Roy John

Roy John may refer to:

Roy John (rugby player)

Ernest Raymond "Roy" John (3 December 1925 – 30 September 1981) was a Wales and British Lions international rugby union lock. He played club rugby for Crynant and Neath. John was capped 19 times for Wales and was a member of two Grand Slam winning teams. In 1950 he was selected for the 1950 British Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia. John was an agile runner for a lock, but was most notable for his excellent ability in line-outs.

Rugby career

John played rugby from a young age and represented his local grammar school as a youth. His first club was Crynant, but by the time he gained his first cap in 1950 he had switched to first-class side Neath. His international debut came on 21 January against England as part of the 1950 Five Nations Championship. John gained his place as his club partner, Rees Stephens had been forced to withdraw from the team. John was one of five new caps entering a team that had finished bottom of the table in the year's previous tournament. Wales beat England 11–5 and John was reselected for the remaining three matches of the campaign. After wins over Scotland and Ireland to take the Triple Crown, John scored his first and only try for Wales in a victory over France to give the team the Grand Slam title.

Roy John (footballer)

William Ronald "Roy" John (29 January 1911 – 12 July 1973) was a Welsh international footballer who played as a goalkeeper for Manchester United, Newport County, Sheffield United, Stoke City, Swansea Town and Walsall as well as the Wales national team.

Football career

Born in Briton Ferry, John began his career with Briton Ferry Athletic before joining Swansea Town in 1927. At this time he was an outfield player, originally a full-back (where he was "not greatly appreciated") before initially moving forward to play as a half-back, where he gained a reputation as "a resolute tackler with a useful kick". He left Swansea in May 1928, having not played a Football League game for them.

He then joined Walsall, where he played for the reserve side as a half-back. Following the departure of Fred Biddlestone to Aston Villa in January 1930 and an injury to the reserve goalkeeper, manager Sid Scholey asked John to try out for the custodian's shirt. John did so well in a practice match that he was quickly promoted to first-team goalkeeper. Within months he made his international debut, when he played for Wales against Ireland on 22 April 1931. His debut match ended in a 3–2 victory to the Welsh. One writer of the time described him as "dashing and daring – a gay cavalier who laughs fortune in the face".