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Chelsea FC Profile: Jack Kirwan

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Full Name: John Francis Kirwan

Born: Monday, 2nd December 1872
Place of birth: Dublin, Republic Of Ireland
Height: 5' 6"
Died: Wednesday, 7th January 1959 (aged 86)
Place of death: Edgeware, Middlesex, England
Burial: Buried - Pinner Cemetery, Pinner, London Borough of Harrow, Greater London, England - Plot F/222

Involvement with Chelsea:


Men's 1st Team Player from 1905 to 1908


Jack Played Gaelic Football for Dublin in his youth and was part of the team that won the All Ireland final in 1894. He moved to association football and England, joining Southport Central in 1896 (Registered with the FA on 12 Jun), Everton 2 years later (registered with the FA 2 Apr 1898) and Tottenham in May 1899 where he spent 6 seasons winning the Southern League, the Western League, FA Cup and Charity Shield and playing in excess of 350 games in all competitions.

After joining Chelsea in May 1905, he was one of the first 11 to ever play for the blues.

After his time at Chelsea, he spent the best part of two seasons in Scotland with Clyde and a season back in London with Leyton before retiring at the end of the 1909/1910 season.

Following his playing career, he took over as manager of the then amateur Ajax in Amsterdam until the end of season 1913/14. Following WW I he had managerial positions with Bohemians in his native Dublin, then Livorno in Italy (1923-25).

In the 1939 census, Jack is listed as a "Tea Porter" and he worked for Lyons tea company, also coaching their football team "Old Lyonians" at one point.



Playing Career:


Southport Central
Everton
Tottenham Hotspur
Chelsea (May 1905 to Jun 1908) - cost: unknown
Leyton
Clyde

Chelsea First-Team Career Summary

Competitive Debut: Saturday, 2nd September 1905, Stockport County 1 - 0 Chelsea

Age on debut: 32 years 9 months 0 days

Last Competitive First-Team Appearance: Saturday, 12th October 1907, Chelsea 1 - 3 Bolton Wanderers

Appearances

Season League F.A. Cup Lg Cup Europe Oth* Ttl
1905 / 06 35100036
1906 / 07 35200037
1907 / 08 200002
Total72300075

Goals

Season League F.A. Cup Lg Cup Europe Oth* Ttl
1905 / 06 800008
1906 / 07 710008
Total15100016


* oth = other competitive matches such as Full Members Cup, Charity/Community Shield, Fifa World Club Cup.
Figures in ( ) are substitute appearances and are also included in the totals.
i.e. Jack Kirwan made 75 appearances for Chelsea, of which 0 were as a substitute.

