 Davison saves from Billy Lacey on 4 October 1913 in a 4–1 Wednesday victory over Liverpool | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | John Edward Davison | ||
| Date of birth | 2 September 1887 | ||
| Place of birth | Gateshead, England | ||
| Date of death | 1 February 1971 (aged 83) | ||
| Place of death | Sheffield, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1903–1908 | Gateshead Town | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1908–1926 | Sheffield Wednesday | 397 | (0) |
| 1926–1927 | Mansfield Town | ||
| Total | 397 | (0) | |
| International career | |||
| 1922 | England | 1 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1926–1928 | Mansfield Town (player-manager) | ||
| 1928–1932 | Chesterfield | ||
| 1932–1952 | Sheffield United | ||
| 1952–1958 | Chesterfield | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
John Edward Davison (2 September 1887 – 1 February 1971) was an English footballer and manager who had a long and successful association with the football clubs of Sheffield, playing for Sheffield Wednesday for 18 years and later managing Sheffield United for 20 years. His fairness and diplomacy earned him the nicknames of "The George Washington of Sheffield football" and "Honest Ted". Davison played as a goalkeeper in a career, which lasted between 1908 and 1926, he made 424 appearances in all competitions for Sheffield Wednesday (his only league club).[2] Davison was only 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) tall, very small for a goalkeeper, but he made up for this with lightning reflexes and top class anticipation.[3] He has gone down in football records as the smallest goalkeeper ever to play for England,[1] making just one appearance for the national team in March 1922.[4]
- ^ a b Graham Betts (2006). England: Player by player. Green Umbrella Publishing. p. 86. ISBN 1-905009-63-1. According to Betts, Davison "is believed to be the smallest goalkeeper to represent his country, standing just 5' 7" tall. What he lacked in height he more than made up for with his agility and positional sense."
- ^ SWFC Archive. Gives statistics for Sheffield Wednesday career.
- ^ Andrews, Neil (20 May 2015). "In praise of short(er) goalkeepers". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
- ^ www.thefa.com. Davison's sole England international and further reference to being England's shortest goalkeeper.