Jack Bruton
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | John Bruton | ||
| Date of birth | 21 November 1903 | ||
| Place of birth | Westhoughton, England | ||
| Date of death | 13 March 1986 (aged 82) | ||
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Winger | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Hindley Green | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1922–1923 | Wigan Borough | 0 | (0) |
| 1923–1924 | Bolton Wanderers | 0 | (0) |
| 1924–1925 | Horwich RMI | ||
| 1925–1929 | Burnley | 167 | (42) |
| 1929–1939 | Blackburn Rovers | 324 | (108) |
| 1939 | Preston North End | 0 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 1928–1929 | England | 3 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1947–1949 | Blackburn Rovers | ||
| 1950–1956 | Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
John Bruton (21 November 1903[2] – 13 March 1986) was a professional footballer and manager who spent the major part of his career in both capacities with Blackburn Rovers.[3]
Born in Westhoughton,[2] near Bolton, he initially played as an amateur in the outside-right position with Wigan Borough, Bolton Wanderers and Horwich RMI while working in the coal mines before signing for Burnley as a professional in 1925. It was reported that he came up from the pit and signed professional forms on an overturned tub at the pit head. At Turf Moor he established himself as one of the best wingers in the country and won representative honours with the Football League team. He also made three appearances for England.[2]
He scored 44 times in 176 games for Burnley before becoming Blackburn Rovers' record £6,500 signing in December 1929. A maker of goals as well as a scorer, Bruton proved to be remarkably consistent during his playing career with the Rovers. In the 1930–31 season, Bruton was the Rovers' top-scorer with 19 league goals, closely followed by his unrelated namesake Les Bruton on 18.[4]
He scored 115 times in 344 appearances for Blackburn before moving on to Preston North End in 1939, although he was prevented from making any first team appearances for Preston as a result of the outbreak of World War II.
He was awarded a benefit match in 1935 when Blackburn Rovers beat Celtic 1–0 on Monday, 22 April at Ewood Park.
