25 Facts About Johnny Douglas

John William Henry Tyler Douglas was an English cricketer who was active in the early decades of the twentieth century.

Johnny Douglas was an all-rounder who played for Essex County Cricket Club from 1901 to 1928 and captained the county from 1911 to 1928.

Johnny Douglas played for England and captained the England team both before and after the First World War with markedly different success.

Johnny Douglas was the son of successful timber merchant John Herbert Johnny Douglas and Julia Ann and was born at Stoke Newington, London in what is Belfast Road.

Johnny Douglas played football once for the England amateur side.

Johnny Douglas served in the Bedfordshire Regiment throughout World War I, eventually as major.

Johnny Douglas took up boxing while still a schoolboy, and won the Amateur Boxing Association 1905 middleweight title when boxing out of the Belsize ABC.

In 1908, Johnny Douglas won an Olympic gold medal as a middleweight boxer.

The silver medal winner, Snowy Baker, 44 years later falsely claimed that Johnny Douglas's father was the sole judge and referee.

Baker never publicly contested the close points verdict which Johnny Douglas, who scored a second-round knockdown over him and won in their Olympic final.

Yet, in a 1952 interview, he claimed that Johnny Douglas's father had refereed the fight, leading to widespread suspicion of a dodgy decision.

In reality, Johnny Douglas Senior was at ringside to present the medals in his role as president of the Amateur Boxing Association of England.

The real referee was Eugene Corri, who did not have to give a casting vote as the two judges agreed that Johnny Douglas was a narrow winner.

Besides his Olympic gold, Johnny Douglas won the 1905 ABA middleweight title.

Johnny Douglas made his Essex debut at the age of eighteen against Yorkshire and bagged a pair, with George Hirst dismissing him in both innings.

Johnny Douglas played in only two more matches that season and, in the 1902 season, did not appear at all in first-class cricket while working incessantly on his game in practice.

Johnny Douglas regained his place in the Essex side in the 1903 season, playing eleven matches "but was still anything but a good player".

Johnny Douglas had matured into a leading all-rounder who took over the captaincy of Essex in 1911, a captaincy which he retained until 1928.

Johnny Douglas played for England before and after the First World War.

Johnny Douglas was named as a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1915, but play was suspended during the war years.

Johnny Douglas took over 100 wickets in a season seven times, with a best of 147 in 1920.

Johnny Douglas then took two for none, giving him a match record of eleven for 47.

Johnny Douglas captained England eighteen times, with a Test match record of won eight, lost eight, drawn two.

Johnny Douglas married Evelyn Ruby, the widow of Captain Thomas Elphinstone Case, of the Coldstream Guards, daughter of Adolphus Ferguson and Minnie Byron, on 25 December 1916.

Johnny Douglas had no children but one stepson, the actor Gerald Case.