Players - John Hunter

John Hunter
Birthdate: 6 April 1878
Birthplace: Johnstone, Scotland
Date of death: 12 January 1966
Other clubs: Abercorn Westmarch XI, Abercorn (1898-99), Hearts (1902-04), Woolwich Arsenal (1904-05), Portsmouth (1905-07), Dundee (1907-10), Clyde (1910-11)
Signed from: Abercorn
Signed for LFC: 12.05.1899
Liverpool debut: 02.09.1899
Last appearance: 22.03.1902
Debut goal: 02.09.1899
Last goal: 30.01.1902
Contract expiry: 14.05.1902
Win ratio: 33.33% W:15 D:14 L:16
Games/goals ratio: 3.75
League games / goals: 37 / 9
Total games / goals: 45 / 12

Player Profile

"Sailor Hunter" was an inside-forward who scored five times from 20 first division appearances in 1899/00 and added a further three goals from the eight games he played in the following year when Liverpool won their first-ever League Championship. His final selection for the first team came towards the end of March 1902. Hunter moved for a combined fee of £300 along with teammate Tom Robertson to Hearts where he played two years, scoring 14 goals in 42 games. He went back south for a brief spell at first division debutants Woolwich Arsenal before transferring to Portsmouth in the Southern league. His most prolific season was at Dundee when he scored no less than 28 goals in 31 league games.

Hunter was appointed manager of Motherwell in 1911, at only 32 of age in the club's first-ever season. After 35 years in charge he left his post due to failing eyesight but he continued to attend to administrative affairs at the club from 1946 - 1959 until he was eighty. He is Motherwell's longest serving manager, guiding the team in 1,064 games and to victory in the Scottish league in the 1931/32 season when the team scored 119 goals in 38 league games! This was the only league championship win by a team outside the "Old Firm" from 1904 to 1947.
Appearances per season
Season League FA LC Europe Other Total
Totals 37 8 0 0 0 45
1899-1900 20 4 0 0 0 24
1900-1901 8 1 0 0 0 9
1901-1902 9 3 0 0 0 12
A more detailed look at the player's appearances
Apps Minutes Opponent
5 450 Stoke City
5 450 Notts County
3 270 Newcastle United
3 270 Manchester City
3 270 Nottingham Forest
3 270 Wolves
2 180 WBA
2 180 Everton
2 180 Blackburn Rovers
2 180 Bury
2 180 Sheffield United
2 180 Derby
2 180 Sunderland
2 180 Aston Villa
1 90 Southampton
1 90 Preston North End
1 90 West Ham United
1 90 Burnley
1 90 Sheffield Wednesday
1 90 Bolton Wanderers
1 90 Glossop North End
Total Venue
23 Home
22 Away
Total Competition
37 League
8 FA Cup
Total W D L Win % Manager
45 15 14 16 33.3% Tom Watson
Goals per season
Season League FA LC Europe Other Total
Totals 9 3 0 0 0 12
1899-1900 5 1 0 0 0 6
1900-1901 3 0 0 0 0 3
1901-1902 1 2 0 0 0 3
A more detailed look at the player's goalscoring
Total Competition
9 League
3 FA Cup
Total Goal origin
12 Open play
Milestone Appearances
# Date Against Stadium Competition
1 02.09.1899 Stoke Victoria Ground League
Milestone Goals
# Minute Date Against Stadium Competition
1 30 02.09.1899 Stoke Victoria Ground League
Scrapbook
The man who introduced Ian St John to football
The man who introduced Ian St John to football
Other Clubs
Club Season Club rank League apps League goals Total apps Total goals
Abercorn Westmarch XI Paisley 0 0 0 0
Abercorn 1897-1898 Scotland Division 2 4 0 4 0
Abercorn 1898-1899 Scotland Division 2 16 0 16 0
Hearts 1902-1903 Scotland Division 1 22 10 22 10
Hearts 1903-1904 Scotland Division 1 21 4 21 4
Arsenal 1904-1905 England First Division 22 4 22 4
Portsmouth 1905-1907 Southern League 37 10 63 14
Dundee 1907-1908 Scotland Division 1 30 18 30 18
Dundee 1908-1909 Scotland Division 1 31 28 31 28
Dundee 1909-1910 Scotland Division 1 26 6 26 6
Dundee 1910-1911 Scotland Division 1 2 0 2 0
Clyde 1910-1911 Scotland Division 1 17 4 17 4
Total 228 84 254 88