John Reynolds..............................................

John Reynolds was born in Blackburn Lancashire in 1869, his parents were Irish immigrants who had arrived in England in the early 1860's and settled in Lancashire.
He began his football career with various local boys teams including Blackburn Park Road (a youth team that produced 5 England internationals during the early years of the game) before joining the Army in November 1886, (during which time he played with the East Lancashire Rgt,) on leaving the Army in 89 he guested for Darwen Football club in the FA cup and Lancashire senior cup in 1890/91, it was his performances with the "Salmoners" that brought him his first honour in the game when he was selected to play for Lancashire in 1891. (Lancashire v Staffordshire)
Although only 5ft 5 ins. tall he was discribed as a brilliant half back, with a terrific shot, It was whilst playing for Lancashire that he came to the attention of the West Bromwich Albion football club, who approached him with a offer to play with them in the Football League.
He signed for them in 1891 and became a member of the Albions FA cup winning side of 1892, that defeated Aston Villa 3-0 in the final, John scored a late third goal with a 30 yard shot.
Reynolds performance in the final prompted the West Bromwich Directors to publicly accuse him of playing for a transfer, and fined him £1 a week until his attitute improved! but rather than force his hand it made him bitter, and he walked out on the Albion and guested with Droitwich FC until Aston Villa signed him in 1893.
It was whilst a West Bromwich player that he was selected to play for Ireland with whom he won 5 caps ( two against England ) before it became common knowledge that he had been born in Blackburn.
He played for England 8 times and became the only person ever to represent Ireland and England at full International level.
He was also in the first English Football League side to play in Scotland against the Scottish League in 1893, played at Celtic park England won 4-3.
At Aston Villa he won two cup winners medals and 3 Championship medals, and was a member of Villa's double winning side of 1895. and also gained revenge on West Brom in 1895 by helping Villa beat them 1-0 in the FA cup final that year.
He left Villa after a dispute over selection in 1897 and joined a number of clubs before drifting out of the game ( Celtic, Southampton, Bristol St George's, Stockport County, and finally Willesden Town.)
When his playing days were over (1904) he tried his hand at Training / Coaching abroad, he returned to England in 1909 and in later life he worked in the Yorkshire coal pits before dying, destitute and alone in 1917 aged just 47.

Notes:
1. John guested for Darwen in the following games:
Kidderminster won 3-1 FA cup 17/1/ 1891
Sunderland lost 2-0 FA cup 31/1/ 1891
Bolton Association won 7-1 Feb 1891- Lancashire cup
Bootle won (score not known) Feb 1891- Lancashire cup
Accrington won (score not known) March 1891 - Lancashire cup
2. Darwen reached the final of the Lancs Cup in 1891 (against Bolton Wanderers) but John had by then signed for West Bromwich Albion