Jock Simpson

John 'Jock' Simpson (25 December 1886 – 4 January 1959) was an English international footballer, who played as an outside right in the 1900s and 1910s.

Simpson was born in Pendleton, Lancashire, of Scottish parents who returned to work in their home town of Falkirk within months of his birth. Several family members were also footballers at local teams, and he was related to the Australian international cricketer Bob Simpson.

His footballing career began with Laurieston Villa, and after a trial with Rangers, he signed for Falkirk in 1905. He represented the Scottish League in 1910 while he was a Falkirk player.

In January 1911, Simpson moved to Blackburn Rovers for a fee of £1800, a record fee received by a Scottish club. Whilst he was at Ewood Park, they won the Football League First Division title in 1911–12 and 1913–14. He made a total of 151 Football League appearances for Blackburn, scoring 16 goals, and also appeared for the Football League XI.

He made his international debut for England on 11 February 1911 against Ireland, weeks after joining Blackburn (the Football Association had been aware of him at Falkirk but did not want to select a player based in Scotland, and only his birthplace came into consideration at that time, so he was ineligible for Scotland despite his upbringing and parentage). Simpson made a total of eight appearances for England, with his last cap coming on 16 March 1914 against Wales.

After an attempted comeback to senior with football with Falkirk during World War I (when all official English football was suspended but the Scottish League continued), he finally saw out his final playing years with Falkirk Amateurs, then with Falkirk Orient in the Falkirk Wednesday Shopkeepers League. At Falkirk he played a total of 269 Scottish League matches including the wartime as a 'guest player', scoring 116 goals.

Simpson settled in Falkirk for the rest of his days, finally passing on in 1959; he is interred in Falkirk Cemetery.