Jack Howe

Derby County Early years and war period Howe transferred to Derby County in March 1936. His transfer came about when Derby manager George Jobey attended a Lincoln City match at Sincil Bank, initially to scout another player. However, Howe's performance caught Jobey's eye and he quickly recognised his potential. Impressed by what he saw, Jobey brought Howe back to Derby and signed him that very evening for a reported fee of £750, which was considered a bargain at the time.

Howe made his debut as Derby were finishing eight points behind champions Sunderland and was a regular until the Second World War when he joined the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders In April 1949, reports emerged suggesting that Derby were willing to release Howe, with their Scottish scout tasked to explore a potential deal with a Scottish club. Howe had expressed a desire to return closer to his homeland in the north of England and was reportedly interviewed by the directors of Mansfield Town for the managerial position in May 1949. In June 1949, he accepted the presidency of Derby Junior Football League for the upcoming season, with several fellow Derby team-mates serving on the committee.

Several months later on 19 October, Gateshead made a formal offer to Howe for their vacant position of player-manager, along with a substantial financial proposal to Derby for his transfer. He was reported to be considering the offer, with Derby giving their approval if he chose to accept. Howe declined the offer around a week later, making his decision known after watching Huddersfield Town play Derby at the Baseball Ground, instead choosing to join Huddersfield for a reported fee of £15,000.

Huddersfield Town In October 1949, Howe signed for Huddersfield Town and was described by the Huddersfield Weekly Examiner as being among the country's most experienced defenders. His arrival was seen as a welcome addition to the club which had been struggling defensively. He made his debut against West Brom the following weekend. In 1951, at his own request, Howe was placed on the transfer list, attracting interest from both Hartlepools United and Gateshead, who were keen to secure him as a player-manager. He had previously declined an offer to join Gateshead in the same capacity before making his move to Huddersfield.

Late career In August 1951, he was appointed player-manager at King's Lynn who competed in the Eastern Counties League, but resigned from his position at the end of the 1952–1953 season. He remained with the club, playing for the reserves team at centre-half, and also worked as a public house licensee in King's Lynn during the mid-1950s, a position he was reportedly still holding into the 1960s. He also had a spell playing for Sutton Town. He was one of the first professional footballers to wear contact lenses. against Scotland and Ireland respectively in 1949.

Howe died at his home in Hartlepool, Cleveland in April 1987, aged 71. He was the fifth member of the 1946 FA Cup winning team to die.

Career statistics + Appearances and goals by club, season and competition