Competitive Matches Played

CompDateHome  AwayAtt
League2nd Sep 1905Stockport County10Chelsea7,000 match lost
League9th Sep 1905Blackpool01Chelsea4,000 match won
League11th Sep 1905Chelsea51Hull City6,000 match won
League16th Sep 1905Bradford City11Chelsea17,000 match drawn
League23rd Sep 1905Chelsea10West Bromwich Albion10,123 match won
League30th Sep 1905Leicester Fosse01Chelsea7,000 match won
F.A. Cup7th Oct 1905Chelsea61First Grenadier Guards5,000 match won
League14th Oct 1905Lincoln City14Chelsea3,000 match won
League21st Oct 1905Chelsea01Chesterfield Town10,000 match lost
League30th Oct 1905Burslem Port Vale32Chelsea5,000 match lost
League4th Nov 1905Chelsea60Barnsley8,000 match won
League11th Nov 1905Clapton Orient03Chelsea8,000 match won
League18th Nov 1905Chelsea10Burnley8,000 match won
League25th Nov 1905Leeds City00Chelsea20,000 match drawn
League2nd Dec 1905Chelsea30Burton United7,000 match won
League9th Dec 1905Chelsea20Grimsby Town7,000 match won scored 1 goal
League16th Dec 1905Gainsborough Trinity02Chelsea8,000 match won
League23rd Dec 1905Chelsea00Bristol City25,000 match drawn
League25th Dec 1905Manchester United00Chelsea35,000 match drawn
League26th Dec 1905Glossop24Chelsea6,000 match won scored 2 goals
League30th Dec 1905Chelsea42Stockport County12,000 match won
League6th Jan 1906Chelsea60Blackpool6,000 match won scored 1 goal
League20th Jan 1906Chelsea42Bradford City14,000 match won scored 1 goal
League27th Jan 1906West Bromwich Albion11Chelsea25,000 match drawn
League5th Feb 1906Chelsea33Leicester Fosse6,000 match drawn
League10th Feb 1906Hull City43Chelsea7,000 match lost
League24th Feb 1906Chesterfield Town02Chelsea7,000 match won scored 1 goal
League3rd Mar 1906Chelsea70Burslem Port Vale10,000 match won scored 2 goals
League10th Mar 1906Barnsley12Chelsea7,900 match won
League24th Mar 1906Burnley20Chelsea8,000 match lost
League31st Mar 1906Chelsea40Leeds City9,000 match won
League7th Apr 1906Burton United24Chelsea10,000 match won
League13th Apr 1906Chelsea11Manchester United67,000 match drawn
League16th Apr 1906Chelsea00Glossop30,000 match drawn
League21st Apr 1906Chelsea13Gainsborough Trinity10,000 match lost
League28th Apr 1906Bristol City21Chelsea14,000 match lost
League1st Sep 1906Chelsea92Glossop12,000 match won scored 1 goal
League8th Sep 1906Blackpool00Chelsea6,000 match drawn
League15th Sep 1906Chelsea51Bradford City10,000 match won
League6th Oct 1906Nottingham Forest31Chelsea24,000 match lost
League13th Oct 1906Chelsea20Lincoln City10,000 match won scored 2 goals
League20th Oct 1906Burton United21Chelsea4,000 match lost
League27th Oct 1906Chelsea20Grimsby Town18,000 match won
League3rd Nov 1906Burslem Port Vale20Chelsea5,000 match lost
League10th Nov 1906Chelsea20Burnley10,000 match won
League17th Nov 1906Leeds City01Chelsea8,000 match won
League24th Nov 1906Chelsea21Barnsley14,000 match won
League1st Dec 1906Chesterfield Town00Chelsea6,000 match drawn
League8th Dec 1906Wolverhampton Wanderers12Chelsea8,000 match won
League15th Dec 1906Chelsea21Clapton Orient15,000 match won
League22nd Dec 1906Gainsborough Trinity11Chelsea3,000 match drawn
League25th Dec 1906Hull City01Chelsea16,000 match won
League29th Dec 1906Glossop01Chelsea4,000 match won
League1st Jan 1907Stockport County12Chelsea7,000 match won
League5th Jan 1907Chelsea30Blackpool15,000 match won
F.A. Cup12th Jan 1907Lincoln City22Chelsea5,000 match drawn scored 1 goal
F.A. Cup16th Jan 1907Chelsea01Lincoln City11,883 match lost
League26th Jan 1907Chelsea20West Bromwich Albion41,168 match won
League2nd Feb 1907Leicester Fosse11Chelsea17,000 match drawn
League9th Feb 1907Chelsea02Nottingham Forest15,000 match lost
League16th Feb 1907Lincoln City05Chelsea3,000 match won
League2nd Mar 1907Grimsby Town21Chelsea6,000 match lost
League4th Mar 1907Chelsea20Stockport County8,000 match won
League9th Mar 1907Chelsea21Burslem Port Vale8,000 match won
League16th Mar 1907Burnley11Chelsea7,000 match drawn
League19th Mar 1907Bradford City63Chelsea6,000 match lost scored 2 goals
League23rd Mar 1907Chelsea20Leeds City25,000 match won
League29th Mar 1907Chelsea30Hull City48,000 match won
League30th Mar 1907Barnsley31Chelsea5,000 match lost
League6th Apr 1907Chelsea71Chesterfield Town12,000 match won
League13th Apr 1907Chelsea40Wolverhampton Wanderers30,000 match won scored 2 goals
League20th Apr 1907Clapton Orient01Chelsea18,000 match won
League27th Apr 1907Chelsea41Gainsborough Trinity15,000 match won
League7th Sep 1907Chelsea24Sheffield United25,000 match lost
League12th Oct 1907Chelsea13Bolton Wanderers35,000 match lost

Non-Competitive First-Team Appearances

Season Appearances
1905 / 06 4
1906 / 07 1
Total5

Non-Competitive First-Team Goals

SeasonGoals
1906 / 07 2
Total2


Figures in ( ) are substitute appearances and are also included in the totals.
i.e. Jack Kirwan made 5 appearances for Chelsea, of which 0 were as a substitute.

Non-Competitive First-Team Matches Played

CompDateHome  AwayAtt
Friendly19th Aug 1905Chelsea10Chelsea0 match lost
Friendly24th Aug 1905Chelsea70Chelsea0 match lost
Friendly4th Sep 1905Chelsea40Liverpool6,000 match won
Friendly6th Nov 1905Chelsea03Everton3,000 match lost
Friendly19th Sep 1906New Brompton24Chelsea1,000 match won scored 1 goal

Non-First-Team Appearances

Season Appearances
1906 / 07 7
1907 / 08 27
Total34

Non-First-Team Goals

SeasonGoals
1906 / 07 1
1907 / 08 8
Total9


Figures in ( ) are substitute appearances and are also included in the totals.
i.e. Jack Kirwan made 34 appearances for Chelsea, of which 0 were as a substitute.

