Trainor: John (Jack)

1935-1938 (Player Details)

Centre Forward

Born: Norham-on-Tweed, Northumberland: 00-00-1913

Debut: Stoke City (h): 02-01-1937

5’10” 13st (1935)

Trainor eventually opted for a life in professional soccer after starring as an athlete and a Rugby Union player at school. A Northumberland County Schools soccer player, he was also a prominent runner with success in local meetings and played for Berwick Rugby Union Rugby club as a wing-three-quarter in 1933. He then advanced his football career with Berwick Rangers and Duns in the East of Scotland League, where he played as a centre-forward before moving back to centre-half. In 1934 he joined Ashington when Billy Hampson was the Manager and there settled in the half back line. When Hampson was appointed Manager of Leeds he went back to Ashington in early December 1935 to sign the powerfully built wing half, who at that point was playing as a right or centre half. He played his final game for Ashington against Annfield Plain on 30th November 1935. It was at Leeds that he was converted back to the position of centre-forward. He soon put himself in the manager's sight by scoring twelve goals in just eight appearances in the Central League team, including five against Blackpool in the game before first team centre forward Arthur Hydes suffered a pulled thigh muscle and was declared unfit. This gave Trainor his chance in League football and the local papers were hoping that he could reproduce his reserve team performances in the top flight as his pluck and pertinacity had aroused great enthusiasm. It was recognised that he lacked experience, but, if he could be supported by the two Leeds inside forwards, Furness and Ainsley, his ability to break through with the ball would be effective. However, on the day, 2nd January 1937, the exceptionally difficult ground conditions exposed the young player's lack of experience and ball craft, even so, his determination to rush in at every possible opening, no doubt unsettled the Stoke defence. He was bustling the Stoke backs when Ainsley scored the winning goal. Opinions seemed divided as to whether, at this stage of his career, Trainor should be persevered with in the first team, but it was thought that it would certainly be interesting to see what he could do with better foothold and a truer bounce of the ball. However, Trainor did not really get a look in at Elland Road and his appearances were firstly three consecutive games over the New Year period in the 1936-37 season, initially as deputy for the injured Arthur Hydes but in the second two he retained the number nine jersey while Hydes deputised for the injured Billy Furness at Inside Left. There was praise for the Leeds attacking trio from the London press as Leeds were beaten by a single goal by Charlton Athletic at the Valley in the League on 9th January 1937, but a 0-4 loss to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the F.A. Cup, a week later, only highlighted the thought that Trainor would benefit from a further spell in the reserves and it came as no surprise that it was he that made way for Billy Furness as he had recovered from injury. Soon after that Leeds signed Gordon Hodgson and it was not until the following Christmas that he played his final game, as deputy for the injured South African, who had strained a thigh muscle on the previous Saturday. The Yorkshire Post commented " Trainor is a powerful player of exceptional dash and tenacity, but his ball control is still below the requirements of the First Division. He failed to hold the line together, his attempts to reach his wing men with passes being rarely successful, while on several occasions when he broke through the Middlesbrough defence his shooting was not good enough to beat the goalkeeper". Trainor, a cousin of Charlie Napier, the Celtic, Derby County, Sheffield Wednesday and Scottish International forward, was transferred to Third Division South club Southend United in May 1938 and found the lower level more to his liking as he scored six goals in twenty-five League appearances, together with one in three F.A. Cup ties and none in two minor Cup-ties, before the Second World War brought an end to League football and Trainor’s football career.