John Wilson (1894 – 4 July 1957) was an English professional footballer who played as a left back and made over 460 appearances in the Scottish League for Heart of Midlothian, Dunfermline Athletic, Hamilton Academical and St Johnstone. He made one wartime appearance for the Scottish League XI. After retiring as a player, Wilson was involved in the founding of Junior club Haddington Athletic in the late 1930s.
Personal life Wilson's father Hughie was a Scottish international footballer who was playing for Sunderland at the time of Wilson's birth. The family eventually moved back to Scotland and settled in Newmilns. After enlisting in April 1916, Wilson served as a private in the Royal Scots during the First World War and was wounded on the Western Front in April 1917 and March 1918. As a teenager, Wilson had trained as a lace weaver and he returned to the profession in Ayrshire part-time after the war, before re-entering professional football. He worked at Castle Mills Rubber Works in Fountainbridge during the early years of the First World War and after retiring from football, he ran a fishmongers in Haddington.
Career statistics + Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueScottish CupOtherTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsHeart of Midlothian1914–15Scottish Division One10—1Appearance in East of Scotland Shield0201915–16Scottish Division One370—32 appearances in Rosebery Charity Cup, 1 appearance in Wilson Cup04001916–17Scottish Division One50—00501918–19Scottish Division One230—64 appearances in Victory Cup, 1 appearance in East of Scotland Shield, 1 appearance in Wilson Cup02901919–20Scottish Division One27030003001920–21Scottish Division One29050003401921–22Scottish Division One100301Appearance in Dunedin Cup01401922–23Scottish Division One3302062 appearances in Wilson Cup, 2 appearances in Rosebery Charity Cup, 1 appearance in East of Scotland Shield, 1 appearance in Dunedin Cup04101923–24Scottish Division One3705032 appearances in East of Scotland Shield, 1 appearance in Rosebery Charity Cup04501924–25Scottish Division One2402021 appearance in East of Scotland Shield, 1 appearance in Wilson Cup0280Total22602002202680Dunfermline Athletic1925–26Scottish Division Two36210—3721926–27Scottish Division One35341—3941927–28Scottish Division One37441—415Total108992—11711Hamilton Academical1928–29Scottish Division One22130002511929–30Scottish Division One343511Appearance in Lanarkshire Cup04041930–31Scottish Division One3533000383Total917111101138St Johnstone1931–32Scottish Division Two36030—390Career total4611643323052719
Honours Heart of Midlothian East of Scotland Shield: 1914–15, 1918–19 Wilson Cup: 1918–19, 1922–23 Rosebery Charity Cup: 1915–16, 1922–23, 1923–24
Dunfermline Athletic Scottish League Second Division: 1925–26
St Johnstone
Scottish League Second Division second-place promotion: 1931–32
See also Heart of Midlothian F.C. and World War I
References