*Indicates unconfirmed information. Figures in brackets after English team names indicate all appearances made and goals scored in competitive matches for Football League clubs from 1888 onwards. For Scottish League clubs the figures show details of all competitive appearances and goals scored from 1946/47 onwards.
Jock Flannigan
Appearances: 59 Goals: 52
Date / Year of birth: 1925*
Position: Striker
Season of first appearance: 1950/51
Season of last appearance: 1952/53
Also played for: Snowdown Colliery Welfare and Betteshanger Colliery Welfare
Unorthodox, battling striker who, according to the local press in Thanet, had a "devil-may-care smile".
Jock joined the army as a teenager around 1940 and served approximately eight years, playing football for various regimental sides.
After moving to Kent he played for Canterbury-based amateur side Rice & Sons before signing for Margate in September 1949.
Jock played for the reserves throughout the remainder of the 1949/50 campaign but never featured in Margate's senior side during the season.
On 11.11.50 Jock finally made his first team debut in a 1-1 draw at Sheppey but after featuring in Margate's next game - a 3-2 win over Chatham at Hartsdown Park on 18.11.50 - he returned to the reserves for another five months and scored freely for them. In April 1951 he was recalled to the first team and played regularly during the last month of 1950/51. Jock scored a hat-trick in a 6-0 home win over Faversham on 1.5.51 - his first goals for Margate - and managed a total of six goals in nine first team appearances before the end of the season. He also scored almost 50 goals for the reserves and Jock's tally included seven in a match against Bowaters Lloyd.
He left the club in the summer of 1951 and joined Snowdown.
In November 1951 Jock returned to Hartsdown Park and during the remainder of the 1951/52 season he scored an impressive 21 goals in as many matches, including a hat-trick against visitors Bowaters Lloyd on 8.12.51.
Jock was also prolific during the 1952/53 campaign, scoring 25 times in 29 appearances. That made him the first team's leading scorer for the season and he also found the net 21 times for the reserves to make him their leading marksman too. Jock's reserve team tally included six goals in a 16-0 win over Rochester & Borstal in November 1952.
In January 1953 Jock scored two consecutive hat-tricks for the first team - in a 4-0 win at Bexleyheath & Welling on 24.1.53 and a 7-0 home win over Sheppey on 31.1.53 - and on 9.5.53 he was part of the side that drew 1-1 with visitors Folkestone on 9.5.53 to share the Kent Senior Shield. The local press described Jock as "Scotland's gift to Margate soccer" during the season and also said he was "lion-hearted".
Despite his goalscoring exploits during 1952/53 Jock started the 1953/54 season in the reserves once more and in September 1953 he left the club for a period and returned home to Scotland for personal reasons. He returned to Hartsdown Park in December 1953 but spent the remainder of the season playing exclusively for the reserves, never making a first team appearance.
In March 1954 Jock moved to Betteshanger in a straight swap for Bill Williams, a deal which broke Kent League regulations as it was completed after the transfer deadline. This led to Jock and Williams being barred from playing for the remainder of the season.
Later in the 1950's Jock emigrated to Canada and he did some youth coaching in the Vancouver area. He lived in Canada until his death in 1997.
Jock was the father of 1960's Margate player Ray Flannigan and his real first name was John.
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
|
FAC |
KSC |
KLC |
KSS |
|
|
1950/51 (MFC) |
9 (41) |
N/A |
6 |
KENT LEAGUE DIVISION ONE (6TH OF 17) |
EPR |
1R |
2R |
RU |
|
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
|
FAC |
KSC |
KLC |
KSS |
|
|
1951/52 (MFC) |
21 (38) |
N/A |
21 |
KENT LEAGUE DIVISION ONE (4TH OF 17) |
1QR |
2R |
1R |
N/A |
|
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
|
FAC |
KSC |
KLC |
KSS |
|
|
1952/53 (MFC) |
29 (43) |
N/A |
25 |
KENT LEAGUE DIVISION ONE (11TH OF 17) |
PR |
2R |
RU |
JW |
|
Played in Kent
Senior Shield Final (09.05.53 - drew 1-1 with Folkestone to share
trophy). Played in Kent League Cup Final (06.05.53 - lost 2-0 to Tunbridge Wells). | |||||||||