Doug Wright (footballer)

For other people named Doug Wright, see Doug Wright (disambiguation).

John Douglas Wright (29 April 1917 – 28 December 1992) was an English professional footballer who played as a left half in the Football League for Southend United, Newcastle United and Lincoln City,^[1] where he won the Football League Third Division North title in 1951–52^[5] and became player-coach before returning north to manage Blyth Spartans. While with Newcastle (where he played two full seasons in the Football League Second Division either side of World War II), he also made one appearance for the England national team in a 4–0 victory over Norway in 1938, aged 21 with the match played at his home ground St James' Park.^[6][3] His career was jeopardised by a leg injury sustained at the Battle of Dunkirk during the war but he was able to make a recovery.^[7]

Doug Wright

Personal information
Full name	John Douglas Wright[1]
Date of birth	(1917-04-29)29 April 1917
Place of birth	Rochford, England
Date of death	28 December 1992(1992-12-28) (aged 75)[2]
Place of death	Bedlington, England
Height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)[3]
Position(s)	Defender, left half[4]
Youth career
	Chelmsford City
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1936–1937	Southend United	31	(2)
1938–1946	Newcastle United	74	(1)
1948–1954	Lincoln City	233	(2)
1954–1957	Blyth Spartans
International career
1938	England	1	(0)
Managerial career
1954–1957	Blyth Spartans (player-manager)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

His father, Scotsman Jocky Wright, was also a footballer who played for several clubs across Britain before settling in Southend-on-Sea;^[8] his brother Billy Wright (17 years older and born in Sheffield during an earlier stage of their father's career) played for Bolton Wanderers and Reading.^[9]