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English Football Legends Series

The product of a famous footballing family, David Jack was an inside forward with terffic ball skills a goal-scorer's instinct.

David Jack

Clubs: Plymouth Argyle, Bolton Wanderers, Arsenal

Position: Forward

Appearances*: 521

Goals*: 267

Honours: League Championship, 3
FA Cup, 3

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* League appearances and goals only

He has the distinction of scoring the first goal at Wembley, and he was also the first footballer to command a fee of more than 10,000 pounds.

Bolton Wanderers

Jack's early career, at Plymouth Argyle, was hardly exceptional and he scored just 15 times in 48 appearances.

But after moving to Bolton Wanderers in 1920, he and fellow striker Joe Smith struck up a formidable partnership that produced over 300 goals in eight seasons.

He won his first medal in 1923, in the famous 'White House Final'. Bolton beat West Ham 2-0, and Jack entered the history books as the scorer of the first Wembley goal.

A year later, he won the first of his eight England caps, while there was more FA Cup success with Bolton in 1926, as his goal saw off Manchester City in the final.

Arsenal

After scoring 144 goals in 295 league matches for Bolton Wanderers, Jack was sold to Arsenal for a world-record 10, 890 pounds in 1928.

Legend has it that the great Arsenal manager, Herbert Chapman, plied Bolton's representatives with gin in a hotel bar, while drinking none himself. Chapman remained sober while the Bolton contingent got drunk, and he managed to negotiate a fee that he considered a bargain.

It proved a shrewd investment, as Jack was an instant success at Highbury. He was the club's top scorer for the 1928/29 season, and developed a knack of scoring important goals.

In the 1929/30 FA Cup semi-final his goal against Hull City sent Arsenal through to the final, where they beat Huddersfield Town 2-0, and Jack had another record. He became the first player to win the Cup at Wembley with two different clubs.

Jack was a regular first team player during the successful early 30's at Arsenal. He scored 34 goals in Arsenal's 1930/31 title winning season, and won two more titles in 1932/33 and 1933/34.

Retirement and Management Career

He went on to manage Southend United, Middlesbrough and League of Ireland side Shelbourne, with limited success.

He died in 1958, aged 59.

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