Description
Muirkirk, Ayrshire born inside right John Laidlaw began his football career with Muirkirk Athletic from where he signed for North Eastern League club South Shields in 1913, from where he was signed by First Division Aston Villa in December, making his Football League debut in a win at Derby County on Christmas Day 1913. He also played in a win over Sheffield United the next day as Aston Villa finished runners up in the League Championship but these proved his only appearances for The Villains. He returned to Scotland to join Kilmarnock in June 1914, and he subsequently returned to England to play for Chesterfield Town in 1915 before the onset of the First World War effectively ended his career.