5'7.5" 11st.
b. Bonhill  28 January 1871
d. Dundee between 14 and 20 November 1949
 

Debut  14 December 1901 (29y 241d) Final Game 26 April 1902 (31y 88d)
CAREER: Renton;Vale of Leven '90[7];Sheffield Wednesday '91[16];Dundee Jun'94[36];Bury May'96[143];Blackburn Rovers Aug'01;Dundee Aug'02-'07[39].
HONOURS FAC win (Bury) ’00.
 

FL       17 apps
FAC      1 app
Total  18 apps
 

Darroch was one of many children  born illegitimately to Martha McCallum, a worker in a calico printworks and James Darroch, a coachman. Brought up in hardship they followed  their mother into the factory at an early age, but adopted  their  father’s  surname. John found that football  was his salvation and went south of the border to seek his fortune. For many years his forceful play and hard tackling made him a fixture at Bury and he contributed to their cup final  victory in 1900. It appeared that he would  see his career out at Gigg Lane but when the Rovers had disciplinary problems  with their left back Hardy, they recruited Darroch. It soon became apparent that he was at the tail end of his career and he only played for a season. He later emigrated  to America but found life so difficult that Bury sent him a donation to try and ameliorate  the conditions under which he was living. When he subsequently  returned to Scotland he worked as a bath attendant in Dundee and he was found dead in the city in 1949, not having been seen  for almost a week.