Non-First-Team Matches Played

CompDateHome  AwayAtt
Reserve League3rd Sep 1906Fulham00Chelsea10,000 match drawn
Reserve League10th Oct 1906Reading21Chelsea8,000 match lost
Reserve League15th Oct 1906Queens Park Rangers10Chelsea2,000 match lost
Reserve League31st Oct 1906Chelsea21Brentford500 match won
Reserve League19th Nov 1906Chelsea02Queens Park Rangers2,000 match lost
Reserve League3rd Dec 1906Chelsea03Bristol Rovers2,000 match lost
Reserve League26th Dec 1906Chelsea21Fulham16,000 match won scored 1 goal
Reserve League14th Sep 1907Chelsea140Hitchen Town0 match won scored 5 goals
Reserve League28th Sep 1907Leyton10Chelsea0 match lost
Reserve League5th Oct 1907Chelsea30West Ham United0 match won
Reserve League19th Oct 1907Chelsea60Watford0 match won
Reserve League2nd Nov 1907Chelsea00Tottenham Hotspur0 match drawn
Reserve League9th Nov 1907Maidstone United12Chelsea0 match won scored 1 goal
Reserve League16th Nov 1907Chelsea11Maidstone United0 match drawn
Reserve League30th Nov 1907Chelsea21Woolwich Arsenal4,000 match won
Reserve League21st Dec 1907Woolwich Arsenal10Chelsea0 match lost
Reserve League25th Dec 1907Chelsea60Leyton0 match won
Reserve League26th Dec 1907Southend United01Chelsea4,500 match won
Reserve League4th Jan 1908Chelsea30Luton Town0 match won
Reserve League18th Jan 1908Watford00Chelsea500 match drawn
Reserve League25th Jan 1908Chelsea31Queens Park Rangers0 match won
Reserve League1st Feb 1908Norwich City01Chelsea0 match won
Reserve League8th Feb 1908Sittingbourne01Chelsea1,000 match won
Reserve League15th Feb 1908West Ham United20Chelsea0 match lost
Reserve League19th Feb 1908Chelsea40Tunbridge Wells Rangers0 match won
Reserve League21st Mar 1908Chelsea40Croydon Common0 match won scored 1 goal
Reserve League28th Mar 1908Croydon Common21Chelsea4,000 match lost
Reserve League4th Apr 1908Chelsea21Southend United0 match won
Reserve League6th Apr 1908Chelsea21Sittingbourne0 match won
Reserve League13th Apr 1908Chelsea13Clapton Orient0 match lost
Reserve League17th Apr 1908Tunbridge Wells Rangers22Chelsea3,000 match drawn
Reserve League20th Apr 1908Hastings & St Leonards United11Chelsea2,000 match drawn
Reserve League21st Apr 1908Fulham01Chelsea0 match won
Reserve League30th Apr 1908Chelsea82Norwich City0 match won scored 1 goal

Chelsea Graves Society Info & External Research Links:


Erroneously listed in many places as being named John Henry and born in 1878, his death in 1959 and associated burial records confirm he was named John Francis and was 86 when he passed away. Further research, leads to the 1939 census that lists him as John F Kirwan with a Dob corrected to 2 Dec 1872.

Jack passed away 7 Jan 1959 (NOT 9 Jan) - This is confirmed by his gravestone.)

Link to the CGS Ancestry profile for John Francis Kirwan View CGS profile for John Francis Kirwan on Ancestry
Link to the findagrave profile for John Francis Kirwan View CGS profile for John Francis Kirwan on Find-A-Grave
Link to the CGS Zeemaps location for John Francis Kirwan View location on Zeemaps for John Francis Kirwan



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Chelsea FC Player Jack Kirwan

Games Won: 44
Win Percentage: 58.67%
Total Bookings: 0
Times Sent Off: 0

Teammates

During his Chelsea first-team career of 75 appearances, Jack Kirwan played alongside the following 34 players (number of appearances together in the same match-day squad in brackets)

Ted Birnie (25)
Ron Brebner (1)
Billy Bridgeman (26)
Robert Bush (4)
Michael Byrne (3)
Jack Cameron (1)
David Copeland (23)
James Craigie (1)
Charles Donaghy (1)
William Foulke (33)
James Frost (20)
Charles Harris (1)
George Henderson (40)
George Hilsdon (34)
George Key (37)
Bob Mackie (39)
David McCartney (3)
Tommy McDermott (28)
Bob McEwan (18)
Bob McRoberts (65)
Jimmy Miller (1)
Tommy Miller (60)
Martin Moran (51)
Francis O'Hara (2)
Frank Pearson (26)
Peter Proudfoot (10)
Jacky Robertson (32)
James Robertson (28)
Jimmy Stark (1)
Joseph Walton (33)
James Watson (13)
Ben Whitehouse (3)
Bob Whiting (38)
Jimmy Windridge (49)