John James Blacklaw Borthwick (15 February 1886 – 23 April 1942) was a Scottish professional footballer who played as a centre half in the Football League for Everton.[1] He also played in the Scottish League for Hibernian.[4][5]
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | John James Blacklaw Borthwick[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 15 February 1886 | ||
| Place of birth | Leith, Scotland | ||
| Date of death | 23 April 1942 (aged 56)[2] | ||
| Place of death | Liverpool, England[3] | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10+3⁄4 in (1.80 m)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Centre half | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1902–1903 | Royal Oak | ||
| 1903–1904 | Edinburgh Clifton | ||
| 1904–1905 | Wemyss Violet | ||
| 1905–1906 | Lochgelly United | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1906–1908 | Hibernian | 30 | (0) |
| 1908–1911 | Everton | 25 | (0) |
| 1911–1914 | Millwall Athletic | ||
| 1914–1915 | East Fife | ||
| 1915 | Cowdenbeath | ||
| 1916 | Hibernian | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Personal life
Borthwick's younger brother Watty also became a footballer and his son Bill worked as a trainer for Everton.[6][7] Borthwick served as a private in the Football Battalion of the Middlesex Regiment during the First World War and suffered a gunshot wound to the head at Delville Wood in 1916.[8][3] He described his injuries in a letter to Bert Lipsham: "my head has been trepanned, as the skull was knocked in. The cut extends from nearly the top of my head down to my eyebrow. It was a near thing of losing my right eye".[9] Borthwick was discharged on 12 April 1917.[3] After his retirement from football, he ran the Winslow Hotel, opposite Goodison Park.[9]
Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Hibernian | 1906–07[4] | Scottish Division One | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1907–08[4] | 28 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 31 | 1 | ||
| Total | 30 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 33 | 1 | ||
| Everton | 1907–08[10] | First Division | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1908–09[10] | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 1909–10[10] | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 | ||
| 1910–11[10] | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||
| Total | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 55 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 58 | 1 | ||