JACK FITCHETT

Full Name: John Fitchett

Born: 21 February 1880

Came from: Manchester United   Went to: Manchester United

First game: 01 September 1903   Last game: 30 April 1904

Appearances: 46 (46/0)   Goals: 1

Named John at birth but known as Jack, as was common at the time, Fitchett was born in Chorlton-cum-Hardy, south-west Manchester. He began his football career in his native city, representing Manchester Schoolboys while playing youth football for Talbot FC. Originally a full-back, he would go on to play in several positions during his career.

In May 1897, he joined top-flight Bolton Wanderers, where he spent four years at Burnden Park, making 76 appearances and scoring four goals. During his time with Wanderers, he represented the Football League XI in three matches against the Irish League, in November 1899, November 1900 and November 1901. He also played in an unofficial international against Germany in 1901.

In the spring of 1902, he signed for Manchester United but did not make a first-team appearance before moving south to join Southern League side Southampton in May. Mainly used as cover at left-half, he played in five of the club’s first six matches before eventually losing his place. He made 20 appearances and scored three goals during the 1902-03 season. At The Dell, he was praised for his “energetic tackling and neat passing”, although his play could also be criticised for “over-elaboration”.

His departure from Southampton was less than straightforward. Having admitted a charge of insulting two members of the public while drunk and threatening to throw them into the sea, he was ordered to leave town by noon the following day or face police action. He chose the former.

Returning to Manchester, Fitchett signed for United again and this time made his first-team debut. He played five times, scoring once on his debut against Leicester City, in March 1903. United were then based at Bank Street in Clayton, their home from 1893, when they were still known as Newton Heath, until their move to Old Trafford in 1910.

In May 1903, Fitchett returned to the Southern League to join Argyle, becoming a regular member of the club’s first professional side under Frank Brettell. He featured in Argyle’s inaugural Southern League season of 1903-04 and lined up in the club’s first home match against West Ham United in September 1903 alongside three former Manchester United team-mates: Jack Peddie, Jack Picken and John Banks.

Brettell knew Fitchett from their time at Bolton Wanderers, where Fitchett had also played alongside Bob Jack. Fitchett helped persuade Jack to join Argyle for their first season in the league - and the rest, as they say, is history.

Still primarily used as a left-back, Fitchett made 46 appearances for Argyle across the Southern and Western Leagues, scoring once. His goal came away to Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane in February 1904, although it could do little to prevent a 5-1 defeat.

He returned to Manchester United at the end of the season, making a further 13 appearances in 1904-05 and taking his recorded United total to 18 appearances and one goal. After another year with the club, he moved across the city to Manchester City in 1905, although no appearances are recorded. He subsequently played twice for Fulham in 1905-06 before retiring from professional football at barely past his mid-20s. He later turned out for non-league side Sale Holmfield.

Fitchett’s early retirement from football becomes rather more understandable when his other pursuits are considered: he certainly had other irons in the fire. He joined the touring troupe of Fred Karno, the celebrated British music-hall impresario, as a comedy actor. The troupe later included an 18-year-old Charlie Chaplin, who partnered Fitchett in an act called The Mumming Birds. Ironically one of the places the act was performed was the Argyle Varieties Theatre in Birkenhead, in July 1907, a reminder of two careers converging!

Both men eventually left the touring company. While Chaplin went on to international fame in Hollywood, Fitchett remained in the theatrical world, managing one of Karno’s vaudeville theatres in Exeter before taking over the newly converted Hippodrome Theatre there in 1908.

Some accounts suggest that Fitchett briefly returned to football to play a handful of Southern League matches for Exeter City, but this is incorrect. He did, however, take part in a novelty match between Fred Karno’s XI and Exeter City at St James Park in 1909. Whether the fixture was arranged to benefit City or to publicise the theatre, Fitchett turned out for Karno’s side.

He continued to manage the Exeter Hippodrome until 1925, when he took over the New Palace Theatre in Plymouth. In 1931, Chaplin visited the city as a guest of local MP Lady Astor and accepted an invitation from his former performing partner to appear on stage at Fitchett’s theatre.

Fitchett later saw his distinguished guest off at Plymouth railway station, with a photograph of the pair bidding farewell appearing in the press. The picture can be viewed here.

He subsequently took over the Royal Sovereign Hotel in Union Street, Plymouth, where he died on the premises in early November 1942, aged 62.