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Fullname: John Reynolds
aka: Jack Reynolds, Baldy Reynolds,
Born: 21 Feb 1869
Died: 12 March 1917
Birthplace: Blackburn
Signed: 3 May 1897
Left: 14 Jan 1898 (free); 28 Jan 1898 (Southampton)
Position: Full Back
Debut: Celtic 1-4 Rangers, (at neutral ground) Charity Cup, 11 May 1897 (scored once)
Internationals: England / Ireland / English League
International Caps: 5 / 1 / 4
International Goals: 8 / 3 / 0
Biog
John Reynolds was an experienced left-half who came to Celtic having spent the best years of his football career in England.
A veteran International player who appeared for both England and Ireland, and even played (& scored) for England in a match v Scotland at Celtic Park in a 2-2 draw in 1894. He has the incredible record of being the first of just two players to have ever played both for and against England. Certainly the only one to score against England. So quite a feat, with the added note that he was seen as an Irishman playing for England to score against Scotland away at the ground of the [then referred to] ‘Irish club’ Celtic (for whom he signed up for later).
The Blackburn-born Irish and English international had picked up three FA Cup winners medals with Aston Villa prior to his arrival at Parkhead in May 1897.
He made his debut on 11th May 1897, and although he scored, Celtic were defeated 4-1 by Rangers in the Charity Cup final.
Into the new season, he made only four league appearances and one Glasgow Cup appearance and after failing to impress was released in January 1898. He was said to have been destroyed by McKenzie of Clyde in the Glasgow Cup (18th Sep 1897), after which he had to wait two months before getting a further chance in the first team.
Celtic actually never lost in a league match he played in, drawing just the once, and he scored in a 2-1 win over Hibernian. A wit would argue on his goal that it was an Irishman that scored for Celtic, but an Englishman that scored against Hibs.
Willie Goldie appears to have been preferred for the first team ahead of John Reynolds for the season. Celtic went on to win the league that season.
Known as ‘Baldy Reynolds‘, he compensated for his lack of speed by his vast experience and seemingly telepathic positional sense. However, his best days were behind him. He was a very much travelled man having played for countless teams, and he was nearing the end as it was. His body was likely physically exhausted by the time he arrived and Celtic was a step too far.
After retiring from football he earned a living from the Yorkshire coalfields as a collier.
Away from the pitch, he was on the road to ruin. One of the most highly paid players of his day, he spent much of his money on drink and a lot of time in female company (so not too far off the model of many future players).
At one stage he disappeared from his then club after having been on a drinking binge for a week. He fathered at least one child out of wedlock (less socially acceptable in those days).
His heavy drinking eventually blighted his career and he sadly died alone in a boarding house at the age of 48.
He passed away in 1917.
His final days were an ignominious end to his life:
“IS IT JOHN REYNOLDS?
“There would seem to be good grounds for believing that John Reynolds, the great Aston Villa and West Bromwich Albion half-back of a former generation, is dead. His father, Mr George Reynolds, who lives at Blackburn, where John was born, has received an intimation from the Sheffield police that a collier named John Reynolds, whose age was believed to be 47, had died from natural causes. In his pocket was found a book which stated that his relatives lived at Blackburn, and everything points to the identity of the deceased being that of the old footballer.”
– The Birmingham Daily Post, Thursday, 15 March 1917.
Lectures were held on Jack Reynolds in 2005/2006 at the University of Ulster by Dr Garnham. He said of Jack Reynolds that much of Reynolds’ trouble lay in the fact that players of the time were required to do comparatively little training and consequently had a great deal of time on their hands.
“The problem in the 1890s was possibly much the same as today. Young men were paid comparatively high wages and had a great deal of time to spend them. Also many, including Reynolds, were real celebrities. As such their company was much sought after, not least by pub landlords looking to attract customers.”
Playing Career
| APPEARANCES | LEAGUE | SCOTTISH CUP | LEAGUE CUP | EUROPE | TOTAL |
| 1897-98 | 4 | 0 | – | – | 4 |
| Goals: | 1 | 0 | – | – | 1 |
Honours with Celtic
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