International Appearances - J.W. Sutcliffe

Last updated : 08 February 2008 By Neil Andrews
John Sutcliffe
J.W. Sutcliffe
England

Caps: 1 (of 5)
Goals: 0

When Tiny Joyce went off to play League football for Blackburn Rovers, Millwall pulled off something of a transfer sensation when they persuaded Bolton Wanderers and England goalkeeper, John (J.W.) Sutcliffe to packs his bags and head south to join The Lions. He had already won four caps for his country, the first of which was in 1893, and it was caused something of a stir within the game of football when he turned up at the club's North Greenwich ground.

A confident, if unorthodox for the time, shot-stopper who had a reputation for pulling off spectacular saves, Sutcliffe was highly rated by his contemporaries and never lost a game while playing for England. He won his last cap against Wales in 1903 during Millwall's epic FA Cup run which saw them reach the semi-finals for the second time in the club's history. And it was during that semi-final match at Villa Park that Sutcliffe was to blot his Millwall copybook for the one and only time.

Despite a bout of ill-health, the international keeper insisted that he was fit enough to take part, but he was out of sorts and conceded a bizarre goal in the seventh minute of the game which rocked The Lions and led to Derby County romping home to a 3-0 victory. Rushing out to meet the ball halfway up the field, he lost it in the sun and gifted Derby's Warren the opening goal.

Sutcliffe left the Den that summer, returning north to play for Manchester United and later went on to coach Arnhem in Holland and Bradford City. The oldest player to be capped by England before the First World War, the former Millwall goalkeeper was also the last person to play both football and rugby union for his country.