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| John McArthur |
 John C. McArthur was probably born in Scotland, although his place and date of birth remain unknown to us. * The goalkeeper signed for George Easton's Thistle on Monday, 18th February, 1907, having most recently been with Falkirk. He made his debut appearance on Saturday, 23rd February, 1907, in a 1-0 win at home to Third Lanark in the SFL First Division. In doing so, John joined the goalies' clean-sheet debutant's club. He registered the last of his 3 clean-sheets on Saturday, 6th April, 1907, in a 2-0 win at home to Aberdeen in the SFL First Division. He played his last game for the club on Monday, 15th April, 1907, in a 2-2 draw away to Hibernian in the SFL First Division, having appeared as a Jag on 9 occasions. His club-list included Falkirk Amateurs, Queen's Park, Falkirk, Partick Thistle, Rangers, Bathgate and Third Lanark. We don't know where or when John died. *
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 John spent just over a season with Queen's Park, joining them in August 1904, but barely got a look in at first team level, with a number of players always in competition for the 'keepers jersey. He moved on to Falkirk for the bulk of season 1905-06 and played 17 times as a Bairn in that First Division campaign. He was frustratingly in the reserves the following season, so when George Easton came calling in February 1907 it was a no brainer, especially with him being a local lad. Willie Howden had been injured, and John was fast-forwarded straight into the first team which must have been a sore one for Lee Massey, waiting in the wings. John performed well on his debut and earned the clean-sheet in a one nil League win at home to Third Lanark. He played in 9 consecutive competitive games until April, winning three, all in the League with a clean-sheet. A 2-0 win at Cappielow in late March was followed a week later by a similar win at home to Aberdeen to complete his set. However, it would be Lee Massey who got his chance for the final games of that season. In September 1907, Rangers signed him as back-up to Alex Newbigging, and he would be associated with the Ibrox club for the next 4 seasons, happily making only occasional appearances at first team level. As fate would have it, he turned out in a League fixture against Thistle on 2nd January 1908, Rangers winning by 3 goals to 2 at Ibrox. John moved on to Third Lanark in March 1911, but made only 1 League appearance in just over a year there. |
| (WS/JK) |
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