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Jack Brownsword
Nathan John Brownsword (15 May 1923 – 19 December 2009) was a professional footballer who spent eighteen seasons with Scunthorpe United, and holds the club's all-time appearance record, having played 597 league games, and 791 first-team games overall for the club. He was a defender, playing in the left-back position.
Originally from Doncaster, Brownsword left school aged 15 and spent the duration of the Second World War working as a miner at nearby Bentley Colliery. He began playing part-time for Frickley Colliery, before being recruited for Hull City's 1946–47 Third Division North season.
Continuing to play part-time alongside his work as a miner, Brownsword made eleven league and cup appearances for Hull, before being released after allegations that he had fallen out with manager Major Frank Buckley after accidentally sitting on Buckley's dog on the way to an away game.
He then returned to his first club Frickley Colliery and despite them finishing bottom of the Midland League, Brownsword re-established his reputation as the league's best left-back. This inspired then-leading non-league club Scunthorpe & Lindsey United to sign him for a fee of £2, plus expenses.
Brownsword continued to play football part-time alongside his work as a miner for the first three years of his career at Scunthorpe, before their election to the Football League in 1950. This elevation led to him accepting manager Leslie Jones's offer of a full-time professional contract of a £9 basic weekly wage, which was reduced to £6 in the summer.
Brownsword went on to make a club-record 597 league appearances (and 783 in all competitions, including non-league and cup games), during his 18 seasons as a player at the Old Showground. These records will almost certainly never be beaten, as he sits an enormous 322 appearances clear of second-place Paul Longden on the club's rankings.
Brownsword earned a reputation as a fearsome sprinter (completing the 100-yard dash in just 10.3 seconds) and a faultless penalty taker; scoring 52 of his 53 career league and cup goals for Scunthorpe from the spot. His excellent disciplinary (he was never once booked in his entire career) and injury records ensured that he only missed 26 League matches and never missed an FA Cup game across his whole time at the club.
With Scunthorpe having already been crowned Third Division North champions prior to their final 1957–58 game, Brownsword later alleged that he was offered a bribe by an unnamed visiting Carlisle United official to ensure Scunthorpe threw the game, guaranteeing Carlisle's place in the upcoming national 1958–59 Third Division season. "I was standing in the tunnel before the game and when someone approached me and offered us money to lose the game. I immediately told them to 'Get stuffed!' and we went out to show them how we could play. I would never throw a game". Brownsword later scored in a 3–1 Scunthorpe victory which relegated Carlisle to the Fourth Division.
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Jack Brownsword
Nathan John Brownsword (15 May 1923 – 19 December 2009) was a professional footballer who spent eighteen seasons with Scunthorpe United, and holds the club's all-time appearance record, having played 597 league games, and 791 first-team games overall for the club. He was a defender, playing in the left-back position.
Originally from Doncaster, Brownsword left school aged 15 and spent the duration of the Second World War working as a miner at nearby Bentley Colliery. He began playing part-time for Frickley Colliery, before being recruited for Hull City's 1946–47 Third Division North season.
Continuing to play part-time alongside his work as a miner, Brownsword made eleven league and cup appearances for Hull, before being released after allegations that he had fallen out with manager Major Frank Buckley after accidentally sitting on Buckley's dog on the way to an away game.
He then returned to his first club Frickley Colliery and despite them finishing bottom of the Midland League, Brownsword re-established his reputation as the league's best left-back. This inspired then-leading non-league club Scunthorpe & Lindsey United to sign him for a fee of £2, plus expenses.
Brownsword continued to play football part-time alongside his work as a miner for the first three years of his career at Scunthorpe, before their election to the Football League in 1950. This elevation led to him accepting manager Leslie Jones's offer of a full-time professional contract of a £9 basic weekly wage, which was reduced to £6 in the summer.
Brownsword went on to make a club-record 597 league appearances (and 783 in all competitions, including non-league and cup games), during his 18 seasons as a player at the Old Showground. These records will almost certainly never be beaten, as he sits an enormous 322 appearances clear of second-place Paul Longden on the club's rankings.
Brownsword earned a reputation as a fearsome sprinter (completing the 100-yard dash in just 10.3 seconds) and a faultless penalty taker; scoring 52 of his 53 career league and cup goals for Scunthorpe from the spot. His excellent disciplinary (he was never once booked in his entire career) and injury records ensured that he only missed 26 League matches and never missed an FA Cup game across his whole time at the club.
With Scunthorpe having already been crowned Third Division North champions prior to their final 1957–58 game, Brownsword later alleged that he was offered a bribe by an unnamed visiting Carlisle United official to ensure Scunthorpe threw the game, guaranteeing Carlisle's place in the upcoming national 1958–59 Third Division season. "I was standing in the tunnel before the game and when someone approached me and offered us money to lose the game. I immediately told them to 'Get stuffed!' and we went out to show them how we could play. I would never throw a game". Brownsword later scored in a 3–1 Scunthorpe victory which relegated Carlisle to the Fourth Division.