John Richard Lewis (August 1881 – 12 September 1954) was a Welsh international
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...
, who played his club football as a forward for various clubs in the south of England.
Playing career
Lewis was born in
Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth () is a university and seaside town as well as a community in Ceredigion, Wales. Located in the historic county of Cardiganshire, means "the mouth of the Ystwyth". Aberystwyth University has been a major educational location in ...
and started his career with
Bristol Rovers in September 1899, before moving to the South coast to join
Southern League Portsmouth in May 1900. After one season at
Fratton Park
Fratton Park is a football ground in Portsmouth, England, which is the home of Portsmouth F.C. Fratton Park remains as the only home football ground in Portsmouth FC's entire history.
The early Fratton Park was designed by local architect A ...
, he moved to the Midlands to join
Burton United
Burton United Football Club was a football club based in Burton upon Trent in England. The club was established in 1901 by a merger of Burton Swifts and Burton Wanderers, and played their last competitive season in 1910. In 1924 they merged with ...
playing in the Second Division of
the Football League.
After three seasons, he returned to the Southern League with
Bristol Rovers in August 1904 where he won a cap for
Wales in the match against
England on 19 March 1906.
Shortly afterwards he moved back to the south coast with
Brighton & Hove Albion, where he spent one season before arriving at
Southampton, his third south coast club.
Although rather small, Lewis was a clever forward but sometimes found his size a handicap against burly opponents.
In his one season at
The Dell, he formed a useful partnership with
Fred Harrison as well as linking up well with fellow forwards,
Frank Jefferis
Frank Jefferis (3 July 1884 – 21 May 1938) was an English footballer.
Playing career
He initially played football for his local non-league team, Fordingbridge Turks, before being invited for a trial at The Dell by Southampton of the Southe ...
and
George Smith. He made 24 Southern League appearances for The Saints and his 10 goals made him top scorer for the club in the 1907–08 league season.
Never able to settle long in one place, he spent the 1908–09 season with
Croydon Common before returning to Burton United (now out of the Football League) in 1909.
References
External links
Croydon Common career details
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lewis, John
1881 births
1954 deaths
Footballers from Aberystwyth
Welsh men's footballers
Southampton F.C. players
Portsmouth F.C. players
Bristol Rovers F.C. players
Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. players
Croydon Common F.C. players
Wales men's international footballers
Southern Football League players
Burton United F.C. players
Men's association football forwards