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John Collins

b. 1942

Professional footballer born 1942

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About John Collins

Born 1942. John Collins is a British association football player.

John William Bashley Collins (born 10 August 1942) is an English former footballer who scored 108 goals from 417 appearances in the Football League in the 1960s and early 1970s, playing as an inside left for Queens Park Rangers, Oldham Athletic, Reading, Luton Town and Cambridge United.

Collins came through the youth ranks at Queens Park Rangers, turned professional in 1959 and made his debut in a 1–0 win against Barnsley in April 1960. He went on to play 172 league games for Rangers, scoring 46 league goals, then transferred to Oldham Athletic in 1966 and later had spells at Reading, Luton Town and Cambridge United.

Collins became a cult hero at QPR after famously scoring a hat-trick of headers in a game versus Hull City. Collins also scored a fourth, although this was discounted by match official Cedric Tomlinson.

Ken Wagstaff of Hull later described the performance as: "A hatrick of headers - that's certainly something I'd never be able to do."

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Also known as
John Francis Collins, John William Bashley Collins

People in John Collins's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped John Collins's

Frequently asked questions

Who is John Collins?

Professional footballer born 1942

When was John Collins born?

John Collins was born on 10 August 1942 in Chiswick.

What is John Collins's occupation?

John Collins is an association football player.

What nationality is John Collins?

John Collins is British.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: John Collins

· Wikidata: Q10387544

· DBpedia: John Collins (footballer, born 1942)

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). John Collins. https://biography.guide/john-collins-association-football-player-1942/

MLA: "John Collins." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/john-collins-association-football-player-1942/.

Chicago: "John Collins." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/john-collins-association-football-player-1942/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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