Jack Sharp Football player

John "Jack" Sharp was an English sportsman of outstanding talent who is most famous for his 9 year playing career at Everton F.C. from 1900-09 which saw him win two caps for his country as well as being a gifted cricketer for Lancashire who played in 3 Tests for England in 1909. From 1899 to 1914 he played cricket regularly for Lancashire and played in every match of 1904 when the Championship was won without a defeat. After the War he played as an amateur and captained the Lancashire side from 1923 to 1925. His position on the football pitch was right winger and he was renowned for his fast pace. After being signed from Aston Villa Sharp went on to be a Championship runner up on 3 occasions with Everton, scored a goal in the club's 2-1 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday in the 1907 FA Cup Final and was an FA Cup winner one year previously against Newcastle United. His portrait appeared on 14 editions of cigarette packets, the mark of a popular sportsman at the time. When his playing career ended, Sharp became a director of Everton, a position he held for many years. He started a successful sports shop in Whitechapel Liverpool, which existed until the 1980s before being taken over by JJB Sports and later closed. His shop was the official supplier of playing strips to both Everton and Liverpool for many years. His brother Bertram was also a footballer with Aston Villa, Everton and Southampton who later became a director of Everton as well as a cricketer with Herefordshire County Cricket Club.