Jock Finlayson

John Finlayson Date of Birth: Jun 14, 1912

Born in Cowdenbeath in 1912, Jock played most of his early football as a full-back with Motherwell and East Stirling before a move to Clapton Orient in 1933.

Jock was not a regular in the side at Orient but Town manager Harold Wightman saw something and signed him on a free-transfer in 1935 at the same time as he was buying Bill Fellowes from the same club.

Soon converted to a wing-half at Kenilworth Road, Jock became a member of the Town’s famed half-back line of the time alongside Fellowes and Jack Nelson in a team which won the Division Three (South) championship in 1937 and went on to become a top Division Two outfit.

The powerful player who could turn defence into attack with one pass made 168 first team appearances for the club before the War brought an end to his career.

In later life, Jock became a professional golfer.