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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | John Bruton | ||
| Date of birth | (1903-11-21)21 November 1903 | ||
| Place of birth | Westhoughton, England | ||
| Date of death | 13 March 1986(1986-03-13) (aged 82) | ||
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Winger | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Hindley Green | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1922–1923 | Wigan Borough | 0 | (0) |
| 1923–1924 | Bolton Wanderers | 0 | (0) |
| 1924–1925 | Horwich RMI | ||
| 1925–1929 | Burnley | 167 | (42) |
| 1929–1939 | Blackburn Rovers | 324 | (108) |
| 1939 | Preston North End | 0 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 1928–1929 | England | 3 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1947–1949 | Blackburn Rovers | ||
| 1950–1956 | Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
John Bruton (21 November 1903[2] – 13 March 1986) was a professional footballer and manager who spent the major part of his career in both capacities withBlackburn Rovers.[3]
Born inWesthoughton,[2] nearBolton, he initially played as an amateur in the outside-right position withWigan Borough,Bolton Wanderers andHorwich RMI while working in the coal mines before signing forBurnley as a professional in 1925. It was reported that he came up from the pit and signed professional forms on an overturned tub at the pit head. AtTurf Moor he established himself as one of the best wingers in the country and won representative honours with the Football League team. He also made three appearances forEngland.[2]
He scored 44 times in 176 games for Burnley before becomingBlackburn Rovers' record £6,500 signing in December 1929. A maker of goals as well as a scorer, Bruton proved to be remarkably consistent during his playing career with the Rovers. Inthe 1930–31 season, Bruton was the Rovers' top-scorer with 19 league goals, closely followed by his unrelated namesakeLes Bruton on 18.[4]
He scored 115 times in 344 appearances for Blackburn before moving on toPreston North End in 1939, although he was prevented from making any first team appearances for Preston as a result of the outbreak ofWorld War II.
He was awarded a benefit match in 1935 when Blackburn Rovers beat Celtic 1–0 on Monday, 22 April at Ewood Park.
After the war he returned toEwood Park as assistant trainer and assistant secretary. During managerWill Scott's absence through illness, Bruton took over the running of the club and on Scott's return was appointed assistant manager. He was the natural successor when Rovers' lack of consistency led to Scott finally vacating the manager's chair in December 1947. On taking control Bruton's immediate aim was to avoid the team's relegation from Division 1, but nine defeats in the last ten games sealed the club's fate.
In an attempt to regain First Division status, Bruton signedDennis Westcott, a proven goal-scorer fromWolves, and also unearthed an exciting prospect at left-back in the shape ofBill Eckersley. However, success proved just as elusive and after the club finished in fourteenth place in the Second Division, Bruton was summoned to a board meeting and dismissed in May 1949.
In 1950 he was appointed manager atBournemouth & Boscombe Athletic, who played in theThird Division South. He remained atDean Court for six years until 1956.[5]
After retiring as a manager he continued as a scout for both Blackburn Rovers and Bournemouth and also forPortsmouth.
