John Payne was an inspirational leader on the football field and captained many of the sides he played for including the Essex County side, the Isthmian League side, and his club side, Leytonstone. A full-back, he made his England début in the 9-0 thrashing of Wales at Merthyr in January 1920 and seven months later he travelled to Antwerp as a member of the Great Britain Olympic squad. After a long career with the Essex club he retired from playing in 1924 and immediately continued to serve Leytonstone as a member of the club committee. A former sergeant in the Training Reserve Battalion during the War, Payne died in 1942 at the age of 52.
Great Britain