Alan Jackson (soccer player)

Alan Jackson
Personnel
birthday	August 22, 1938
place of birth	Swadlincote ,  England
position	Half-striker
Juniors
Years	station
	Wolverhampton Wanderers
Men's
Years	station	Games (goals) 1
1955-1959	Wolverhampton Wanderers	4 0(1)
1959-1962	Bury FC	124 (43)
1962-1964	Brighton & Hove Albion	21 0(5)
	Burton Albion
1 Only league games are given.

Alan Jackson (born August 22, 1938 in Swadlincote ) is a retired English football player . As a half-forward he was part of the extended squad of Wolverhampton Wanderers , who won two English championships in a row in the seasons 1957/58 and 1958/59 .

Athletic career

At first there was little to suggest a professional footballer career for Alan Jackson. The son of a miner was far from being nominated for national student or youth selection teams, but after a good performance in Birmingham for a Burton federation team, he received a written offer from the Wolverhampton Wanderers after being spotted by scout George Noakes . Jackson left school early and on his 16th birthday he signed his first professional contract with the Wolves.

For the first time he came to a league use on April 7, 1958 against Arsenal (2-0) and this was the first of two in a season 1957/58 that brought Wolverhampton the English championship. The sporting breakthrough was denied him under the strict trainer Stan Cullis . Although Jackson himself felt most comfortable in the left half-forward position, Cullis only let him appear sporadically on the left wing or as a center forward. Also when defending his title in the season 1958/59 he completed two more championship games (he scored a goal on November 15, 1958 against Burnley FC (2-0)). One of the rare highlights in the same year was his appearance in the European Champions Cup , although his connection goal in the first round second leg to 2-1 against FC Schalke 04 was not enough to advance. In total, there were six competitive appearances for the Wolves. He could not prevail against competitors such as Jimmy Murray , Peter Broadbent , Dennis Wilshaw and Bobby Mason and so he moved on to third division FC Bury in June 1959 . A possible move to the second division club Blackburn Rovers had previously failed and thus also a possible reunion with his ex-club in the 1960 FA Cup final.

The restart of his career was successful and after a missed promotion in the first year Jackson won the third division championship with Bury in the 1960/61 season . Jackson contributed over 20 hits and he was a regular penalty taker. In his time for Bury he scored a total of 43 goals in 124 league games and in November 1962 he moved to third division Brighton & Hove Albion , against whom Jackson had once managed a hat trick . He stayed only briefly in distant Brighton, and as a young family man, he only shortly afterwards preferred a change to a field that he considered more stable. So he started working in a factory and later in a childcare facility in Burton. In terms of football, he let his career under Peter Taylor at Burton Albion end at this time . After four and a half years he caught up with his school leaving certificate. He later worked as a primary school teacher and in Allenton as deputy headmaster until his early retirement.

Web links

• Statistical data from the Post War English & Scottish Football League AZ Player's Database
• Profile on hugmansfootballers.com

Individual evidence

1. ↑ "Molineux 'Pupil' Who Excelled After A Change Of Class" (Wolves Heroes)