John Friar

John Friar (18 July 1911 – 22 May 1979) was a Scottish footballer who played on the right-wing. He represented Carluke Rovers, Bradford City, Hibernian, Portsmouth, Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic, Port Vale, Preston North End, Norwich City, and Ipswich Town.

John Friar

Personal information
Full name	John Friar[1]
Date of birth	(1911-07-18)18 July 1911[1]
Place of birth	Cambusnethan, Scotland[1]
Date of death	22 May 1979(1979-05-22) (aged 67)[1]
Place of death	Bathgate, Scotland[1]
Height	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)[2]
Position(s)	Right winger
Youth career
	Carluke Rovers
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1929–1931	Bradford City	0	(0)
1931–1932	Hibernian	25	(11)
1932–1933	Portsmouth	1	(1)
1933–1934	Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic	34	(11)
1934	Port Vale	18	(10)
1934–1936	Preston North End	26	(8)
1936–1939	Norwich City	82	(18)
1939	Ipswich Town	0	(0)
Total		186	(59)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Career

Friar played for Carluke Rovers and Bradford City, before joining Hibernian. He made his debut on 8 August 1931, in a 1–0 win over Alloa Athletic at Easter Road, and scored his first goal for "Hibs" ten days later in a 3–1 win over Arbroath.^[3] He scored a total of 11 goals in 25 Second Division appearances in the 1931–32 season.^[3] He moved back to England in April 1932 when he signed with Portsmouth. In 1933, he and Jack Surtees were traded to Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic, with Len Williams moving in the opposite direction. He joined Port Vale in July 1934 and scored on his debut on 25 August, a 2–0 win over Sheffield United at The Old Recreation Ground.^[1] He went on to score braces in home wins over Southampton, Manchester United and Bury, and boasted a total of ten goals in the opening 18 Second Division games of the season.^[1] This record led him to be snapped up by First Division side Preston North End in December 1934, in exchange for Ted Critchley and a cash balance.^[1] He later played for Norwich City and Ipswich Town.^[1]

Career statistics

Source:^[4]

Club	Season	Division	League		National Cup		Other		Total
			Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Bradford City	1929–30	Second Division	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Hibernian[5]	1931–32	Scottish Division One	25	11	0	0	0	0	25	11
Portsmouth	1932–33	First Division	1	1	0	0	0	0	1	1
Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic	1933–34	Third Division South	34	11	2	0	2	2	38	13
Port Vale	1934–35	Second Division	18	10	0	0	0	0	18	10
Preston North End	1934–35	First Division	23	8	6	1	0	0	29	9
	1935–36	First Division	3	0	0	0	0	0	3	0
	Total		26	8	6	1	0	0	32	9
Norwich City	1935–36	Second Division	12	2	2	0	0	0	14	2
	1936–37	Second Division	13	3	0	0	0	0	13	3
	1937–38	Second Division	34	10	1	0	0	0	35	10
	1938–39	Second Division	23	3	1	0	0	0	24	3
	Total		82	18	4	0	0	0	86	18
Ipswich Town	1939–40		0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Career total			186	59	12	1	2	2	205	62

References

1. Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 107. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
2. "Norwich City. First Division no longer worlds away". Sunday Dispatch Football Guide. London. 23 August 1936. p. x – via Newspapers.com.
3. "Friar, John". fitbastats.com. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
4. John Friar at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
5. "Hibernian Player John Friar Details". www.fitbastats.com. Retrieved 13 February 2017.