McGee: John (Jock)

1920-1922 (Player Details)

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Born: Rothesay, Isle of Bute, Scotland: 13-07-1896

Debut: v Boothtown (h): 11-09-1920

5’11” 12st 6lb (1920)

He played in Scottish Junior football and featured in Military teams towards the end of the First World War when he served in the Territorials. Initially a Pier Porter, he was also a forrester and hedge-cutter before he joined the TA in May 1915, when he gave his age as nineteen and remained with them until May 1919, when demobbed, when he claimed he was twenty-two. He had played for Bute Comrades in 1919, but when his family moved to Yorkshire he went with them. The family are believed to have worked on the Grantley Estate near Ripon. He then signed for Harrogate Town and was one of the first players to sign for Leeds United joining them in March 1920, as an amateur, and playing a handful of games for the Reserves in the Midland League in the 1920-21 season, as a right-back, right-half or centre-half. (Courtesy Neil Roche). McGee did not play a League game for Leeds United, but was one of several players who were chosen for United in the preliminary rounds of the FA Cup of 1920-21, which clashed with Leeds first team fixtures and so understrength teams were fielded. His only game was in the home tie with Boothtown on 11th September 1920. He returned to Harrogate and played with them in the 1921-22 season. He had a trial with Hull City Reserves in March 1922 and on the strength of that he was signed by the Tigers. He made his debut in a 1-0 win over Fulham on 23rd September 1922 at Anlaby Road. He was part of the Hull City Giant-killing F.A. Cup team of 1927. Then of the Second Division, they eliminated West Bromwich Albion, of the First Division, in the Third Round at Anlaby Road by 2-1 on 8th January 1927, as William Cowan gave the Tigers the lead after just five minutes. Nelson Howarth levelled the scores for West Bromwich Albion after sixty-five minutes, but nine minutes later Harry Scott got the winner for Hull. In the Fourth Round they were pitted against another First Division side in Everton at Anlaby Road and few would have given much for their chances after they were held to a 1-1 draw by a side that contained the prolific scorer W.R. "Dixie" Dean. However on the following Wednesday, 2nd February 1927 they went to Goodison Park and were still not beaten as they held the Toffees to a 2-2 draw, after extra-time. It had looked all over for them as they were trailling 0-2, but a strong comeback saw then draw level and they took the tie to the third game. It was played at Villa Park, Birmingham on 7th February 1927.There was a diappointingly small crowd of 16,800, but those who stayed away missed a great game of football. Jock Guyan gave Hull the lead after seven minutes, but Dean was always a danger and it was he that levelled the scores on the twenty minute mark. However it was George Whitworth that put Hull back in the lead after thirty-three minutes and the second-half saw both sides squander good chances as each tried to be the next to score. Hull seemed to tire as the game reached the final ten minutes and Everton built the pressure before equalizing with almost the last kick of normal time and an Art Dominy goal sent the game into extra-time. After five hours of football the teams could not be parted but Everton were looking the stronger of the two teams as the extra-time ticked onwards. In fact it was only brilliant goalkeeping by George Maddison that kept the Tigers in the game as he denied both Dean and Dominy a winner before a rare Hull attack forced a corner. After one hundred and six minutes of the second replay Harry Scott found the strength to tower above the Everton defence and head home the winner for Hull. The run came to an end on 19th February 1927 and by coincidence and tragically so did Jock McGee's career, for it was to be his final appearance for Hull City as he suffered a broken leg, which ended his career as Second Division Wolverhampton Wanderers got the only goal of the match in their Fifth Round clash at Molineux. He retired at the end of the 1926-27 season, after seventy League games and eight F.A. Cup games for the Tigers.