Was Jack a footballer?

[johnrbent]

Hi,

Recently I have been in communication with a spirit called John who says he played football for the Rovers in 1888 and killed several women. Could he have been Jack? I don't know of any teams in London called Rovers so could he have travelled from Bristol, Blackburn, Doncaster ????

[DVV]

No Johnrbent,
according to various witnesses he was rather a hooker, whether a stout scrum half (see Byron Kelleher).
You must be in communication with the Torso killer - a footballer having strong motives to cut legs.
Amitiés.

[Supe]

Johnrbent,

As Jennifer Pegg and I wrote about in "Sports Extra" for Ripperologist 95 (September 2008), Blackburn Rovers were helping to kickoff the first season of the English football league just hours after Annie Chapman's body was discovered, so it would seem unlikely JtR was also playing footie up north the same day.

Don.

[DVV]

Hi Don,
what if he got a red-car one week before, for his tackle in Buck's Row?

[claire]

You're a naughty pair, David and Don...

[DarkPassenger]

Can you ask John the lotto numbers for tonight? While your at it ask Shergar where he is.

[Mike Covell]

I can't see JTR as a footballer, if that where the case, he would have been rolling out of pubs in the early hours with a "WAG" on his arm, trying to drunkenly drive his horse and carriage, whilst the journo's follow, to get their story!!

[Uncle Jack]

I hate to be the one who "can't take a joke" but, whether we believe in psychic abilitiy or not, it may be a good route to go in and maybe this communication is of interest. Has anyone got any serious answers on the info provided?

[Monty]

Sure it wasnt Rangers? Queens Park Rangers were a new amateur team around then. Theres also Wanderers who were well established by 88.

[Mike Covell]

The psychis route has been attempted on numerous occasions with different end results.

The psychic former police officer on the Vic Reeves Investigates show pointed his finger at Tumblety.

Derek Acorah pointed his finger at James Maybrick on numerous occasions, then suggested more than one killer.

Then there was the psychic investigation by Pamela Ball, which also pointed the finger at someone else.

The fact that John has come forward and asked about "Rovers", "John" and "1888" suggests nothing more than a cold reading technique, where questions are asked rather than the making of definite statements.

It is also amazing how "John" stated he was a player for "The Rovers in 1888 and killed several woman" but does not leave his surname.

I am not saying I do not believe in psychic ability, as I have worked with many gifted people in the past, who have gave definite statements that were checked and confirmed, but rarely do they leave such open ended statements.

Now looking at what little we have to go on, we can find out that "Blackburn Rovers" did exist in 1888, and one of their players was called John Barton, and another called Johnny Forbes.

See,

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/Fblackburn.htm

John Barton

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/BLACKBbartonJ.htm

Johnny Forbes

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/BLACKBforbes.htm

Another possible team was Bristol Rovers,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History...tol_Rovers_F.C.

Bristol Rovers where around in 1888 so too where Doncaster Rovers

http://www.doncasterroversfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/History/0,,10329~493667,00.html

[Robert]

I remember an article from the early 70s - I think Stewart posted it here - in which a psychic pointed the finger at "Charlie the Fishgutter," which sounds more plausible than a footballer.