John Chalmers (14 August 1884 - 5 July 1947) was a Scottish footballer who played in the Football League for Stoke and Woolwich Arsenal.[1]

Jackie Chalmers
Personal information
Full name John Chalmers[1]
Date of birth 14 August 1884[2]
Place of birth Rutherglen, Scotland[2]
Date of death 5 July 1947(1947-07-05) (aged 62)[2]
Place of death Glasgow, Scotland
Position(s) Centre forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1903 Rutherglen Glencairn
1904–1905 Rangers 1 (0)
1905 Beith
1905–1907 Stoke 40 (19)
1908 Bristol Rovers 1 (1)
1908–1910 Clyde 52 (25)
1910–1912 Woolwich Arsenal 48 (21)
1912–1914 Greenock Morton 40 (17)
1913West Stanley (loan)
1914Clyde (loan) 12 (10)
1914–1915 Shelbourne
1915 Cadzow St Anne’s
1917 Cambuslang Rangers
Total 193 (92)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Career edit

Chalmers was born in Beith and started his career with Rutherglen Glencairn before turning professional with Rangers.[1] He moved to Stoke City in January 1906 and made an instant impact scoring five goals in five games.[1] He was the club's top scorer in the 1906–07 season, though they were relegated from the First Division.[1] In all he scored 19 goals in 40 appearances but was released in the summer of 1907. He had a spell at Southern League Bristol Rovers, before moving back north of the border to join Clyde in November 1908. In 1909–10 Chalmers was in Clyde's side that reached the Scottish Cup final, which they eventually lost to Dundee in the second replay.[3]

In October 1910 Chalmers was tempted south of the border again, signing for Woolwich Arsenal. Arsenal had been ailing in the First Division; they had only scored twice in their first six matches of the 1910–11 season and were languishing in seventeenth place. Chalmers made his debut against Bradford City on 8 October 1910 and soon had an immediate impact on Arsenal's season, scoring fifteen league goals (and one in the FA Cup, making him the club's top scorer with sixteen), as Arsenal finished a comfortable tenth.

Chalmers was a first-team starter the next season, but lost his place to Alf Common, who had been moved from inside-forward to centre-forward. Chalmers was unhappy playing for Arsenal's reserves and was transferred to Morton in March 1912.[3]

Career statistics edit

Source:[4]

Club Season League FA Cup Glasgow Cup Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Rangers 1904–05[5] Scottish Division One 1 0 2 2 2 0 5 2
Stoke 1905–06 First Division 5 5 0 0 5 5
1906–07 First Division 26 11 3 0 29 11
1907–08 Second Division 9 3 0 0 9 3
Total 40 19 3 0 43 19
Woolwich Arsenal 1910–11 First Division 29 15 2 1 31 16
1911–12 First Division 19 6 1 0 20 6
Total 48 21 3 1 51 22
Career Total 89 40 8 3 2 0 99 43

References edit

Specific
  1. ^ a b c d e Matthews, Tony (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. Lion Press. ISBN 0-9524151-0-0.
  2. ^ a b c "A to M". The Bristol Rovers History Group. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
  3. ^ a b John Litster (October 2012). "A Record of pre-war Scottish League Players". Scottish Football Historian magazine. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  4. ^ Jackie Chalmers at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
  5. ^ "Chalmers, John". Fitbastats.
General
  • Harris, Jeff (1995). Hogg, Tony (ed.). Arsenal Who's Who. Independent UK Sports. ISBN 1-899429-03-4.