*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.
Ray John
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Appearances: 56 Goals: 2
Date / Year of birth: 22nd November 1932
Position: Midfielder / Striker
Season of first appearance: 1960/61
Season of last appearance: 1963/64
Also played for: Tottenham Hotspur (0), Wycombe Wanderers, Barnsley (0), Exeter City (150,18), Oldham Athletic (34,5), and Sittingbourne
Swansea-born player who started his career at Tottenham, joining the club as a 17 year-old in April 1950 after impressing playing for a South Wales XI against Tottenham Juniors on 1.4.50. Ray was then almost immediately called up for his National Service in the RAF and whilst serving he played for Wycombe Wanderers during the 1951/52 and 1952/53 seasons, scoring eight goals in a total of 34 appearances.
After being demobbed Ray was signed by Barnsley in May 1953 but despite breaking their reserve team's goalscoring record during 1953/54 he was never given a first team chance and as a result Ray moved to Exeter on a free transfer in July 1954.
He went on to become a regular in Exeter's first team for four seasons and made 150 senior appearances before joining Oldham for £2,000 in December 1958.
Ray played 34 times for Oldham's first team during 1958/59 & 1959/60 before dropping into non-league football.
He joined Margate in the summer of 1960, partly for the sake of his daughter's health (she had bronchial problems), and the club also got Ray a job at Thanet Press. Margate manager Almer Hall had tried to bring Ray to Hartsdown in January 1960 but at the time Oldham had wanted a transfer fee of £500 that Margate couldn't afford.
Ray made his first appearance for Margate in a Southern League game at Ashford on 20.8.60 - the opening day of the 1960/61 campaign. He played as an inside forward but it was a debut to forget as Margate lost 5-0. It was the start of what turned out to be a frustrating season for Ray as he suffered a string of injuries. He only managed to make 17 first team appearances in midfield or attack and never played more than three matches in a row. However when he did feature Ray was quietly impressive and one local press report said that he "shuffled shrewdly round the field". Ray scored once during the season - in a 1-1 draw at Trowbridge on 25.2.61.
Ray made a good start to the 1961/62 campaign despite suffering a rib injury early on and on 4.11.61 he was part of the Margate side that pulled off a famous 3-0 win at Bournemouth & Boscombe in the 1st Round of the FA Cup. Ray also featured in the 2nd Round tie against Notts County at Hartsdown Park on 25.11.61 which ended in a 1-1 draw before disaster struck in the replay at Notts County on 30.11.61, a match which the home side won 3-1. Ray broke his leg in two places (tibia and fibula) and missed the rest of the season as a result. He'd scored once - in a 3-2 defeat at Trowbridge on 7.10.61 - from 18 outings before his injury and a collection for Ray raised £90, an impressive sum at the time.
He bravely battled back to fitness in time for the start of the 1962/63 campaign but in the second game of the season at Hinckley on 23.8.62 Ray broke his leg again. Luckily the break wasn't as severe and by Christmas 1962 he was fit once more. During his recovery Almer Hall described Ray as "a grand utility player... capable of an excellent display in almost any position."
Ray was back in action for the reserves in January 1963 and on 4.3.63 he returned to first team duty, playing in a 4-0 win over Ashford at Hartsdown Park. That was one of only six senior games that Ray played during the 1962/63 season and his last first team outing came in a 1-0 home win over Bexleyheath & Welling on 1.6.63 that saw Margate clinch the Kent Senior Shield.
During the 1963/64 campaign Ray managed to stay fit but couldn't gain a regular first team place. He played just 15 first team games (no goals), compared to 20 reserve team appearances in which he scored three times. At the end of the season Ray was released and initially said that he would retire from football. His last first team appearance had been in a 2-0 defeat at Folkestone in a Kent Floodlight Cup tie on 12.2.64.
Ray soon changed his mind about retirement and joined Sittingbourne where he spent the 1964/65 and 1965/66 campaigns.
In the summer of 1966 Ray returned to Hartsdown Park and became player-manager of Margate's reserve team. He led them to the league championship and two cup wins during 1966/67 but at the end of the season he left the club again and spent a period scouting for Charlton.
He returned to Hartsdown Park once more in February 1973 and did some scouting before being appointed as Margate's reserve team manager for the 1973/74 season. Although he was in his 40's by then Ray sometimes made up the numbers for the reserves and held the post until the end of the 1975/76 season when the reserve team was scrapped due to the club's financial problems. His son Mick played for Margate during that period.
In later years Ray lived in Westgate and despite health problems including heart bypass surgery, prostate cancer and three hip replacements he still played golf locally until six weeks before his death on 7.7.09 aged 76.
Later in 2009 Westgate and Birchington Golf Club introduced the 'Ray John Shield' as a tournament prize in his honour.
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
|
FAC |
SLC |
KSC |
KSS |
|
|
1960/61 (MFC) |
17 (50) |
N/A |
1 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE DIVISION ONE (15TH OF 21) |
4QR |
2R |
2R |
1R |
|
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
|
FAC |
SLC |
KSC |
KSS |
|
|
1961/62 (MFC) |
18 (66) |
N/A |
1 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE DIVISION ONE (5TH OF 20) |
2R |
RU |
SF |
W |
|
| Played in FA Cup 1st
Round (04.11.61 - won 3-0 at Bournemouth & Boscombe
Athletic). Played in FA Cup 2nd Round (25.11.61 - drew 1-1 at home to Notts County). Played in FA Cup 2nd Round replay (30.11.61 - lost 3-1 at Notts County). | |||||||||
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
SLC |
KSC |
KSS |
KFC | |
|
1962/63 (MFC) |
6 (66) |
N/A |
0 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE DIVISION ONE (1ST OF 20) |
1R |
SF |
RU |
W |
W |
| Margate won Southern
League Division One title and promoted to Premier
Division. Played in Kent Senior Shield Final (01.06.63 - beat Bexleyheath & Welling 1-0). | |||||||||
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
SLC |
KSC |
KSS |
KFC | |
|
1963/64 (MFC) |
15 (60) |
N/A |
0 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION (17TH OF 22) |
1R |
2R |
2R |
1R |
GR |