Bob Jack

Bob Jack

Personal information
Full name	Robert Jack
Date of birth	4 April 1876(1876-04-04)
Place of birth	Alloa, Scotland
Date of death	6 May 1943(1943-05-06) (aged 67)
Place of death	Southend, England
Playing position	Outside-left
Youth career
1891–1895	Alloa Athletic
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1895–1901	Bolton Wanderers	110	(29)
1901–1902	Preston North End	22	(6)
1902–1903	Glossop	30	(6)
1903	Burslem Port Vale	0	(0)
1903–1906	Plymouth Argyle	107	(8)
1906–1910	Southend United
Total		269+	(49+)
Teams managed
1905–1906	Plymouth Argyle
1906–1910	Southend United
1910–1938	Plymouth Argyle
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Robert "Bob" Jack (4 April 1876 – 6 May 1943) was a Scottish footballer and manager. An Outside-left by trade, Jack played in Scotland for Alloa Athletic, and in England for Bolton Wanderers, Preston North End, Glossop, Plymouth Argyle and Southend United in a career spanning almost twenty-years. He managed Southend United for four years before enjoying a twenty-eight year spell with Plymouth Argyle, leading them into the Football League in 1920. Jack is regarded as one of the Devon clubs greatest managers.

Playing career

Jack began his career with Alloa Athletic, making his debut at the age of 15 and turning professional in 1893. He moved to Bolton Wanderers in 1895. He was Bolton's leading scorer in the 1896–97 season. He left Bolton in August 1901, joining local rivals Preston North End after scoring 29 goals in 110 league games for Bolton. He spent just one season with Preston, scoring 6 goals in 22 league games, before joining Glossop the following summer. After a further 6 goals in 30 appearances he moved to Burslem Port Vale before becoming Plymouth Argyle's first professional in 1903. He made his Argyle debut in September 1903 against West Ham United in the Western League and would represent the club as a player for the next three years.

Managerial career

Jack became player-manager of Plymouth Argyle in 1905, but remained at Home Park for only one more season before becoming player-manager of Southend United. In his first two seasons with Southend they won the Southern League Second Division title, gaining election to the Southern League First Division in 1908.

He retired as a player at the end of the 1909–10 season and re-joined Plymouth Argyle as manager, remaining in charge at Home Park until April 1938 when he retired. During his 28 seasons in charge, Jack had guided Argyle to the Southern League title in 1913 and into the Football League in 1920. In their first season in the league they finished 11th in the Third Division, but finished runners-up in all of the next six seasons. They finally clinched the title and promotion in the 1929–30 season.

Later life

Jack lived in Southend during his retirement, occasionally working as a scout for his son David while he was manager at Southend. In addition to David, two of his other sons, (Rollo and Donald), also played professionally for Bolton Wanderers. Despite being Scottish, Jack represented England at bowls.

His ashes were scattered over the pitch at Home Park, Plymouth.

Managerial honours

Southend United

• Southern League Second Division
  • Winner (2): 1906–07, 1907–08

Plymouth Argyle

• Southern League First Division
  • Winner (1):1912–13
  • Runner-up (1): 1911–12

• Football League Third Division South
  • Winner (1): 1929–30
  • Runner-up (6): 1921–22, 1922–23, 1923–24, 1924–25, 1925–26, 1926–27

References

General

• Danes, Ryan (2009). Plymouth Argyle: A Complete Record. Plymouth: Breedon Books. ISBN 1859837107. 
• Cowdery, Rick (2009). Plymouth Argyle: Miscellany. Plymouth: Pitch Publishing. ISBN 1905411405. 
• Knight, Brian (1989). Plymouth Argyle: A Complete Record 1903–1989. Derby: Breedon Books. ISBN 0907969402. 

Specific

External links

• Bob Jack management career stats at Soccerbase