John Aitchison

John Edward Aitchison (27 December 1928 – 2 April 2009) was an English sportsman who played cricket for Kent County Cricket Club. A left-arm spin bowler, he played in three first-class cricket matches, one in 1949 and two in 1950, and was signed as an association footballer by Queens Park Rangers and by Chelsea FC.

Aitchison was born at Gillingham in Kent in 1928, the son of Gilbert and Margaret Aitchison. His father was a hairdresser and John played cricket for Bexleyheath Cricket Club. After taking 128 wickets during the 1945 season, he was taken on to the ground staff at Kent in 1946, living with an aunt in Whitstable in order to be closer to the county's Canterbury headquarters.

On his debut for the Kent Second XI, Aitchison took nine wickets against Sussex Second XI, but he played little cricket in either 1947 or 1948 whilst undertaking his National Service, spending much of the period posted in Germany. He took all three of his first-class wickets on debut, taking 3/33 to dismiss the Glamorgan tail in their first innings. he did not bowl in the second innings as Fred Ridgway and Eddie Crush took all ten wickets to dismiss Glamorgan for 114 runs.

Described by Derek Ufton, a contemporary on the Kent ground staff, as "a left-arm bowler with a beautiful action", Aitchison appears to have been less effective following his National Service.

Away from cricket, Aitchison played football for Ramsgate Athletic. and was signed by Queens Park Rangers, but never played for the team in a senior match. He worked for Harvey's Sports and played club cricket for the company as well as for Bexleyheath.

Aitchison later moved to work in the metal fabrication industry as a manager. He died at Sydenham in South London in 2009 aged 80.