary of the Football Association, who wrote: 'Simpson has strong claims to be considered the cleverest outside-right who ever played. This is an all-embracing statement that is likely to make the admirers of Bassett, William Meredith and Alec Bennett jump up and protest. I stand by 'Jocky' Simpson.'" - Lancashire Evening Post, Monday, 5 January 1959

"One of the finest wingers in Britain
 "The famous Falkirk outside-right, Jocky Simpson, who won international honours for England before the First World War, has died at his home in Falkirk, at the age of 74. He was one of the greatest personalities the game has ever produced. Prior to signing for Falkirk in 1904-5 he was a promising junior with Grange Rovers and Laurieston Juniors. Simpson was soon regarded as the finest winger in Britain. As a match-winning forward his reputation quickly spread, and despite being an Englishman was honoured by the Scottish League in 1910. The following year, on the eve of his selection to the England team, he was transferred to Blackburn Rovers for £1850—a record fee at the time." - The Scotsman, Tuesday, 6 January 1959
"One of the 'greats'
"Jock Simpson, one of England's greatest outside-rights who was a 'Scotsman' in all but birth, died at Falkirk yesterday. He was 73." - Daily Herald, Monday, 5 January 1959
Funeral January 1959 in Camelon Cemetery, Falkirk (above left)
Source

Douglas Lammings' An English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990], John Meffen's excellent Falkirk-football-history.co.uk.

Playing Career

Club(s)		 Played schoolboy football in Falkirk, assisting Grange Rovers FC and Laurieston Juniors FC from 1903, from where he had a trial with Rangers FC during 1906-07. Rangers did not sign Simpson, so instead, he joined local league side, Falkirk FC later that season. In November 1907, Blackburn Rovers FC offered £1000, then Chelsea FC offered £1500 for Simpson, but stating he was 'staying with Falkirk', he went on to make 269 Scottish league appearances, and amassing 166 goals, he did however, leave, and was transferred on a three-year contract to Blackburn Rovers FC on the evening of 23 January 1911 for a £1850 transfer fee plus James Roberston, despite an offer from both Everton FC (who had been trying to sign since the previous summer) and Newcastle United FC. Fined £5 by the FA on 15 August 1912 for playing a match back in Scotland a few months earlier. During the war, Simpson was assisting his hometown club, Falkirk FC, the Brockville club attempted to re-sign him in July 1915 when the League was suspended. On 16 October 1919, Simpson retired from playing because of a kidney illness. During 1921, in April, Simpson played for the Falkirk FC reserves, after he had been playing for Falkirk Orients FC, a Wednesday team set up by Falkirk shop assistants. In August, East Stirling FC, wrote to Blackburn Rovers FC for permission to play him. It is unsure whether they were successful.
League honours
151 appearances, 16 goals		 Blackburn Rovers FC 1911-15 151 appearances, sixteen goals
debut: 28 January 1911 Sheffield United FC 1 Blackburn Rovers FC 1.
last: 24 April 1915 Blackburn Rovers FC 4 Middlesbrough FC 0.

Club honours		 East of Scotland League winners 1904-05;
Stirlingshire Consolation Cup winners 1904-05, 1906-07;
Falkirk Infirmary Shield winners 1904-05, 1905-06, 1906-07, 1907-08, 1908-09, 1916-17;
Dewar Shield winners 1905-06;
Scottish League Division One runners-up 1907-08, 1909-10;
Stirlingshire Cup winners 1905-06;
FA Cup semi-finalist 1910-11 (3ᵃ 3ᵍ), 1911-12 (7ᵃ 3ᵍ);
FA Charity Shield winners 1912;
Football League Division One Champions 1911-12 (35ᵃ 2ᵍ), 1913-14 (34ᵃ 2ᵍ), third place 1914-15 (37ᵃ 3ᵍ);
Individual honours Scottish League (one appearance vs. Southern League, 1910);
Football League (five appearances).
Distinctions Nephew of Harry Simpson (Stoke FC)
Height/Weight 5' 6", 11st. 0lbs [1911].
Source

Douglas Lammings' An English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990] & John Meffen's excellent Falkirk-football-history.co.uk.

