Jack Rattray

Who was Jack Rattray?

John “Jock” Rattray was an early twentieth-century Scottish football inside forward who played professionally in Scotland and the United States. “When actively engaged in the sport Rattray was one of the versatile type of players. He was equally effective on the halfback line as he was among the forwards, and frequently alternated in the positions of right halfback and inside right.”

In 1911, Rattray began his professional career with Falkirk F.C. of the Scottish Football League First Division. He spent two seasons at Falkirk before transferring to Raith Rovers in 1913, but his career was interrupted, along with so many others, by the outbreak of World War I in 1914. Rattray served in a Scottish regiment in the British Army during the war, not returning to football until January 1919 when he signed with Dumbarton F.C. In 1922, Rattray left Scotland to sign with the Bethlehem Steel F.C. of the American Soccer League. His last game with the team came in the final of the 1924 American Cup. He was not slated to start the game, but was written in to fill in for an injured team mate. His selection paid dividends when he scored the game’s lone goal, giving Steel its sixth American Cup title. Rattray retired following the 1923-1924 season, returning to Scotland where he settled in Cowdenbeath.