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John Jackson

John Jackson

John Keith Jackson, born September 5,1942,  London, England. Hailing from Hammersmith in West London, John Jackson accumulated an impressive 656 Football League appearances for Crystal Palace, Leyton Orient, Millwall, Ipswich Town and Hereford United during his impeccable goalkeeping career.

John Jackson started his professional playing days with Crystal Palace where he replaced Bill Glazier in 1964. He helped the South Londoners gain promotion to the First Division in the 1968/69 campaign and wouild go to make 346 Football League appearances for them before signing for Leyton Orient in October 1973. Long gone were the halcyon days of eccentric chairman Harry Zussman, but the club still had ambitions and in former West Ham United, Queens Park Rangers and Crystal Palace midfielder George Petchey they had a manager who was worth every penny of his reported £15,000 salary. An instant hit with the Orient fans, Jackson amassed 19 League appearances in his first season at Brisbane Road as The O´s frustratingly missed out on promotion to the First Division by a single point to surprise side Carlisle United. As for Crystal Palace, The Glaziers found themselves relegated for the second time in two years, ending the 1973-74 season in 20th place in the Second Division. Jackson, nicknamed Stonewall after American Confederate General Stonewall Jackson, proceeded to play 226 Division Two matches for Orient and helped them reach the 1978 FA Cup Semi-Finals where they suffered a 3-0 defeat against Arsenal before a 50,00 crowd at Stamford Bridge. He also had loan periods with North American Soccer League teams St. Louis Stars and California Surf before he left for Millwall for whom he notched up 79 League appearances between 1979 and 1981.He later had short stints with Ipswich Town and Hereford United before he finally hung up his gloves in 1983, at the age of 40. John Jackson Playing Career: Crystal Palace, Leyton Orient, St. Louis Stars, California Surf , Millwall, Ipswich Town, Hereford United.