Jack Fitzgerald (footballer)
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Jack Fitzgerald | ||
| Date of birth | 3 April 1930 | ||
| Place of birth | Waterford, Ireland | ||
| Date of death | 23 November 2003 (aged 73) | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –1949 | Waterford Bohemians | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1949–1950 | Waterford | ? | (0) |
| 1951–1964 | Waterford | ? | (121) |
| 1964–1965 | Cork Hibernians | 20 | (9) |
| Total | ? | (130) | |
| International career | |||
| 1955–1956 | Republic of Ireland | 2 | (1) |
| League of Ireland XI | ? | (?) | |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Jack Fitzgerald (3 April 1930 – 23 November 2003) was an Irish professional footballer.
Fitzgerald was the Golden Boy of Waterford football during the Fifties. Jack was one of six brothers who played in the League of Ireland for the Blues - Denny, Tom, Ned, Peter Fitzgerald (footballer) and Paul were the others. Their father, Michael, was a native of Durrow and a hurler, only becoming involved with football through his sons. However, he subsequently was elected chairman of Waterford and became an international selector in the early 1960s.
Fitzgerald had started his career as a right half at Waterford Bohemians and along with his brother Denny was in the squad that won the FAI Youth Cup in 1947.
After making his League of Ireland debut in the 1949-50 League of Ireland season he spent the following season working in England. When he returned for the 1951-52 League of Ireland season, player-manager Jimmy Nelson switched him to centre-forward during an injury crisis. Jack responded with a couple of goals and his career took off from there.
Blessed with good pace, once in the penalty area he could finish to the net equally well with either his head or his foot. His tall, blond figure bursting through defences was a thrilling sight and if he lacked a little ball control he more than made up for it with his willingness to chase everything, making life difficult for his markers.
He won amateur caps, full international caps and inter-League honours, but fitting football in with his work as a milk delivery man wasn't easy. Yet, when he got the chance to move to England, he turned it down. First in with an offer was Matt Busby in October 1953. The fee was £8,000 but an inopportune cartilage operation put an end to that. Shortly after he signed professional for Waterford.