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Jack Newton (Canadian football)

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Jack Newton
Newton with Toronto Varsity in 1909
Born:ca 1887[1]
Limehouse, Ontario, Canada
Died:(1967-12-24)December 24, 1967 (aged 80)[2]
Sarnia, Ontario, Canada
Career information
Position(s)Halfback
UniversityToronto
High schoolLondon Road High
Career history
As coach
1912Toronto Argonauts
(Head coach)
1913–1914Toronto Argonauts
(Assistant coach)
1915Sarnia Intermediate
(Head coach)
1919–1920Sarnia Collegiate Institute
(Head coach)
1921–1927Sarnia Imperials Intermediate
(Head coach)
1928–1930Sarnia Imperials
(Head coach)
Career highlights and awards
Career stats

John Newton (born 1887) was a Canadian football halfback who played for three years for Toronto Varsity and four years for the Toronto Argonauts. He was a two-time Grey Cup champion, once as a player and once as an assistant coach, and was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.

Early life

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Newton was born in Limehouse, Ontario and moved to Sarnia when he was seven years old.[2][3] He played football for the London Road High School team.[3]

Playing career

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Newton played for the University of Toronto Varsity football team from 1907 to 1909.[4] In 1908, he played in the 1908 Dominion Championship game at right half, but Varsity lost to the Hamilton Tigers.[5]

In 1909, Varsity finished with a 6–0 record with Newton as team captain and he scored one try in the Dominion Semi-Final victory over the IRFU champion Ottawa Rough Riders.[6] In the Dominion Championship, which was the first to be awarded the Grey Cup trophy, Varsity defeated the ORFU champion Toronto Parkdale 26–6 in the 1st Grey Cup.[7]

Coaching career

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On August 30, 1912, Newton was named honorary coach of the Argonauts, but refused to be paid.[3][8] In that season, Newton led the team to an IRFU championship and the team qualified for their second consecutive Grey Cup game.[9] However, the Argonauts lost the 4th Grey Cup to the Hamilton Alerts.[9] In 1913, Ross Binkley served as head coach while Newton remained in an assistant capacity.[10][11]

Newton remained with the Argonauts in 1914 where they returned as IRFU champions.[12][13] The Argonauts faced his former team, Toronto Varsity, in the 6th Grey Cup, where they defeated Varsity 14–2.[14]

In 1915, Newton coached for the Sarnia Intermediate ORFU team.[15][16] After serving in the First World War, he coached the Sarnia Collegiate Institute football team from 1919 to 1920.[17][2] He then moved back to coaching the Sarnia Imperials Intermediate team until 1927.[17]

In 1928, Newton led the Imperials' senior entry into the ORFU, which was their first year on the circuit.[18] In their first season in the Senior ORFU, Newton led the Imperials to the ORFU title game, but they were defeated by the Toronto Orphans 6–0.[18] In 1929, Newton coached the Imperials to a 6–0 record and ORFU Championship, but the team was defeated by the Hamilton Tigers in the East Semi-Final. In 1930, the Imperials finished second in their division and did not qualify for the championship game.[19] He ceded the head coach position to Milt Burt, but remained with the Imperials in other capacities.[20][21][22]

Newton was largely responsible for the growth of football in Sarnia which eventually led to the Imperials appearing in three Grey Cup games, winning twice.[4] After the Imperials disbanded in 1940 near the start of World War II, Newton was the commanding officer of the Sarnia 2/26 Battery and subsequent entry into the ORFU.[23]

Post playing career

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Newton served in the First World War where he won the Military Cross as a member of the Canadian Field Artillery.[2]

Newton was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame, as a builder, in November 1964.[3][17] He died in Sarnia in December 1967.[24]

Personal life

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Newton was married to Eleanor May Newton and they had two sons, John W. Newton and Frederick Newton.[25]

References

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  1. ^ "150 Years of Varsity Football". University of Toronto. September 13, 2011. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d "Maj. John Newton". Windsor Star. December 27, 1967. p. 44. Retrieved August 2, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d "Maj. John Newton". Windsor Star. November 27, 1964. p. 9. Retrieved August 2, 2024.
  4. ^ a b "Newton Honored Football 'Great'". Windsor Star. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  5. ^ "Tigers defeated Varsity; now Canadian champions". Ottawa Citizen. November 30, 1908. p. 5. Retrieved August 2, 2024.
  6. ^ "Toronto 'Varsity Won Rugby Honors". The Montreal Gazette. November 29, 1909. p. 4 of 16. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
  7. ^ "Varsity disposed of Ontario champions by 26 points to 6". Ottawa Citizen. December 6, 1909. p. 8. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
  8. ^ "J. Newton is Elected Argo Honorary Coach". The Toronto World. August 30, 1912. p. 8. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  9. ^ a b "Hamilton Alerts are now holders of Grey Cup over-rated Argos beaten at their own game". Ottawa Citizen. December 2, 1912. p. 8. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  10. ^ "Tropical weather delays football too torrid for rugby practices". Ottawa Citizen. September 8, 1913. p. 8. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  11. ^ "Rugby Gossip". The Toronto Sunday World. November 1, 1913. p. 9. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  12. ^ "Teams preparing for opening games". The Toronto World. October 7, 1914. p. 8. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  13. ^ "Argonauts gave Ottawa decisive lacing and presented Tigers with championship". Ottawa Citizen. November 17, 1913. p. 8. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  14. ^ "Argos found short cut to Varsity's goal line and trounced them 14 to 2 in Dominion final". Ottawa Citizen. December 2, 1912. p. 8. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  15. ^ "Three rugby finals on today's program". Ottawa Citizen. November 20, 1915. p. 8. Retrieved August 2, 2024.
  16. ^ "Argos fighting for second place". The Toronto World. November 11, 1915. p. 8. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  17. ^ a b c "Jack Newton". Canadian Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  18. ^ a b ""Varsity Orphans" Will Meet Sarnia Imperials". The Leader. November 17, 1928. p. 21. Retrieved August 2, 2024.
  19. ^ "Look for way to solve jam". The Border Cities Star. November 17, 1928. p. 16. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  20. ^ "Sarnia Imperials sign Pat Ouellette as coach". The Border Cities Star. June 15, 1932. p. 17. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  21. ^ "Sarnia given slight edge". The Leader. November 16, 1934. p. 12. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  22. ^ "O.R.F.U. for home talent". Windsor Star. February 24, 1936. p. 20. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  23. ^ "Sarnia again prepared to play in O.R.F.U. Senior Series". Windsor Star. September 20, 1940. p. 2. Retrieved August 2, 2024.
  24. ^ "Maj. John Newton". Montreal Star. December 27, 1967. p. 35. Retrieved August 2, 2024.
  25. ^ "John W. Newton". Sarnia Observer. Retrieved August 2, 2024.
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