JOHNNY BANKS

Full Name: John Banks (also known as Jack)

Born: 14 June 1875

Came from: Manchester United   Went to: Leyton

First game: 19 September 1903   Last game: 25 April 1906

Appearances: 82 (82/0)   Goals: 6

Born in West Bromwich, Staffordshire, Banks began his career with local side Oldbury Broadwell (rather than Oldbury Town as records often suggest). Broadwell were a short-lived works team who existed for around a decade as the works' team of the Oldbury Railway Carriage & Wagon Company, on Broadwell Road and unrelated to Town. Banks played for them as a 15-year-old, before joining West Bromwich Albion and signing professional terms in 1893, aged 18.

He originally started out as a forward, but was converted into a half-back once it became apparent he was not a prolific scorer. He spent seven years with his home town club and made 119 appearances and scored five goals. He also earned a runner's-up medal from the 1895 FA Cup Final where West Brom lost 1-0 to rivals Aston Villa at Crystal Palace. The winning goal was scored by Villa's Bob Chatt after 30 seconds, which remained the fastest goal in FA Cup Final history for 114 years before being broken by Louis Saha of Everton, in the 2009 FA Cup Final with a goal after 25 seconds.

In 1901, he signed for Newton Heath, who were to change their name to Manchester United the following year, playing 44 games and scoring once over two seasons with the club. He played in Newton Heath's last-ever campaign, 1901-02, and then played in Manchester United's first-ever season under their new name in 1902-03. In his fourth outing, he scored his only league goal for Manchester United in strange circumstances: in an FA Cup tie in November 1902, at Bank Street (their ground before Old Trafford), Southport Central's keeper fisted the ball, which rebounded off his back and into the net to put United 3-1 up after only five minutes of play.

Moving to Home Park in 1903 in time for Argyle's first season as a professional club, he was signed by Argyle's first manager Frank Brettell. He became known as an extremely versatile player, primarily playing as a wing-half but also filling a variety of positions in the team as required. The Argyle handbook of 1905 describes him as 'splendid in defence and rarely beaten'. He played in Argyle's first season in the Southern League in 1903-04, and in the first match against West Ham United at home in September 1903 he lined up with three former Manchester United team-mates, all Jacks - Peddie, Picken and Fitchett.

He also played in the Western League, picking up a winner's medal as Argyle finished champions in 1903-04. In total he made 82 appearances and scored six goals for the club.

After three years at Home Park, he left to join Leyton for the 1906-07 season, as they had just won promotion to the Southern League. He kept a house in Plymouth whilst in London, which, in 1907 made a move to return to Devon to play for Exeter City, impossible to resist. He became City's first professional as they also embarked on a new spell in the Southern League. He played 15 times in the second-half of their final amateur season, in the Plymouth & District (P&D) League, and remained at St James Park to assist incoming manager Arthur Chadwick (their first paid manager). Banks helped many of the club's signings, from mainly northern clubs, settle in after the Grecians' election to the Southern League for the 1908-09 season. He also made two Southern League appearances for City in that debut season, but retired from playing at the end of that season. He was later a coach and eventually become a trainer in 1910.

In 1912, he then took over a similar position at Barrow and kept it for over a decade. He was still in the post when the Bluebirds were elected to the Third Division (North) in 1921-22, completing a hat-trick of significant club transitions from amateur to professional.

He remained living in Cumbria after leaving his role, and passed away in Barrow-in-Furness in 1947, aged 71 years old.