Bellshill born Jonas Kaduskeviechi, aka John Jack was something of a bit-part player in the green and white Hoops during the 1950s, but managed to make 68 appearances in his nine years at the club…
The big defender was of Lithuanian descent, which actually wasn’t uncommon in Bellshill, due to the large number of Lithuanian immigrants who settled in the Lanarkshire mining community in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century.
It led to Bellshill being dudded ‘little Lithuania’ due to the number of immigrants who arrived in large numbers in the Lanarkshire town, and surrounding areas in the search of work and a better life.
Indeed, Celtic had three players of Lithuanian descent on the books in the 1950s. With John’s teammate and legendary Celtic icon Billy McNeill who also hailed from Bellshill was of Lithuanian heritage, as was fellow teammate and defender John Kurila.
Despite being born Jonas Kaduskeviechi, the big centre back was always referred to as John Jack, although it was not known if he ever legally changed his name.
We’ll no doubt find out when my colleague Matt Corr’s Celtic in the Fifties books are released later this year. Just like his brilliant Celtic in the Thirties books there will be two volumes for the Celtic support to enjoy and to really know their history.
John, described as one of the cleanest kickers of a ball that Lanarkshire had ever produced, signed for the club in October 1950 from Stonehouse Violet, and would make his first team debut the following year in a 2-2 draw with Motherwell at Celtic Park.
In the early stages of his career, John would combine his footballing duties with early morning shifts down the Lanarkshire pits, before heading to training sessions, which wasn’t uncommon for footballers back then.
Although a highly rated no nonsense centre back, John would often struggle against the nimblest of opposition strikers, and was sometimes guilty of stupid mistakes that led to goals, some of which were in high profile matches.
John didn’t feature at all in the double winning side of 1953/54, but had the honour of being part of the first Celtic side to win the League Cup after a replay win over Partick Thistle in 1956. However he would miss the iconic 7-1 win over Rangers the following year. That ‘Hampden in the Sun’Celtic team featured Dick Beattie in goals and I wrote about his colourful career in the game on Celtic Shorts yesterday.
The Celtic defence was strong in that era with the likes of Jock Stein regular fixtures in the side, and John Jack could be best described as a ‘filler in’ when needed to be, due to injury to key players such as Stein who was prone to ankle injuries.
The end of the decade signalled the end of John’s Celtic career as he played less frequently, although he was credited for his hard work in helping coach the reserves alongside fellow teammate Jock Stein.
John would be released by the club in 1959, and would sign for Greenock Morton. John sadly passed away in 1988, but had the distinction of representing the famous green and white hoops on 68 occasions, as well as being in the first ever Celtic side to lift the League Cup.
Apologies re the lack of photographs of John Jack. If anyone can help us with this please get in touch.
Just an Ordinary Bhoy
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