Player Profile

Town player Johnny Kidd persuaded John "Jock" Walker to try and join Swindon - tempting him with the idea of higher wages. Walker wrote to Town secretary/manager Sam Allen, who agreed to the transfer, and he joined Swindon from Glasgow Rangers at the start of the 1907/1908 season.

Walker's arrival coincided with an upturn in the Town's performances - having finished 17th the prior season, the Town ended up in fifth place, with Walker an ever-present in the Swindon line-up.



Walker was now fully established as a tough-tackling, uncompromising but skilful left back, who gave everything for the cause. A fine example of this is described by Swindon legend Harold Fleming in the 1946/47 club handbook, describing an FA Cup match at Sheffield United in 1908:

"In the second half we had the misfortune to lose Jock Walker, our left full-back, with a badly bruised thigh, brought about by an accidental kick by one of the opposing forwards. he had to leave the field and, to all intents and purposes, was finished for the game. Meanwhile, out on the field, we did our best, but we were gradually worn down and when United took the lead about twenty minutes from time the match seemed over. Then Billy Tout, our right half-back, received the ball about thirty yards from goal and, pushing it forward with one foot, let drive from well outside the penalty area. It was a regular pile driver and although the United goalkeeper covered the angle, owing to the state of the ground and the slippery nature of the ball, it was only deflected and as it dropped to the ground, we all saw that it had dropped over the goal line........ Jock Walker, who by this time was half-dressed in the dressing room, heard that we had scored the goal, he started to take off his clothes, told the trainer to get some whisky and he then stood on the table whilst the whisky was rubbed into his bruised thigh and pummelled by the closed fist of the trainer. It must have been agony, in fact I was told that the tears simply streamed down his cheeks because the pain was so intense, but he stuck it and, when the whistle blew for the start of the extra time, Jock Walker came trotting onto the field."

Swindon went on to win the match - a great giant-killing act - and were beaten in the third round by eventual winners, Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Walker was the club's first choice left-back for five more seasons - one of the most successful periods in Swindon's history, winning the Southern League championship in 1910/1911, along with three second-place finishes, reaching the semi-finals of the FA Cup twice, and a Dubonnet Cup victory. Walker's form was also recognised by the Scottish international selectors, and though he often played for Scotland in an unfamiliar right back role, he won nine caps during his time at the club - including one match versus England in 1913 which saw Walker compete against Harold Fleming on the opposite team.

He left the club at the end of the 1912/1913 season to play league football with Middlesbrough, signing for a club record fee of £1,375, though he returned to guest for the Town in some of the many friendly matches they played during the First World War. When the hostilities ended, he remained in Swindon, despite still being Middlesbrough's first choice left back. Before long, he signed for Reading, hanging up his boots in 1921.

After retiring, he applied to become a director at STFC, and when this was refused, he opened a fish and chip shop in Manchester Road, where he stayed for many years.

Playing Record

Senior

Reserve and Youth Team Appearances

Note that appearance data for reserve and youth teams may not be complete. Expand for more information.

Career details

Club	Details
Eastern Burnside Eastern Burnside
Cambuslang Rangers Cambuslang Rangers
Burnbank Athletic Burnbank Athletic
Raith Rovers Raith Rovers	October 1903
Beith Beith	April 1905
Rangers Rangers	August 1905
Beith Beith	November 1905
Rangers Rangers	December 1905
Ayr Parkhouse Ayr Parkhouse	April 1906
Rangers Rangers	April 1906
Royal Albert Royal Albert	May 1906
Rangers Rangers	May 1906  received £250 from Middlesbrough in 1913, Rangers had retained his registration
Cowdenbeath Cowdenbeath	August 1906
Swindon Town Swindon	June 12th, 1907 (transferred in, nominal fee, total fee £350, initial payment of £100 original fee "less than £100", but Rangers received £250 from Middlesbrough in 1913 as they had retained his registration); transferred out (April 18th, 1913)
Middlesbrough Middlesbrough	April 18th, 1913 (transferred in, exchange , £1,375 Swindon later took Allan McRobbie in part-exchange, valued at £250)
Swindon Town Swindon	September 10th, 1915 (guest)
Southampton Southampton	February 1917 (guest)
Reading Reading	March 1919 (guest)
Reading Reading	May 1921