John Angus (Everton)

Everton’s signing of 23-year-old Scottish goalkeeper, John Angus from Sunderland Albion, was announced on 7 April 1890 at the Liverpool Mercury as Angus joined his new teammates for a pre-season friendly match against Bootle. Angus debuted his Everton with established stars such as Johnny Holt, Fred Geary, and Edgar Chadwick in the 1890/91 season-opening game at Stoney Lane, beating W.B.A. Everton skyrocketed to the top of the Division 1 table in the following weeks while Angus was between the goalposts. Angus’ last time for Everton came in a 2-0 loss to the mighty Preston, who had won the last two Division 1 titles at Deepdale and followed Everton to the end in 1890/91. Angus took a kick to the knee in the Preston game and replaced Scot David Jardine at Blackburn’s next match.

Tragically, Jack Angus would have died when England’s new champion Everton started the 1891/92 season back in the W.B.A. Here is a short paragraph from the Liverpool Mercury dated 10 August 1891: Everton Football Club player John Angus contracted typhoid fever and died Saturday in his father’s residence, Denny Loanhead, Denny, Scotland. And the worsening Angus ended at ten o’clock on Saturday night. The deceased started his career at King’s Park F.C., but his excellent reputation reached England when he was on the Sunderland Albion squad, where he played for three seasons when he signed for Everton. Angus was 24 when he died, unmarried, and a plumber.