About John Bovill
Lived 1886 – 1954 (aged 68). John Bovill was a British association football player and association football coach.
John McKeown Bovill (21 March 1886 – 13 April 1954) was a Scottish footballer who played as a forward.
Bovill started his professional career in Scotland with Rangers in December 1907, though he played for them only twice before he moved to England to play for Blackburn Rovers (no first team appearances) and then Chesterfield Town where he featured regularly. He stayed with the Spirites for two years in the Midland League after they lost their English Football League status, then was signed by Liverpool. Bovill made 29 appearances for the Anfield club, with 25 of those coming in the 1911–12 season.
He left Liverpool in May 1914 and then joined the army: he was stationed in Ireland with the Royal Irish Rifles and played for Linfield for two full seasons and part of a third, scoring the winning goal in the Irish Cup final of 1915 and winning the same trophy again a year later, as well as victories in the 1915–16 Belfast & District League and the 1916 Gold Cup. He left for the Western Front in December 1916 and was gassed in the trenches in 1917, but recovered and survived to the age of 68 living in his home town of Rutherglen.
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Important facts
People in John Bovill's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped John Bovill's
Frequently asked questions
Who was John Bovill?
Scottish footballer (1886-1954)
When was John Bovill born?
John Bovill was born on 21 March 1886 in Rutherglen.
When did John Bovill die?
John Bovill died on 13 April 1954 in Rutherglen.
What was John Bovill's occupation?
John Bovill was an association football player and association football coach.
What nationality was John Bovill?
John Bovill was British.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). John Bovill. https://biography.guide/john-bovill/
MLA: "John Bovill." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/john-bovill/.
Chicago: "John Bovill." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/john-bovill/.
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