John Lindsay’s Unlucky Break

The History of Everton
John Lindsay’s Unfortunate Event

Classy full-back John Lindsay was unlucky to incur injuries that prevented him from ever fully recovering to the level of fitness and mental toughness needed for a Blues first team comeback.

The blink of an eye can end a successful sporting career. John Lindsay, a sophisticated full-back who was a victim of the same injury misfortune at Everton as Jack Coulter, Eddie Wainwright, Tommy Ring, John Connolly, John Barton, James McCarthy, and Andre Gomes, was also known by the nickname Jock in the press, though Jack and even Johnny were occasionally used.

 

The full-back, who was born in East Dunbartonshire on August 8, 1924, joined Glasgow Rangers from Petershill after the close of World War II. John wasn’t the most physically intimidating defender at 5 feet 8 1/2 inches tall and roughly 11 stone, but his iron determination went well with his refined, two-footed style of play.
Due to the Ibrox club’s glut of full-backs, John was forced to take a backseat to George Young and the Gers captain, “Tiger” Shaw. Sammy Cox was moved from wing-half to full-back when Shaw retired, and John’s chances of playing regularly for the first team diminished.

“There were eleven international players on the team,” he noted. I was the only player on the team without a cap when I filled in for either of the full-backs.Even though I was thrilled to be at Ibrox, I realized I had no chance of making it, so I decided it would be best to go now.

Everton made a £9,500 proposal for John in March 1951, and the Glasgow giants accepted. John needed

needed a left-back replacement for George Rankin, who was heading for National Service. The Scot took the train down south, where he caught up with his new teammates at the Midland Hotel in Manchester.

He then went to his first game, which was played on an Old Trafford ground that was a muddy mess, and lost 3-0. A reporter for the Liverpool Echo stated: “He demonstrated touches that bode well for his future.” “English football is much faster,

and they do not hold the ball as they do in Scotland,” the rookie said in a post-match interview. A few days later, he faced Stanley Matthews of Stoke for his home debut.

Regretfully, the new addition came too late to salvage the miserable season that resulted in relegation for the Blues. He did not, however, regret going south: “I relishedI definitely had the opportunity to establish myself as a first team member throughout my time at Goodison. Playing English football was fun for me. His two daughters, Catherine and Janette,

found their new life on Merseyside to be a culture shock, and they remained lonely for Bishopbriggs despite the pleasant respite provided by summer vacations in Scotland. They were living in club accommodations at 7 Radnor Drive in Bootle. But they gradually got used to it and are still here in Merseyside today.

For nearly the all of the team’s three Second Division seasons, John was the starting left back. He was instrumental in the quest for promotion during the 1953–54 season, taking on the duty of converting penalty kicks in February.

on both of the times he came forward. Unfortunately, as of 10 April, Everton is vying for a top-two finish and is in third place in the table. Jack sustained a complex fracture to his left leg when making a last-ditch interception to keep Stoke City from scoring

, and he was taken out on a stretcher. While he was with the Rangers, he had broken his leg, but this was a terrible injury. Regarding John’s accident, the directors of Stoke City wrote a letter of apology to their Everton counterparts.

Club captain Peter Farrell praised his injured teammate in his Liverpool Echo column following the Toffees’ promotion: “I know the lads will forgive me if I single out one man who was unable to be with us at the finish.” The name, naturally,

Jock Lindsay is, of course. He suffered a terrible cost in his quest for a promotion—a fractured leg. But I’m sure that the terrific but unlucky tackle against Stoke that stopped a certain goal will live in the memory of both players and spectators.

This earned us a point that turned out to be extremely valuable in the end. at addition, Jock has asked me to use this column to convey his profound gratitude to everyone who visited him or sent him well wishes by mail during his stay at the assisted living facility.

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