England Career
Player number One of four who became the 352nd players (353) to appear for England.
Position(s) Outside-right (Centre-forward and outside-left at club level)
First match No. 108, 11 February 1911, England 2 Ireland 1, a British Championship match at Baseball Ground, Shaftesbury Crescent, Derby, aged 25 years 48 days.
Last match
3 years 33 days		 No. 118, 16 March 1914, Wales 0 England 2, a British Championship match at Ninian Park, Sloper Road, Cardiff, aged 28 years 81 days.
Major tournaments British Championship 1910-11, 1911-12, 1912-13, 1913-14;
Team honours British Championship winners 1910-11, 1912-13, shared 1911-12;

Individual honours		 The Stripes (one appearance, January 1911);
The Whites (one appearance, January 1912);
England trial (one appearance, November 1912);
The Professionals (withdrew from October 1913 fixture);
The North (withdrew from the January 1914 fixture)
Distinctions None

Beyond England
On leaving school first worked as an iron moulder, and then as a bus driver on the Falkirk to Laurieston route. After leaving the game, he was employed as a Falkirk licensee, in fact, from 21 April 1924, he was granted the license of the Horseshoe Bar, at 169 High Street. In August 1931, he was offered the directorship in Falkirk FC. - An English Football Internationalists' Who's Who. Douglas Lamming (1990). Hatton Press, p.224.


The Numbers
parties Apps comp. apps minutes goals ave.min comp. goals captain
8 8 8 720 1 720 min 1 none
The minutes here given can only ever be a guideline and cannot therefore be accurate, only an approximation.
P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
8 6 2 0 18 4 +14 0 4 2.25 0.5 87.5 +6
All of his matches were played in the British Championship competition

Venue Record

Venue P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
Home 4 3 1 0 7 2 +5 0 2 1.75 0.50 87.5 +3
Away 4 3 1 0 11 2 +9 0 2 3.75 0.50 87.5 +3

Opposition Record

Opposition P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
Scotland 3 1 2 0 3 2 +1 0 1 1.00 0.667 66.7 +1
Wales 3 3 0 0 7 0 +7 0 3 2.333 0.00 100.0 +3
Ireland 2 2 0 0 8 2 +6 0 0 4.00 1.00 100.0 +2

Tournament Record

British Championship Competition
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
BC 1910-11 3 2 1 0 6 2 +4 0 1 2.00 0.667 83.3 +2
BC 1911-12 3 2 1 0 9 2 +7 0 1 3.00 0.667 83.3 +2
BC 1912-13 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 0 1 1.00 0.00 100.0 +1
BC 1913-14 1 1 0 0 2 0 +2 0 1 2.00 0.00 100.0 +1
BC All 8 6 2 0 18 4 +14 0 4 2.25 0.50 87.5 +6
All Competition
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
BC 8 6 2 0 18 4 +14 0 4 2.25 0.50 87.5 +6
8 6 2 0 18 4 +14 0 4 2.25 0.5 87.5 +6

Match History
 Club: Blackburn Rovers F.C. - eight full appearances (720 min) 1ᵍ F.A. International Select Committee - eight full appearances (720 min) 1ᵍx

apps match match details comp res. rundown pos

Age 25 trial  
one appearance - The Whites vs. The Stripes, 23 January 1911;

1 108 11 February 1911 - England 2 Ireland 1
Baseball Ground, Derby		 BC HW   or

one of four who became the 352nd player (353) to appear for England
the 22nd player from Blackburn Rovers FC to represent England

2 109 13 March 1911 - England 3 Wales 0
The Den, New Cross		 BC HW   or
3 110 1 April 1911 - England 1 Scotland 1
Goodison Park, Liverpool		 BC HD   or

Age 26 trial  
one appearance - The Whites vs. The Stripes, 22 January 1912;

4 111 10 February 1912 - Ireland 1 England 6
Dalymount Park, Dublin		 BC AW  85 or
5 112 11 March 1912 - Wales 0 England 2
The Racecourse, Wrexham		 BC AW   or
6 113 23 March 1912 - Scotland 1 England 1
Hampden Park, Glasgow		 BC AD   or
 

trial  
one appearance - The South vs. England, November 1912;

Age 27
7 116 5 April 1913 - England 1 Scotland 0
Stamford Bridge, Fulham		 BC HW   or
 

trial  
withdrew - The Professionals vs. The Amateurs, October 1913;
 
Age 28    
withdrew - The North vs. England, January 1914;

8 118 16 March 1914 - Wales 0 England 2
Ninian Park, Cardiff		 BC AW   or
 


 

 
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