Jack Dorrington
John Dorrington (2 June 1881 – 9 January 1944) was an English footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He spent his entire 12-year professional career with Birmingham (renamed from Small Heath in 1905), for which he made 106 appearances in the Football League. Born in Smethwick in 1881, Dorrington played football for minor clubs in that area. While with Soho Villa, he signed amateur forms with West Bromwich Albion, but never played for their first team. After a year with Kidderminster Harriers of the Birmingham and District League, he joined Football League First Division club Small Heath in 1901. The consistency and reliability of Nat Robinson meant that Dorrington made only ten appearances in his first six seasons. He was first-choice goalkeeper for the next two years before injury intervened, then regained his place in 1909–10 before blood poisoning effectively put an end to his career and nearly cost him his leg. He retired from playing in 1913. Dorrington then ran several pubs, organised charity football matches, and coached the junior teams at Aston Villa. He died in 1944 at the age of 62. Personal life John Dorrington was born on 2 June 1881 in Smethwick, which was then in