John Cameron (footballer, born 1872) facts for kids
Cameron c. 1908
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | John Cameron | ||
| Date of birth | 13 April 1872 | ||
| Place of birth | Ayr, Scotland | ||
| Date of death | 20 April 1935 (aged 63) | ||
| Place of death | Glasgow, Scotland | ||
| Playing position | Forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| –1895 | Ayr Parkhouse | ||
| 1895 | Queen's Park | 0 | (0) |
| 1895–1898 | Everton | 42 | (12) |
| 1896 | Queen's Park | 0 | (0) |
| 1898–1907 | Tottenham Hotspur | 111 | (43) |
| National team | |||
| 1896 | Scotland | 1 | (0) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1899–1907 | Tottenham Hotspur | ||
| 1907–1914 | Dresdner SC | ||
| 1918–1919 | Ayr United | ||
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John Cameron (born 13 April 1872 – died 20 April 1935) was a famous Scottish footballer and manager. He played as a forward for teams like Queen's Park and Everton. John Cameron was known for scoring goals and helping his teammates score.
In 1899, he became the player-manager for Tottenham Hotspur. He led them to win the FA Cup in 1901. This was a huge achievement because they were the only club outside the main English Football League to win the competition. Later, he coached Dresdner SC in Germany. During the First World War, he was held in a civilian camp called Ruhleben. After the war, he coached Ayr United and then became a football writer.
Contents
Early Football Career
John Cameron was born in Ayr, Scotland, and went to Ayr Grammar School. He started his football journey with a local team called Ayr Parkhouse. In early 1895, he moved to Queen's Park. He played five games in the Glasgow Cup and scored one goal for them.
He then worked in a shipping office in Liverpool. In September 1895, he joined Everton as an amateur player. Soon after, he became a full professional. At Everton, he changed his playing position from a centre-forward to an inside-forward. He played his first senior game in October 1895, helping Everton win 5–0 against Sheffield United.
Cameron played very well for Everton, making 48 appearances and scoring 14 goals. This included six games and two goals in the FA Cup. He was one of the highest-paid footballers at that time. He briefly returned to Queen's Park in 1895–96. During this time, he also played one game for the Scotland national team. He helped Scotland draw 3–3 with Ireland, which helped Scotland win the 1896 British Home Championship.
In February 1898, while still with Everton, Cameron became involved in discussions about footballers forming a union. This was to help players get better pay and conditions. Because the football league did not want to agree to these changes, Cameron left Everton. He then joined Tottenham Hotspur in the Southern Football League. This league supported players earning more money.
Leading Tottenham Hotspur
In May 1898, Frank Brettell signed John Cameron to play for Tottenham Hotspur. When Brettell left to coach Portsmouth in February 1899, Cameron took over. He became the team's player-manager.
Cameron had immediate success in his first game as manager. Tottenham became the first lower division club to win an FA Cup game after being behind against a top-tier team. Cameron himself scored the winning goal against Sunderland.
- Winning the Southern League and FA Cup*
In 1900, Cameron led Tottenham to win the Southern Football League title. A year later, he guided them to victory in the 1901 FA Cup final. After drawing 2–2 with Sheffield United, Tottenham won the replay 3–1. Cameron scored an equalizing goal in that replay. This win made Spurs the only club outside the main English Football League to ever win the FA Cup.
Under Cameron, Tottenham also finished second in the Southern League in 1902 and 1904. Cameron scored 139 goals in 293 games for Tottenham. This included 43 goals in 111 Southern League matches. He stopped being Tottenham's manager in March 1907.
Life as a Prisoner in Germany
After leaving Tottenham Hotspur, John Cameron worked briefly as a sports journalist. Then, he moved to Germany to coach Dresdner SC. While he was there, the First World War began. He was then held in Ruhleben, a civilian detention camp in Berlin.
The camp held between 4,000 and 5,500 prisoners. Over time, the prisoners created their own mini-society. Football became a very popular activity there. They organized cup and league competitions, and sometimes as many as 1,000 people watched the bigger games.
Cameron was very important in organizing and playing football within the camp. He was the secretary of the Ruhleben Football Association. He was also part of the Ruhleben Tennis Association.
Many former professional footballers were at Ruhleben. These included former England players like Fred Pentland, Samuel Wolstenholme, and Steve Bloomer. A German international player, Edwin Dutton, was also there, along with one of Cameron's former Tottenham players, John Brearley. On 2 May 1915, an England XI team played a World XI team. Cameron was the captain of the World XI.
Career Statistics
International Matches
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scotland | 1896 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 1 | 0 | |
Honours and Achievements
As a Player
Scotland National Team
- British Home Championship: 1895–96
As Player and Manager
Tottenham Hotspur
- FA Cup: 1900–01
- Southern League: 1899–1900
- Western League: 1903–04
- Sheriff of London Charity Shield: 1902
