John Ralph Leach

John Ralph Leach. (Left full back) John was a Beald maker by profession, He became captain of the Darwen Football club team when Joe Marsden left for Everton at the beginning of the 1891/2 season. He was born in Darwen on the 12th May 1866.
He started his football career with the Chaples based Darwen Old Wanderers in 1885 aged 19 and signed for Darwen FC in 1889.
He was a member of the Lancashire FA cup final side of 1891 beaten by Bolton Wanderers, and also a member of the Darwen team that gained promotion to the First Division of the Football League along with Stoke City in 1893 (the first teams to gain promotion in the history of football).
Many people regarded John as the finest full back of his day, he represented Lancashire 5 times and had trials for England but unlike Joe Marsden he failed to gain a full International cap.
He retired from full time Football in 1897 aged 31 and played with local club Whitehall in the newly formed Darwen Sunday school league.
John died on the 4th August 1931 aged 65.