John Daniel ‘Jack’ Taylor was born in Dumbarton on 27
January 1872. His first professional team was his home town team and he scored
35 goals in 58 appearances for them between 1889-1894, winning championship
medals in the first two seasons of the Scottish League (1890-91, 1891-92)and a
Scottish Cup runners-up medal in 1891. He also made three international
appearances for Scotland. After spending a couple of seasons with St Mirren he
signed for Everton in 1896.
He was to stay with Everton for 14 years, his 429
appearances only being exceeded by six players in the club’s history. Starting
out as a winger he later moved into the half-back line, proving himself capable
of playing more or less anywhere to good effect. He was the only player to
appear in each Everton’s first three appearances in the F.A. Cup final, the
pinnacle of his career being the club captain who lifted the trophy for the
first time in 1906.
His Everton career came to a sudden and somewhat violent end
during the 1910 cup semi-final against Barnsley. After only a few minutes of
the game Taylor was kicked in the throat and received severe damage to his
larynx. Although he did make a few appearances for South Liverpool some years
later this was the end of his first-class career.
At the start of the twentieth century Jack Taylor and his
family were living near to Goodison Park at 24 Mandeville Street L4. After his
playing career ended he ran a newsagent shop at 197 Walton Road L4. He stayed
on Merseyside until his death in a motoring accident in 1949, later moving to
live on the Wirral.
