John Joseph Curtis (13 December 1888 – 8 March 1955) was an English professional footballer who played in the Football League for Sunderland, Gainsborough Trinity, Tottenham Hotspur, Fulham, Stockport County and Middlesbrough as an outside left.[1] He is best remembered for his four-year spell with Tottenham Hotspur between 1909 and 1913 and later coached in the Netherlands.[4][5]
 Curtis while with Tottenham Hotspur in 1910. | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | John Joseph Curtis[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 13 December 1888[1] | ||
| Place of birth | South Bank, England[1] | ||
| Date of death | 8 March 1955 (aged 66)[2] | ||
| Place of death | Wimbledon, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)[3] | ||
| Position(s) | Outside left | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1904–1905 | Eston United | ||
| 1905–1906 | South Bank St Peters | ||
| 1906–1907 | Sunderland | 1 | (0) |
| 1907 | South Bank | ||
| 1907–1908 | Shildon Athletic | ||
| 1908–1909 | Gainsborough Trinity | 30 | (2) |
| 1909–1913 | Tottenham Hotspur | 82 | (5) |
| 1913–1914 | Fulham | 2 | (0) |
| 1914–1915 | Brentford | 14 | (1) |
| 1915–1919 | Stockport County | 15 | (1) |
| 1915–1916 | → Brentford (guest) | 13 | (0) |
| 1919–1920 | Middlesbrough | 5 | (0) |
| Shildon Athletic | |||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Career
An outside left, Curtis began his career with spells at non-League clubs Eston United, South Bank St Peters, South Bank, Shildon Athletic,[1][6] a period which was bisected by an unsuccessful spell with First Division club Sunderland during the 1906–07 season.[7] Curtis joined Second Division club Gainsborough Trinity in 1908 and scored two goals in 30 league appearances, before joining divisional rivals Tottenham Hotspur the following year.[1] Almost immediately after Curtis joined the club, promotion to the First Division was achieved and he went on to score five goals in 89 appearances during just over five years at White Hart Lane.[8] After leaving White Hart Lane in 1913, Curtis had spells at Fulham, Brentford,[9] Stockport County and Middlesbrough, before rejoining Shildon Athletic in 1920, where he ended his career.[1][10]
Personal life
Curtis enlisted as a driver in the Royal Field Artillery in early 1915 during the First World War.[2] He served with the 36th Battery of the 1A Reserve Brigade.[2]
Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Sunderland | 1906–07[7] | First Division | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 1908–09[8] | Second Division | 2 | 1 | — | 2 | 1 | |
| 1909–10[8] | First Division | 37 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 41 | 3 | |
| 1910–11[8] | 30 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 33 | 1 | ||
| 1911–12[8] | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | ||
| 1912–13[8] | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||
| Total | 82 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 89 | 5 | ||
| Fulham | 1913–14[11] | Second Division | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Brentford | 1914–15[9] | Southern League Second Division | 14 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 1 |
| Stockport County | 1914–15[12] | Second Division | 15 | 1 | — | 15 | 1 | |
| Middlesbrough | 1919–20[8] | First Division | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Career total | 119 | 7 | 9 | 0 | 128 | 7 | ||