From Douglas Water Thistle to the Bernabeu

Jul 5 2007 By John Rowbotham

RESEARCH by the Scottish Football Museum has uncovered a Lanarkshire football first.

They have identified a man whom they believe to be the only Scot ever to turn out for Real Madrid — and he was born in Hamilton!

David Beckham and Zinedine Zidane followed in the footsteps of John Fox Watson, who played his one and only game for the La Liga greats in 1948.

‘Jack’ Watson, born in 1917, had a nomadic football career that took him south of the border to clubs such as Bury and Crystal Palace.

It was, however, after two seasons with Fulham that Jack was signed by Real Madrid on the recommendation of their English manager Mike Keeping, a former player at Craven Cottage.

Keeping had been appointed Real’s coach on January 27, 1948, and brought in 30-year-old Jack in a player/coach capacity.

When Jack arrived at the Spanish club in 1948 it was undergoing a rapid transformation. The ambitious Santiago Bernabéu Yeste, who had been elected President of Real Madrid in 1945, masterminded the club’s move from the modest 22,500-capacity Estadio de Chamartin to the imposing 75,300 “New Chamartin”. The new ground, which was inaugurated on December 14, 1947, would later be renamed Estadio Santiago Bernabéu in 1955.

Jack arrived in Madrid six months after the stadium had opened.

It was a far cry from the pavilion and modest embankments at Douglas Water Thistle, where he started his football career.

Watson spent a season with Madrid, and the club have confirmed that he played one match in the Spanish La Liga: a 3-1 defeat away to R.C. Celta de Vigo.

Real Madrid finished the season in third place, three points behind title winners FC Barcelona.

Jack came back to the Britain in 1949 and made 63 appearances for Crystal Palace before moving on to Canterbury Town in 1951. He died in 1976.

Much of the research into the background of Jack Watson was carried out by 64-year-old Sandy McBain, a services officer at the football museum based at Hampden Park.

Sandy, who is from Blantyre but lives in East Kilbride, is a lifelong fan of Real Madrid and visited the Bernabeu stadium in January.

He noticed in the stadium a wall showing all the players who have played for Madrid.

Among the names listed was that of John Fox Watson and next to it was a Scottish flag.

On his return, Sandy did some digging and uncovered his place of birth and details of his football life.

Sandy said: “I had heard about him before but didn’t know much about his career.

“It is, however, amazing that a Hamilton man’s name is recognised in one of the great cathedrals of football.”

The next job for the museum is to assemble more information about Jack and, crucially, obtain a photograph of him.

If you can help, contact Sandy or Richard McBrearty at the museum on 0141 616 6100.

“It is, however, amazing that a Hamilton man’s name is recognised in one of the great cathedrals of football.”