Biography
Right sided half back Jock Collier joined the Tigers in June 1920 and for the next four seasons he was an instant stalwart of manager David Menzies’ side. Jock missed only four games in his first season at Anlaby Road but when Menzies moved on in the 1921 close season and was replaced by new manager Percy Lewis, Collier was initially left on the sidelines. After missing the first six games of the season Collier was restored to the first team in place of Robert Coverdale, he missed only three matches in the remainder of the season and retained his place at the start of the 1922/23 season. In the final weeks of Lewis’s tenure as City manager in December 1923 Collier was again dropped, only to be restored by new manager Bill McCracken when he joined the club in February 1923. However during the 1923/24 season McCracken used Collier less frequently, preferring new signing Bill Johnson as the season wore on. Collier again won his place back for the 1924/25 season, missing only nine matches all season but at the start of the 1925/26 season McCracken preferred Liverpudlian half back Ronnie Mitchell and Jock made only three starts, leaving the Tigers in the 1926 close season.
John “Jock” Collier was born in Dysart, a small coastal community just north of Kirkcaldy on the Fife coast in Scotland, and was raised in nearby Sinclairtown. Jock’s father worked in a local linoleum factory and as a teenager Jock worked in a local coal mine. In 1914 he signed up for the war effort at the age of 17, enlisting with the Fife and Forfarshire Yeomanry along with his brother Bill (who went on to become a prominent footballer for Raith Rovers and Sheffield Wednesday who won a Scotland international cap against Wales in 1922). He was discharged on medical grounds in 1915 and returned to working as a miner, then in 1917 he rejoined the war effort with the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders only weeks after getting married. Jock was demobilised in January 1919 and returned to Kirkcaldy, playing football for nearby Scottish junior side Inverkeithing United and quickly launching a divorce petition against his wife – the fellow that she had consorted with was killed before the divorce was confirmed in February 1921. Iin April 1921 Collier was involved in a brawl after a match in Stoke, an incident that initially led to teammate Tom Brandon being accused of assault (he was acquitted) and led to another teammate Harry Wilson being suspended by the Tigers.
In June 1926 Jock signed for Division Three South side Queens Park Rangers and for two seasons he played a supporting role to the R’s half back line, making 37 senior appearances. He scored his only senior goal for Rangers in an October 1927 4-2 win over Bristol Rovers. In July 1928 he headed back north and was appointed player-manager at Midland League side York City, though his playing days ended after just two starts when a broken ankle forced him to hang up his boots. Jock managed York City to a fine season that culminated in promotion to Football League. He then led the team during their first season in Division Three North before resigning in May 1930 to take on the landlordship of a local pub.
Jock returned to manage York City in May 1933 and led the side for four more years before retiring a second time in March 1937 to pursue business interests with his brother. Jock was already suffering from ill health when he left York City and after a spell living at Bishop Auckland in County Durham, he died in Hull during December 1940 at the age of just 43.
Details
Nationality: Scotland
Date/Place of Birth: 1 February 1897, Dysart
Hull City First Game: 28 August 1920, West Ham United A (Division Two), 23 years, 209 days old
Hull City Final Game: 12 December 1925, Portsmouth A (Division Two), 28 years, 314 days old
Clubs
Inverkeithing United (1919-1920), Hull City (1920-1926), Queens Park Rangers (1926-1928), York City (1928)
Hull City Record
Career: 182 apps, 0 goals
Jock Collier| Season | LGE App | LGE Gls | FAC App | FAC Gls | FLC App | FLC Gls | EUR App | EUR Gls | OTH App | OTH Gls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920/21 | 38 | 0 | 5 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1921/22 | 33 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1922/23 | 35 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1923/24 | 26 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1924/25 | 33 | 0 | 5 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1925/26 | 3 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |